Steven Adler and Izzy Stradlin Weigh in on "Chinese Democracy"

The release of Guns N' Roses long-awaited <Chinese Democracy is less than a week away, so it's no surprise that a couple of former Gunners are weighing in on Axl Rose's big moment. Former Guns drummer and current Celebrity Rehab star Steven Adler wants to get in on the act. "When he gets sober they'll accept him into the band and then they'll do a comeback album and a world tour, that's the dream of Steven Adler," said Barry Gerald Sands, Adler's lawyer. On Friday, Adler pleaded no contest to heroin possession and is hoping to be sent to rehab (again) rather than jail. He has another hearing on December 12.

In other news, founding Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin let the world know what he thinks of Chinese Democracy. Stradlin said in an interview that though he hasn't heard all of Axl's new record, he likes what he hears. Stradlin added that the rest of the former Gunners all stay pretty close, as he regularly collaborates with former bassist Duff McKagan and had recently planned to do a show with Slash. Of course, both Adler and Stradlin left Guns N' Roses under acrimonious circumstances.

Related Stories:
• Album Review: Guns N' Roses, Chinese Democracy
• Former Guns N' Roses Drummer Steven Adler Arrested on Drug Charges
• Three Ex-Members of Guns N' Roses Reunite For Show in Hollywood

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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