# Chinese Democracy (single) officially released **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122 "2008-10-22T20:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/1 "2008-10-22T20:53:02Z")
Listen here: [Chinese Democracy](http://web.gunsnroses.com/splash.jsp). I give it a great big fat…meh. But it could grow on me. ---
**Author:** ![mske](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/2 "2008-10-22T21:05:39Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > Listen here: [Chinese Democracy](http://web.gunsnroses.com/splash.jsp). I give it a great big fat…meh. But it could grow on me. I heard it on the radio a little while ago today. And changed the channel about a minute into it. Nothing distinctive about it, couldn’t follow along with what the lyrics were all about, and I will freely admit to being biased about it since it has been in limbo for soooo long that it is bound to fail. Sort of like the [Daikatana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikatana) of the music world. ---
**Author:** ![Clivas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clivas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clivas)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/3 "2008-10-22T21:17:39Z")
Disappointing. Sounds like a filler…something you’d fast forward over…not something you’d start a long awaited album with. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/4 "2008-10-22T22:11:50Z")
What are we going to use now as a unit of measurement equal to never? Guess it’s back to Duke Nukem Forever for us. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/5 "2008-10-22T23:35:45Z")
> [@Risha](#): > > What are we going to use now as a unit of measurement equal to never? Well, there’s still Chinese democracy. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/6 "2008-10-23T17:15:47Z")
I like it. Don’t love it. Wonder what a somebody who’s 20 years old thinks? Because kids these days liked the Star Wars Prequels, so go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/7 "2008-10-23T22:43:34Z")
I had really started to believe that Axl Rose was some sort of post-modernist political satirist, who would keep inspiring the question “When’s Chinese Democracy coming? Still not yet, huh?” Apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/8 "2008-10-23T22:47:56Z")
Do we all get Dr. Pepper’s now? Or do singles not count? Hmmm, [looks like](http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/10/dr-pepper-to-ma.html)no Dr. Peppers will arrive until 2009. Bummer. Still, free Dr. Pepper. Wonder if I can get a Diet? ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/9 "2008-10-24T02:56:34Z")
If its introductory instrumentation is any indication, the single’s main problem is that Chinese Democracy was trying too hard to be epic. Then again, I know nothing about the group, so… ETA: The rest of the song was just kind of bland in that way that only rock 'n roll can be. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/10 "2008-10-24T03:01:16Z")
They played a clip on the Stern show. I was very, very underwhelmed. I was just a kid when _Appetite_ came out but I very clearly remember Welcome to the Jungle debuting on MTV and being blown away by it. I wonder if there will be any kids out there who feel that way about this one. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/11 "2008-10-24T03:03:47Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I like it. Don’t love it. Wonder what a somebody who’s 20 years old thinks? Because kids these days liked the Star Wars Prequels, so go figure. I’m 26 and never liked GnR, but I suspect you mean people who didn’t really hear the band the first time around. The idea of Guns n Roses as stars, or even as a band today, is going to be met with yawns. Kids know their hits but they’ve become cliches, and I’ve never heard any teen express real fan-dom. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/12 "2008-10-24T14:04:15Z")
> [@straight\_man](#): > > If its introductory instrumentation is any indication, the single’s main problem is that Chinese Democracy was trying too hard to be epic. Then again, I know nothing about the group, so… That’s what happened to them after their first two albums. Use Your Illusion I & II took years to come out, and then much of the content was sort of overdone, like “Estranged” and “Don’t Cry.” Not that those aren’t great songs, but they weren’t edgy like Appetite. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/13 "2008-10-24T15:19:05Z")
The guitarist is not Slash, and that is painfully evident. Not sure what else to think, but I expect, if the album is ever actually released, that it will sink like a stone. I really really wish Offspring had been allowed to name their new record “Chinese Democracy: You Snooze You Lose” like they had wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/14 "2008-10-24T15:29:29Z")
I think the album will do ok, probably a lot of people will buy it just out of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/15 "2008-10-24T15:31:08Z")
Aside from the fact that this song blows Clydesdale cock, I can’t even begin to fathom how he can even call that…“band” Guns N’ Roses. And I think Buckethead is the guitarist on a few, if not all the songs. Correct me if I’m wrong, though… ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/16 "2008-10-24T15:54:26Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > The guitarist is not Slash, and that is painfully evident. > > Not sure what else to think, but I expect, if the album is ever actually released, that it will sink like a stone. > > I really really wish Offspring had been allowed to name their new record “Chinese Democracy: You Snooze You Lose” like they had wanted to. You can’t copyright titles. Why couldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/17 "2008-10-24T16:29:28Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Do we all get Dr. Pepper’s now? Or do singles not count? > > Hmmm, [looks like](http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/10/dr-pepper-to-ma.html)no Dr. Peppers will arrive until 2009. Bummer. Still, free Dr. Pepper. Wonder if I can get a Diet? Dang, I was hoping I could get it to go with my free taco on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/18 "2008-10-24T16:37:21Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Dang, I was hoping I could get it to go with my free taco on Tuesday. Good to know someone else is bummed about not getting free stuff in a timely manner. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/19 "2008-10-24T22:10:48Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > You can’t copyright titles. Why couldn’t they? Pressure for the label to avoid confusion, I’m sure. Its a fairly common occurance. Joseph Heller had to change _Catch 18_ to _Catch 22_ because there was a book coming out at the same time with _18_ in the title (I think the other book was _U-18_ or the author’s name had a “U” at the beginning of it). Asia’s third album was going to be called _Arcadia_, but because a couple of the guys in Duran Duran had an album coming out called that, Asia had to change theirs to _Astra_. ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-democracy-single-officially-released/469122/20 "2008-10-24T22:58:26Z")
The guitarist is competent. Obvious Slash influence with a little Tom Morello and early 90’s shred collective. Not bad, but not Slash.