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

[EstrangedReality]

People seem to get aggitated around here anytime someone has brought up the concept of the album being overproduced, this commentary seems to validate that concern. I am just hoping someone from the GNR camp saw this blurb and decided to get the final version of this and other songs closer to the original leaked sound than that of the latest leak.

I suspect this version of Better was leaked to get some feedback on how people felt about the production value before final mixing commences, and lets hope they see that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

New GN'R started off with a revolutionary sound. Did 2002 suck? Yes. Axl sucked. The image sucked. The music didn't. Compare The Blues then to The Blues now. Notice a difference? Yeah, The Blues is severely lacking in originality and energy nowadays. It sounds like an average ballad. In 2002 it was extraordinarily beautiful.

If Axl reverts now to the old GN'R then what has this all been for? NOTHING!

Overproduced? OF COURSE IT IS! It's Chinese fucking Democracy! $15 million! It sure as hell better be over-produced or I'm gonna wonder where all that money went that could have fed starving children.

You'll think I'm being sarcastic. I'm not. I think all the excess improves these songs. It adds something special. It's not excess just for the sake of excess. Those synths in Madagascar and those crazy ass synth loops on the outro of The blues at Tampa '02 and Buckethead's awesome scaling outro for the song kicked major cabooty. 2002 GN'R had a special quality that is lacking now, and it's BACK in the new "Better' leak. Chris Pitman's synth coupled with those bluesy Finck vibes and Buckethead harmony? BLISS!

I like Ron as a person - he's nice - but I think he's more of a straightforward virtuoso than Buckethead, and I think BH's sound added a lot to GN'R in 2002 as well.

That's just my two cents. I want a big, fat, bloated Chinese Democracy with a crisp, revolutionary sound of super funky techno beats, Robin Finck guitar soloing and Buckethead layering. I want something fresh and exciting - like the material we heard in 2002 - rather than some guy in a leather jacket trying to relive his glory days in the '80s.

That's one aspect of '02 Axl I prefer - that "I don't give a shit" attitude. He approached his image, the new band and their music with a certain recklessness in 2002 that backfired when the image failed to make an impact. But the music was amazing, and it isn't so much now.

I like the new Better leak a LOT more than the original. 

I'm GLAD this may be a more finished version of the song, because it seems to imply that Axl is bringing back that '02 sound into the mix - I was worried that he was re-recording everything with BBF + Frank and getting rid of all the '02 work... and apparently he isn't after all. Thank god.

[Randy Jesus]

Like I have said before, better is an amazing song. It has become very popular and highly regarded to many radio stations in the USA and it hasn't even been released yet... It appears that GNR is winning the battle at home something that they lost in previous years.

[gunns1]

Like I have said before, better is an amazing song. It has become very popular and highly regarded to many radio stations in the USA and it hasn't even been released yet... It appears that GNR is winning the battle at home something that they lost in previous years.

It just shows that music really does provail, and ; not secondary bullshit such as name etc.


aside from that, Better is a great song, and its one that you can't get sick of, which is rare to find it nowadays, I can just leave it on reapeat and never tire.

[ZoulonFire]

P.S. Umm.I'm sure I'm the minority here,but seriously ... I honestly do NOT hear that much of a difference in these 2 versions! Jesus,people act as if it's a complete re-work of the track,when in reality ... Yes,it is more polished ... The lead guitars are slightly farther back in the mix ... and of course,the added vocal harmonies at the end,but still ... it's the same damn song.It rocks just as hard as the original leak.I'm not sure which I prefer,really ... but the new leaks tinkering (in my opinion) doesn't justify a "this song sucks now" type of comment.

I'm sorry, I dont mean to seem like a prick or a flamer, but I *really do* hear a big difference between the two versions, the second (and, sadly, final) version is MUCH TOO heavily polished with added effects and diminished "attitude" (I'm not a musician, so I dont know how else to put it, the demo was more "pure-rock" feeling). 

I really hate thinking this is the final version for Chinese Democracy; I was really in love with the demo.  This is actually the first leak im not big on, which, a week ago, I never thought I'd say.

For the first time, I'm worried about Chinese Democracy... am I the only one?

[grog mug]

The review is perfect in my opinion. ?Exactly how I feel about the new track. ?The guitars are TOO low, and the new sound affects GOTTA go. ?Other than that Axl's voice is still crisp, but not as good as the first leak. ?It's a shame no one is getting that track instead.

[Loaded NightraiN]

The review is perfect in my opinion. ?Exactly how I feel about the new track. ?The guitars are TOO low, and the new sound affects GOTTA go. ?Other than that Axl's voice is still crisp, but not as good as the first leak. ?It's a shame no one is getting that track instead.

Exactly how I feel Grog!!

[McDuff]

The review is perfect in my opinion. ?Exactly how I feel about the new track. ?The guitars are TOO low, and the new sound affects GOTTA go. ?Other than that Axl's voice is still crisp, but not as good as the first leak. ?It's a shame no one is getting that track instead.

it's the same fuckin' song with a different mix that's all,but the solos should have been louder ?

[ZoulonFire]

The review is perfect in my opinion.  Exactly how I feel about the new track.  The guitars are TOO low, and the new sound affects GOTTA go.  Other than that Axl's voice is still crisp, but not as good as the first leak.  It's a shame no one is getting that track instead.

it's the same fuckin' song with a different mix that's all,but the solos should have been louder 

The effects are terrible and the vocals are too slick sounding, along with the guitars being mixed down, at what point is it not the "same fucking song" anymorE?

[Naupis]

The effects are terrible and the vocals are too slick sounding, along with the guitars being mixed down, at what point is it not the "same fucking song" anymorE

It is the same format, but it is essentially a different song because one (the first leak) was supposed to sound like a rock song with real guitars, while the new one is an attempt to have GNR sound like neuterd pop-rock ala Bon Jovi or Nickelback. The reviewers comments point out that very fact, and I hope someone in the GNR camp heeds the advice to get back to sounding like a rock band.

[GeraldFord]

I don't really think they were dissing this leak. It says

Even a single additional overdub would definintely make this worse.

Meaning, it's time to stop, where it is.

That said, this current version is not the final one that will be on the album, Ron told us that. The newer one will hopefully have an even better mix.
 
 
 

[ZoulonFire]

where can i hear this version  of better??  can anyone lead me in the right diorection

im dying to hear it...

look it up on youtube !  make sure you put in "better 2007", you'll find it.

[GeraldFord]

The effects are terrible and the vocals are too slick sounding, along with the guitars being mixed down, at what point is it not the "same fucking song" anymorE

It is the same format, but it is essentially a different song because one (the first leak) was supposed to sound like a rock song with real guitars, while the new one is an attempt to have GNR sound like neuterd pop-rock ala Bon Jovi or Nickelback. The reviewers comments point out that very fact, and I hope someone in the GNR camp heeds the advice to get back to sounding like a rock band.

The newer leak sound NOTHING LIKE BON JOVI OR NIKELBACK.

And remember, the newer leak is JUST A DEMO.

Everyone needs to calm down, the FINAL version is yet to appear.

[Naupis]

The newer leak sound NOTHING LIKE BON JOVI OR NIKELBACK.

And remember, the newer leak is JUST A DEMO.

Everyone needs to calm down, the FINAL version is yet to appear.

You might be in denial, because when you listen to the initial leak and the newer leak, it is clear as day that the newer version is a clear attempt at sounding poppier by turning down the guitars and turning the harmonizing up. This song sounds like something Axl has tried to create with the intent of getting it on top 40 radio. The previous version with much harder and agressive sounding guitars would not make it. The new version has been neutered just enough he could slip into the contemporary top 40 with it.

[GeraldFord]

The newer leak sound NOTHING LIKE BON JOVI OR NIKELBACK.

And remember, the newer leak is JUST A DEMO.

Everyone needs to calm down, the FINAL version is yet to appear.

You might be in denial, because when you listen to the initial leak and the newer leak, it is clear as day that the newer version is a clear attempt at sounding poppier by turning down the guitars and turning the harmonizing up. This song sounds like something Axl has tried to create with the intent of getting it on top 40 radio. The previous version with much harder and agressive sounding guitars would not make it. The new version has been neutered just enough he could slip into the contemporary top 40 with it.

I like the newer version better, I don't care if it is more "top 40." To me it hasn't lost its teeth.

But like I said before, the newer leak is just a demo. Wait until you hear the album before you go apeshit.

[axl32rose]

i think it sounds great and i just heard it once just a couple minutes ago,  it has a new fresh sound just tweeked a little bit to perfection.

i could pu the new version on a cd 15 times and listen to it over and over while driving around.\

i think we are all inf for a pleasant suprise once CD hits the shelves.  and i think this album is just going to appear in stores and i feel its not too far off,  wasnt this the first time they playted gnr new material on the radio.,..  CD is in the air..

[bigbri]

Totally dead-on. They were right about the first version kicking ass. The new one does not.

[GNRfan2008]

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.

[misterID]

That said, this current version is not the final one that will be on the album, Ron told us that. The newer one will hopefully have an even better mix.
 
 
 

Could someone point me to Ron's comments about the new Better?

[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.

[Janabis]

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.