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| Released | November 23, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 1998–2007 | |||
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| Length | 71:18 | |||
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Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on November 23, 2008, by Black Frog and Geffen Records. It was the first Guns N' Roses studio album since the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since Use Your Illusion I and II (1991). It languished in development hell for eight years, delayed by personnel and legal problems, label interference, and the perfectionism of vocalist Axl Rose. It was the first Guns N' Roses album without Izzy Stradlin, Slash, and Duff McKagan, and the first not produced by Mike Clink; instead it was produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo.
After the Use Your Illusion Tour ended in 1993, Guns N' Roses spent several years rehearsing ideas for a new album. However, several members left following creative and personal differences with Rose and no music was released. In 1998, Rose, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarists Paul Tobias and Robin Finck, drummer Josh Freese, bassist Tommy Stinson and multi-instrumentalist Chris Pitman began writing and recording new songs. Originally intended for a 1999 release, Chinese Democracy was rerecorded and delayed multiple times. The lineup shifted several times, incorporating guitarists Buckethead, Richard Fortus, and Bumblefoot and drummers Brain and Frank Ferrer. The band recorded over 50 songs, intending to release multiple albums. With costs reportedly exceeding $13 million ($21,000,000 in current dollar terms), it became the most expensive rock album ever produced.
Chinese Democracy was promoted with the Chinese Democracy Tour (2001–2011), gaining notoriety for cancelled shows and riots. After missing a release date of March 2007, Chinese Democracy was released in November 2008, dogged by leaks and legal disputes. The release was preceded by the title track as lead single. The album was distributed exclusively by Best Buy stores in North America and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and was certified platinum. It received generally favorable reviews, achieved international chart success, and sold over one million copies in Europe. Critics praised Rose’s vocal performance and the instrumentation, although several criticized the production and claimed the album sounded dated. Retrospective reviews have been mostly favorable, noting the extended recording process and delays often overshadowed the music.[1][2][3]
- ^ Alderslade, Merlin (November 29, 2018). "In defence of Chinese Democracy: why the whole world got Axl's masterpiece wrong". Metal Hammer. United Kingdom: Future plc. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019.
- ^ Garro, Adrian (January 4, 2023). "Guns N' Roses 'Chinese Democracy' Turns 15 Years Old in 2023 — and it's "Better" Than You Think". Rock Cellar Magazine. Los Angeles, California, USA. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023.
- ^ Tyler Larson (November 18, 2020). "Bumblefoot on Fretless Guitar 101, THAT Guns N' Roses Album, & Spooky Guitar Picks – Guitar Villains" (Podcast). Music is Win. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
At the time, people were still just going on about how it took this long to make, and it took this much money, and all that nonsense. And I always said, wait 20 years.