10 Truly Terrible Albums By Legendary Artists
3. Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
A wait of a mere 17 years since the band's last album of original songs, it is a record that most thought would never appear. Apparently Axl Rose had recorded and scrapped all of the songs at least once.
The Guns N Roses who recorded this was a pale imitation of the band who made 'Appetite For Destruction'. The reality is that it would have been impossible to release anything that wouldn't have seemed like an anti-climax after such a long wait.
At $13 million the record was the most expensive ever recorded - it is hard to see where the money went. With only Axl himself remaining from the original GNR line-up, the album was essentially an Axl solo album, with all of the problems solo albums bring in terms of impaired objectivity and lack of a creative partner to bounce ideas off.
Once the original band reformed, it seemed that there would be no place for the songs from 'Chinese Democracy' in the GNR live set, but surprisingly a couple have found their way in, presumably testament to the long-held belief that it is Axl who runs GNR and calls the shots.