Exactly-this first week was a built-in, guaranteed chunk of sales-and if its 300k copies that in and of itself is certainly is not a flop. My point is that after this initial burst of sales from the diehards its sink or swim based upon the material which at this point all we have to go on is our subjective judgements and the judgements of those who have heard it. From what im gathering thus far (and no its not a random scientific sample, but its all we have and i think it has some merit) From bars-where it has been talked about, so people are aware of it-and on the radio which i usually dont listen to, but ive been glued to it to catch the mood about this thing, reactions arent positive. But people are talking about it, they just dont like it. Its not scientific but i have a feeling its worth something.

Ive heard a lot of people talking about it-so its not lack of promotion, its just that what they are talking about isnt good. Houstonnd is a damn big city and they played better and Shiny Toy Guns took Better's nuts. People said it was wierd and "horrible." Thats not good.

Yeah i guess the UYIs were over produced compared to AFD, but this album is just overproduced. Youre right it sounds like a bunch of takes slapped together. i play guitar and i really like Robins work on this record, his solos really fit the songs. These other solos, however, sound really out of place within the context of their respective songs. As a guitar player, i think the solos are cool, and very technically proficient, but they dont seem like they belong in their respective songs. They sound like an instrumental solo guitar player guitar solo. Take "better" for example. The first solo just seems like its to be there, then robins second solo, melds with the song and fits perfectly-its as if there had to be 2 solos in some songs, by 2 different players, in 2 totally divergent styles just for the sake of doing it, but in my opinion it doesnt work and sounds forced.

I agree the album is good per se. I think AXL should have started anew and started an entire new band.  Using the GNR name has too many implications that are inescapable. If he would have done that i think this material would be recieved differetly, as Axl's new avant gardish rock band. This record does have its merits, ive enjoyed listening to it, theres just this feeling that this, starting some where years ago, all went down wrong. But, depsite the merits of the album, i still maintain it lacks a band-like cohesiveness that cant be forced, and is the hallmark of all great rock bands. All in all, i think axl worked hard on this and accomplished a lot, it just sounds like hes trying to be an entire band and he isnt.

Its nice to come to a board where dissent is not deleted, im sure you know the board of which i speak. Ive waited for 10 years to post on a GNR board. I told my self to wait until the album is dropped to  render an objective judgement This album simply is not in the league as AFD and UYI. It does not sound like a cohesive band. No Matter how talented and technically proficient individual musicians may be-THIS DOES NOT MAKE A BAND. This will be the lesson of this album. You cant force chemistry out of a group of musicians. I think Fink was a good choice  but most of the other solos sound horribly out of place. The songs seem like they were forced to a certain length without purpose.

For example, "This I love" is great skeleton for a GNR song. But it needs the rest of the real GNR.  Does anyone  else notice that the solo in this song starts out ok, but after a point its like "why is this solo still going on?" A long solo is great if its long for a point, but it just keeps going and never says anything else in the extra length. Its as if there is this equation in the album  that says "Length equals epic" But it sounds like length for lengths sake  . Its the same thing for "Madagascar." The  MLK speech is just too much, its covering up a good guitar solo. Its as if the album consist of 3 minute songs stretched to 6 or 9 minutes just for that sake.

I think after this initial "pop" in sales due to promotion and the 10 year hype built up it will sink due to this material. This wont even sell as much as contraband, there I lived through the oringinal GNR, this album doesnt have the reckless vibe that said "this is a once in a life time rock and roll band."  Im not being negative just for to be so-there is just no logical reason based on this material that this album will take off, this first 2 week pop is it.

Ive never posted on a GNR board but ive been waiting on this album, and watching the events  unfold for the past 10 years. I was going to wait for the album to be dropped because thats the final arbitor of success of failure. I grew up on GNR, they are my favorite band. I now believe this album is going to be a failure. There will be an INITIAL "pop" in sales based upon the hype of the last ten years, but then sales will be based upon the album itself.

This album has its merits. I will say the lesson of Chinese Democracy is this: No matter how talented and technically proficient individual musicians may be-THIS  DOES NOT A BAND MAKE. Thats why great bands are so rare. Not only does it take individual talent, it takes luck, in as much that these individual talents find each other and have CHEMISTRY-that can not be forced. Thats why great bands are rare, and individual talent is less rare.  On my local station in Houston they had had a "cage match" last night between "Better" and a Shiny Toy Guns song. "Better" lost the match. This chick called in and said Better sounded "horrible." I when Appetite and UYI came out-this record isnt generating that kind of acceptance. But i really do hope im wrong, i wish GNR the best.