Call it back！Guns N' Roses槍與玫瑰《Chinese Democracy》

Axl Rose漫長的沉潛時期，2001年曾發表過一段話，對樂迷也對前團員:
''I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people you came to know and love could not be with us here today. Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard (meaning my former friends) to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I say fuck that. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that unlike Oasis, we could not find a way to all get along.''
 

10月底，一位穿著頗有質感西裝復古款皮鞋的中年人走到櫃檯前(從未見過他)，問說：「Gun N' Roses」的新專輯發了嗎？我嚇了一跳：Gun N' Roses要發新專輯！另一方面再看看眼前這位大叔，如此穩重看起來真不像是聽金屬的。查了查電腦，「11月底才發」「那幫我留一片」留資料時又聊幾句「等很久囉」「是啊，十多年了......」

萬萬沒想到隔了十五年後，Gun N' Roses槍與玫瑰會再發新專輯。分崩離析的團體，原班人馬只剩主唱Axl Rose一人，有些悽涼(尤其少了Slash)。十五年間他還是依然努力地寫著歌，找來樂手做許多巡迴演出，但沒有代表作，逐漸成為搖滾史上傳奇，被世人遺忘。然而11月底《Chinese Demoncracy》的發行，宣告Gun N' Roses火鳥般浴火重生，第一首〈Chinese Democracy〉專輯同名歌曲批判中共的力道十足，十五年的歲月他們更大器更成熟了。

〈Chinese Democracy〉諷刺中國政府，還提到法輪功受迫害，明確又清楚的譏諷；前兩首〈Chinese Democracy〉和〈Shackler's Revenge〉主唱Axl的高音和另一個低音交錯穿插(Robin Finck嗎？還是Axl聲音如此莫測高深？)很有層次，甚至那個渾厚的低音當其中幾首主唱好像也不錯。〈Street Of Dreams〉先以鋼琴進場，搭配些許柔和的電吉他，就由Axl富感情感染力強的主秀，悅耳程度令人聯想起金曲〈Sweet Child O Mine〉。〈If The World〉使用了佛朗明哥吉他，伴奏樂器的變化使情調稍有不同，但還是沾染一些電吉他氣息。〈There Was A Time〉是極少數前段枯燥後段能拉回的歌曲，前面一大段一大段的喃喃，歌曲顯得單薄失敗，後半段主唱頻頻飆上去的高音，搭配聲勢浩大的弦樂，最後來已精采的吉他獨奏，稍稍平衡了原本皺眉的聽覺感受。〈Scraped〉先是合音與Axl互相唱和，最後變成兩條聲線互飆，聽來很過癮。〈Rhiad & The Bedouins〉光是欣賞Axie的高音，在令人窒息雲端亂竄，搭配著背景渾厚而有勁的電吉他，就是聽搖滾的幸福了。〈Sorry〉有點悲傷的慢板歌，依然有動人的韻味，使用大量鋼弦吉他，副歌以及最後一段才回歸電吉他，另一點值得注意的是很有味道的backing vocal，居然是另一大團Skid Row的主唱Sebastian Bach。

推薦歌曲：

Street Of Dreams、Chinese Democracy、If The World、Sorry

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他山之石：

Guns N' Roses

Axl Rose 隱遁的七年

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格內相關閱讀：

「音樂」聽Oasis 綠洲《Dig Out Your Soul 靈魂解放》：一聽鍾情

「音樂」聽 Keane 基音《Perfect Symmetry 完美對稱》：不一樣的搖滾團

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參與樂手：

現任團員

* Axl Rose – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (track 7), keyboards (tracks 1, 6, 13), guitar (tracks 6 and 12), Producer
* Robin Finck – lead guitar (all tracks), backing vocals, keyboards (tracks 3, 5)
* Bumblefoot – lead guitar (all tracks)
* Richard Fortus – rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 14), backing vocals
* Tommy Stinson – bass guitar (all tracks except 5), backing vocals
* Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals
* Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 11)
* Bryan Mantia – drums, percussion (all tracks except 1)
* Chris Pitman – synthesizer, programming; bass (tracks 5, 6, 12)

參與的前任團員

* Buckethead – lead guitar (all tracks except 7, 13)
* Paul Tobias – rhythm guitar (all tracks except 2, 8, 13)

支援樂手：

* Sebastian Bach – backing vocals (track 10)
* Bob Ludwig – Final CD Mastering @ Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc. in Portland, ME
* Patti Hood – harp (track 13)
* Marco Beltrami – orchestral arrangement
* Paul Buckmaster – orchestral arrangement
* Pete Scaturro – keyboards (track 10)