I heard the single...Have to say Iam not impressed .....merely because Axl Rose is involved..

Its not GnR at all...alot of fans will be disappointed if they were hoping for a GnR sound.

If the rest of the CD is like this I'll keep my hundred bucks thanks

i have heard the single as well , technically is sounds good , but it's not G'nR

Fortunately the fact that it isn't GnR is a bonus for me - much as I liked Slash's playing, I couldn't get past Axl. I might be able to with BBF and Buckethead tho.

I've been listening to a lot of BBF lately I think his extraordinary as a guitarist, musician, composer and a showman rather like Zappa on speed. I can't for the life of me understand why he would want to involve himself with GnR - You take a listen first and tell us whether it is safe to expose our ears to . ?

I listened to it the other day being a gnr fan I'll give it a huge miss

Haven't heard it, but found some stuff:

Here's a review wit great writing:
http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/chuck_klosterman_reviews

Rolling Stone review (4/5 stars):
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/24024297/review/24161281/chinese_democracy

Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Democracy

Soundclips:

(great solo at 3:10)

Riaan C wrote: Here's a review wit great writing:
http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/chuck_klosterman_reviews

Thanks Riaan. I got a copy in the meantime - I've only given it a quick once over so far, but Klosterman is pretty accurate, if overall a little too positive.

Overall, It's quite simply overproduced - too many disparate parts from too many different individuals, recorded in too many different studios and all crammed together without enough tough decision making on what to leave out. Buckethead's influence is very obvious in all the robotic grooves. Axl's voice is still annoying, and it's made worse in some songs by virtually every different vocal line being a different take.

I liked Klosterman's: "A song like "Shackler's Revenge" is initially average, until you get to the solo—then it becomes the sonic equivalent of a Russian robot wrestling a reticulating python." - pretty accurate decision of the Bumblefoot solo.

Soundclips:
(great solo at 3:10)

Pure Buckethead. Nice use of a killswitch.

Anyway, It's going to take a few more listens to really digest...

Appreciate your feedback Alan. Helps the rest of us decide if we wanna buy it or not. (I'm a big GnR fan, Axl's voice and all, but the lackage of Slash makes me wary ?)

Hi All

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just listened to the vids now.

(begin RANT)
I gotta go the complete opposite way with regards to the solos.
I think Robotic is a good word to describe those 2 solos. There was no feeling or expression in them at all.
They dont pick you up from where you are in the song to take you to another place.

The guitar tone sounds like it could have been made by a sequencer with automatic filters.(I know its not a sequencer but it sounds like a really bad syth generated sound)

It reminds me of an 80's hair metal shred w*nk where speed and technique is put over feeling and expression.

Whether you like slash or not, you have to admit the guy has a great tone and an amazing ability to take the listener on a six string journey. I guess it comes from his love of blues.
(END RANT)

Ok I'm done.

Glad you revived it. I've listened to the album a few more times and am now sure I don't like it. Aside from the reservations listed before, there is too much of Buckethead's mechanical "feel" to most of the tracks. A few good moments here and there, but they don't save the song or the album as a whole.

The latest in the chinese democracy saga if you are interested.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chinese-democracy-scrapes-bottom-of-the-charts-194089[url][/url]

The solos is amazing and the guitar parts is awesome, but in my opinion the whole album is TOO electronic. Sounds more like Linkin Park and that other techno rock than the Guns 'N Roses I once loved.