Chinese Democracy a "toe-tapper". Early Guns N' Roses guitarist Tracii Guns said he thought it was "over-indulgent, sterile and not that exciting". "Chinese Democracy"'s protracted recording process attracted extensive media coverage. According to "Spin", a cottage industry grew around covering its development; "the only way the record could have lived up to its legend would have been to never come out at all". Five years after its release, "Grantland" journalist Steven Hyden wrote: "For years, it was widely assumed "Chinese Democracy" would never come out; in retrospect, the delay is all anybody cares about ... As music, "Chinese Democracy" is merely the
The Flowers (Chinese band) in China for awards in categories such as Best Arrangement, Best Lyrics, Best Composer and Best Rock 'n' Roll Band. The nominations were later canceled by the board of judges when plagiarism accusations involving the band came to light. "Hua Tian Xi Shi", the Flowers' fifth album, was released in September 2006. The Flowers would soon release their sixth studio album, "Hua Ling Sheng Hui", or "Flower Age Pageant" in September 2007. The songs were very much different from the band's previous efforts as the group had gone deeper into their Chinese roots incorporating elements of upbeat music, ballads and