Sirius Crap

So, Amy got me a Sirius satellite radio set-up for my Titan back in 2005 for Christmas. I wanted it so I could start listening to Howard Stern from the start of his broadcasts on Sirius after he left "terrestrial radio". It was shortly afterward that I first experienced Bubba the Love Sponge, before then a known terrestrial radio personality based out of Florida. Bubba presented a show similar to Howard's, but edging more along the lines of "Jackass"-type stunts, sports talk, MMA/UFC talk, and presenting interviews and lots of shenanigans with various porn whores and random sluts (always entertaining). Bubba was hand-picked by Howard to follow his show in the afternoon. I started listening to Bubba as soon as they (Sirius) sealed the deal with him and - while it took a short time to get used to his format - I became highly enthralled with Bubba's show, listening via the 'net as I worked through the day. I listen to a variety of music channels, but the main channels I listen to are Howard's, with him and Bubba being my main entertainment through the day.

Almost from day one, Bubba tended to get fucked with by the Sirius management. Hard to believe as there is supposed to be no censorship on satellite radio. But Bubba and his cronies always pushed the envelope with their various situations and interviews, from guests to staff (imagine "Shock Collar Karaoke" or, another fave, "Shocking the Puss", where they would apply a shock collar to a porn whore's, well, "intimate of intimates" and give her a countdown before letting loose with the voltage....just a couple of wild things they would do....). The show has a lot of listeners who are truckers, appealing because of the generally redneck humor they employ. I personally always loved it when Hulk Hogan would come in for a visit or call, completely uncensored (Hulk and Bubba are good friends). I listen with headphones at work but it was always funny to me that I would find myself laughing really out loud - seemingly at nothing as far as my co-workers knew - while working.

Today, Bubba announced today was probably his last show on Sirius because of the way Sirius management had been treating him. He let loose with a ton of shit he had been keeping quiet for them, including the insulting way they "compensated him and his team. It is far too much to go into here, but I am sure you could go to his site or perhaps even Howard's site next week to get some of the lowdown. Bums me out because I actually am considering canceling my subscription. Oh well........I had to vent. Pisses me off because until Sirius, I had not really been much of one to listen to radio throughout the day. With Howard and Bubba, I listen all the time. Looks like I will be going back to CDs and iPod, I guess......

Throwing the Gauntlet Down

I just sent Dollar Tree a note stating exactly what I am doing and that my intention is to crush them to the ground as much as possible until they change their position on this case involving their employee Taneka Talley's murder at their Fairfield, CA, location. Please follow my lead on this. I realize that not everyone shops at these stores on a regular basis, but we have all been into them and probably know many people who indeed DO shop in the stores. Let them know about this injustice and ask them all to boycott all locations.

Boycott ALL Dollar Tree Stores

I am taking it upon myself to raise the flag and call for a nationwide boycott of all Dollar Tree stores and any other holdings they have. Why? Read the story associated with the link below and you will understand. Go ahead, read it. I will wait:

Firm Denies Workers' Comp in Racial Killing

My argument? Each and every one of us gets up in the morning (or afternoon, or evening, as the case may be) and goes to work with a reasonable expectation of safety. We do not anticipate workplace violence, as much as we hear stories about it in the news all the time. Overall, however, we get to work and perform our assigned duties assuming we are safe, that our company "has our back", at least on a rudimentary level. Dollar Tree and their worker's compensation insurance carrier are not being reasonable or even remotely compassionate. They are loosely interpreting Dollar Tree's responsibility in this issue in an overt and obvious attempt to protect their own assets. And it is contemptible and disgusting.

So, in light of that, I am calling for a complete boycott of all Dollar Tree stores. Do not shop there. And please pass this on to everyone you know. The only thing these fucking bastards will ever understand is how their actions (or non-actions, as the case may be) can and will affect their own bottom lines. I am not kidding or just "being Sean" and venting; I am dead serious. Fucking boycott these assholes. Drive them into the ground. Destroy them.

Tell me how YOU feel about this. I am genuinely curious. Thanks.

Album Review: Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

Album - Chinese Democracy
Artist - Guns N' Roses
Label - Black Frog/Geffen
Release Date - November 23rd, 2008





“It don’t really matter/Gonna find out for yourself/No, it don’t really matter/Gonna leave this thing to/Somebody else” – from “Chinese Democracy”


Guns N’ Roses. This band – more so than any other – provided the soundtrack to my adventures and random excursions into decadence that was my late teens and early twenties. Their decidedly aggressive, punk, “fuck-you” attitude immediately ostracized them from the over population of glitter and glam that bubbled on the streets of Hollywood in the late 80s while also serving to endear them into the hearts and minds of those craving something more, something raw, something dangerous. I owned Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide when it was released in 1986, was the first person I knew (and probably in all of my childhood in semi-rural Central California) to own the original release of Appetite for Destruction (with the banned cover artwork by Robert Williams). I have seen them play live countless times, with bands such as Jetboy, TSOL, and Aerosmith. I have read (practically) every book – authorized and otherwise – and seen pretty much each and every interview given by all band members, both past and present.

It can safely be said that I am confident I know more about GN’R and am more familiar with their sound than perhaps anyone else I have ever met. And I do not regard that as an exaggeration.

The last “official” Guns release was "The Spaghetti Incident?", a fairly universally panned collection of punk covers which I personally enjoyed. And it was not long after that each and every original band member – with the exception of Axl – was either fired or left of their own accord, with Axl waging war to retain ownership of the band’s name. Outside of the singular contribution of a cover version of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” (for the soundtrack of the movie version of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire; longtime Guns member Duff McKagan has claimed that strife was so bad between band members at this time, one can actually hear the sound of the band breaking apart in this recording.....), nothing new was slated to come forth. Over the course of the past 15 years, Axl teased and toyed with a new version of the band – actually numerous new versions of the band with whole recording sessions being dumped and started over from scratch – promising a new album, tentatively titled Chinese Democracy. The glory that was Guns N’ Roses began it’s slow demise, the once powerful juggernaut of what had been fading into rock history as year after year passed with no new album on the horizon. As the joke went, many believed the world actually would see democracy in China before it saw Chinese Democracy….

Jump to 2008. 15 years after its last official album, Guns N’ Roses (such as it is with Axl as the only remaining original member) released Chinese Democracy. In what has become typical Axl eccentricity, on something of an odd release date of November 23^rd, a Sunday, and with Best Buy stores as the only retailer to carry it. The event itself is notable in rock history. But what of the songs themselves? Are they brilliant enough to give justification to a wait for fans that stretched out over almost two decades? Being 14 tracks deep, any review of this release is bound to be drawn out, if only to do it some semblance of justice. And I can only assume that if you have made it this far without your own personal ADD kicking in, that you will bear with me just a wee bit longer as I examine each song individually…..

Chinese Democracy kicks off with the title track, catching me off guard with a rather embarrassing guitar riff which reminds me of the opening of the theme to Beverly Hills 90210. But don’t let this put you off. Once we move beyond that intro, this song kicks into gear and never lets up. It is actually the perfect first track, catchy rhythms and powerful melodies. Prepared for the worst – and yet hoping for the best – this track allowed me to ease into a mindset that was wired to groove on some angry, driving Guns N’ Roses. My biggest complaint – which is pervasive throughout this album – is that Axl has taken far too much time and effort in layering the lead vocals and the background vocals (all seemingly laid down by himself) to the point that the lead vocal track actually gets washed out and lost here and there. Listening in my truck or through my headphones, this did not present as much of a problem as it did when pumping the CD through my home system.

There is something to be said for only minimal production value, Axl. Sometimes less really is more…..

The second track, “Shackler’s Revenge” (to be featured as a song or download on “Rock Band II”), was a shock to my system, and not in a good way. While this song is starting to grow on me, it has the least in relation to anything remotely Guns N’ Roses. A pumping electronic/industrial opening, crashing into grinding guitars, “Shackler’s Revenge” seems to be the darling of many other reviewers I have read on-line. Were these reviewers even alive when GN’R was at the height of their power? Again, it isn’t that “Shackler’s…” is a horrible offering; it just isn’t indicative of anything that could ever be an easily recognizable and respectable Guns song, not even coming close to such classics as “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Its So Easy”, or even “Mr. Brownstone”. This then brings us to “Better”, the second song of choice for most reviewers as a track to recommend for download to readers. And I actually have to admit, on this one, I agree; “Better” is a great example of Axl’s lyrical talent, although I could do with less electronica sparsed throughout (it just serves no purpose other than filler, Axl….). As much as it took me several listenings to grab onto its potential, I should note that my 13 year old daughter immediately clasped onto “Better” as one of her new favorite songs.

Not too bad so far, although I have to point out an obvious factor which is missing, one which is pervasive throughout. You see, the thing that made Guns N’ Roses so appealing in all their rough n’ tumble and decadent glory was the give-and-take that occurred between Slash and Axl. Axl’s lyrics can – for the most part – be described as actually quite flowing, well thought-out examples of his perspectives, his thoughts of the moment, his working through a plethora of issues in a fairly eloquent fashion. What Slash offered was a punk counterpoint to those lyrics, roughing them up and making them, well, much more real and providing a very distinctive guitar style to each song; to this day I think most people in their 30s or older would have very little difficulty picking out a GN’R song based solely on any given guitar riff. I know, I know…..I should not go into this expecting anything similar to the GNR of the past, right? But you cannot argue that my point is not valid; the two played off each other in such a jagged-edged fashion that made the band and the music what it was. Three songs into Chinese Democracy and I am almost overwhelmed with the production value and the drive to be “perfect”. Perfection in rock n' roll.....that is not always good thing.

"Street of Dreams” (performed live previously as “The Blues”) is FAR too reminiscent of another piano-driven Axl opus, “November Rain”. Acceptable and admirable on its own merits, but…..just off in the context of what has been presented so far. The drum and bass lines are respectable and decent and even the way the guitars soar and build is appealing. My own personal opinion, however, edges over to the thought process that if a song immediately reminds me of another song….cut the bastard. “If The World” is somewhat annoying in its jumpy beginning guitar opening spliced with, yes, more fucking electronica, before it finds itself in a funky little groove. Axl’s vocals growl nicely over this track, but I honestly feel there is just too much in the way of keyboards. At this point, I am almost getting angry with how much he has chosen to feature keyboards on this album. Don’t get me wrong; I am not such a metal head that I feel keyboards have no place ever in any song. But for a band such as GN’R, they were always used sparingly, opting to record their songs in such a way as to make them easier to reproduce live and not be dependent on an additional band member or equipment (of course, this philosophy got lost along the way when Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 were released and Axl exerted enough control and power to demand additions…..hence the downward spiral quickened its pace…..). Track 6, “There Was a Time”, starts out again frightening me with its production value and fucking keyboards/samples, but moves onward and upward toward redemption through the guitar lines and lyrics….

“And now you’re sleeping like an angel/Never mind who gave you head/If there’s somethin’ I can make of this/Or anything at all/It’d be the devil hates a loser/And you thought you had it all”

And it is at this point in the album where we really begin to see where Axl is heading with each following song: Near operatic building, layering upon layering of vocals and instruments, a veritable “wall of sound” applied to each song, hoping to lead the listener down the road to realization of Axl’s talent, what a great song writer and producer he is (or has become). I say that with only a smidgen of contempt and sarcasm in my voice as one really cannot argue his general talent. But come on…..

Let’s see if I can wrap a few tracks up here quickly: “Catcher in the Rye” was fairly forgettable and I could have well done without it on this album. It isn’t that it sucked completely…..it just wasn’t Guns N’ Roses. “Scraped” presents perhaps the most annoying fucking opening of any song I have ever heard and the song itself is probably one of the finest examples of “album filler” I have ever encountered. You can do better, Axl. “Riad N’ the Bedouins” again annoys me with the goddamn keyboards and shit thrown in to make it seem so much more epic than it really is and in the end…..I just don’t get this song. I will admit that I may need to give it a few more chances to impress me, but at this writing it has thus far failed to do so. “Sorry” was equally annoying in that it is such an obvious song, lashing out at, well, anyone and everyone who has ever disagreed with Axl or spoken out against him. And in the end, just not very well presented, at least not in my opinion.

“I.R.S” presents me with some hope, building upon itself with some very expert guitars and angry lyrics. This song, more than any other thus far presented, provides a glimpse back to classic Guns N’ Roses, being something which could have very well been written around the time of Use Your Illusion, 1 & 2.

That brings us to “Madagascar”, one of several pieces heard live in various incarnations as well as having been leaked on-line (along with “I.R.S”, “Shackler’s Revenge”, and a couple of others over the past number of years). Jesus Fucking Christ. Can anyone explain this fucking song to me? “Over produced” does not even begin to describe it. I can only assume – based on the lyrics – that it refers to several different things but mainly Axl’s frustrations with the world as a whole in addition to that which surrounds him personally. But the keyboards, the samples (throwing in snippets of Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as a sound byte from Cool Hand Luke – which it should be noted for all other reviewers who let it slip has already been used previously in another grand GN’R supposed societal commentary, “Civil War”). “Madagascar” then drops us into “This I Love”, a powerful ballad which once again proves Axl’s overall songwriting talent. The final track, “Prostitute”, is not really necessary, but I guess it was felt to be appropriate as something of a message to former band mates and naysayers alike, closing out the album with something of a defiant stance, not really promising anything further, but not really ruling it out either. That said, I think I need to pull back my “not really necessary” comment in including this song on the album; it is absolutely necessary and so very indicative of Axl and his particular psychology (or at least that which he chooses to present to us), proving to be perhaps the most blatant “fuck you” despite its seeming innocuousness.

On the whole Chinese Democracy is actually a very good rock album. The songs are generally well constructed, some harkening back to that classic style of rock songs of the past, others presenting an attempt to be something more contemporary. Its weaknesses lay in its overproduction, in its conflict with itself in presenting changing genres and styles here and there (no doubt an attempt on a per song basis to not sound too “dated” in relation to other pieces), and Axl’s desire to present almost every song as some sort of main piece, an opus unto each themselves. The songs – taken individually – are all actually good songs, some bordering on being great. But this is not Guns N’ Roses. Axl, or W. Axl Rose, or The W. Axl Rose Project…..perhaps. But not Guns N’ Roses. Yes, I am a purist but one has only to listen to what has come before and what has come now to realize that GN’R is truly dead. As a solo artist, Axl is very talented. I would encourage everyone to pick this album up, for curiosity’s sake if for no other reason and I would give it perhaps six out of ten stars. I may be setting the stage for some arguments here with my position, but I stand by it. Guns N’ Roses is dead. Long Live Guns N’ Roses…..

Check out Guns N' Roses on-line at www.gunsnroses.com

Listen to the full Chinese Democracy album on Guns N' Roses official MySpace page at www.myspace.com/gunsnroses