Guns N’ Roses To Release Album That’s Been Delayed Fourteen Years?

You’ve got to admit that 14 years is a long time to work on an album. But where this particular story is concerned, perhaps there is a political element that has been holding its release back.

Guns N’ Roses album is entitled Chinese Democracy, which surely seems to leave the impression that the album’s content may have some elements of activism mixed with the music. I’m sure that I’d be hard pressed to find an American citizen who does not think democracy in The People’s Republic of China is not a good idea, but I suppose that some pressure from people in high places could be the reason behind the long delay in this case. After all, we sure do a lot of business with China these days. Just check out the shelves at your local retailer.

News of a possible impending release of Chinese Democracy certainly comes at an opportune time with the Summer Olympic Games in full swing in Beijing. What better time to make a political statement regarding a push for democracy in the world’s largest and most powerful remaining Communist country?

Talks are reportedly underway that may bring Chinese Democracy out of the shadows and onto store shelves through one of those exclusive deals that seem to be getting so popular these days. Wal-Mart and Best Buy are mentioned as possible partners in this release, but sources say that there is also the possibility of a deal with a record company as well.

Tracks from the album have already been leaked on the internet, so there are probably more than a few fans that have heard the entire album by now.

I don’t know how many metal fans there are in China, but I suspect they’ll be hard pressed to get their hands on this particular album when it is released. The government will no doubt classify it as "dangerous" and say that it interferes with China’s internal affairs, just like they say about everything else that has to do with giving human beings rights that they should be granted from the beginning.

There are always ways to get around the barriers erected by dictatorial regimes, so assuming that there are metal fans in China, I suspect a few of them will find a way to land a copy of Chinese Democracy in one form or another. Who knows? Maybe it might even help fuel the desire for more freedom that we all know exists in the hearts and minds of a whole lot of people living in that country.