So then, Who has heard this album? I picked it up this evening at my local supermarket...was blown away, I am not sure what I was expecting - I grew up on the original Guns N Roses songs, and was inspired by Slash to pick up guitar. Of course this new album is not Guns N Roses as we remember but is still Axl's vision. I have to say that it sounds really fresh and immediately Ron's use of his Surfreter stood out on the album...if I was origanly inspired by Slash then this album pushes the realms of guitar playing even further. I know a lot of people wont like this because it is "not classic Guns N Roses'...well that is EXACTLY the reason I think it so good...it is new, if I want classic GNR I can put an old album on, but the Chinese Democracy is Axl sounding better than ever with his new band members playing some insanely good songs...big thumbs up from me!
The Chinese Democracy / Ron Bumblefoot Thal
Heard little bits of the album here and there so I can't really give an opinion on whether I like the songs or not. However, like you said, I admire the fact he didn't try and do 'Appetite part II', because its a completely different band he has gone in a different direction. Now the guitar playing is awesome and I hope a talent like Ron Thal gets the recognition he deserves and then Vigier in turn, will get the recognition it rightly deserves too!
I finally listened to the song samples on iTunes, and, for the most part, really like what I heard. Afterwards, I was reading some reviews, and read the stupidest thing.... one critic said something like "Some songs have as many as 5 guitarists bashing away, yet are unable to do what Slash and Izzy did with 2", like Bumblefoot, Robin Finck, Buckethead, Richard Fortus, and Paul Tobias were all standing there, playing 5 simultaneous guitar parts, or that there were only 2 guitar parts on all the old G n' R songs, with no overdubbing or anything. More proof that people who know nothing about the technical end of music should not be allowed to comment on it.