Longtime Guns N' Roses Member Defends 'Chinese Democracy' to 'Those Who Don't Understand It'

Longtime Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed recently defended Chinese Democracy to "those who don't understand it."

Guns released Chinese Democracy in 2008, over a decade after core members Slash and Duff McKagan left the band. Reed joined the group in 1990 and is the longest-standing member aside from Axl Rose.

The band cycled through countless other musicians from the late '90s through the record's release, including Josh Freese, Buckethead, drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, Robin Finck, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and others. Thus, a portion of the band's longtime fanbase don't consider Chinese Democracy a true Guns N' Roses release since Rose was the only original member on it.

The songs on it are also sonically quite different from the band's '80s and '90s material, so it's been widely criticized for a long time. But Reed offered a suggestion to those who aren't fans of it during a recent appearance on Dean Delray's Let There Be Talk podcast.

"To be a part of that was fantastic. I love Chinese Democracy, I'm proud that I was part of it. And for those who don't quite understand it, you know what? You should probably listen to it a couple more times because you'll probably start to get it when you do," the rocker said.

"There's a lot of information in that record. You can't hear it all in one sitting, it's impossible. The human brain can't comprehend it. But when you do, you start to appreciate it. And most of, if not all of my musician friends love it. They think it's an amazing record."

As proud as Reed is of Chinese Democracy, he recalled the recording process having some grueling work hours. According to the rocker, they were often in the studio overnight, so it was comparable to having a 9-5 but during the night. It was apparently for a good reason, though.

"There was some time off but I do remember going in five, six days a week," the keyboardist said. "My kids were little then. They were growing up, so we would work at night so I would be able to do things and be around for stuff. I didn't get a lot of sleep though."

Check out the full interview below.

Dizzy Reed Defends Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' to 'Those Who Don't Understand It'

Ever since Slash and McKagan rejoined GN'R in 2016, plenty of Chinese Democracy tracks have still made the set. The title track and "Better" are usually staples in their show, but they've also played "There Was a Time," "Madagascar," "This I Love" and more.

Additionally, the six tracks they've released since the reunion — "Absurd," "Hard Skool," "Perhaps," "The General," "Nothin'" and "Atlas — are all reworked outtakes from that era. So Chinese Democracy has a bigger part in the band's current era than some may think.

Guns has gone through countless lineup changes over the last few decades. See every musician who's been counted as an official member at one point below.