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For the political movement in the People's Republic of China, see Chinese democracy movement.

Untitled

Chinese Democracy is the upcoming sixth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. Scheduled for release on November 23, 2008 in North America, it will be the band's first album since 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since the simultaneous release of Use Your Illusion I and II in September 1991. In a 2007 interview, Axl Rose's close friend Sebastian Bach stated that Chinese Democracy will be the first installment in a trilogy of new albums. Bach also remarked that Rose had told him the third, as of yet untitled, album has been slated for 2012. The retail release will be sold exclusively through Best Buy.

History and touring

Main article: Chinese Democracy Tour

Recording for Chinese Democracy began in 1994. Ex-bassist Duff McKagan is quoted as saying, "[the] band was so splintered at that point that nothing got started". Slash has criticized Rose for making the band seem "like a dictatorship". In his autobiography, Slash, Slash writes that his departure from the band in 1996 was caused by "Axl wanting control to the point that the rest of us were strangled". Slash quit the band in 1996; drummer Matt Sorum and McKagan left soon afterwards. Slash was replaced by Nine Inch Nails touring guitarist Robin Finck, ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson replaced McKagan, and Josh Freese joined as the drummer.

In early 1998, the band — which comprised Rose, Finck, Stinson and Freese along with long-time Guns N' Roses associate Paul Tobias, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman — began recording at Rumbo Recorders, a state-of-the-art studio in the San Fernando Valley where Guns N' Roses had partially recorded parts for their debut album, Appetite for Destruction. During this time, Geffen paid Rose $1 million to try and finish the album, with a further $1 million if he handed it in to them by March 1, 1999.

Finck briefly left the band to rejoin Nine Inch Nails on tour in 1999. In 2000, Rose hired avant-garde metal guitarist Buckethead, and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, who has appeared on many of Buckethead's solo albums, to replace the departed Freese. Later on in 2000, Finck rejoined the band as the third guitarist.

File:GN'Rworld tour.JPG

Guns N' Roses' 2002 world tour

On January 1, 2001, Guns N' Roses played their first concert in over seven years at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was followed by their headlining performance at Rock in Rio III on January 14, 2001 in front of 190,000 people. The group had planned to tour Europe in June 2001, however, all the dates were cancelled because of stomach problems suffered by Buckethead. The European tour was rescheduled for December 2001 but was once again cancelled; tour manager Doug Goldstein is said to have taken responsibility for the tour's downfall. Despite these cancellations, the band played two concerts in Las Vegas on December 29 and 31. Rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus joined the band in 2002, replacing Tobias, who had left because of his disdain for touring. In August 2002, the band honored tour dates in Hong Kong, Japan, England and Belgium. They infamously played at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, on August 29, during their medley of "Welcome to the Jungle", "Madagascar" and "Paradise City" Rose seemed out of breath and struggled to keep up with the rest of the band; Rose's vocal performance was the subject of much criticism by fans and critics. After the VMA appearance, the band embarked on their first North American tour since the spring of 1993. The tour was supposed to begin on November 7 in Vancouver, however, a spokesman for the band claimed that due to poor weather conditions Rose was unable to fly to Canada from Los Angeles, though the rest of the band members were already at the concert venue. The show was cancelled less than two hours before Guns N' Roses were supposed to go onstage, causing riots outside the venue. The riot caused more than $400,000 in damages. Despite not being able to reach Vancouver the previous day, Rose performed in Tacoma, Washington on November 8 and Guns N' Roses played the first concert on their North American tour at the Tacoma Dome, although the venue was only half full and the band had many sound problems. According to MTV, Rose had blown his vocal chords by the end of the performance. The band's last show on the tour was a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. The following night the band was scheduled to appear at Philadelphia's First Union Center; the opening acts, CKY and Mix Master Mike, both performed but Guns N' Roses failed to appear. The cancellation resulted in another riot after which the tour promoter, Clear Channel, cancelled the remaining sixteen shows of the tour. Between the beginning of the tour on November 8 and the last show on December 5, the band had finished sixteen shows, less than half of what they had planned to play.

Rose during Guns N' Roses' set at the Download Festival on June 10, 2006

After the 2002 tour, the band went on hiatus. They were scheduled to play at Rock in Rio IV in May 2004, but cancelled. Rose claimed Buckethead's departure in March 2004 left them unable to perform:

The band has been put in an untenable position by guitarist Buckethead and his untimely departure. On behalf of Guns N' Roses and myself I apologize to the fans who planned to see us at Rock in Rio - Lisbon. The festival and its tradition mean a lot to me personally and I sincerely do not enjoy being robbed by one of our own of the opportunity to be the first artist to play it for the third time. I would also like to express my gratitude to those who chose to embrace Buckethead's role in Guns and support our new line up. We greatly appreciate Bucket's contributions and remain open to 'discussions' as there are obviously several issues to resolve. In the meantime rather than dwelling on the negative, Guns will be moving forward and surprisingly (without giving away any details) this unfortunate set of circumstances may have given us the opportunity to take our recording that one extra step further.

In May 2006, the band played their first concerts in over three years in New York; four performances at the Hammerstein Ballroom on May 12, 14, 15 and 17. These were followed by an acoustic set at The Plumm for Rosario Dawson's birthday party on May 18, before the band went on stage, Rose had an infamous altercation with the fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. Just two weeks before the New York shows, Bumblefoot joined the band as a replacement for Buckethead. The shows in New York were followed by a summer tour in Europe. After Guns N' Roses' performance in Stockholm, Sweden on June 26, an intoxicated Rose was arrested for biting a hotel security guard's leg, threatening police and damaging property at the hotel. Despite this, the band managed to honor their show obligation in Oslo, Norway just two days later.

Robin Finck at the Download Festival in 2006

Following the successful European summer tour, in which the band played to over 700,000 people, the band embarked on a tour in North America in October 2006. The band cancelled two shows in November 2006; the first, which was scheduled for November 6 in Portland, Maine, was cancelled "due to limitations imposed by local fire marshals", the second, which was scheduled for November 29 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was cancelled due to Rose's ear and throat problems.

On December 14, 2006, Rose published an open letter to the band's fans on their website, he announced the cancellation of the final four shows of the North American tour, claiming that those shows were taking up time the band needed to finish recording Chinese Democracy. Rose also revealed that the band had parted company with their manager Merck Mercuriadis, implying that the reason the album wasn't released in 2006 was Mercuriadis's fault (many times throughout 2006, Rose had said the album would be released that year). In the letter, Rose announced a tentative release date of March 6, 2007 for the album, however, the album was once again delayed. The next day, Mercuriadis replied to Rose's letter, stating that he had organized many recording sessions which Rose had failed to attend. He also claimed that he had written much of Rose's open letter.

On February 22, 2007, the band's road manager, Del James, announced that all recording for the album had been completed and it was in the mixing process, James stated that there was no release date for the album but that things appeared to be moving on after a number of delays.

In the summer of 2007, the band begun touring again; playing in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The tour was supposed to begin with two performances in South Africa, including headlining the My Coke Fest, South Africa's biggest music festival, in late April/early May but they were cancelled after bassist Stinson injured his wrist after falling down a flight of stairs.

On March 26, 2008, various media outlets reported that Dr Pepper will offer a free can of Dr Pepper to everyone in America — excluding former Guns N' Roses guitarists Buckethead and Slash — if the band releases Chinese Democracy in 2008. Later on March 26, Rose replied to Dr Pepper on Guns N' Roses' official website and spoke of his surprise at Dr Pepper's support. Rose also said he would share his Dr Pepper with Buckethead as "some of Buckethead's performances are on [Chinese Democracy]".

On September 14, 2008, "Shackler's Revenge" was released on the music video game Rock Band 2, making it the band's first official release of new material since 1999's "Oh My God". It leaked onto the Internet on August 14, 2008. "Shackler's Revenge" was shortly followed by another release, "If the World", which, according to Rolling Stone, will appear over the closing credits of Body of Lies. Despite its place in the film, Rolling Stone claimed "If the World" will not be released on the film's soundtrack album.

Sound

In 1999, the industrial metal song "Oh My God" was released on the End of Days soundtrack. It featured current Guns N' Roses members Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed, Robin Finck, Chris Pitman and Tommy Stinson, along with former members Paul Tobias and Josh Freese. Dave Navarro and Gary Sunshine also recorded guitar parts for the song. "Oh My God" was unpopular upon its release, and was described by Allmusic as "a less than satisfying comeback". The sound of Chinese Democracy was often reported to be industrial rock music similar to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, a style that Rose had long been a fan of. However, in a 2001 interview with an Argentine radio station, Rose stated the album wasn't industrial, and would vary in styles:

It is not industrial, the closest thing to that was perhaps "Oh My God", but there are some songs that won't be on the album that were this way. There will be all kinds of styles, many influences as blues, mixed in the songs.

In 2003, DJ Eddie Trunk spoke about the demo of "I.R.S." which was leaked on his radio show:

It reminded me of Use Your Illusion-era stuff, with some modern flairs to it. The song had a loop track in the beginning, but then, when it kicked in, it was that same dramatic Guns N' Roses hard rock.

During the launch party for Korn's 2006 tour, Rose conducted an interview with Rolling Stone, he told the magazine:

It's a very complex record, I'm trying to do something different. Some of the arrangements are kind of like Queen. Some people are going to say, 'It doesn't sound like Axl Rose, it doesn't sound like Guns N' Roses.' But you'll like at least a few songs on there.

In a Rolling Stone article in 2006, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach described the album as "epic" and "mind-blowing" and added:

It’s a very cool album - it’s badass with killer screams, killer guitar riffs, but it’s got a totally modern sound. The word for it is ‘grand.’ It’s fucking epic. He’s reinvented himself yet again.

Bach also described a song titled "Sorry":

There’s this one song called ‘Sorry’ that’s almost like doom metal with Axl singing really clean over this grinding, slow beat that is fucking mean, I cannot get it out of my head.

Bach has also described the album as having "the rawness and the power of Appetite for Destruction, but it also has the grandiosity of 'November Rain'."

Production

Long time Guns N' Roses producer Mike Clink was reported to have worked on the album during its conception. Moby and Youth turned down offers to work on the album.

According to Rolling Stone, Nevermind engineer Andy Wallace was working on the album in 2006. A source close to Guns N' Roses is quoted as saying "we're absolutely delighted with the mixes".

Other producers who have worked on the album include: Roy Thomas Baker, Bob Ezrin and Sean Beavan.

Collaborations with other artists

Sebastian Bach will perform backing vocals on "Sorry"

The band have worked with numerous other artists during Chinese Democracy's recording process; including guitarists Brian May and Dave Navarro. May recorded the lead guitar parts for the leaked song "Catcher in the Rye" in 1999, however, "Catcher in the Rye" has never been confirmed to appear on Chinese Democracy and it's unknown if May's parts will be on the song if it is officially released.

NBA star Shaquille O'Neal rapped on a song with the band. He took a break from his own recording session and found Dizzy Reed and then-drummer Josh Freese working in a neighboring studio.

Composers Marco Beltrami and Paul Buckmaster worked on orchestral arrangements for the album in the early 2000s.

In January 2007, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach recorded backing vocals for a song called "Sorry" at Electric Lady Studios. Harpist Patti Hood has also recorded parts for the album.

Leaks

In September 2003, radio DJ Eddie Trunk played a new Guns N' Roses song titled "I.R.S." on his syndicated radio show Friday Night Rocks ... With Eddie Trunk. This was at the insistence of his in-studio guest Mike Piazza, who had received a CD in the mail the previous month. Guns N' Roses' management issued a cease-and-desist order against Trunk, leading him to strip replays of his broadcast of both the song and references to it.

An excerpt of the song "I.R.S." leaked onto the Internet in April 2005. The band's management referred to it as a "low quality demo", but it was most likely a recording of Eddie Trunk's broadcast of the song from 2003.

Full-length studio demos of "Better", "Catcher in the Rye", "I.R.S." and "There Was a Time" leaked online in February 2006. Queen guitarist Brian May confirmed on his blog that he recorded guitar for the "Catcher in the Rye" demo in 1999.

On February 20, 2007, a new version of the song "Better" was leaked onto the Internet. Dizzy Reed confirmed the song was real on the band's website. He also claimed Harley-Davidson was the source of the leak: "We were doing a commercial with Harley-Davidson. Harley was going to do a version using 'Paradise City' and another version using 'Better'. Their web site even had a version up for like one day with 'Better', but the version of 'Better' that they had was an unfinished, unapproved demo. That's why it was removed." Reed also rejected claims made by fans that Guns N' Roses or their management were responsible for the leak.

A studio version of "Madagascar" was leaked onto a fansite on March 29, 2007; the track was leaked by a well known member on a Guns N' Roses fan forum. Rose's vocal style on the demo is different from how he had sung it live, leading many fans to think the demo was fan made, however, guitarist Bumblefoot later confirmed it was real.

Three more tracks leaked in early May, 2007; the album's title track, "Chinese Democracy", "There Was a Time", "The Blues" and another, more recent version of "I.R.S.". All three tracks had previously been played live and "Chinese Democracy" had been partially leaked in March. They were allegedly leaked by the wrestler Mister Saint Laurent.

Nine further demos from Chinese Democracy sessions were leaked on June 18, 2008 to Kevin "Skwerl" Cogill's blog Antiquiet. Three songs—"Rhiad and the Bedouins", a song which had been performed live on the Chinese Democracy Tour in 2001 and 2002; a track whose name is unknown thus far; and "If the World", a song which was an unused part of the setlist during 2006 leg of the Chinese Democracy Tour—had never previously leaked; the other six songs are remixed or reworked versions of songs which have previously leaked in demo form: "Better", "Chinese Democracy", "I.R.S.", "Madagascar", "The Blues" and "There Was a Time". The songs were leaked via Antiquiet.com, a music website. Antiquiet streamed the songs on its website, claiming they were "mastered, finished versions that you probably haven't heard". The songs were removed from the website's server shortly thereafter, when the website was contacted by Guns N' Roses. The website later posted an update, in which it apologized for broadcasting the songs, which it then claimed were "already 'out there'", after its contact with Guns N' Roses. Cogill was later interrogated by the FBI regarding the leaks. Cogill was arrested by FBI agents on August 27, 2008 and awaits prosecution.

Current status

According to a March 2005 New York Times article, production costs for the album have reached $13 million, making it probably the most expensive recording never to be released. Then-Guns N' Roses manager, Merck Mercuriadis, however, refuted the article in a letter and claimed that the newspaper's sources had not been involved with the project for "six to nine years".

Rose issued a press release on Guns N' Roses' official website on December 14, 2006. Entitled "An open letter to the fans from Axl", Rose announced the cancellation of four concerts that were scheduled for January 2007, he stated that if the band fulfilled the concerts, "valuable time needed by the band and record company for the proper setup and release of the album Chinese Democracy would have been lost". Also in the letter, he confirmed that Guns N' Roses had parted company with manager Merck Mercuriadis. Rose blamed much of the album's delay on Mercuriadis. Rose also announced a tentative release date for Chinese Democracy of March 6 2007, he remarked that it was the first time the band had publicly named a release date for the album.

Despite Rose's announcement, the album was once again delayed. On February 22, 2007, the band's road manager, Del James, issued a press release definitively stating that all recording for the album had been completed. James elaborated, "There is no official release date, as the band is currently mixing, but after some delays and scheduling difficulties, things appear to be moving along."

In a 2007 interview, Sebastian Bach claimed Rose had planned to have the album released by Christmas 2007: "I know Axl was very serious about putting something out before Christmas. He was talking to me about it. He was talking about finishing liner notes." Bach also said that Chinese Democracy's delay might be because of business problems: "I think there's a lot of business shit that goes on with him. It's just not as easy. It's a little more complicated than people think." Little was said about the record after this, and 2007 saw no official release of the new material.

In January 2008, rumors arose that Chinese Democracy had been handed over to Geffen Records, but had been delayed because the label and Rose could not agree on the marketing of the album. Eddie Trunk also claimed Geffen might have the album: "I hear the new G&R CD is actually done, but the delay in release is not the bands [sic] issues but the label. There is so much money tied up in this record that in todays [sic] business it will be virtually impossible to be profitable, meaning the label might want to sell it off but can not find a buyer since nobody buys CDs anymore. Problem might not be Axl this time around and might keep this CD in limbo for more years to come. Hopefully it gets resolved." However, in a February 2008 interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Rose's personal manager, Beta Lebeis, debunked Trunk's suggestion and was quoted as saying "we're currently in negotiations with the record label".

On October 9, 2008, Billboard claimed Chinese Democracy will be released on November 23, exclusively through Best Buy in the USA. There has been no official confirmation of its release date, however.

Controversy and lawsuits

In 2004, Geffen Records released Greatest Hits. Rose, along with Slash and McKagan, attempted to block the album's release. They filed a lawsuit against Geffen, claiming the album was unauthorized and would damage the band's reputation, Rose also claimed it would distract the band from completing Chinese Democracy. A week before the scheduled release, a judge denied their request for an injunction and the album was released. Greatest Hits was #1 in the UK for two weeks and reached #3 on the Billboard 200. Despite being criticized for being hastily assembled, it was the world's ninth highest selling album of 2004.

Title conflicts

On April 1, 2003, The Offspring announced that they would be naming their upcoming album Chinese Democrazy (You Snooze, You Lose). The Offspring's lead singer Dexter Holland elaborated, "You snooze, you lose. Axl ripped off my braids, I ripped off his album title." However, it turned out to be an April Fools' joke and the Offspring album was eventually released under the title Splinter instead.

Track listing

Although the entire track listing for Chinese Democracy has not been confirmed, various members of the band and people associated with the band have confirmed certain tracks which will appear on the album. All but two of the confirmed tracks have been played live during the Chinese Democracy Tour, the exceptions being "Sorry" and "Shackler's Revenge".

Confirmed for Chinese Democracy
Title	Source	Number of demos
"Better"	Axl Rose, 2006	3
"Chinese Democracy"	Official press release, 2006	2
"I.R.S."	Official press release, 2006	4
"Madagascar"	Official press release, 2006	2
"Shackler's Revenge"	Announced on official website, 2008	1
"Sorry"	Sebastian Bach, 2006	0
"The Blues"	Axl Rose, 2006	2
"There Was a Time"	Axl Rose, 2006	4

Personnel

• Axl Rose – lead vocals
• Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals
• Robin Finck – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Tommy Stinson – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Chris Pitman – synthesizer, programming
• Bryan Mantia – drums, percussion
• Richard Fortus – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Bumblefoot – lead guitar
• Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion

Former members who may feature

• Paul Tobias – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Josh Freese – drums, percussion
• Buckethead – lead guitar

Note: Rose has confirmed some of Buckethead parts will remain on Chinese Democracy

Additional musicians

• Dave Navarro – guitar
• Gary Sunshine – guitar
• Brian May – guitar
• Shaquille O'Neal – vocals
• Sebastian Bach – backing vocals
• Patti Hood – harp

• Note: Bach and Hood are the only musicians who have confirmed they will appear on the completed album

Orchestral arrangements

• Marco Beltrami
• Paul Buckmaster