Maybe he's trying his hardest to fight the looming threat of irrelevance. Or not being able to be taken seriously, which I have to wonder how THAT could happen!
It's possible that Buckethead suffers from agoraphobia, possibly a rather extreme case. Which is why he hides his identity and requests a place where he can be isolated, alone. And that's also probably why he's so damned good, because he'd have so much time - and likely inspiration - to practice the guitar. On an almost fanatical level, given the amount of content he puts out. It's his stress relief. This is all hypothetical (based on things I heard many years ago). Maybe you just need to be the right kind of crazy to get that good.
It's probably some minor degree of autism or aspergers. I can understand building a persona based on a character, that's cool. But reaching the point of refusing European tours just because it's not allowed to fly with a mask and bucket on it's on another level.
"A guitarist named Brian Carroll, who is so crazy that he refuses to play without a bucket on his head. Why, why, WHY?" Well, because he was born in a coop, raised in a cage, children fear him, critics rage, he's half alive, he's half dead, so folks just call him Buckethead. ;-)
1) Catcher In The Rye was originally supposed to have Brian May from Queen on it. He originally was supposed to do the solo, but it got scraped in favor of rerecording it again. 2) They actually did use Queen's producer back in the day at one point. And he actually recommended Axl go back and rerecord the album. 3) I read somewhere once GN'R were originally supposed to record 1 album and tour behind it for 2 years. Then release another so they don't have to go back to the studio and keep touring. So yeah, the stories behind this album are FAR more interesting than the actual record.
Man I remember back in 2007 that Axl tried to hire Joe Satriani for this album but he refused but reccomended Ron "Bumbleffod" thai and Axl liked the Bumblefood job and he got the job.
I think most ppl don't like it cuz they were on the bandwagon of "no Slash, no Duff, no GnR"....I'm a HUGE GnR fan, have been since I saw em live in the 80s (I'm old). I'll admit, I was apprehensive about this record, but a week or so after I got it (I actually went to Best Buy 20 minutes before they opened and waited) I absolutely loved it. We get Axl's voice, and while not Slash or Duff, we get a TON of other talented musicians. I found it hard to complain about that.
When he reaches $1,000 on Patreon he'll do it. Apparently he put a Simple Plan RTP goal, if he reaches $800 he'll do another Simple Plan RTP. Let that sink in, he'll do Simple Plan again before doing Lulu
Tim Mackie personally, I’d replace Weathered with Save Rock n Roll. At least some of the songs on SRnR are undeniably catchy, even if that was the beginning of Fall Out Boy selling the fuck out 😂 I just hate Creed. Or maybe just Scott Stapp. The rest of the band is clearly badass with Myles Kennedy as Alter Bridge lol.
To be honest I agree, even with Creed’s Weathered, and I like Creed, but I love the Nickelback albums and I actually don’t mind Puddle Of Mudd, ‘Come Clean’ and this album isn’t bad, but it’s not their best either. And A Thousand Suns is a bit boring...
Bucketheads a fucking dork I wouldn't let him anywhere near my band technical don't mean shit chemistry does and I like a melodic guitarist way better than a technical guitarist classic Buckethead would have been in the band from the beginning you would never have songs like Sweet child of mine and stuff Buckethead don't know Melody
Interestingly enough daddy Slash said that he actually liked Chinese Democracy when he was asked what he had thought about it. Later on during the reunion tour Slash would say that he really enjoys playing Chinese Democracy songs and actually enjoys how different it is he also said that "there was no way the original lineup could make an album like Chinese Democracy" and yet again gave Axl praise for it.
Honestly, I don't find this album that bad. But considering this was the same band that made Use you Illusion 1 and 2, and one of the most influential albums of all time, Appetite for Destruction. I can see why this album is hated (especially with the long ass hype.
Yeah the album has a number of good tracks on it. Not a fan of "If the World" or "Sorry". But a number I like from it. Originally Rose wanted Chinese Democracy to be a double album but the label refused that. According to Sebastian Bach , Rose had 3 albums of material done that he heard.
I saw Guns N' Roses at MetLife stadium last summer, and let me tell you, it was probably one of the best shows I've ever been too, I never thought I'd see slash and duff with axel. But I remember when they played Chinese democracy songs during the show and almost 3/4 of the audience were on their phones, and it was a sold out show at MetLife stadium, now that's a lot of data usage
I was there and enjoyed the entire set list esp with slash and duff out there with axl. Seriously we all thought hell would freeze over before axl and slash would ever patch things up
I honestly love this album, every single song is amazing to me. Yeah, they’re not as good as 80s Guns N’ Roses, but none of these songs are bad in my opinion, they’re all pretty good.
I was one of the few who really liked Chinese Democracy, it's my third favourite GnR album. However, I do think it is insulting that the Guns N' Roses label was used on it, considering that only two members from any previous GnR album appear on it. I think it would have been better received and acclaimed if it was released as an Axl solo album. The long wait for an album is not an issue. I would rather wait fifteen years for an album and get the hype up rather than have an artist release 15 albums in one year and have no hype behind him, which is why I have never been a huge fan of Buckethead. It trips me out to think that they started recording this the year before I was born, and I was nearly 10 when they launched it.
Btw tool is in the studio currently, but they give themselves really high standards so they constantly do rewrites, and all the instrumentals have to be done before Maynard can do vocals (that's why he's worked on two other bands since 10,000 days)
not to mention that they were in a long-winded legal battle with a former record label. that was also a big reason why they couldn't release anything until just a couple years ago. Alan Cross from The Ongoing History Of New Music did a thorough deep dive on why it took them so long to release Fear Inoculum, but I don't remember what episode that was
Body of Lies is an underrated movie. A more realistic espionage movie, it's no James Bond film. Soundtrack is great, especially the collabo of Mike Patton and Serj Tankian.
I like this album too. Best album since the Use Your Illusion albums, and Appetite for Destruction. I didn't like The Spaghetti Incident, and GNR Lies is meh.
I enjoy it a lot as well. Considering how Axl's voice has really shifted and declined in quality, shifting to an Industrial, highly produced sound is really really great. It's good to go into some albums without expectations.
Love the "changing of vocal gears" in Street of Dreams. A true highlight on the cd. Axl does what nobody else can do, and it's his vocal style rather than trying to sound like Poveratti that sets him apart.
Since you already did metallicas St Anger and megsdeths Risk, you should finish the big 4 or slayers Diabolous in musica and anthraxs Vol. 8 the threat is real
I will say that Diabolos is probably the best out of the 4, but by no means is it Slayer's best. personally, I feel every Slayer album is actually decent except this one, which still isn't horrible. And also, to throw this out there, Divine Intervention is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
I read somewhere that The Offspring on April 1st they announced their new album (what would be Splinter) would be called Chinese Democracy: You Snooze, You Lose That would be the best album title ever back in 2003 imo
yep, and after that was announced Axl had a hissy fit and threatened them with a lawsuit, so they had to back down. Personally, it would've made a better statement if The Offspring had named the album Chinese Demo-Crazy.
Sometimes the bands we like will eventually make a dud album. Like with bands such as Metallica, Linkin Park (may Chester rest in peace), and Megadeth.
Asuna Yuuki yeah and that was either gnr lies or spaghetti incident. Calling CD a dud album is just ignorant. I agree, not what fans ever wanted to hear, but it’s amazing writing whether you like it or not. Vocals, riffs, solos, arrangements, the combo of a little of that old vibe and modern electronic vibe totally worked. The arrangements and transitions are just so well thought out and creative. If you don’t like the overall sound. Whatever. Personal preference. But it’s not close to being a dud album
I’m ngl. I love this album. It’s got some of his best work. I don’t know why, but I feel like when listening to these tracks I hear some great music. AXL’s a head case, but he’s a perfectionist. Buckethead’s great and so is AXL on this album and I will defend as long as I can
Sometimes, something is worth the wait, like Hardwired To Self Destruct. Other times, we get the Duke Nukem Forever of albums - not terrible, but very very disappointing and not worth the wait. Especially from a massive band like GnR.
Naomi Sanders technically we did get Death Magnetic in 2008, but then LULU came out so I guess in a way Hardwired... To Self-Destruct could count as a big comeback.
Chinese Democracy might be my favorite album ever, it is so well produced, mixed and written. Axl sings better than ever and Buckethead lays down an amazing solo every time.
Wes Borland vs Buckethead. It's like the tagline to Alien Vs Predator; no matter who wins, we lose. At least they would be shredding out some sick riffs.
As a bibliophile, I do enjoy his series Lost in Adaptation. I found it when I was searching on TH-cam for reviews of Ella Enchanted. I hate that movie. No. 2 on my list of Worst Movies I have scene. No. 1 is Son of the Mask. Don't hate it as much as Ella Enchanted, but there is just so many more problems with the latter than the former.
One lil funny story: Back in 2003 before Chinese Democracy came out, punk rock band The Offspring announced on April fools Day that the name of their upcoming new album would be "Chinese Democracy." Frontman Dexter Holland would say "you snooze, you lose. Axl ripped off my braids, so I ripped off his album title."
You keep acting like Buckethead is really crazy but he sounds like he's not. He sounds like a talented guy playing up an image for attention - like a Tom Green with talent.
"Not terrible, but not really that great." Yeah, that sums up the entire album. Some of it's kinda fun, most of it is serviceable, but it's just such a middle of the road album. They had 14 years (and all the talent in the world) to make this. It should have been better.
No joke, I actually saw this album a few years ago at a dollar tree. There were at least five copies there. I think that's the appropriate place for this album.
Personally, I thought Street of Dreams was the best song on the album, but that's just me. You should also do Van Halen 3 and Aerosmith: Just Push Play, two other disapointing albums (especially VH3) by classic rock bands.
My uncle claims he pre-ordered Chinese Democracy back in the 90s and waited over a decade for this damn album to come out. I remember when it came out and I bought it… holy shit, I was scared to ask him if the wait was worth it.
Adam Bankert Yeah but that didn't sell well and we all know it's trash, so it probably wouldn't need to be regretted. Would still be funny to see though
Ian Perry True and yeah it would be funny to see as well but since it's Metallica and Lou Reed two of one of the biggest names in music maybe should be regretted lol
So this is a review for an album that took 14 years and millions of dollars to make, and one of the key takeaways from this is that there's a rock musician that exists called Bucket-Head. As much as I love this genre, my GOODNESS can it get weird sometimes...
I've never actually listened to this album before. When Shackler's Revenge came on, I literally shouted "That's a Filter song! That's a Filter song on a GNR album!" Actually, a lot of the album sounds like Axl singing over a Filter song!
Hey Luke! Thanks for finally reviewing Chinese Democracy! I actually left a comment to review this album all the way back in January 2016 when you reviewed Good Charlotte's The Young and the Hopeless. I guess I wasn't the only one begging you to do so. I'm happy that we actually have GNR back, and with their tour being as successful as it's been this year. I was actually a sophomore in high school when this album got released, and I remember being slightly disappointed as I was a fan of Guns N' Roses since I was young, and most of the tracks besides the title track didn't sound like GNR. For me, I think that's what killed this album in my mind: it wasn't GNR; there were a lot of elements in it that could've made it GNR, but this album didn't have those elements put together properly. Chinese Democracy did get a bit of airplay up here in Maine for a few months after the album released, but soon after it sorta just disappeared and no one actually requested it on the two rock stations this state has. Fun fact: Maine actually has an independent rock station owned by Stephen King, because King is a huge fan of rock and metal, and it's been a staple of this state for years. 100.3 WKIT. They do live online simulcast on their site if you're curious, though you won't ever actually hear King himself on there. The DJ's are fun to listen to, and a couple of them have been around since I started listening to WKIT when I was in elementary school.
I feel like this whole album is just Axl saying "what fucking insane shit can I do with my voice today?". His range throughout this album is d i s g u s t i n g l y large
This album should have been released in the early 2000s, If it had been released then I'm sure it would sell much more and because the sound fits perfectly that era. Even axl stated that the album was inspired by NIN.
i remember at one point during the run up to this album coming out, axel rose was saying along the lines of "this is going to be the biggest, most important album since dark side of the moon"
I picked this album up for 50p and from a car boot sale and I am glad that I did for that price as if I paid full whack for it, I wouldn’t have bothered.
"you would be a freshman in high school by the time you could purchase the album". That was exactly my experience leading up to this record. I turned 15 three days before the release, and when that day came I was the happiest GNR fan.
I'm still curious why he doesn't do the album comparisons for every RTP episode he has put out. He did it for Come Clean, No Pads, Young and the Hopeless, 15, Extreme Behavior, Results May Vary and Devil Without A Cause so far.
This album at least has musical merit. Even though it is not the best GnR album and went through a ton of production hell, at least it has a lot of listenable tracks with good musicianship and songwriting. Compared to other RTP entries, it is the least annoying IMO.
You mentioned a few times about a couple of tracks having been written and played in 2001. Actually pretty much the entire album was done then, a bunch of old recordings from the Chinese Democracy sessions leaked from 1999-2001 and 9 of the 14 songs from the album were fully recorded, albeit they went through some changes before 2008. The only ones not recorded by 2001 were Scraped and This I Love, while Better, Sorry and Shacklers Revenge were there as instrumentals only. The leaks also included 6 other completed songs with vocals that have never been released so there was more than enough for an album way before 2008. The older versions of the tracks are far more stripped back and aren't as messy and muddled as some of them turned out on the finished album.
"The 2008 Guns N' Roses" *Shows 2014 lineup* ugh. Also Sebastian Bach was never in GN'R he's Axl's friend so he did backup vocals on one song after Axl did vocals on 3 songs for Bach. I will say, I do respect that you seem really open to the music. So thanks for that man.
I really love it when The Dom shows up in your videos. I discovered you through him. And thanks, because today I learned that Buckethead exists and I'll be looking up some of his music, since apparently there's A LOT to choose from.
What omg.....this album was great! Songs like "Prostitute" "This I love" "Better" "Catch her in the Rye" It just took too long to make but when it finally came out we wanted more like everything else!!! I'm sure it would have done better in the beginning of 2000's. Long Live GN'R
Thanks, pretty fair review! :-) Gotta admit, I still LOVE GnR as much as ever and "Chinese Democracy" musst be one of the biggest guilty pleasures of mine. Greetings from Germany!
I am so glad that it was in fact, 14 years. 14 years of silence, 14 years of pain, 14 years that are gone forever that I'll never have again. But turning a track off another of you albums into a pun about how long it takes to put out your album is priceless. Honestly the sad thing about this is... the unfinished leaks were better then the final songs. It's like he was self conscious about it taking so long and decided to compensate by making a cluttered mess of the songs. If he hadn't just spent years fiddling it might have been a much better album.
Honestly, I still very much enjoy this album, start to finish. I tend to think of it in a similar vein to Use Your Illusion (albeit far more indulgent). I've always felt that had this album come out around 2001 (when they started touring again), it likely would've been received more warmly, but as it stands, it'll be remembered less for any of the music, and more for the bizarre and outlandish circumstances surrounding it (on top of even existing in the first place).
Thanks to the GTA San Andreas radio station Radio X, I grew up with "Welcome to the jungle" - but this is just such a sad .... SAD!... album. Although, Better is a pretty good song. In my opinion, the peak of this band was from 1987 till 1991. They created FANTASTIC music durning that time. Please do a RTP on Nickelbacks Dark Horse, that would be TREMENDOUS, BELIEVE ME... Some people say it would be the best RTP of all time.... You know YOU WANT IT! IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS!
Buckethead also has another project that has been in production for even longer, a movie called All American Massacre. One of his many bands was called Cornbugs, which was him and actor Bill Moseley, best known for his roles as Choptop in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Otis Driftwood in several Rob Zombie films. They released several albums but were also working on the film which was set to follow on the story of Choptop. Buckethead played Leatherface and wrote the score. Due to various problems, the film is still yet to be completed. All the filming was done years ago but it's been stuck in the editing stages for decades due to a lack of funding and potential copyright issues.
Normally I dont subscribe to channels advertised in video... but god dammit I cannot resist being complimented by a British man. You win this round Dom
Do you know Buckethead has released 298 studio albums to date....Dear Lord does he ever sleep.
Maybe he's trying his hardest to fight the looming threat of irrelevance. Or not being able to be taken seriously, which I have to wonder how THAT could happen!
If your band is called Toxic Potato, you're fate should be to stop making music!
It could be even more insane He could be Merzbow
+sheppfun how would you know? have you heard the rest of his albums ?
try counting his eps.....
Axl rose looking through "best guitarist" lists like a shopping catalogue and be like "Ill have that one for my album." LMAO
He used like six guitarists on Chinese Democracy.
Zakk Wylde also worked on the album but he was so pissed off with Axl that I don’t think his work made it on the album
@@vader618 I find that ironic considering when I saw gnr back in 2016 he opened for them.
It's possible that Buckethead suffers from agoraphobia, possibly a rather extreme case. Which is why he hides his identity and requests a place where he can be isolated, alone. And that's also probably why he's so damned good, because he'd have so much time - and likely inspiration - to practice the guitar. On an almost fanatical level, given the amount of content he puts out. It's his stress relief. This is all hypothetical (based on things I heard many years ago). Maybe you just need to be the right kind of crazy to get that good.
Nametag check out the podcast he did recently. He’s so incredibly reserved modest and quiet, and a highly socially anxious person. Explains everything
The most technically gifted guitarist I've ever seen live. He's as good as the very best classical guitarist's that have ever lived.
Conrad Nickelson same
It's probably some minor degree of autism or aspergers. I can understand building a persona based on a character, that's cool. But reaching the point of refusing European tours just because it's not allowed to fly with a mask and bucket on it's on another level.
I love this post
"A guitarist named Brian Carroll, who is so crazy that he refuses to play without a bucket on his head. Why, why, WHY?"
Well, because he was born in a coop, raised in a cage, children fear him, critics rage, he's half alive, he's half dead, so folks just call him Buckethead. ;-)
Love that song. Les and buckethead playin together, im surprised the universe didnt implode.
Ed Carone III FOLKS JUST CALL HIM BUCKETHEAD
He. Is. God.
For some reason, I read that in Axl's voice. Like how he would introduce Buckethead to the audience.
I'm not sure that this album would get as much hate as it does if it wasn't called Guns N Roses.
It should have just been called an Axl solo album, would have been more honest
And if it didn’t have 14 years of hype and $13 million of production.
1) Catcher In The Rye was originally supposed to have Brian May from Queen on it. He originally was supposed to do the solo, but it got scraped in favor of rerecording it again. 2) They actually did use Queen's producer back in the day at one point. And he actually recommended Axl go back and rerecord the album. 3) I read somewhere once GN'R were originally supposed to record 1 album and tour behind it for 2 years. Then release another so they don't have to go back to the studio and keep touring. So yeah, the stories behind this album are FAR more interesting than the actual record.
NickTheCritic1 that version with Brian may exists right? I thought I heard it years ago
There was going to be 3 Chinese democracy's
Man I remember back in 2007 that Axl tried to hire Joe Satriani for this album but he refused but reccomended Ron "Bumbleffod" thai and Axl liked the Bumblefood job and he got the job.
I have the demo with brian may on it. Do a quick google search and you can find it.
Originally, originally
Actually, actually
Nice vocabulary 🤦🏻♂️
Am I the only one who loves this album? I really do. And "There was a time" is a monster of a track.
I like didn't like it when it first came out was a bit like bummer. But like motley crue generation swine it grew on me.
I really like it.
I think most ppl don't like it cuz they were on the bandwagon of "no Slash, no Duff, no GnR"....I'm a HUGE GnR fan, have been since I saw em live in the 80s (I'm old). I'll admit, I was apprehensive about this record, but a week or so after I got it (I actually went to Best Buy 20 minutes before they opened and waited) I absolutely loved it. We get Axl's voice, and while not Slash or Duff, we get a TON of other talented musicians. I found it hard to complain about that.
no
I like this album
You have to do Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed!!!! Please!
I am sure it's on his list :P
He just needs to be making $1,000 a month on Patreon and he will.
When he reaches $1,000 on Patreon he'll do it.
Apparently he put a Simple Plan RTP goal, if he reaches $800 he'll do another Simple Plan RTP. Let that sink in, he'll do Simple Plan again before doing Lulu
He survived Limp Bizkit, Puddle of mud, Nickelback and Kid Rock!!!!
He will survive...
Maybe!
don't torture him
The Triforce of Actually Not That Bad:
Chinese Democracy
A Thousand Suns
Weathered
Tim Mackie personally, I’d replace Weathered with Save Rock n Roll. At least some of the songs on SRnR are undeniably catchy, even if that was the beginning of Fall Out Boy selling the fuck out 😂 I just hate Creed. Or maybe just Scott Stapp. The rest of the band is clearly badass with Myles Kennedy as Alter Bridge lol.
Atomic Punk I agree with both of you!
To be honest I agree, even with Creed’s Weathered, and I like Creed, but I love the Nickelback albums and I actually don’t mind Puddle Of Mudd, ‘Come Clean’ and this album isn’t bad, but it’s not their best either. And A Thousand Suns is a bit boring...
Lewis Carty yeah I agree except for Nickleback :)
SEX!!!
Buckethead is honestly my favorite guitarist ever.
FrØst
*KEITH RICHARDS IS MY FAVORITE GUITAR PLAYER OF ALL TIME .*
same here!
Yes.
Bucketheads a fucking dork I wouldn't let him anywhere near my band technical don't mean shit chemistry does and I like a melodic guitarist way better than a technical guitarist classic Buckethead would have been in the band from the beginning you would never have songs like Sweet child of mine and stuff Buckethead don't know Melody
Interestingly enough daddy Slash said that he actually liked Chinese Democracy when he was asked what he had thought about it. Later on during the reunion tour Slash would say that he really enjoys playing Chinese Democracy songs and actually enjoys how different it is he also said that "there was no way the original lineup could make an album like Chinese Democracy" and yet again gave Axl praise for it.
Honestly, I don't find this album that bad. But considering this was the same band that made Use you Illusion 1 and 2, and one of the most influential albums of all time, Appetite for Destruction. I can see why this album is hated (especially with the long ass hype.
In Axl's defense... This was not the same band that did Appetite for Destruction or the Illusion records
But I agree this album is not bad. Just very different.
Personally, I think this is one of the better albums out of Regretting the Past. It's at least listenable for the most part.
Yeah the album has a number of good tracks on it. Not a fan of "If the World" or "Sorry". But a number I like from it. Originally Rose wanted Chinese Democracy to be a double album but the label refused that. According to Sebastian Bach , Rose had 3 albums of material done that he heard.
Still not as bad as Megadeth's 'Risk'
I saw Guns N' Roses at MetLife stadium last summer, and let me tell you, it was probably one of the best shows I've ever been too, I never thought I'd see slash and duff with axel. But I remember when they played Chinese democracy songs during the show and almost 3/4 of the audience were on their phones, and it was a sold out show at MetLife stadium, now that's a lot of data usage
You morons missed out then cause those songs are amazing
Yeah I saw them live in Leipzig a few months ago and I was blown away ...
Hey Goop, when is the next poop?
I was there and I actually enjoyed those songs
I was there and enjoyed the entire set list esp with slash and duff out there with axl. Seriously we all thought hell would freeze over before axl and slash would ever patch things up
I honestly love this album, every single song is amazing to me. Yeah, they’re not as good as 80s Guns N’ Roses, but none of these songs are bad in my opinion, they’re all pretty good.
Chinese Democracy is a masterpiece. Love all the songs in it and the album was recorded so well.
I agree, but it's GNRINO (Guns N Roses in name only) and I among many others think of it as an Axl Rose solo album.
I agree that it is an awesome
Album
Amazing album.
Buckethead is amazing.
Every song in this album has been stuck in my head at one point or another.
I dismissed Chinese Democracy when it was released, but on recent relistens, it has grown on me.
Great album in my opinion.
I agree. I love this album.
@@chefmastershake it's a fantastic LP.
Appetite4Destruction agreed. Seeing this vid has reminded me and can’t wait to get it on again
There's a song on Use Your Illusion II called 14 years. Coincidence? I think not
Now I really want to see you do a full Buckethead album. And with almost 300 to choose from, that shouldn't be too hard.
Jack Kain Probably Colma, Enter the Chicken, or Albino Slug would all be good choices.
ELECTRIC TEARS!
I was one of the few who really liked Chinese Democracy, it's my third favourite GnR album. However, I do think it is insulting that the Guns N' Roses label was used on it, considering that only two members from any previous GnR album appear on it. I think it would have been better received and acclaimed if it was released as an Axl solo album. The long wait for an album is not an issue. I would rather wait fifteen years for an album and get the hype up rather than have an artist release 15 albums in one year and have no hype behind him, which is why I have never been a huge fan of Buckethead. It trips me out to think that they started recording this the year before I was born, and I was nearly 10 when they launched it.
Btw tool is in the studio currently, but they give themselves really high standards so they constantly do rewrites, and all the instrumentals have to be done before Maynard can do vocals (that's why he's worked on two other bands since 10,000 days)
How do you feel about the new album ?
not to mention that they were in a long-winded legal battle with a former record label. that was also a big reason why they couldn't release anything until just a couple years ago. Alan Cross from The Ongoing History Of New Music did a thorough deep dive on why it took them so long to release Fear Inoculum, but I don't remember what episode that was
Body of Lies is an underrated movie. A more realistic espionage movie, it's no James Bond film. Soundtrack is great, especially the collabo of Mike Patton and Serj Tankian.
The fact the faith no more and mr.bungle lead man and the system of a down and scars on Broadway frontman worked together.
Now all you need to do is Dark Horse by Nickelback and Van Halen III by Van Halen!
Jason Hurk Oh you were the commenter on my video
DARK HORSE IS MY FUCKING JAM
(I understand the hatred tho)
He tore up nickelback enough but VH3 he has to do
What could be said about Nickelback that hasn't already been said about cancer?
Van Halen III probably wasn't successful enough to be reviewed.
Ya know, sometimes i get the feeling im the only person who actually enjoyed the album when it came out....and still enjoy it to this day. Lol.
I like this album too. Best album since the Use Your Illusion albums, and Appetite for Destruction. I didn't like The Spaghetti Incident, and GNR Lies is meh.
InsaneAlphaBeta it's actually my fave gnr album lol
InsaneAlphaBeta me too.
production and mixing could have been better though.
Jay Zapata
It's mastered good tho
I enjoy it a lot as well. Considering how Axl's voice has really shifted and declined in quality, shifting to an Industrial, highly produced sound is really really great. It's good to go into some albums without expectations.
I found out that while critics were okay with the album, fans were massively disappointed.
14
fucking
years
Remember when this album was the first part of a trilogy?
Neither does the band.
I think it’s like that with many things.
@@Massachamp08 That was my take as well, Chinese Democracy felt more like a Axl Rose solo album rather than GNR.
@@flameosaurus1832 Funny how they made a song called 14 years on the Use Your Illusion albums almost like a sign of things to come.
Love the "changing of vocal gears" in Street of Dreams. A true highlight on the cd. Axl does what nobody else can do, and it's his vocal style rather than trying to sound like Poveratti that sets him apart.
Since you already did metallicas St Anger and megsdeths Risk, you should finish the big 4 or slayers Diabolous in musica and anthraxs Vol. 8 the threat is real
Maybe Iron Maiden's Virtual XI as well.
God Hates Us All might also qualify
Diabolous is garbage. Even Kerry King says its bad.
Yeah man exactly lmao. They're all bad
I will say that Diabolos is probably the best out of the 4, but by no means is it Slayer's best. personally, I feel every Slayer album is actually decent except this one, which still isn't horrible. And also, to throw this out there, Divine Intervention is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
I liked Chinese Democracy. I like to think of it as an Axl Rose solo album.
You can't fool us; you and the Dom are best friends FOREVER!!
Sarah Rogers TOATS BESTIES!
Chinese Democracy is a great album. Criminally underrated.
I read somewhere that The Offspring on April 1st they announced their new album (what would be Splinter) would be called Chinese Democracy: You Snooze, You Lose
That would be the best album title ever back in 2003 imo
yep, and after that was announced Axl had a hissy fit and threatened them with a lawsuit, so they had to back down. Personally, it would've made a better statement if The Offspring had named the album Chinese Demo-Crazy.
Dexter joke that it was because Axl ripped off his braids
Sometimes the bands we like will eventually make a dud album. Like with bands such as Metallica, Linkin Park (may Chester rest in peace), and Megadeth.
Yeah One More Light would've been a good review but like he said it's straight up pop music and wouldn't qualify as a Rocked review.
I love Metallica & Weezer but I can admit I'm not a big fan of St Anger or Raditude.
Asuna Yuuki yeah and that was either gnr lies or spaghetti incident. Calling CD a dud album is just ignorant. I agree, not what fans ever wanted to hear, but it’s amazing writing whether you like it or not. Vocals, riffs, solos, arrangements, the combo of a little of that old vibe and modern electronic vibe totally worked. The arrangements and transitions are just so well thought out and creative.
If you don’t like the overall sound. Whatever. Personal preference. But it’s not close to being a dud album
Imo Megadeth has never had a really bad album.
It's been 14 years of silence, it's been 14 years of pain
Bucketheads live journal would just contain a series of clucks.
Excellent work as always. Hope to see more of these a little more frequently as I'm sure there's a lot more regret out there.
I’m ngl. I love this album. It’s got some of his best work. I don’t know why, but I feel like when listening to these tracks I hear some great music. AXL’s a head case, but he’s a perfectionist. Buckethead’s great and so is AXL on this album and I will defend as long as I can
Sometimes, something is worth the wait, like Hardwired To Self Destruct.
Other times, we get the Duke Nukem Forever of albums - not terrible, but very very disappointing and not worth the wait. Especially from a massive band like GnR.
Naomi Sanders technically we did get Death Magnetic in 2008, but then LULU came out so I guess in a way Hardwired... To Self-Destruct could count as a big comeback.
I was just thinking that.
Has anyone ever actually listened to all the albums by Buckethead. He has 298 albums.
Chinese Democracy might be my favorite album ever, it is so well produced, mixed and written. Axl sings better than ever and Buckethead lays down an amazing solo every time.
Wes Borland vs Buckethead.
It's like the tagline to Alien Vs Predator; no matter who wins, we lose. At least they would be shredding out some sick riffs.
Could be worse Luke, Dom could be rapping a Limp Bizkit song.
Aaron Wells 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
29:10 is he singing Linkin Park's Untill it's gone from the hunting party?
I actually think Dom was referencing the Cinderella song, given the time when GNR got huge
Ruben Lodewijk that was my initial thought. but i worked out it was Cinderella's song
Looked up for the song. And that makes smore sense now haha.
Close it's Cinderella. Another hair metal band.
Devin McCreery I'm sorry, but how in any stretch of the imagination is LP hair metal?
You don't know me, I took a history of rock and roll class twice in high school.
So yes, I could be here for the history.
Laughed way too hard at the Dom's cameos.
tent163phantoka Those are always funny. 😂😂😂😂😂
As a bibliophile, I do enjoy his series Lost in Adaptation. I found it when I was searching on TH-cam for reviews of Ella Enchanted. I hate that movie. No. 2 on my list of Worst Movies I have scene. No. 1 is Son of the Mask. Don't hate it as much as Ella Enchanted, but there is just so many more problems with the latter than the former.
Lol i love the slightly rising intonation every time you mention "The Spaghetti Incidence?"
One lil funny story:
Back in 2003 before Chinese Democracy came out, punk rock band The Offspring announced on April fools Day that the name of their upcoming new album would be "Chinese Democracy." Frontman Dexter Holland would say "you snooze, you lose. Axl ripped off my braids, so I ripped off his album title."
I love this album. My favourite GNR album by far
I'm now unsubscribing so Corey Taylor visits my house and I can tell him Iowa is amazing as he pummels me into subscription submission.
BulletFarmer2 probably the album
You keep acting like Buckethead is really crazy but he sounds like he's not. He sounds like a talented guy playing up an image for attention - like a Tom Green with talent.
Narmwhal Go listen to some of his solo material hes insane. His music sometimes drops my jaw.
He is insane
You can be talented & crazy.
Buckethead is just that.
Its a character
vitogameboy NOT really. People who have met Buckethead have confirmed he's THAT weird.
Please do dirty work by the rolling stones from 1986
"Not terrible, but not really that great." Yeah, that sums up the entire album. Some of it's kinda fun, most of it is serviceable, but it's just such a middle of the road album. They had 14 years (and all the talent in the world) to make this. It should have been better.
Prince Aligorna yeah
No joke, I actually saw this album a few years ago at a dollar tree. There were at least five copies there. I think that's the appropriate place for this album.
Personally, I thought Street of Dreams was the best song on the album, but that's just me. You should also do Van Halen 3 and Aerosmith: Just Push Play, two other disapointing albums (especially VH3) by classic rock bands.
It is a Belting album. I always loved it.
i'd like to read bucketheads life journal to be honest
Track 9 is approximately "Ree-odd and the bed-owe-inns"
My uncle claims he pre-ordered Chinese Democracy back in the 90s and waited over a decade for this damn album to come out. I remember when it came out and I bought it… holy shit, I was scared to ask him if the wait was worth it.
The album wasn't that bad
Listen to what I say. You might be surprised.
"I feel that is the best thing Alabama could ever hope for"
NOT for me, fella.
Honestly this album Is very good, it just couldn’t live up to the expectations
Chinese Democracy has really grown on me in recent years. Good stuff on this.
I shouldn't do this...but i got one recommended album for you lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed
Adam Bankert LMAO HES GOTTA DO THAT
It'll kill him
Adam Bankert Yeah but that didn't sell well and we all know it's trash, so it probably wouldn't need to be regretted. Would still be funny to see though
Ian Perry True and yeah it would be funny to see as well but since it's Metallica and Lou Reed two of one of the biggest names in music maybe should be regretted lol
I am the table.
So this is a review for an album that took 14 years and millions of dollars to make, and one of the key takeaways from this is that there's a rock musician that exists called Bucket-Head. As much as I love this genre, my GOODNESS can it get weird sometimes...
trc2rockon Buckethead is an absolutely amazing guitarist. Check him out.
I've never actually listened to this album before. When Shackler's Revenge came on, I literally shouted "That's a Filter song! That's a Filter song on a GNR album!" Actually, a lot of the album sounds like Axl singing over a Filter song!
It's funny that review that took a long time to make is about an album that took a long time to make. Thankfully the review wasn't a bust.
wstine79 Part of me wonders if Luke did that on purpose
Hey Luke! Thanks for finally reviewing Chinese Democracy! I actually left a comment to review this album all the way back in January 2016 when you reviewed Good Charlotte's The Young and the Hopeless. I guess I wasn't the only one begging you to do so. I'm happy that we actually have GNR back, and with their tour being as successful as it's been this year.
I was actually a sophomore in high school when this album got released, and I remember being slightly disappointed as I was a fan of Guns N' Roses since I was young, and most of the tracks besides the title track didn't sound like GNR. For me, I think that's what killed this album in my mind: it wasn't GNR; there were a lot of elements in it that could've made it GNR, but this album didn't have those elements put together properly. Chinese Democracy did get a bit of airplay up here in Maine for a few months after the album released, but soon after it sorta just disappeared and no one actually requested it on the two rock stations this state has.
Fun fact: Maine actually has an independent rock station owned by Stephen King, because King is a huge fan of rock and metal, and it's been a staple of this state for years. 100.3 WKIT. They do live online simulcast on their site if you're curious, though you won't ever actually hear King himself on there. The DJ's are fun to listen to, and a couple of them have been around since I started listening to WKIT when I was in elementary school.
All hail our lord and savior Buckethead
Hey, the new Tool album is finally out now!
I feel like this whole album is just Axl saying "what fucking insane shit can I do with my voice today?". His range throughout this album is d i s g u s t i n g l y large
Album was and still is great. GnR have yet to disappoint.
I think this is the best guns n' Roses album and yes that means I think it's better than appetite for destruction and both use your illusion albums
This album should have been released in the early 2000s, If it had been released then I'm sure it would sell much more and because the sound fits perfectly that era. Even axl stated that the album was inspired by NIN.
You should start a series called "Remembering the Past" where you talk about really good albums
He has a series called All Time Favorites
YOU WILL NEVER TAKE HIS BUCKET!
the Not In This Lifetime tour has been going strong since 2016 and has raked in almost 600 million dollars... that right there blows my mind
underrated album. i'm into it.
i remember at one point during the run up to this album coming out, axel rose was saying along the lines of "this is going to be the biggest, most important album since dark side of the moon"
projectno5 could you give a link to when he said that?
I picked this album up for 50p and from a car boot sale and I am glad that I did for that price as if I paid full whack for it, I wouldn’t have bothered.
"you would be a freshman in high school by the time you could purchase the album". That was exactly my experience leading up to this record. I turned 15 three days before the release, and when that day came I was the happiest GNR fan.
I'm still curious why he doesn't do the album comparisons for every RTP episode he has put out. He did it for Come Clean, No Pads, Young and the Hopeless, 15, Extreme Behavior, Results May Vary and Devil Without A Cause so far.
Rockin' D probably because GnR are a good band
At least two albums worth of completed material was ready in 2008 from the Chinese Democracy sessions.
This album at least has musical merit. Even though it is not the best GnR album and went through a ton of production hell, at least it has a lot of listenable tracks with good musicianship and songwriting. Compared to other RTP entries, it is the least annoying IMO.
You mentioned a few times about a couple of tracks having been written and played in 2001. Actually pretty much the entire album was done then, a bunch of old recordings from the Chinese Democracy sessions leaked from 1999-2001 and 9 of the 14 songs from the album were fully recorded, albeit they went through some changes before 2008. The only ones not recorded by 2001 were Scraped and This I Love, while Better, Sorry and Shacklers Revenge were there as instrumentals only. The leaks also included 6 other completed songs with vocals that have never been released so there was more than enough for an album way before 2008.
The older versions of the tracks are far more stripped back and aren't as messy and muddled as some of them turned out on the finished album.
"The 2008 Guns N' Roses" *Shows 2014 lineup* ugh. Also Sebastian Bach was never in GN'R he's Axl's friend so he did backup vocals on one song after Axl did vocals on 3 songs for Bach.
I will say, I do respect that you seem really open to the music. So thanks for that man.
I really love it when The Dom shows up in your videos. I discovered you through him.
And thanks, because today I learned that Buckethead exists and I'll be looking up some of his music, since apparently there's A LOT to choose from.
elizabethashley42 I highly recommend all of it. He’s one of the best guitarists of all time.
What omg.....this album was great! Songs like "Prostitute" "This I love" "Better" "Catch her in the Rye" It just took too long to make but when it finally came out we wanted more like everything else!!! I'm sure it would have done better in the beginning of 2000's.
Long Live GN'R
Buckethead has written 240 albums. He has a reason to be crazy.
Thanks, pretty fair review! :-) Gotta admit, I still LOVE GnR as much as ever and "Chinese Democracy" musst be one of the biggest guilty pleasures of mine.
Greetings from Germany!
I am so glad that it was in fact, 14 years. 14 years of silence, 14 years of pain, 14 years that are gone forever that I'll never have again. But turning a track off another of you albums into a pun about how long it takes to put out your album is priceless.
Honestly the sad thing about this is... the unfinished leaks were better then the final songs. It's like he was self conscious about it taking so long and decided to compensate by making a cluttered mess of the songs. If he hadn't just spent years fiddling it might have been a much better album.
Honestly, I still very much enjoy this album, start to finish. I tend to think of it in a similar vein to Use Your Illusion (albeit far more indulgent).
I've always felt that had this album come out around 2001 (when they started touring again), it likely would've been received more warmly, but as it stands, it'll be remembered less for any of the music, and more for the bizarre and outlandish circumstances surrounding it (on top of even existing in the first place).
People are not giving that album enough credit. I thought it was a pretty good release
My favorite tracks from this album are:
Chinese Democracy
Shackler's Revenge
Madagascar
Sorry
Should you do an All About Buckethead video? Yes, I think you should.
Thanks to the GTA San Andreas radio station Radio X, I grew up with "Welcome to the jungle" - but this is just such a sad .... SAD!... album. Although, Better is a pretty good song. In my opinion, the peak of this band was from 1987 till 1991. They created FANTASTIC music durning that time. Please do a RTP on Nickelbacks Dark Horse, that would be TREMENDOUS, BELIEVE ME... Some people say it would be the best RTP of all time.... You know YOU WANT IT! IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS!
Buckethead also has another project that has been in production for even longer, a movie called All American Massacre. One of his many bands was called Cornbugs, which was him and actor Bill Moseley, best known for his roles as Choptop in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Otis Driftwood in several Rob Zombie films. They released several albums but were also working on the film which was set to follow on the story of Choptop. Buckethead played Leatherface and wrote the score. Due to various problems, the film is still yet to be completed. All the filming was done years ago but it's been stuck in the editing stages for decades due to a lack of funding and potential copyright issues.
to be fair, its their best album
the Buckethead slander will not stand!
Couldn't click fast enough.
Watching the new Regretting the Past episodes is like being deprived of water and then finally getting it.
Normally I dont subscribe to channels advertised in video... but god dammit I cannot resist being complimented by a British man. You win this round Dom