Saved by a Guitar Trinity

It finally happened - Axl Rose has ended the 'exile' of the vehicle he calls Guns N' Roses and released 'Chinese Democracy' after 17 long years - with a few starts and stops in between.

The 'masterpiece' we've been waiting for since 'Use Your Illusion I & II' has, on first listen, turned out to be hugely disappointing - it is saved only from drowning in its drollness by a triumvirate of guitarists who filled in Slash's/Izzy's shoes on this outing: Buckethead, Ron Thal and Robin Finck. 

Powered by tasteful and powerful guitar runs, it's their imagination that rescues the album from sinking under its self-important musical direction and composition. The interplay among all three - each taking stabs at intros, outros and everything else in-between, holds up the songs which otherwise meander into self-indulgence, courtesy of Mr. Rose. The world has moved on, but it's seems to be stuck in the late 80s/early 90s for him.

I'll give this disc a few more spins to confirm my initial assessment, but for now, I'd say - thank goodness for the Guitar Trinity.

What does it takes ...

to get me started up in the mornings? I find at least 2 cups of coffee are the minimum - and that's in the same hour. I wonder if it's just age, or something else?

Anyway, I've got to get cracking on my half-marathon training - it's only 2 weeks away (gulp!).

On the music front, it's been a case of getting a gig at the outdoor theatre, but a revolving cast of female singers. I hope the latest one will stick around until the gig, or else I'd really be pissed. Her voice's not too bad, but she's into the indie folk stuff, so might have to see how we can kick it up a notch, or two.

Hopefully I'll now have more time to practise my guitar :-)

Is it really over?

Took my last paper on Friday Nov 21. Not sure if I made it - I'm hopeless at open book exams. Maybe I should state I'm hopeless at exams generally. But anyway, it's over (for now) and I won't worry about until they send us the results.

Maybe doing this stuff isn't as fun as I thought, but I guess it made me some new friends, made me realise how different a local education was to a foreign one, and made me appreciate my family for putting up with my twice-a-week absences over the last 2.5 years.

Well, looking ahead, I'm half-tempted to gun for a Philo doctorate program, or something with macro Econs, but guess that'll have to wait - I've more fun things to do with my time than chase after another piece of paper (and for no good reason).

Stay tuned.