The Chinese Democracy Years – 2008: The Homestretch

The rumours and reports kept rolling in, and the leaks kept on coming. On June 18, a website called Antiquiet ran a story under the headline ‘We’ve Got Chinese Democracy And It’s Worth The Wait’. The site offered nine illegal leaks of tracks from the album. The man behind the leaks Kevin “Skwerl” Cogill was later arrested. The leaks contained three unheard songs: If The World, Rhiad N’ The Bedouins and a track known only as Song #2 (later revealed to be the album’s closer, Prostitute).  If The World was the biggest surprise, a funky, modern R’n’B tune with flamenco guitars, strings and the swagger of a James Bond theme.

Meanwhile Axl’s new manager – heavyweight Irving Azoff (who also handles The Eagles and Velvet Revolver) – seemed to be succeeding where others had failed. Rumours of an exclusive deal with Best Buy in the US were rife –and ultimately substantitated. Finally, the album was here. A 14-track album that had taken 14 years to make.

In London for the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour (where he presented Ozzy Osbourne his Living Legend Award and picked up the Marshall ‘11’ Award for services to guitar playing), Slash was reluctant to be drawn on how it felt to see the name Guns N’Roses on magazine covers and hear the band on the radio. “It’s all good,” he told us. “I have nothing to say about it,” he said.

A few days later, on the phone from LA, however, he said he had heard the leaked tracks, but not the full album, and, “One thing I will say is that it’s one of those things where you hear his voice – especially on record after not hearing it for a while – and he is one of the all-time great rock vocalists, I gotta give him that. I hope it does well.”