The leaks (Why now? Who leaked them? Are they on CD? Comparisons to old demos)

[EFISH]

Managment have told us that Better, IRS, TWAT, and Catcher are all studio demo's.

Do you guys think that the final cuts of these songs, which are almost deffinetly done already... are going to be much different than these demo's??

I cant see too much alterting being done, besides from Catcher--which incidently leaked from a different source than the other three


what do you guys think?

[sic.]

At this point, it's more like comparing the demos to the live versions.

TWAT has atleast a new intro, kinda cool. Yet I missed Axl's I would do anything for you -wail in the Hammersmith boot, hopefully it'll be in the studio version.
The live Better sounds great during the 'Now I know you better' parts, really groovy.
IRS has been wholly improved with more guitar, starts out faster.

So there be differences. Also, there's no telling how old the demos are; they could also be scrapped mixes.

[elevendayempire]

They've grafted Robin's "main" solo from IRS '99 (the one that was replaced by Bucket's shred solo) into the song after one of the choruses.

SG

[Dr_Sweden]

if you listen to catcher ..... they not remastered ... but you don't put an orchestra and let brian may play on it ...if it i a demo .....so .... i think its real version but with a clenar sound when (if) they a released ...... i dont think axl like people when they say it is a demo and not the finishead prodect ... ... and i wonder one more think .. who had said that they are demos? ... sorce please....

[EFISH]

axl said it, merck said it..

all wehn they leaked..

apparently management was upset because they were studio demo's and that its not what they wanted to public to hear..

thats what merck said, take his word for it or not. 

[Wando]

if you listen to catcher ..... they not remastered ... but you don't put an orchestra and let brian may play on it ...if it i a demo .....so .... i think its real version but with a clenar sound when (if) they a released ...... i dont think axl like people when they say it is a demo and not the finishead prodect ... ... and i wonder one more think .. who had said that they are demos? ... sorce please....

Merck.

"My anger around the recent leaks has more to do with people
hearing something that is not finished and therefore does not represent what the
artist intended the audience to hear."

[Dr_Sweden]

can someone give a link to where the manegentmen says its demos
 .. and when axl say so?

[sic.]

if you listen to catcher ..... they not remastered ... but you don't put an orchestra and let brian may play on it ...if it i a demo .....so .... i think its real version but with a clenar sound when (if) they a released ...... i dont think axl like people when they say it is a demo and not the finishead prodect ... ... and i wonder one more think .. who had said that they are demos? ... sorce please....

Demo = Unfinished song. Regardless if Brian May plays guitar and the Red Army choir do the backing vocals, it could still be a demo. They could still tinker with the mix and record/discard parts.

[Origen]

Managment have told us that Better, IRS, TWAT, and Catcher are all studio demo's.

Do you guys think that the final cuts of these songs, which are almost deffinetly done already... are going to be much different than these demo's??

I cant see too much alterting being done, besides from Catcher--which incidently leaked from a different source than the other three


what do you guys think?

Well since they are DEMOS yes the final/released versions will sound different. All instruments will be clearly, there will probably be alot more orchestra on alot of the songs, there will actually be a real drummer on the songs and not just a drum machine and so on . . . . .

[BurningHills]

I really think "Catcher" is a nearly finished mix from an analog source. (i.e. it just hasn't been mastered.) And that it could be the most "finished" of all of the leaks.

My reasons:

1) Backing vocals - IRS has none, Better has very little, and TWAT does. Usually backing vocals are one of the last things added to a mix.

2) Layering - There's all kinds of vocal and musicial layering going on in that song - something that the other demos don't really have much of. Not saying there's none, but there's not much.

3) Fade-out - It ends in a fade out, the others end like most demos do - abruptly. "Catcher" has such a gradual fade-out, that it sounds ready for an album.

"Catcher" could be from the scrapped/finished 1998-1999 version of the album for all we know, and someone has a pre-master copy of it.

[cybercurves]

Wait until the CD comes out, then you can compare to your hearts content!!

[badintentions]

Yes, I would guess that Catcher in the Rye is a pre-mastered version of the song intended to be on the album that was to be released in '99-'00. That along with the recent leaks of IRS and TWAT from that same era are the only songs we have in any sort of finalized form. It seems like all that was left was mastering. All 3 are cool. I wish they would have released the album back then and we had an album with 'Better' etc to look forward to this year. I also really hope that that whole thing from '99 leaks. That stuff could prove to be more interesting that the final album that may or may not get released this year.

[Voodoochild]

The live IRS sounds a lot like a mix between the both versions we have. It doesn't have the drum machine in the slow parts, it has Robin's solo and guitar riff at the ending (I only could listen to that on Novarock boot), just like the '99 version. But it has Bucket/Ron fast solo, like the newer one.

3) Fade-out - It ends in a fade out, the others end like most demos do - abruptly. "Catcher" has such a gradual fade-out, that it sounds ready for an album.

The fade-out is not right, it's too fast for a professional work.

[-Jack-]

Im sorry guys, but who the hell would know?

At this point all your doing is speculating.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Your mom told 'em.


The fade-out is not complete in Catcher.  There could be more, I mean, the tape is cut off... Catcher is layered, you can tell.  It just needs mastering....that demo seems like a work in progress at the time.

[artfromtex]

Yes, I would guess that Catcher in the Rye is a pre-mastered version of the song intended to be on the album that was to be released in '99-'00. That along with the recent leaks of IRS and TWAT from that same era are the only songs we have in any sort of finalized form. It seems like all that was left was mastering. All 3 are cool. I wish they would have released the album back then and we had an album with 'Better' etc to look forward to this year. I also really hope that that whole thing from '99 leaks. That stuff could prove to be more interesting that the final album that may or may not get released this year.

during the Eddie Trunk interview, they were talking about CITR and Brian May being on it. he said he didn't know if Brian May's part will be on the finished verison and then stated that it was a demo. also, i think the leaker did that fade-out, because it's not a clean fade. at the very end you hear a lead vocal ad-lib cut off in midstream. listen real close to the cut at the end. definately not a pro job, even for a demo.

[GNR estranged]

judging from the way they play live i think irs and there was a time will be different. obviously if they are all demos they will be a little different when the album is actually released. i cant wait to hear studio versions of madagascar, the blues, and chinese democracy. even thos songs have changed since the 2002 tour

[jimmythegent]

of all the leaks, Better sounds the most complete

I do wonder how different the album version will be of that song as its worlds apart from the other demos which are fairly rough - so much so infact, that I wondered at the time if we had a leak of the first single

the mastering and overall sheen will of course be noticable, other than that, perhaps more live sounding drums and more synth/orchestration

[PJ]

The live IRS sounds a lot like a mix between the both versions we have. It doesn't have the drum machine in the slow parts, it has Robin's solo and guitar riff at the ending (I only could listen to that on Novarock boot), just like the '99 version. But it has Bucket/Ron fast solo, like the newer one.

yep also the live version has something that the 99 version has but the other version hasnt
an organ/synth riff by dizzy
you can hear it live and in the 99 version but not in the first version 

[themovieaddict.com]

I really think "Catcher" is a nearly finished mix from an analog source. (i.e. it just hasn't been mastered.) And that it could be the most "finished" of all of the leaks.

My reasons:

1) Backing vocals - IRS has none, Better has very little, and TWAT does. Usually backing vocals are one of the last things added to a mix.

2) Layering - There's all kinds of vocal and musicial layering going on in that song - something that the other demos don't really have much of. Not saying there's none, but there's not much.

3) Fade-out - It ends in a fade out, the others end like most demos do - abruptly. "Catcher" has such a gradual fade-out, that it sounds ready for an album.

"Catcher" could be from the scrapped/finished 1998-1999 version of the album for all we know, and someone has a pre-master copy of it.

I think Catcher sounds the least polished of them all, although it may have something to do with the poor quality of the recording that we have. IRS sounds almost complete, Better is probably a raw version (I get the feeling we'll have more guitar work added before the solo with that weird techno-spiral noise midway through), etc.