The Breakdown: James Hetfield - Yeah Yeah, Chinese Democracy, I Know

Want to hear Chinese Democracy for yourself? Well, after fifteen years, one can finally, truthfully, write these words: Now you can. The album commenced streaming on the official Guns N Roses MySpace at midnight Eastern last night. How is it? It's actually... not bad. There are layers and layers of sounds; myriad guitars, riff walls, drum loops, vocal backgrounds... it's easy to see why it took so long to sort out. And given that Axl is a perfectionist who knew each note would be closely examined, well... the years just kept adding up.

So here we are, mere hours before The Big Day, a day that many thought would never come. (And truthfully, a day that many stopped caring about.) The music is online, ready to be listened to. Best Buy is surely getting all of their Chinese Democracy posters, staff pins/flair, and other promo items ready like the little blue-clad GNR fans they are/must be. Exciting, right? Everyone's stoked to hear it, yes?

Not everyone. Not James Hetfield, therapy-laden curmudgeonly leader of Metallica. A seemingly innocent interview he recently did with the Houston Chronicle has become plastered all over the internet due to a few remarks concerning one Axl Rose. Most of the interview is normal: How is touring, what's working with Rick Rubin like, blah blah blah. But then, at the end, things get interesting:


Q: You guys have an uneasy history with Guns n’ Roses. Have you heard Axl Rose’s new record? Do you even care?

A: I’ll certainly listen to it. But I haven’t lost sleep waiting for it. I thought we took a long time to make an album. But you know he’s late for everything so it makes total sense. We saw him play at a festival in Germany two years ago. He’s a good frontman. He’s eccentric, but all artists are. If they don’t show that they’re quirky, they’re lying to you. They’re either pretending they’re not or they’re pretending they’re an artist.


Ooh! Someone's a little upset. Let's break this down shall we?


I'll certainly listen to it.

Of course, he'll listen to it, it's the competition - he has to. But the word 'certainly' is vital here. It implies that he has thought about whether or not he will listen to it. It also communicates an exasperation with Axl, and the hype surrounding this album.


But I haven’t lost sleep waiting for it.

Here, Hetfield completes the thought started in his first sentence, but, crucially, he attempts to strike an almost disinterested tone. As if he didn't care about how the album will be received, or how it will sell. Which is bulllshit - of course he cares. He cares. A LOT.


I thought we took a long time to make an album. But you know he’s late for everything so it makes total sense.

A time-tested tactic debaters will often employ is to casually reveal a personal shortcoming in order to, via juxtaposition and comparison of degrees, negatively paint a rival. The rival in this case being GNFNR.


We saw him play at a festival in Germany two years ago.

Of course, he needed to back up his observation/accusation with some personal experience. Hence, this implication that at said German festival, Axl was late.


He’s a good frontman.

A brief attempt to neutralize his earlier attack.


He’s eccentric, but all artists are. If they don’t show that they’re quirky, they’re lying to you. They’re either pretending they’re not or they’re pretending they’re an artist.

Hetfield closes by expanding his take on Axl to include a more macro analysis of the artistic personality as a whole. He seems to be positing, in a somewhat confusing manner, that artists are eccentric, and that performers who pretend to be eccentric, but are not, are not artists. But does eccentric essence matter if the audience is unsure, and more importantly, doesn't care, if an artist is actually quirky or not?

Perhaps only Hetfield's shrink knows.