Anyone Think Chineese Democracy has changed from its original intention?

[brock landers]

I know Axl wrote many of these songs, from reading many articles over the years, as a love letter on unrequited love for Stephanie Seymour...

Since so much time has passed do you guys think he changed the intended direction of the album and thus shuffled what its contents were so many times?

I think this is the reason for the primary delay!

[fridayfan13]

i myself believe that the album has been done(or at least ready for mastering) at least once, maybe more. around 99, i believe that there was some sort of album, probably not complete, but enough to give the general feel of it. then Oh My God was released and when the bad feedback came in(even though i love that track), axl went back to the drawing board. this probably happened once or twice, even if it didnt apply to all the tracks. there are most likely some that were in the final stages, and were tossed out all together.

[titchy000]

a lot has happend in 10 years or so, so maybe what was recorded back then (if anything at all) wouldnt be relevant today

[slashplay]

Well there was that guy who said he had heard loads of stuff in 1999, and said it would have been a ;contemporary record back then'. it sounded like Physical Graffiti mixed by Trent Reznor i think he said.

Axl said in an interview that the recording of the music was done with 75% of the vocals completed on them, and he was just finishing them off.

Axl definitely had the backbone of an album ready, almost complete. but with different happenings and different reasons, he carried on writing, so of course the original sound of the album would have changed.

i'd love to hear every single track recorded over the last 9 years. It would be so interesting to see how Axl has thought and how the new band has developed.

Edited April 24, 2006 by slashplay

[brock landers]

I want to know if they had the makings of an album back in 94 when they returned after the Spaghetti Incident..it took a while to shake things out, but something was going on then....

[slashplay]

I want to know if they had the makings of an album back in 94 when they returned after the Spaghetti Incident..it took a while to shake things out, but something was going on then....

Yeah id be real interested to see what they had recorded. Cause Axl said he got slash playing some of the heaviest, dirtiest bluesy riffs ever. Then he said its a shame it didn't work out. but yeah, apparantly it was amazing.

I just hope that those recordings are still laying about somewhere. Release them! lol

[life_247]

A lot of albums changed direction - this one has.

[blzbub]

I think the Album's rumored original title, 2000 Intentions, says a lot by itself.

[jmrgnr]

i personally believe that the demo of Twta was from back then. It has a very 'TSI' sound to it. It also is the only one with backing vocals which may be from the line up back then....just a hunch.....but the album has probably been tweeked many times to cater to new talents and different musicians.

Edited April 25, 2006 by jmrgnr

[speedking]

As someone who works in the industry, I can share this.

There is a saying in the music biz.

"You're only as good as your last record"

I think Axl, much like Brian Wilson 20 years before him, has second guessed himself for more than a decade about CD. I think he's over thought the whole CD concept right down to the smallest details.

Let there be no doubt that when the time actually comes for CD's release, we will certainly know about it.

There will be MASSIVE promo for this...radio, print, tv. This album will be billed as the end all, be all.

Timing is the critical part in all of this also. I think Axl probably had a second thought about the direction he was taking when the industrial thing quickly ran it's course in the late 90's. That would explain the change of producers, the re-recording of tracks, the different musicians.

I truly believe CD as it was intended to be, was ready to go for a fall 2001 release. But Axl and the record company both put a hold on things when 9/11 happened.

Since then, I believe Axl has re-worked the songs again and brought things back to a more traditional GNR sound..."Better" is a great example.

Barring any domestic attacks, "Chinese Democracy" will be out in late August, ealry September with a major US tour to follow.

This album and the decade + it took to record it is one of the greatest rock and roll stories ever to play out in our life time. I for one have enjoyed the ride and anticipate a healthy reward this year.

~sk

[SlashisGOD]

Sure it's changed. It was going to be an industrial type record in the vein of Oh My God, but since that bombed, Axl went back to basics.

But I do not believe it is coming this year. Just because GNR is playing festivals and NYC doesn't mean it's coming. This will be like 2002. I hope I am wrong, I really do, but as of now, I don't see it being released this year.

PROVE ME WRONG AXL, PLEASE!

[HOOSIER GUNZ]

ff13,

I think you're asking one of those impossible to answer kind of questions.

My first thought is "Was the song 'Chinese Democracy' written before or

after the album was named?' I've never known for sure myself.

If the album is titled 'Chinese Democracy' it would still be quite relevant

because of the power, growth, and influence China is having on the global

market now and projected to have in the very near future.

Has the album been near completion once or twice before - Who Really Knows -

If it is a concept album of sorts or a collage of style and genre, then it's possible

that it could have taken many twists and turns before the final cuts were made.

And I agree, Oh My God was a kick ass tune that went straight over the heads of the

main stream gnr fan base which is a shame because it gave a clear glimse of what was

to be...with or without Slash and the Gang...they should of stuck around in my opinion.

peace,

HGZ

Edited April 25, 2006 by HOOSIER GUNZ

[Turn_It_Up]

As someone who works in the industry, I can share this.

There is a saying in the music biz.

"You're only as good as your last record"

I think Axl, much like Brian Wilson 20 years before him, has second guessed himself for more than a decade about CD. I think he's over thought the whole CD concept right down to the smallest details.

Let there be no doubt that when the time actually comes for CD's release, we will certainly know about it.

There will be MASSIVE promo for this...radio, print, tv. This album will be billed as the end all, be all.

Timing is the critical part in all of this also. I think Axl probably had a second thought about the direction he was taking when the industrial thing quickly ran it's course in the late 90's. That would explain the change of producers, the re-recording of tracks, the different musicians.

I truly believe CD as it was intended to be, was ready to go for a fall 2001 release. But Axl and the record company both put a hold on things when 9/11 happened.

Since then, I believe Axl has re-worked the songs again and brought things back to a more traditional GNR sound..."Better" is a great example.

Barring any domestic attacks, "Chinese Democracy" will be out in late August, ealry September with a major US tour to follow.

This album and the decade + it took to record it is one of the greatest rock and roll stories ever to play out in our life time. I for one have enjoyed the ride and anticipate a healthy reward this year.

~sk

I agree with much of your post...but you must be a real masachist to "have enjoyed the ride". Next time try going over freakin' Niagra in an innertube--I hear that's a real blast...

Edited April 25, 2006 by Turn_It_Up

[jazzchaz]

"Oh My God" was released as part of the "End Of Days" soundtrack which was a movie that bombed. There was no video to it or Guns promoting the song on TV shows of any sort so how anybody can think the mainstream missed it is a little absurd since it was never really put into the mainstream. It wasn't like "You Could Be Mine" which had a music video featuring California's present governor and attached to easily one of the biggest movies of that year, but rather it was more like "Sympathy For The Devil" where you had to be an absolute die hard to even know Gn'R had anything to do with "Interview With The Vampire."

My point is the song "Oh My God" wasn't meant to be a success in 1999 anymore then the Korn, Limp Bizkit or Eminem songs that are on the same CD.

[HOOSIER GUNZ]

"Oh My God" was released as part of the "End Of Days" soundtrack which was a movie that bombed. There was no video to it or Guns promoting the song on TV shows of any sort so how anybody can think the mainstream missed it is a little absurd since it was never really put into the mainstream. It wasn't like "You Could Be Mine" which had a music video featuring California's present governor and attached to easily one of the biggest movies of that year, but rather it was more like "Sympathy For The Devil" where you had to be an absolute die hard to even know Gn'R had anything to do with "Interview With The Vampire."

My point is the song "Oh My God" wasn't meant to be a success in 1999 anymore then the Korn, Limp Bizkit or Eminem songs that are on the same CD.

I think the overall point of the OMG reference was that it gave an indication of where Axl was

going with the album...that's all jazz.

[G n F n R]

Good question but something we can't possibly know till it's released.

[rockerman]

I think theres enough material in the GNR vaults to do 10 albums.

I think Axl originally was trying to go for something innovative and trendy and the music scene moved on to another bubblegum flavor of the month. I do think Axl is going to be right when he describes CD as complex.

Duff said they had enough material to do an album before he split.he also said that there was an albums worth of material done before Slash left also. Matt said they had over 2000 hours of recording before he got Axls boot to his ass for piping off and not recognizing that he was an employee and not a memeber.

I think that Axl just didn't know how or what to do to get the sound he was reaching for and it took him many of those years to figure it out. In his confusion Axl forgot that his very best work was inspired down on the sunset strip where the sound kicked everyones ass and took the world by storm. Epic ballads aside.....Axl should have made this album a blues album.

[Wildrose]

We dont fully know what its original intentions were.

[SylvesterStallone]

When Axl gets around to releasing CD, I'd love to hear the different iterations this project went through. I'm sure we'll get a sample in a future long overdue Box Set. The 1994-97 sessions will be really interesting, Im sure it will give us a clue as to why the old band felt the music wasn't working right.

The unfortunate thing is axl never put lyrics on those 2000 hours of jam sessions with the old band, he always does lyrics last. So its quite possible nothing really was ever even recorded from those sessions....

[duffmckegean]

When Axl gets around to releasing CD, I'd love to hear the different iterations this project went through. I'm sure we'll get a sample in a future long overdue Box Set. The 1994-97 sessions will be really interesting, Im sure it will give us a clue as to why the old band felt the music wasn't working right.

The unfortunate thing is axl never put lyrics on those 2000 hours of jam sessions with the old band, he always does lyrics last. So its quite possible nothing really was ever even recorded from those sessions....

True, that would be very interesting to hear.

I presume that would incude songs similar to just another sunday andbring it back??

is that the era they came from??

[brock landers]

Gotta wonder what the hell is on the tapes recorded up to and including when Slash left the band...THOSE tapes are the ones i want to know about, what has survived since then and what was completed then and never saw the light of day.

[Whee1010]

Of course the original intention of CD has changed...from personal experience, I can say that when I work on something creative for one hour (leat onlone ten years) it warps and changes until only my main goal is left and things have gone off in a million different directions. I think its safe to say that this sort oft hing happens to all people.

[DCGNR]

Can't wait for that Rolling Stone with Axl on the cover.....................Lots of answers on the way

[undercovergunner]

i personally believe that the demo of Twta was from back then. It has a very 'TSI' sound to it. It also is the only one with backing vocals which may be from the line up back then....just a hunch.....but the album has probably been tweeked many times to cater to new talents and different musicians.

The first time I listened to twat I said that had to be slash on there

[jmrgnr]

i personally believe that the demo of Twta was from back then. It has a very 'TSI' sound to it. It also is the only one with backing vocals which may be from the line up back then....just a hunch.....but the album has probably been tweeked many times to cater to new talents and different musicians.

The first time I listened to twat I said that had to be slash on there

Good to know i'm not the only one to think that...i do believe that is the old line up (or older than present day line up). I think all the demo's are quite old and the newer stuff that has been recorded is very well protected. If we had demos of anything i would think Madagascar or the blues would be floating around as they are obviously not guarded secrets. But its obvious that these few songs that have leaked are the only ones and will sound different on the album if they are on there.