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ShareAfter 14 years at 14 studios with five producers for a cost of almost $14 million, numerous relationships and various label jobs, the big question concerning Chinese Democracy remains, Was it all worth it? Of course not.
Chinese Democracy isn’t a great rock ’n’ roll record. It isn’t even a great Guns N’ Roses record. Without Slash and Duff McKagan, it’s more of an homage to the Guns N’ Roses sound by a tribute band fronted by Axl Rose. Admittedly, guitarist Buckethead can solo his ass off and the rest of the hired Guns can definitely play, but that sleazy Sunset Strip swagger is gone for good.
For all the wank and bluster throughout the album’s 14 tracks, the bottom line is that the shit simply doesn’t rock. Years from now, you’ll still hear pimply faced teens in guitar stores struggling through the changes of Paradise City and Sweet Child O’ Mine, but don’t count on hearing I.R.S. or Riad N’ The Bedouins.
Top track: Chinese Democracy
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You ever here of Use Your Illusion? That's what this is an extension of. That's when Axl starting taking the band in his direction, away from the sunset strip swagger and into the epic stadium sound. That's what people can expect here - and for what it is, it is surprisingly good. Does it meet the 14 years of 'hype'? Well actually yes, because the decade long wait only lowered people's expectations. And forced to choose, I think many of us would choose Axl's 'reformed' Guns N' Roses over Velvet Revolver.
Now let's move on to the *real problem*. It's you, Tim Perlich. Your reviews are always heavily biased, generally unfair, and always skewed. The most obvious comparison would be to have a music critic, who despises Scandinavian black metal, reviewing a black metal album. Obviously the critic is going to hate the album.. but that's not reviewers are reading your review for. You're no Roger fuckin' Ebert. You're not a personality that people care about. People read reviews in Now, Eye Weekly, Rolling Stone, etc, etc... to get a sense of what the album represents, in the sense of a 'should I buy this or not' mentality. You even admitted your bias when you revealed that all you wanted is this album to sound like Appetite for Destruction. In fact, you revealed nothing about what people can expect in this album - for better or for worse. The only thing that you revealed is that you don't like this album.
To sum it up, you have a bitter attitude towards new music (this is only based on practically every review that you write) and I fail to see why you continue to write. I also fail to see why Now keeps you around. Maybe you guys can let me know, because I know that they are *a lot* of people who feel the same way I do.
D.
Tim only keeps writing for NOW so he can continue promoting records nobody has or ever will hear in the hopes some poor, poor woman someday might confuse obscure taste with an interesting personality.
In order for this to be true, Tim would have to have actually listened to it. I'm not so sure he did.
If you ever saw the real G'n'F'in"R then you quickly realize how truly shitty this stuff is. It's overproduced crap that will sound like garbage live.
Axl thought he was the heart of G'n'R but it was always Izzy who wrote their best songs.
1991 wants its alternative viewpoint back.
Negative reviews are fine, as long as they make valid points. Perlich is incapable of doing this and this review is another shining example. Should reviews focus on the album itself rather than the circumstances behind it? Dumb-arse.
Of course Tim Perlich said none of the interesting things Klosterman did, filling space with the obvious - that its been a very long wait, none of the classic GNR lineup is involved, and its more "Estranged" than "Nightrain". So to answer last weeks letter writer Magdalene Vasko's query about why NOW cover mainstream albums, when it comes to Perlich the answer is clear: he's a musical idealogue more interested in dissuading buyers than honest criticism.
In some ways its unfair to expect much in a capsule review, but NOW's other reviewers at least make the effort – and actually seem to have listened to the albums they trash. Exclaim have like a 100 thoughtful capsule reviews each month, whats Perlich's excuse?
Listen, I like this album, I'm actually not a big fan of Use Your Illusion and think it should have been condensed into one disc. But I like it when Axl tries to make the over the top epics, and I think if you like the wankier stuff on UYI you'll like this. It is definitely a grower, and if it weren't for me hearing these songs develop as demos over the years maybe an immediate reaction from me to the album would be a lot more like Perlich's. But the disagreement over its quality is not hte point, the point is this album has plenty of fascinating things going on, and Tim can't manage to find them, because he's not really listening. He's just putting in the bare minimum of time required to get away with slapping a bad review on it, hoping people will somehow avoid the album and buy one of his obscure picks.
Its clear from this thread that Perlich has a lot of haters, and even the reviews for albums i agree with him on are pretty terrible. It's an absolute shame he has the special column when it should go to someone far more reasonable and in touch, like Evan Davies or Benjamin Boles.
Bottom line, I don't want to take music recommendations from someone as condescending and douchey as Perlich.
Although he's become something of a "sacred cow" (hey, we HAVE ignored him and he still won't go away!) at NOW, there's still the option of paying the lad no mind. Rock Critic as Celebrity is about as valid as DJ as Artist (insert shocked talk-show audience here...."whoooooooooooaaaaaaa").
Love yer rock and roll.
That has sadly been his MO since I started scoffing at his horrible journalistic abilities. Get over it, and stop being so bitter Tim, and while you are at it, maybe you should pay attention to some of the great bands in TORONTO...bands should not have to be friends with you or your minion Sarah in order to get noticed. It is music, not a high school dance, where you hope the cool guy or girl will dance with you. Stop slurping Broken Social Scene and all the other lame art rock and do you job!
And yeah ... no guitar store classics like "Night Train", "Welcome To The Jungle" or "Sweet Child of Mine" ... so good call, Tim Perlich. Come to think of it, aside from the lead on "November Rain" there weren't really any great riffs on either of the "Use Your Illusion" discs, so I guess this shouldn't exactly be a shock ...
Face it people, G&R made one great album, and then were basically done. That's fine, enjoy them for what they did ... let it die. Axl's voice is still a unique sonic weapon, but until he finds some real collaborators I don't think his output will amount to much.
And he did it again this week. Look at his Akon review and tell me that actually merited print, I dare you.
if all Tim was going to state what anyone could know without hearing the record, they shouldn't have wasted space on it at all. If 'poetic justice' is an issue, ignoring the album entirely as a non-event would be more of a statement. I think Tim figures he has to throw his 2 cents in lest someone out there think he spends time with GNR instead of some vinyl rerelease of indian elephants playing snare drums with their tusks.
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