Well,
The Axl Rose solo band have finally decided to start paying some of their bills, rather than continuing to live with the distinction of most downloaded, and watched on YouTube, for free. As a fan from the days before Appetite for Destruction was a hit record, let me be straight. All those who have decided Chinese Democracy is not “Guns and Roses”, you are all correct. However, for those that saw them in the beginning, and watched them deteriorate into a bloated Vegas, Rolling Stones wanna be act, complete with back-up singers, and keyboards, Use Your Illusion, was not Guns N Roses either.  Guns N Roses, was a great bar/club act from L.A. that made one great record with a raw passion that can only come from a group of artists that have nothing to lose.
So, since the authenticity of Guns N Roses died with the 80’s, I guess it comes down to: does the name the band goes by matter, or is Chinese Democracy somethings else. Knowing it was finally coming out, I wanted to hate it on principle. Knowing Axl Rose insists on using the name of the old band to prop up sales made me want to hate it even more. Now that I’ve given it a listen, I have to admit, if it showed up in my mailbox, wrapped in a blank paper bag, I’d have to say, it’s a pretty good bunch of songs. This is closer to Use Your Illusion, than Appetitie for Destruction, of that there is no doubt. Sans Slash et al, it had to be different, and after so many years, and having passed through so many engineers hands, no doubt it had to be overproduced.

BUT, this is not Def Leppard, and this is not Guns N Roses either. It’s Chinese Democracy, and I like it.

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