Chinese Democracy
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Studio album by 
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Publication |
November 22, 2008 |
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| Label (s) | Geffen Records | |||
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Title (number) |
14th |
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running time |
71:45 |
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Chinese Democracy ( English for: " Chinese people's rule ") is the sixth studio album by the US hard rock band Guns n 'Roses . It has been available in Germany since November 22, 2008. Due to the long production time and the postponed publication , announced several times over the years, it received media attention in advance; the album title is sometimes used as a synonym for "endlessly" postponed projects or promises . At an estimated $ 13 million production cost, it is the most expensive album in rock music history (as of 2008).
The title track has been available for download since October 22, 2008.
Emergence
Production and line-up change
Work on the album began in 1994 after the album The Spaghetti Incident? . Disputes over the musical style of the band caused the guitarist Slash to quit in 1996; bassist Duff McKagan left the band of his own free will in 1997. The rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke had already been fired in 1994, whereas the drummer Matt Sorum was fired in 1997 after campaigning for Slash and against Paul Tobias. Axl Rose , the last remaining member of the classical line-up, then began to reform the band and complete the new album by March 1, 1999, as requested by Geffen Records . This were Robin Finck , live guitarist of Nine Inch Nails , bassist Tommy Stinson (ex- Replacements ) and drummer Josh Freese ( Vandals , A Perfect Circle hired). Live and session musicians Paul Tobias (co-writer of the song Back Off Bitch ; heard on Use Your Illusion I ), Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman also participated in recordings in 1998.
After Finck had rejoined the Nine Inch Nails in 1999, Rose hired experimental guitarist Brian “Buckethead” Carrol as a substitute. After Freese left, Rose suggested the drummer Bryan “Brain” Mantia , known from Primus , so that in January 2001 for the first time the new band and material of the planned album was presented live. Songs that had already been recorded were re-recorded with the new musicians. A planned tour with 16 stations this year was canceled due to Buckethead's illness. A delay in the album was also justified with the lead guitarist's illness.
In 2002 Richard Fortus replaced the retired Paul Tobias and the band played a few concerts in August. The formation also performed at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York to introduce the new song Madagascar with a medley consisting of the classics from the album Appetite for Destruction (starting with Welcome to the Jungle and finally Paradise City ) . Journalists and fans alike subsequently criticized this performance. A tour through North America scheduled for November and December was only completed less than half of the time (also due to Buckethead's illness), which in places led to - almost traditional - fanatic riots.
No further appearances followed until May 2006. In the meantime, Buckethead left the band and was replaced by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal . A release of the album in 2007 was indicated, but could not be realized, although according to the management the recordings had already been completed in February and delivered to the record company at the end of the year.
In March 2008, the company announced to Dr Pepper that it would give every American except the two former guitarists Slash and Buckethead a free drink if the album was released within 2008. Axl Rose then announced that he would buy his own can of Dr. Share Pepper with Buckethead, as part of his guitar work can be heard on the album. On November 23, 2008, the day of the publication in America, Dr Pepper switched a website for 24 hours on which every American can register and request a free drink via coupon. The distribution was completed by the end of February 2009.
Internet leaks
Several times during the long production phase, demo recordings of the album leaked to the public on the Internet. In 2003 the radio DJ Eddie Trunk played the song IRS on his show. Baseball professional Mike Piazza , who had received the demo in the mail, was responsible for this . Subsequently, excerpts from the program were distributed on the Internet.
In February 2006 a bootleg appeared on the Internet under the name Whenever They Are Done with demo versions of the songs Better , Catcher in the Rye , IRS and There Was A Time . Brian May confirmed that he was involved in the 1999 recording of Catcher in the Rye . His guitar solo cannot be heard on the finished product.
A year later, a new version of Better could be heard on the website of the motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson , which was immediately removed. A few more demos leaked to fans over the next few months, including The Blues (later renamed Street of Dreams ), Chinese Democracy and Madagascar for the first time .
In June 2008, a former Universal Music Group employee posted nine good-quality demos on his blog. The 27-year-old blogger from Los Angeles was arrested by the FBI in August . The trial was scheduled for December 8, 2008. In advance, his act was downgraded from a crime to an administrative offense . The resulting loss was estimated at $ 371,000, but the blogger did not have to pay a fine. He was sentenced to one year probation and two months of house arrest.
Another new song, Shackler's Revenge , was introduced to the public in the video game Rock Band 2 in August .
publication
The single with the title track was released on November 11, 2008 both as a CD version and on iTunes . An internet stream of the album on Guns N 'Roses' official Myspace page set a new access record the day before the official release: the page was viewed an average of 25 times per second.
The album was released in Germany on November 22, 2008, atypically on a Saturday. In America, Chinese Democracy appeared a day later. It is sold there exclusively through the electronics chain Best Buy and the online platform iTunes . In Canada, the album was named the official soundtrack of the Gray Cup , the final of the Canadian Football League . The album was available there at the Montreal stadium . Because of the title, it will probably not be released in China, but an official decision is still pending. In addition, a deluxe edition for collectors was released: The CD is in a black box that is about the size of a record cover and about five centimeters high. Additional facilities include a box in the Fruit of the Loom - T-shirt , a bandana , one from tin -made belt buckle , a key chain (also of tin) and a patch . Ironically, the belt buckle and key fob were made in China.
Oin Gang, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told politicians that, in his opinion, many people do not like this type of music because it is too noisy. The Chinese daily Global Times accuses Guns N 'Roses of "malicious attacks on China". The New York Daily News cites another reason for the ban that, according to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, titles with the word “democracy” are generally not desired. In addition, the lyrics of the song Chinese Democracy contain allusions to the cultivation path Falun Dafa persecuted in China , the mention of which constitutes a major breach of taboo.
Track list
- Chinese Democracy (Axl Rose, John Freese / Axl Rose) - 4:45
- Shackler's Revenge (Axl Rose, Buckethead, Caram Costanzo, Bryan Mantia, Pete Scaturro / Axl Rose) - 3:38
- Better (Axl Rose, Robin Finck / Axl Rose) - 5:00
- Street of Dreams (Axl Rose, Tommy Stinson, Dizzy Reed / Axl Rose) - 4:48
- If the World (Axl Rose, Chris Pitman / Axl Rose) - 4:56
- There Was a Time (Axl Rose, Paul Tobias, Dizzy Reed / Axl Rose) - 6:43
- Catcher in the Rye (Axl Rose, Paul Tobias / Axl Rose) - 5:54
- Scraped (Axl Rose, Buckethead, Caram Costanzo / Axl Rose) - 3:32
- Riad N 'the Bedouins (Axl Rose, Tommy Stinson / Axl Rose) - 4:12
- Sorry (Axl Rose, Buckethead, Bryan Mantia, Pete Scaturro / Axl Rose) - 6:16
- IRS (Axl Rose, Paul Tobias, Dizzy Reed / Axl Rose) - 4:30
- Madagascar (Axl Rose, Chris Pitman / Axl Rose) - 5:39
- This I Love (Axl Rose) - 5:36
- Prostitutes (Axl Rose, Paul Tobias / Axl Rose) - 6:16
Song info
The song Madagascar contains samples from two speeches by Martin Luther King : I Have a Dream and Why Jesus Called Man a Fool . There are also several film samples represented. The line of dialogue “ What we've got here, is a failure to communicate ” from The Unbending one , known from Strother Martin (already from Civil War by Use Your Illusion II ) , was sampled. Additional quotations were taken from Mississippi Burning , Seven, and Braveheart .
The title song was used by RTL to sound the trailers before and during the TV broadcasts of the 2009 men's handball world championship .
The song If the World was part of the 2008 soundtrack for The Man Who Never Lived .
In 2009 the band and the record company Geffen Records were sued for one million US dollars by the German ambient musician Ulrich Schnauss because a sound engineer had used two of his samples for the intro of the song Riad n 'the Bedouins .
reception
Commercial win
The album was ranked number 3 on the official Billboard charts. In the US, 261,000 copies were sold in the first week of release. In Germany and Great Britain, the album was number 2 in the album charts. In Austria it came in third place, while in Switzerland it reached the top position. To date, the album has been sold around 3 million times.
Reviews
The first press reactions in Germany were mostly mocking and some were devastating. Overall, the far too bombastic production and also Axl Rose's attempts to incorporate high pitches into the vocal lines were criticized. Friedrich Pohl wrote in Die Welt that it was "the worst of all Guns-N'-Roses albums and the most miserable CD of the year, which in its horror also destroyed the legend of a rock band; a creepy mishmash of clunky guitar rock and hopelessly outdated drum computers - and electronic gadgets ”. It was also said that the 14 titles “couldn't be more underground”. In conclusion, Pohl remarked: “In 2008 there is no longer any room for Guns N 'Roses. At most the memory of it ”.
Diedrich Diederichsen described the approach to the ideal "in which hymns, illusions, and even trace elements even old countercultural ideas still play a role" in the Süddeutsche Zeitung as "directly sympathetic". It went on to say, “In his brooding years, he [Axl Rose] wanted to do something bigger than just reconstruct the new male type of American Conservatives; there should also be a hint of Jim Morrison ”. On the other hand, “Rose is not only lacking in charisma, he is even lacking in the sexual ambivalence that this role still requires, even if it is only quoted. It has become a rubble heap of ambitions. "
The reviewers of the rock-hard magazine and Laut.de rated the album negatively. Rock Hard rated it 5 out of 10 points and described it as a "huge pile of shit that hardly anyone would be interested in, let alone inspire, if (...) it didn't have this band name on it (...)". The German-language Rolling Stone rated the album as good, compared it with the two other great rock albums of the year Death Magnetic and Black Ice and praised Axl Rose's "honesty" in particular:
“ If Metallica were ever to show so much vulnerability, or AC / DC so much courage. Compared to these other two big rock albums of the year, the liberation called "Chinese Democracy" suddenly seems really human because you always hear a person here and never just a musical craftsman. "
The German magazine Rocks also found positive words about the album and wrote that the album was an " unexpectedly strong work ". The reviewer awarded five out of six possible points. Under the heading " The phantom of the permanent construction site " it said:
" Anyone who pays an open ear to Rose and his considerable group of talented rental musicians (and survives the violent" Shacklers Revenge "), quickly realizes that" Chinese Democracy ", despite the more modern orientation, occasional effect games and loops, is clearly based on the golden GN'R- Ties in late summer. (...) A surprisingly and pleasantly strong album that certainly doesn't fail because of the quality of the music, but at best because of the insurmountability of its own myth. "
The reviews in the English-speaking countries, on the other hand, were more balanced. The American magazine Rolling Stone praised the uncompromising hard rock ("uncompromising hard rock") and sees the album as a consistent continuation of the Guns N 'Roses from the 1990s. It awarded four stars out of five. The British daily The Guardian wrote:
“Chinese Democracy is clearly not the greatest rock album ever made, but nor is it an absolute and utter failure. The irony is, that for all the lavishing of money and time and technology, it's saved by something as old fashioned as a good tune. "
“Chinese Democracy is definitely not the best rock album of all time, but neither is it an absolute and complete mistake. The irony is that for all the waste of money and time and technology, it is saved by something so old-fashioned - a good tune. "
occupation
- Axl Rose - solo vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar
- Dizzy Reed - keyboards, piano, percussion, background vocals
- Tommy Stinson - bass guitar, backing vocals
- DJ Ashba - guitar
- Richard Fortus - guitar, backing vocals
- Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal - guitar
- Frank Ferrer - drums, percussion
- Chris Pitman - synthesizer, sub bass, guitar, bass
former members
- Paul Tobias - guitar, piano
- Buckethead - guitar
- Bryan Mantia - drums, percussion
- Robin Finck - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Guest musician
- Eric Caudieux - drum machine
- Pete Scaturro - keyboards
- Sebastian Bach - background vocals
- Patti Hood - harp
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Chinese Democracy. In: Urban Dictionary . Retrieved April 29, 2015 .
- ↑ Mick Wall : WAR - The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose . St. Martins Press, USA 2008, ISBN 978-0-312-37767-0
- ↑ New Guns N 'Roses single hits Radio Tomorrow . On: billboard.com (English). Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Jeff Leeds: The Most Expensive Album Never Made. From: nytimes.com, March 6, 2005. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Video of the studio recording. ( Memento of the original from April 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. On: eqmag.tv (English). Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Guns N 'Roses Slammed By Boston Globe Writer Over VMA Appearance. ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. From: blabbermouth.net (English), September 11, 2002. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Guns N 'Roses Perform At VMAs, Axl Rose Shuns Press Amid Plastic-Surgery-Gone-Wrong Reports. ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. On: blabbermouth.net (English), August 30, 2002. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ The History of GnR. On: heretodaygonetohell.com (English). Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Joe D'Angelo: Guns N 'Roses Rioters May Face Charges . From: mtv.com (English), February 20, 2003. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Sean Michaels: Guns N 'Roses' Axl Rose: I have no sympathy for the record industry . From: guardian.co.uk, February 9, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Classic Rock, February 2008, p. 32ff.
- ↑ Axl Rose Will Share Dr. Pepper, May Still Keep Chinese Democracy to Himself. ( Memento of the original from June 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. From: dosa.ca (English), March 27, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Dr Pepper Sweetens Pot For 'Chinese Democracy' . On: billboard.com (English). Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ News report ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. by Yahoo on November 22, 2008
- ↑ Joe D'Angelo: New GN'R Tune Leaked By… Mets Catcher Mike Piazza ?! On: mtv.com (English), September 2, 2003; Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ GUNS N 'ROSES: Another New Song Makes Its Way Online. On: blabbermouth.net (English), February 17, 2006; Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ^ Catcher In The Rye, Chinese Democracy Leaks And Axl Rose. ( Memento of the original from July 23, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. From: brianmay.com (English), March 2, 2006. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ GUNS N 'ROSES Keyboardist Reveals' The Truth' About The Leaked Song 'Better'. ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. On: blabbermouth.net (English) March 13, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Guns N 'Roses: Full-Length' Madagascar 'Demo Leaks Onto Internet. ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. On: blabbermouth.net (English), March 30, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ We've Got Chinese Democracy, And It's Worth The Wait. From: antiquiet.com, June 18, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ Guns N 'Roses: "Chinese Democracy" ( Memento from April 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Blogger arrested, accused of posting 9 unreleased Guns N 'Roses songs ( Memento from September 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ New Guns N'Roses songs posted online - blogger condemned. On: derstandard.at, July 15, 2009; Retrieved September 15, 2012
- ↑ a b Laut.de : Guns N 'Roses: Free drinks for everyone for the release of November 22, 2008
- ↑ "Made in China" printed on the products
- ↑ Lauren Johnston: Chinese media calls Guns' N Roses' Chinese Democracy 'an attack. NYDailyNews, November 24, 2008, accessed May 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Christopher Bodeen: Rock album 'an attack on China'. In: Independent. November 25, 2008, accessed May 24, 2017 .
- ↑ IMDB.com
- ↑ Billboard.biz ( Memento of the original from December 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Chart tracking ( memento of the original from October 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on Musicline.de
- ↑ Official UK charts from November 30, 2008 - December 6 ( memento from January 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Chart overview on austriancharts.com (including further international placements)
- ↑ Jens Bauszus: Guns N 'Roses: The sad end of the stair joke , Focus Online on November 21, 2008
- ↑ Ingo Scheel: "Chinese Democracy" - but now really! , Stern.de on November 21, 2008
- ↑ Tobias Rüther: From the Axl of Evil . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung , November 23, 2008
- ↑ The new CD from Guns N 'Roses is catastrophic .
- ↑ New album: Guns N 'Roses: Lovable Rock Fools ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Review by Laut.de
- ↑ Rock Hard No. 260, Review by Andreas Himmelstein, p. 85
- ↑ Online review ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on Rollingstone.de
- ↑ Rocks - The magazine for Classic Rock; Issue 01/2009, page 85
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly : Review by Andy Greenwald on November 23, 2008
- ^ David Fricke: Review
- ↑ Review on guardian.co.uk
- ↑ Participants in Chinese Democracy. On: allmusic.com (English). Retrieved September 15, 2012
