Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Chinese Democracy’
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 11.24.08 | 12:20 PM ET
Joining the ranks of Western rock albums whose titles evoke Asia—Holiday in Cambodia and Cheap Trick at Budokan come to mind —is the long-awaited Chinese Democracy, from reclusive rock star and esteemed China-watcher Axl Rose. It’s not clear to me, from a cursory look at the title song’s lyrics, whether Rose has anything particularly deep to say about Chinese democracy, or lack thereof, except that change is coming to China. Nevertheless, rumor has it the album has been banned in the Middle Kingdom.
Update: Great trivia. Guns N’ Roses is known as Qiang Hua in China.
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
TambourineMan 11.24.08 | 5:54 PM ET
“You know where you are?! You’re in China, baby! You gonna diiiiieeee!”
Ok Axl. Come on, can this really be called a Guns N Roses album without Slash?
Jim, you forgot Bob Dylan at Budokan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan_at_Budokan
Corey 11.24.08 | 7:18 PM ET
It was cool that Dr. Pepper honored their promise on the free soda if this was released this year.
I have yet to hear the album….someday I might.
TambourineMan, I agree…they are not GnR without Slash. Buckethead may be a good guitarist but c’mon….he’s got a bucket on his head!
Jim Benning 11.24.08 | 8:00 PM ET
Agreed, TambourineMan. It’s just not the same without Slash. Or as he’s known in Chinese…actually, I’ve no idea what he’d be called in Chinese.
Jim Benning 11.24.08 | 8:01 PM ET
And thanks for the reminder about Bob. Sorry for the omission, Bob.