Review: Guns n' Roses Chinese Democracy

Guns n' Roses
Chinese Democracy

It really happened. . It just took 17 years—or the entire life of a high school senior—for "Chinese Democracy" to finally make it to the shelves. The big question is 'was it worth it the wait?'

Those who love(d) Guns n' Roses for all of its complementary parts—Slash's blazing solos, Izzy's blues, Duff's basslines—will likely be disappointed. But those who love Axl Rose and his megalomania get everything they could hope for.

There is nothing organic about this album. It is filled with millions of guitar parts, billions of vocal tracks, strings, synths, and production credits longer than most feature films. Each track is a mini-opera, stuffed with all of Rose's tricks--the low voice, the falsetto voice, the guitar solo, the big climax. But in spite of all of the drama, they are just rock songs. Axl Rose is a crazy, reclusive perfectionist who spent $13 millio n dollars and more than a decade recording just 14 songs. But he still rocks. Does anything else matter?

For fans of: Axl Rose
Rating: 3 of 4