Guns 'n' Roses - 'Chinese Democracy'
I know that you young pups need absolutely no help whatsoever with who this band are and why they are worthy of ChartBlog coverage. But there's something about this new song which you might have missed if you were unaware of some of the things which have happened in their mighty history. So, here's a very quick summary of the key events, containing some massive generalisations, so massive, in fact, that they may distort the fabric of reality itself.
It goes something like this: Scuzzy hard rockers come out of LA hair-metal scene with amazing debut album. So amazing, in fact, that it helps to destroy LA hair-metal scene. Volatile front-man becomes more volatile, and fights with just about everyone. One memorable scuffle involves Kurt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love. Press coverage at the time suggests that Kurt's band might be knocking scuzzy hard-rockers from their lofty perch.
Other stuff happens. Time passes...
And now, after an incredibly lengthy gestation period - and the loss of the entire band - the volatile front-man is back, and his new song sounds like guess who?
That's right, Kurt Cobain's band. Isn't life strange?
(Apparently the real video isn't ready yet. Which is brilliant on SO many levels.)
Now, the thing to bear in mind here is that tipping a musical wink to Nirvana is no bad thing. Nickelback have made something of a career of it, and it has done them no harm whatsoever. And it's not like there were whole oceans of difference between the two bands in the first place, especially as Axl Rose has dropped his trademark squeal for the moment. But it's still funny.
Not that anyone could expect this version of GNR to sound anything like the 'Appetite For Destruction' version. There's only one of that original gang on it, and he's not singing like he used to. What he IS doing is growling like a bear who is about to rip your face off, and bearing in mind the man's history of confrontation, who am I to say that he isn't?
So, in the end, it doesn't matter where the inspiration for this song came from (although it does all basically come back to ), or how long it took for the band to get around to releasing it. What matters is that Axl Rose is still quite a scary man. And being a scary man goes a VERY long way in rock.
Download: Out now
CD Released: November 10th
(Fraser McAlpine)
PS: , on the Kung Fu Rodeo website, claims that this song "feels too short and too long at the same time". Which is just as it should be.
Comment number 1.
At 10th Nov 2008, hackerjack wrote:Axl Rose doing a Nirvana cover would frankly blow the roof off of the rock world.
The track is great.
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Comment number 2.
At 10th Nov 2008, Stueyavfc wrote:What a load of rubbish!! Axl Rose and the new GNR sounding like Nirvana!! Did you ever listen to Nirvana!!! Nothing at all the same apart using a guitar a bass and a drum kit!!!
Don't get me wrong i like old GNR, Velvet Revolver, new GNR and Nirvana but the comparison in musical sound is well wide of the mark.
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Comment number 3.
At 25th Nov 2008, DavidBuckham wrote:I'm also struggling to hear the Nirvana resemblance, although I'm sure I've read the same comment in another review.
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