If the rumors are true, there are some songs floating around that were secretly leaked from the long anticipated “Chinese Democracy” album from Guns N’ Roses. During recent tours, GNR has played ‘new’ songs and has talked about a new album with that title coming out “soon”.
I’ve had a chance to listen to several of the new songs because some guy I ran into at an out of town wedding had them on his iPod and was playing them all weekend. I am a longtime GNR fan so I have a pretty good frame of reference, for what it’s worth…
Better
Better starts off with a kind of creepy little intro. It’s a pretty classic catchy GNR tune with a good guitar riff line and various different Axl Rose voices. The guitar solo is noticeably different and a touch flashy, but it definitely pays respect to what Slash created.
I like it.
The Blues
I think this is my favorite so far. It starts out with a piano intro, but it isn’t a 3 minute intro, rather about 45 secinds or so. This is another catchy song witha very memorable melody that I find myself humming now and again. The Blues has a great explosive solo that is slinky and purposely driven, yet not a copycat of Slash. This song kinda feels like a more efficient November Rain or Don’t Cry type of song.
I like it. I like it a lot.
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy has a cool intro that just sucks you right in (once it gets started! A la Tool, there is about a minute of background noises before it starts, but then it just wallops you over the head. It’s a harder edge songs with minimal instrumentation during the verses.
The solo and lead guitar lines sound like old Alice in Chains from the 90’s.
I like it.
If The World
If The World is the first song I’ve heard from this album that takes me to a new place. It’s got a swanky kind of beat to it and a flameno flavor guitar line. I am faintly reminded of Maroon 5 on this song. Axle is using a high pitch, yet not strained, voal styling. There isn’t a whole lot of guitar going on in this song. I may not be hearing it correctly, but it’s got a catchy chorus:
“If the world would end today /all the dreams we’ve had would all just slip away
no theres nothing more to say / if the world would end itd’ll all just slip away”
The solo at the end is like a classic Carlos Santana jam! If not my favorite, this is easily my number 2 favorite.
I like it. I like it a lot.
IRS
IRS starts out with a whiny Axl that leads into almost a spoken word type of thing but not nearly as bad as a William Shatner dibacle. IRS is a little more harder edge with another different flavor of guitar solo, almost reminiscent of Nirvana, but a little less ‘random’ than some of those were. The solo at the end is back to an AIC style, though. A lot of repetitive lyrics in this one make it a 2nd tier type of song, whereas I consider everything else that has been presented so far as a 1st tier song.
It’s ok, it’ sone of those middle of the road tunes like a Yesterdays or 14 Years but without Slash making it something you may hold out for the guitar solo for.
Madagascar
This one starts to harken back to the Estranged era of epic songs having to mesh together to create some greater menaing. Definitely a 2nd tier song with high asperations. What I really don’t like is there is about 2 minutes in th middle of the song that is audio of a movie or something. I don’t get anything out of the addition of this. A great guitar solo here would be what this song needs to help it out. It is not unheard of for GNR to change song arrangements and lyrics up, so hopefully my feedback will help 🙂
Not my favorite. Hopefully it will be tweaked, or it may be a flop if it’s one of those highly marketed songs.
“New Song #1” – This I Love ?
Harder edge song with a screaming Axl belting out lyrics at a frantic pace. Good, short, guitar driven song with a forgetable guitar solo thrown in for good measure. Based on the number of mentions, this could be called, “Sweet Salvation”. Who knows.
It’s ok.
Rumor has it that a completed album has been delivered to the record company and that the release extravaganza details are being negotiated. After 14 years in the making, I think it’s time to just release the thing! Some details have suggested that Chinese Democracy is a multi album compilation – I’ve heard 2 albums and I’ve heard 4 albums – and after the 2008 release of the first iteration, I’ve heard 2012 for another release – I don’t know if that is the 4th, the 2nd, or something else alltogether. GNR has never been short in the suspense department.
I am very excited to hear whatever is put out, and that is SOLELY based on the 9 tracks I’ve heard thus far (I will review the last 2 songs next week). Prior to this “secret leak”, I had written off Axl Rose’s new lineup with the GNR name.
I’ve started to find live shows that he has been playing over the past few years and most of the show remains true to the shows I was accustomed to seeing in the 90’s. A few of the new songs have been played, so these are a calculated “leak”, I suspect.
At any rate, I’m very excited and hope to see something in the stores soon!
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