"Better" - "Download Now" review (RS)

[EstrangedReality]

Russian Roulette, you can't even hear some of Buckethead's soloing on the new "Better" leak because they've cranked the other channel with the synth and computer sound effects. The synth and effects were always there. It's just they cranked the left channel (if you crank the original leak loud enough with headphones, you can hear all the crap in the background but you can still clearly hear Bucket playing). I personally think it was some sort of fan remaster. By cranking the left channel, they screwed with some great parts of the song and made it sound a lot worse than before. The original leak was ballsier.

Exactly, this is the only thing I took notice of when I listened to it. The left channel's volume just got boosted way up so you can hear those synth effects at the beginning whereas they were harder to hear in the old leak. I think note for note everything is identical in both leaks and anyone could have taken the original leak and cranked up the volume in the left channel to come up with this new one.

That's what I initially thought, but someone put the file through some kind of analyzer and determined that the actual quality of the recording is higher than the original leak, and it is impossible to expand whatever was expanded. This guy was a pro sound editor and said that something of this quality (the new leak) came straight from a DAT tape or something like that... I thought it was a fan-made remix, too, but apparently it's impossible for that to be true.

[tHeElEcTrIcSiNtAr]

Russian Roulette, you can't even hear some of Buckethead's soloing on the new "Better" leak because they've cranked the other channel with the synth and computer sound effects. The synth and effects were always there. It's just they cranked the left channel (if you crank the original leak loud enough with headphones, you can hear all the crap in the background but you can still clearly hear Bucket playing). I personally think it was some sort of fan remaster. By cranking the left channel, they screwed with some great parts of the song and made it sound a lot worse than before. The original leak was ballsier.

Exactly, this is the only thing I took notice of when I listened to it. The left channel's volume just got boosted way up so you can hear those synth effects at the beginning whereas they were harder to hear in the old leak. I think note for note everything is identical in both leaks and anyone could have taken the original leak and cranked up the volume in the left channel to come up with this new one.

Nope, the lyrics are different in the 2nd chorus in the new one. Axl has more harmonies in the na na na part. No fan remixing can do that. It's real. Both BBF and Dizzy also confirmed.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

No matter what they do not everyone's going to be pleased.  Take "The Blues" as a perfect example.  While people still argue over which is better the 2000-2001 version or the 2002 version because they have different tempos I've yet to hear anyone say the 2006 version was better than the 2002 version.  And yet the 2006 version is much more minimalist with fewer digital effects and fewer layers of sounds.  You have a lot of people complaining about how they don't want the album to be over produced and yet in the case of that song 99.9% of the people who've heard both versions prefer the more heavily produced one

There is no happy medium.  There's always going to be a faction that is going to complain about something.  If the album's "overproduced" there's a group out there that will say Axl is obsessive and over-indulgent.  If the album isn't heavily produced another faction will say "why did it take 10 years and $13 million to make this?"  Since it's obvious Axl has the final say in this, he should just consult with the band, make sure they're happy with the results and put the album out

[Meanmachine22]

The ice gets thinner for GNR i assume..
If they don't hurry up to release the album in the really near future the momentum might die for good 

Since the recording process is finally done it hopefully does not take 6 months (or more) of mixing and mastering......


ah on topic: the old beeter was eehmm  better 

[W. Adam S]

Its defo real, I think its even better than the first one. 

[whiny]

You people are fucking deaf. Maybe you need some ear training. Everything that is in the latest leak of Better is in the other version. Go and listen to the instrumental, you can hear it better there. The quality is just shit. With the newest one, the quality is good so hear everything like you should. The only differences between this one and the one from '06 are Axl's harmonies and his voice is louder in the mix, Robin's solo is louder in the mix, and Bucket's parts are indeed turned down a little too low. Everything else is the same, but now that he have a better quality version, you can actually hear Dizzy and Chris' parts.

See, this is why leaks arent good. People expect something to be a certain way just because a shitty quality version of a song portray's the mix a certain way. Maybe you shouldnt listen to the leaks if you cant understand that they are demos and they are shitty quality and dont accurately show how the finished song might sound.

P.S - The song hasnt lost any of its ballsiness. I dont know how you cant hear the guitars. They are still the loudest thing, bar Axl's voice. It's still heavy, catchy, crunchy, and in your face. The song was made to blast.

don't you think that some drum-fills are different; or is this also because of the loudness? i'm not sure. by the way: the rs critique is something that speaks to my heart and soul; but again: dizzy and ron said that this is not the final mix... so trust in andy wallace.

[Ganja4Life]

No matter what they do not everyone's going to be pleased.? Take "The Blues" as a perfect example.? While people still argue over which is better the 2000-2001 version or the 2002 version because they have different tempos I've yet to hear anyone say the 2006 version was better than the 2002 version.? And yet the 2006 version is much more minimalist with fewer digital effects and fewer layers of sounds.? You have a lot of people complaining about how they don't want the album to be over produced and yet in the case of that song 99.9% of the people who've heard both versions prefer the more heavily produced one

There is no happy medium.? There's always going to be a faction that is going to complain about something.? If the album's "overproduced" there's a group out there that will say Axl is obsessive and over-indulgent.? If the album isn't heavily produced another faction will say "why did it take 10 years and $13 million to make this?"? Since it's obvious Axl has the final say in this, he should just consult with the band, make sure they're happy with the results and put the album out

 I prefer the '06 version dont get me wrong though..the older versions kicked ass too
I'm with everyone that's saying just wait till the album comes out to judge it..it obviously isn't the finished version..so whats the big deal?

[redx]

is it ok now to discuss leaked songs like Better, as I don't want a -karma.

The 2006 leak of Better was the best leak so far.
The 2007 leak of Better was a joke, and I didn't take it seriously.

[HoldenCaulfield]

I feel pretty much like this guy. While there's not that huge of a difference in the versions, the first one was a much better, much more raw rock song. Some songs work being drowned in synths. 'Chinese Democracy' works with the new synth intro and then all the subsequent synths during the song (lotsa Chinese-sounding things there in the back). Some songs beg to be a "guitar song" and 'Better' does that  The into, for example, doesn't sound quite as powerful when those strings are amped up to 11. With the new version, I litterally have to try to listen for Robin's guitar in the intro, it's too buried in the strings. It's still a fantastic song, but less is more in this case...

[bringbackadler]

I definitely hope the final studio cut has even more synth !!

The more synth the "better".......   




*bba*

[RitzWalker8]

I don't care about the synth (nore/less).  His voice and the lyrics of the song to me are bread and butter of the song.

[tHeElEcTrIcSiNtAr]

You people are fucking deaf. Maybe you need some ear training. Everything that is in the latest leak of Better is in the other version. Go and listen to the instrumental, you can hear it better there. The quality is just shit. With the newest one, the quality is good so hear everything like you should. The only differences between this one and the one from '06 are Axl's harmonies and his voice is louder in the mix, Robin's solo is louder in the mix, and Bucket's parts are indeed turned down a little too low. Everything else is the same, but now that he have a better quality version, you can actually hear Dizzy and Chris' parts.

See, this is why leaks arent good. People expect something to be a certain way just because a shitty quality version of a song portray's the mix a certain way. Maybe you shouldnt listen to the leaks if you cant understand that they are demos and they are shitty quality and dont accurately show how the finished song might sound.

P.S - The song hasnt lost any of its ballsiness. I dont know how you cant hear the guitars. They are still the loudest thing, bar Axl's voice. It's still heavy, catchy, crunchy, and in your face. The song was made to blast.

don't you think that some drum-fills are different; or is this also because of the loudness? i'm not sure. by the way: the rs critique is something that speaks to my heart and soul; but again: dizzy and ron said that this is not the final mix... so trust in andy wallace.

Yeah, I think the drums are a little different too.. I missed that one, thanks.

[redx]

You people are fucking deaf. Maybe you need some ear training. Everything that is in the latest leak of Better is in the other version. Go and listen to the instrumental, you can hear it better there. The quality is just shit. With the newest one, the quality is good so hear everything like you should. The only differences between this one and the one from '06 are Axl's harmonies and his voice is louder in the mix, Robin's solo is louder in the mix, and Bucket's parts are indeed turned down a little too low. Everything else is the same, but now that he have a better quality version, you can actually hear Dizzy and Chris' parts.

See, this is why leaks arent good. People expect something to be a certain way just because a shitty quality version of a song portray's the mix a certain way. Maybe you shouldnt listen to the leaks if you cant understand that they are demos and they are shitty quality and dont accurately show how the finished song might sound.

P.S - The song hasnt lost any of its ballsiness. I dont know how you cant hear the guitars. They are still the loudest thing, bar Axl's voice. It's still heavy, catchy, crunchy, and in your face. The song was made to blast.

don't you think that some drum-fills are different; or is this also because of the loudness? i'm not sure. by the way: the rs critique is something that speaks to my heart and soul; but again: dizzy and ron said that this is not the final mix... so trust in andy wallace.

Yeah, I think the drums are a little different too.. I missed that one, thanks.

The bit I really fucking hate, and the bit that makes me think the 2007 leak is fake, is the part featuring the wooden sounding glockenspiel, that sounds like bubbles rising. It sounds like it has been added over the top (of the good 2006 leak) to drown out the original sound 

Wooden glockenspiel. Not metal 

Not the kind of instrulment you'd expect to be played as part of the most dangerous band in the world.
I think the 2007 Gn'R line up may have dropped the most dangerous band in the world banner.

[/size][/b]


/Axl should play glockenspiel during live gigs 

[John Galt]

I like it, end of.. ?The trouble is because some fans have had so little to chew over the last 14 years everything gets over analysed to death.

Agree with RS sentiment though, "Lets just get the Motherf****r out there man!

[Jackamo!]

The 2nd one is all synth'd out- it's brilliant.

[MotherGooseLuvR]

Hey Mulletheads -- the 80's ended a LOOOOOONG time ago.? If Axl just wanted Better (and all of CD) to be a basic guitar rock album, he wouldn't have needed Pitman in the first place.

Pitman = the future

The new leak reflects that.  Accept it, or just go listen to Dokken for the thousandth time.

[WARose]

where do you hear a glockenspiel in better???

[Jackamo!]

Synth haters live in the 80's, this isn't AFD- this is Chinese Democracy.

[redx]

where do you hear a glockenspiel in better???

To anwser that i'd have to go and listent to the track. There's a moment during the song when there's no singing, and only a climbing (glockenspiel) sound (which is more apparent on the 2007 leak) , followed by a guitar, followed by singing. It's about half way through the track and only happens once. During the live performance, Axl does what appears to be a small robot impression (maybe buckethead inspired).

-

at 3.14 (original 2006 leak) the bubble climb plays.
I couldn't tell you the exact time during 2007 leak, as I erased it. It's on the 2007 leak that the sound sounds more glockenspiel (and out of place).

[Voodoochild]

I think this sound is just from the synths.

And please, stop with this annoying shit with Pitman and synths. It's just a demo, not the final version. Of course the final mix will have more guitars than this demo - they don't have 3 guitar players for nothing - and we'll still be able to notice the synths and keyboards.