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Chinese Democracy | 
| Artist: Guns N' Roses
Label: Black Frog/Geffen
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £1.98
as of 22/11/2009 04:32 GMT details
You Save: £15.01 (88%)
New (61) Used (26) Collectible (3) from £0.87
Seller: b68solutions
Rating:  176 reviews
Sales Rank: 1251
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Running Time: 71 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 602517906075
EAN: 0602517906075
ASIN: B001JEO9XU
Release Date: November 24, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Chinese Democracy | | • | Shackler's Revenge | | • | Better | | • | Street Of Dreams | | • | If The World | | • | There Was A Time | | • | Catcher In The Rye | | • | Scraped | | • | Riad N' The Bedouins | | • | Sorry | | • | I.R.S. | | • | Madagascar | | • | This I Love | | • | Prostitute |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
17 years in the making and beholden of a level of hyperbole verging on mythology--one that couldn't even be derailed by Axl Rose staffing his ever-changing troupe with people named Buckethead, Bumblefoot and Brain--iChinese Democracy/i would disappoint even if it arrived in a puff of smoke and nullified the impact of iThe Dark Side of the Moon/i, iRevolver/i and iSabbath Bloody Sabbath/i (not to mention iAppetite for Destruction/i). And it doesn't do that, obviously. In fact, straight off the block it's in danger of rear-ending the Guns N' Roses legend, with the title track offering little beyond big production and "Shackler's Revenge" and "Better" emulating Linkin Park's industrial block building with a guttural vocal that threatens to turn the whole thing into a parody. But a desire to progress the G N' R template finds its feet as "If The World" unfolds into an improbable eastern drum 'n' bass orchestral trip-hop odyssey with some coarse riffing and the attitude of old is run through Pro-Tools and made 21st Century-proof on "Scraped" and "Raid N' the Bedouins". But if this album is to be remembered for anything in particular it will be the sky-reaching ambition of the balladry; "Sorry" with its "Nothing Else Matters" vibe and interlaced vocal choreography is cathartic and proud, "This I Love" sees Axl's larynx stretched and twisted, literally wringing the emotion from within, and "Catcher in the Rye" is one real moment of universal appeal. iChinese Democracy/i tries to be a lot of things but really works where Axl is left to be Axl and "November Rain" is left sounding like "Kumbaya". i--James Berry/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 176
 Forget the critics - its brilliant! December 6, 2008
Alli (London, United Kingdom)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Like everyone else, I've waited a long time for the release of Chinese Democracy and on first listen, I was very disappointed. But then I remembered how I needed to listen to Appetite more than once to get into it, and I feel its the case with this album. The more I listen to it, the better it gets and the standout tracks for me are the four concurrent tracks starting from 'Better'.
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br /Is it a masterpiece? Only time will tell, but in my opinion, its close and Chinese Democracy is the most interesting album I've bought in a long time (apart from Muse's 'Black Holes Revelations'). I now can't stop playing it. Yes, I think we all wished Slash could be on this production, but let's not dismiss the guitarists who are - they are all superb and deserve recognition for their talents, and maybe if the old band members had been involved, the album would never have seen the light of day. Axl Rose is a genius and his voice is amazing. It takes you back to your school days, but at the same time it's new, modern and totally different from anything else out there in the bland production of today's music. Perfection for me would be for Axl to ditch the corn rows and goatie, start promoting this album, and give us a world tour worth waiting for.
Dont listen just once November 27, 2008
Steve Barlow (England)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
....because the music may just pass you by. It's a complicated album. It is an insight into the confused and crazy mind of Axl Rose. Give it a few goes and it will suck you in, reward you and have you wanting more. The musicianship is tremendous. The sound mix amazing. Well done Axl. Now can we have the next one in about 24 months please.....
But I Don't Really Like Guns N' Roses! December 13, 2008
J. M. Green (Sutton Coldfield)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have to say that, apart from one or two tracks, I've not really been much of an admirer of GNR - however, for my birthday, my eldest son purchased a copy of Black Ice for me - which, unfortunately (for him!) I had already got in my collection - so he said he'd go and get me a surprise.....and came back with a copy of Chinese Democracy. Well, I have to say that it took me a couple of days before I actually gave it access to my car CD player and then when I did give it a spin, the first and second tracks went by, with me just thinking that I knew why I was never really that much enamoured by this band - But then "Better" started up, grabbing me by the throat demanding my undivided attention - great riffs, voice box mashing vocals and some really stunning guitar soloing - this was something completely different, and most unexpected. I played this track a couple of more times and then went on to complete the album and, I have to say that I had more than a grin on my face.....this album truly ROCKS!!
br /I have since given this album a great deal of listening time as "background noise" and also with a set of cans on and I am now even more impressed with this strong and complicated album which is capable of being "dived" into at any level because it covers all the facets that an excellent rock, or indeed, any type of album should serve up....be it fast paced raucous rock or just plain beautiful ballads, technically brilliant musicianship or just simple melodies, this album delivers it all!
br /The real test of course will be how long the follow up will be in the making and will it ever be able to eclipse this truly brilliant album....
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Good on yer Axl.... November 27, 2008
Codberg Arizona (Twixt Severn Wye)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Well, I should start this review by explaining that whilst regarding myself as a GNR fan I have to say that what predominantly attracts me to the band is:
br /1. Axl's voice
br /2. Axl's voice
br /3. Axl's voice
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br /and so on... You get the picture. Yes, I would rather the original band were all still together but they're not and in my opinion only Axl is irreplacable in the same way as Queen are not Queen without Freddie.
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br /I personally think this album is fantastic - there isn't a weak track on it - the same cannot be said for any of the previous albums.
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br /Axl sounds as good as ever, the guitar solo's are rythmic and strong and as good as anything on previous records.
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br /It's hard to pick a favourite track but mine is "If the world"... I must have listened to this track 30 times and I've only got the CD yesterday - fantastic.
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br /I fail to see how anyone can be disappointed with this record - Axl it was worth the wait mate!
br /
br /To put this review in context I used to consider myself the biggest Queen fan in the world having originally seen them in concert as a support group to Mott the Hoople in 1974 or early 75, so I couldn't wait to buy their latest CD 'The Cosmos Rocks' - What rubbish, no wonder John didn't want to appear on the album. So I'm not writing this positive GNR review wearing (Axl)rose tinted glasses. If I thought it was rubbish I'd say so.
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br /Buy it - it's worth the wait.
Open your mind and be pleasantly surprised December 5, 2008
Mr. Arm Lawson (Midlands)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Ok - first things first - a Gn'R album this ain't. It's The Axl Rose freakshow for the 21st Century, and trading in on THAT name is pushing things a bit to far for comfort....and yet somehow....
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br /Somehow, the whold thing works. I approached this with a great dollop of scepticism. After all, this was the band that I'd loved since hearing them on Tommy Vance's (RIP) Friday Rock Show just before they played Donnington '88. I was hooked the moment I heard the opening riff of Mr. Brownstone and continued to enjoy the melodrama until the early 90's. They never did things by halves, even then. Acoustic album with racist overtones? Check! Releasing 2 double albums simultaneously? Check! Never being sure if they'd turn up to the gig you'd paid your hard earned cash for? Check! Ah, those were the days. And then everything went pear shaped, original band members dropped off the radar one by one until things fizzled out, and nobody was interested in Axl's demands, extreme ego and diminishing genius...
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br /Fast-forward 17yrs (if we ignore the curiousity that was "The Spaghetti Incident") and what do we find?
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br /We discover, quite unexpectedly, that Axl and his hired hands have created a rather fantastic collection of modern day rock classics. Forget what all the critics have said. This is a truly amazing rock album! It doesn't sound like Gn'R - but what did you expect? People change and styles evolve - deal with it! Remember the final track on "Use Your Illusion II" ? If Gn'R had continued as they were back in the 90's, they would've started to move away from 'traditional' rock songs and stuctures anyway. It's just taken a little longer than anyone expected....
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br /That's not to say "Chinese Democracy" is perfect. It's not. It's overlong, over-produced and over-hyped. But you'll not hear anything like it right now. And Axl has never sounded better. But then, ProTools is an amazing invention....
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br /To finish off this review (and thanks for reading this far - you're a patient browser!) - all I can say is that I've listened to this CD now pretty much continually for a fortnight. In this day and age, when we are bombarded with music that is available just about anywhere and anytime, how many of us can say that we give new music a chance to get under our skin and let it submerge itself within our inner rock consciousness? I can't remember the last time I felt so compelled by an album to press play again and again. Actually, yes I can - it was back in 1988, on a Sony Walkman (remember those?) and the tape was "Appetite For Destruction".
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br /Spread the word....they're back. Well, Axl is anyway!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 176
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