So its finally here! What an album - I wish I'd never heard any of the songs and was listening to it fresh again. Oh well, have to make do. I bought it a day early in a shop here in Ireland. I felt nervous buying it. Its so surreal.

I love complexity, I love epic, but I also simple, hard rock, as well as melodic ballads when done right. I'm a guitarist so solos and riffs are important. And some random experimental stuff is also good also. Thankfully, nothing has been compromised - this album has it all. Here is my review song-by-song, solo-by-solo and I also discuss what each song may be about.

Chinese Democracy - The original 2002 bootlegs didn't blow people away, but studio is a different story entirely. And Caram Canstanzos intro is just amazing. It seems to be a bunch of Chinese people (probably rebels) talking and whispering, as if something big is about to happen (a rebellion, or this album). Cool lyrics too, with Axl appearing to use the metaphor of the struggle for Democracy in China to describe his own struggle against authority. He is the rebel here, willing to take as much time to do what he needs to do, in spite of the weight of pressure from everyone else. The only thing other people will never take from him is time, but has he wasted too much of that? The rest of the album will allow everyone to make up their own mind.

This song also provides a great introduction to the lead talents of Robin Finck and Buckethead. Finck's extended bends trademark and Buckethead's unique take on shred combine in a brilliantly melodic way - not typical GnR style, but still fun to listen to.

Song:     7/10
Solos:     7/10

Shackler's Revenge: Weird when first listened to, but does this song grows after a couple of listens. This is the best rocker on the album. So energetic, a wonderful chorus, in particular the bit after the bridge, where it breaks back into the chorus. Its got an energy that so many other rock bands wish they had. Bumblefoot's finest lead moment on the album - his shred works well here. And Brain is on fire in the pre-chorus.

Lyrically, this song may well have been the last song Axl wrote before the album was released. "I got an itchy finger and they'll be hell to pay, I'm gonna pull the trigger and blow them all away", surely refers to the release of the album. Its no surprise it was the first song officially released. This is his announcement: "I'm back," and he can't wait to show everyone what he has been working on.

Song - 9/10
Solo - 6/10

Better - The full-on knock your head off trio of rockers which opens the album concludes with the song that had the biggest impact upon first listen of that 27-second snippet nearly three years ago, and certainly was the one that elevated most fans' interest in the album above a simple curiosity. Although time has eroded that impact, its still unquestionably the greatest riff-fest on the album and without doubt the finest hour of Finck, who wrote the song and also produces his best solo on the album, an ultra-melodic lead that seems to come out of nowhere. Hardly surprising that this song, along with Madagascar, is the one thats changed least over the years.

The song is a straightforward song of heartbreak, the style of which only Axl could pull off without sounding cheesy. Might not be a song that old fans want to listen to a lot anymore, but bound to be a favourite among new fans of this lineup.

Song - 8/10
Solo - 9/10

Street Of Dreams - The intro to this track sounded fresh again, even though this song has been around for a long time. Not the best version of this song by any means. Musically, its a fairly straightforward piano pop affair, however the star here is Axl. Great vocals, which again only Axl could pull off without sounding cheesy. It seems to refer to the loss of innocence.

Just as notable are the solos, again  Finck is on fire, and Buckethead shows his melodic side at the end too.

Song - 6/10
Solos - 8/10

If The World - This is a true demonstration of Buckethead's willingness to experiment, but doesn't work as well as could be expected. While in theory, it should have appealed to those fond of the more experimental stuff on the Use Your Illusion albums, this song lack the edge of those tracks. Overall its a decent track that can be fun to listen to, but one of the weaker tracks on here. Buckethead's electric solo is fun and well-structued but composed of generic pentatonic licks, surprisingly for such an experimental song. Much better is the acoustic outro solo, the best part of the song. The lyrics appear too simplisic to refer to anything more than a simple ode to unrequited love.

Song - 5/10
Solos - 7/10

There Was A Time - Does anyone still listen to this first 4 and a half minutes of this song? Just kidding, Axl actually produces some of his best lyrics and
melodies on this song. Robin Finck also continues to shine with a nice solo. But both Axl and Robin are overshadowed by a monster of a solo from Buckethead. Its structured perfectly, the use of repetition reinforces the emotion, there is nothing random here, everything is perfectly placed. This is the moment where everyone stopped caring about Slash no longer being in the band and starting pining for Buckethead.

If this song had been played live in 2002, would the tour still be considered a joke? Would people still make fun of Axl replacing the beloved Slash with
some guy who wore a KFC bucket on his head? Would the tour have been a success? We'll never know. But what a shame we may never get to hear this solo being played live by the original creator.

This is the best ode to lost love on the album - more complex and interesting with some nice imagery and Axl really sounds like he is in emotional agony here.

Song - 8/10
Solos - 10/10

Catcher In The Rye - Perfect as simple piano pop, underscored by the less is more approach of Queen guitarist Brian May. Or so it used to be. What the hell happened? There is guitars trying to follow the piano melody (why), Bumblefoot shreds out of place in the middle and again at the end in the mess that is the outro. Originally this song was the album's "Patience". The sudden change in melody for a brilliant vocal outro which takes over the song and sticks in your head. Now your too busy being annoyed by in-your-face guitar to notice. A shame really, and while other songs on the album are maybe made slightly better or slightly worse with constant tweaking, this one has been the biggest disappointment. Ok, ok, its still a good song, but there is way too much going on to notice. It does receive extra kudos for the nice lyrics about John Lennon's death - a refreshing change from the rest of the album which focuses on unrequited love in the previous tracks, and the paranoia and animosity towards old foes in the tracks following.

Song - 6/10
Solos - 1/10

Scraped - Rubbish intro, and the song isn't much better. Lyrically, its back to the paranoia and animosty again - this is the musical representation of his "there are loads of people who tried to stop me from being here" quote in Rock in Rio 2001. Its quite positive however and seems to be his way of telling people "keep believing, don't ever give up, no matter how many people try to bring you down and stop you". And its not just talk. Chinese Democracy is his way of showing what can happen when you adopt that same attitude. Musically, however, there is nothing particularly amazing going on. Nice solos though.

Song - 4/10
Solos - 7/10

Riad N' The Bedouins - Nice intro, reminiscent of the title track with what appears to be a load of Chinese people saying "Nihau" (hello in Chinese) over and over again. However, this time the song itself is not about the Chinese but some middle eastern nomads, who, this time, are the enemy. What has this got to do with Guns N' Roses? Who cares when the song rocks this hard? Nice hard rock song with some seriously heavy riffs, and its not hard to see why Axl chose this song to play live in 2002 - great headbanger even if its a bit strange. However, Bumblefoot's shred-fest solo sounds like a quick cut-and-paste job. Its a cool solo, but like Catcher In The Rye, doesn't really fit. Sorry to critisize Ron Thal again, because he's a nice boy. But if this album tells us anything, its Nice Boys (Don't Play Rock n' roll)!

Its appropriate that it follows on from Scraped, as yet more people are telling Axl what he can't do but he don't give a fuck about them coz he is crazy!! This is a more angrier put-down than the more positive and care-free Scraped.

Song - 6/10
Solos - 4/10

Sorry - The best song on the album and one of the greatest GnR tracks ever. Musically, its Pink Floyd but even better, it builds and builds into an awesome and heavy chorus that will stick in your head forever and forever. That Buckethead co-wrote this track and fires off a wonderful bluesy solo that would make even the great Slash himself green with envy, further reinforces his importance to this process and the disappointment
he is no longer around.

This is Axl's most direct, venomous assault on his foes; all the media whore references strongly suggest Slash is the victim of Axl's animosity this time. Axl pulls no punches in telling his side of the story. In addition, Axl rejects any feelings of sympathy from his former bandmates. While they may look at Axl and feel he has a loner and a hermit, he sees it differently and has no envy for Slash's media-centred life. Axl wouldn't change a thing and regrets none of his decisions. He even goes as far as to tell his ex-bandmate that "nobody cares about you." Ouch!!!

Song - 10/10
Solo - 9/10

I.R.S. - Nice sleezy rocker, continuing the theme of paranoia and animosity this time possibly directed towards those out to sue him and take all they can. Nice alterations with the quieter acoustic parts which make the heavier parts rock even more. Finck produces two nice solos but is once again over-shadowed by Buckethead's excellent structured shred solo, the highlight of the track.

Song - 6/10
Solos - 8/10

Madagascar - The opening lyrics of this song sum up the album - he's sick of all the things people have done to him - ex-bandmates, ex-girlfriends - as well as what he perceives as the lies and accusations thrown at him by journalists and just about everyone, and now he is going to respond and do something about it. However, this song is less angry and less venomous than the previous four, and seems to leave the door open to reconciliation under the right circumstances. The song title, referring to an island in the middle of nowhere is a metaphor for his feelings of isolation from all his old bandmates and much of society in general. This song hasn't changed much over the years and that just as well as its perfect as it is, and is perhaps Chris Pitman's greatest contribution to the album. The guitar melodies in the chorus are reminiscent of old GnR, with high-pitched lead parts played under Axl's vocals, and definitely has an Estranged feel to it.

The middle solo and the quotes telling a story is awesome, and very unique, not something ever heard before. It is ingenious, although some might argue that using direct quotes from people who were describing the worst effects of war and civil rights struggles as a metaphor for Axl's own personal struggle is a bit over-the-top. However, thats a bit simplistic. Using this sample collage, Axl is descrbing how these people inspired him to stand up for what he believes in no matter how many people leave the cause or compromise, even when he is finally left alone. This fits in with the Chinese Democracy rebellion theme of the album. What Buckethead plays underneath fits perfectly.

It is a powerful song, an epic in under five minutes. If this had been around during Use Your Illusion, it probably would have stretched to at least seven, for better or worse. Perhaps, Axl has taken all the accusations of pretentiousness and over-the-topness on Use Your Illusion to heart. Maybe he has compromised (the longest song on the album is less than 7 minutes, compared to four on UYI II alone). Evidently, accusations of over-production haven't had an effect on the album.

Song - 9/10
Solo - 7/10

This I Love - This is the most mythical song of all and GnR fans must have thought they'd never get to hear it. The first few seconds suggest something
different is going to happen and still sounds like an out-of-place last minute thought. Once the lyrics start, its back to the original theme of the album,
unrequited love, which Axl once again pulls off without sounding cheesy. Good tune. As for the solo, this is one song that is crying out for Slash. Or
Buckethead. What Finck plays is ok, but this was the perfect opportunity to show what he could do and pull of an epic solo.

Song - 7/10
Solo - 5/10

Prostitute - Ignoring the opening line, this is a great song. Contains a great anthemic, sing-along chorus. Wonderful vocal melodies in the chorus and with the light-verse, heavy chorus, its not surprising that Youth considered it a cross between November Rain and Nightrain. Lyrically, this is another brilliant ode to Axl's refusal to compromise, even for lots of money, as so many of his colleagues are accused of having done.

The only disappointment are Buckethead's solos - they are ok, nothing special.

Song - 9/10
Solos - 6/10

Overall, I think the album is incredible; when I listened to it back-to-back for the first time I thought - wow, this sounds so fresh. Some songs have grown on me, some have gotten boring, some have changed for the better, some for the worst. Thats one of the things that make the whole thing so goddamn interesting. Lyrically, the first half of the album is mostly about lost love, and the second half is animosity and paranoia towards his enemies. With some exceptions, mainly Catcher In The Rye, which is a nice, refreshing change. There are no complaints here; this album is what it is; not AFD II, not quite UYI III, although its diversity means it will appeal to old, new and even non-GnR fans alike. In particular this is an album for guitar players, possibly the best in a long, long time. When is the last time you listened to a new album and thought: I wanna learn all those songs straight away?

Average rating of songs: 7.1/10 (applying the highest standards)

Great guy and he added some great rhythm parts but none of his leads stand out for me. Catcher In The Rye was a great opportunity to show what he can do apart from shred and he failed. Rhiad solo is ok but not as good as what was replaced. A lot of people will resent him for replacing those two solos. Shackler's Revenge solo is cool but doesn't make me go "wow" like some of Bucketheads and Robins solos do.

Sorry for turning the thread negaive, but I feel there are some other people more deserving of kudos for their contributions (huge, bh, finck, stinson, dizzy and chris in particular, and I guess Josh as most of the drums on these tracks are based on his initial contribution).

He has being great for being the only one willing to talk to the fans and promote the album. Finck barely said a word to GnR fans but it seems he's more talkative to NIN fans.

How the hell has thing not leaked in full yet? This GnR management are showing everyone they are amazing at what they do, especially compared to the previous managers. It may just be that I don't hear it in full till I get the album. I have no interest any more in listening to this song by song im gonna wait till i can hear it all at once.

can someone send me a link to these portions that appeared on that website you know a few seconds of every song?

I'm convinved its different - the intro to IRS is much slower - the solo is also a bit different at the start and end who wants a PM to help me verify it? its hidden away in the msl thread

& lol at clean prostitute