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Guns N’ Roses (or, more accurately, Axl and some other guys) has been hanging around a lot longer than their shelf life initially indicated. For a band on the release radar for about a half-decade span, the name has proven to be miraculously resilient. Apparently, dinosaurs are as fashionable now as they were when Steven Spielberg decided he probably needed a box office hit before dabbling in black & white and genocide. AC/DC’s latest album, Black Ice, went platinum in less than a month—though it could be argued that such success could partly be credited to their allegiance with that video game fad where you play controllers like instruments…or something.

And now GNR, a group that hasn’t been relevant during nearly the entire lifespan of the youngest of Obama voters, finds itself with a potential hit on their hands. The entirety of the long-awaited Chinese Democracy was available via stream this week and was listened to more than three million times in a 24 hour-span. Damn, even Kiefer Sutherland has never been so busy.

As most already know, Chinese Democracy is alternately viewed as a rock n’ roll Holy Grail and the punchline for pretty much any joke about the absurdism of rock star ego and studio frustration. The album was first prepped in 1994, but bandmate friction and untold amounts of creative dissatisfaction caused it to be delayed…and delayed…and delayed. Then forgotten, before we were reminded that it was still in the works, then ignored, until more news filtered through, and we shrugged, but then it was announced, and anticipated, and canceled, and forgotten again. And this was all in about a three-year span. Eventually, most people stopped caring about Guns N’ Roses. After all, between 1993’s dreadful cover album The Spaghetti Incident? and 2006, the only sign of GNR life came in the form of a lousy soundtrack song for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s equally lousy apocalyptic vehicle, End of Days. That, and the sudden (and brief) reappearance of Axl Rose in the limelight, with hideous braids/dreadlocks and a face that couldn’t be believed—either drugs ruined him or some plastic surgeon did. By the time the new millennium rolled around (and, it could easily be argued, even before that), no one but the most delusional of die-hards cared anymore. Best leave them dead and buried. While never a truly great band, they had some truly great songs; more than enough to leave a significant stamp on rock history.

But then it was announced: Chinese Democracy, fourteen years in the making, was finally finished. In addition to Axl’s Michael Jackson-esque facial metamorphosis, the cost for this venture rose to, well, Michael Jackson-esque absurdity. Price estimates vary, but most agree it required about $15 million to see this album come to fruition. To be fair, Jacko’s last album, Invincible, reportedly cost nearly twice that, but I imagine a lot of that was used to pay for surgical procedures and keeping kids quiet. And so we finally get a chance to unwrap a new GNR record, one so long-in-the-making and over-hyped that there’s no way it could meet expectations, no matter how high or low they could be. But at the very least, we’ll all get a free can of Dr. Pepper out of it.

Of course, calling this group Guns N’ Roses is kind of like calling the band that released Zeitgeist Smashing Pumpkins—it’s really little more than a glorified solo record with a familiar band name to help generate interest and sales (yes, Jimmy Chamberlin pounded the skins on Zeitgeist but he also did work with Zwan and Corgan’s solo disc, so…). And if Axl’s control over GNR back in the early 90s was considered dictatorial then, I can only imagine how much more singular authority he has with guys like Slash, Duff and Izzy being replaced by Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson and Richard Fortus. Who thought we’d ever miss Buckethead?

Initial reaction has been pretty evenly mixed—some report it’s a return to form and a deliciously potent modern rock record, others declare it to be a bloated and ultimately shrugworthy disappointment. My own review will be posted later, so I’ll avoid commenting on its quality until then. All that really matters is that based on internet hits, the number of people looking for samples of the new record have been astronomical. Some could argue that its popularity can be attributed to a few less than ideal factors. Hearing for free is a lot different than plopping down the money for your own copy—the curiosity of even the skeptical cannot be suppressed. And like AC/DC’s run-in with interactivity, Democracy's second track, “Shackler’s Revenge,” was featured in Rock Band 2, but it was considered at the time to be nothing particularly special. All that matters is that GNR may not have the sway they once had during their heyday, but many still haven’t given up on them. Are the fans still living in the late 80s or do they honestly think this new album will deliver? Time will tell, but in the age of mp3s and piracy, I’d be stunned if it sold all that well, but crazier things have happened. Did you hear about how Axl is allowing exclusive sales rights to go to the Best Buy retail chain? Madness.

Links:
Album stream: click here
Guns N’ Roses official site: click here
Order from Best Buy: click here

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Comments (3)

November 23, 2008, Saul Hudson said:

	Hate to break it to you, but Smashing Pumpkins has always been Billy. James and D'Arcy were props.
	Votes: -1 report abuse vote down vote up

November 23, 2008, Matt Medlock said:

Hate to break it to you, but Smashing Pumpkins has always been Billy. James and D'Arcy were props. Believe me, I'm well aware. Corgan wouldn't even let Iha and D'Arcy into the studio during much of the recording of Siamese Dream (and probably later albums as well). Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact that the band broke up and then "reunited" some years later after Mary Star of the Sea and TheFutureEmbrace failed to sell remarkably well. Therefore, as I'm sure everyone can blatantly see, he brought back the Smashing Pumpkins name solely for the nostalgia value to help generate interest and sales. Actually, it's even more ludicrous than Axl's new-vamped GNR.

Votes: -1 report abuse vote down vote up

December 09, 2008, ryu hyabussa said:

	The difference between Axl and Michael Jackson is that even at his worst, Michael Jackson is still really really good. Axl at his best is medicore. That's why Slash plays with MJ now.
	Votes: +2 report abuse vote down vote up

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