Better (Guns N' Roses song)

2008 promotional single by Guns N' Roses"Better"Promotional single by Guns N'

Rosesfrom the album Chinese DemocracyReleasedNovember 17, 2008Recorded2001–
2007GenreHard rockheavy metalnu metalLength4:57LabelGeffenSongwriter(s)
Axl Rose
Robin Finck
Producer(s)
Axl Rose
Caram Costanzo

"Better" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their 2008
sixth studio album Chinese Democracy. It was sent out as the second radio promo
from the album, after "Chinese Democracy", but was not commercially released as a
single eligible for international sales charts.

Contents

1 Background
2 Music video
3 Live
4 Reception
5 Personnel
6 Chart positions
7 References

Background[edit]
"Better" was written by lead vocalist Axl Rose and former Guns N' Roses guitarist
Robin Finck between 2001–2003, before the band headed out on tour in 2006, by that
time the song had already been recorded, later however, most of former drummer
Brain's drums on the track were edited by drummer Frank Ferrer. Prior to the song
being released as a single, "Better" had been played live by Guns N' Roses on their
Chinese Democracy Tour in 2006 and 2007.[1] In February 2006, the song, alongside a
few other unreleased songs, was leaked onto the internet through a Guns N' Roses
fan site.[2][3] The band's management requested that all links to the MP3 files and
all lyrics to the songs be removed from forums and websites.[4]
Coinciding with the 2006 tour, the song "Better" was featured in an internet
advertisement for Harley-Davidson in October 2006.[5] Keyboardist Dizzy Reed stated
that the release was an accident, with two versions being made, one 'experimental
edit' featuring a demo of Better and one with Paradise City.[6] The ad with Better
was mislabeled and inadvertently uploaded online for a day before being replaced by
the intended ad with Paradise City.[6] The 'final' version of the song was leaked
online to positive reviews in February 2007.[7]

Music video[edit]
Breaking a two-month silence by posting on a message board on December 11, 2008,
Axl Rose revealed that a music video for "Better" directed by Dale "Rage"
Resteghini[8] would be released "soon".[9] Shortly after, Rose wrote that Lars
Ulrich stated that he makes an appearance in the video saying, "There’s a shot of
me and Axl embracing backstage at some concert, and I signed off that, and
hopefully it’ll make it in the final cut.” Ulrich was later blamed by Rose's
associate, Fernando Lebeis, to be the reason the video has been delayed, since "the
Metallica drummer needed to sign a release". Ulrich responded by saying “I have
heard about this, yes. There was a couple of clips of me in the video and they
asked if I would sign off on it. When it got to me, I signed off on the one clip… I
don’t know where [the rumor] came from. I’d love to be in a Guns N’ Roses video.
It’s my favorite song on the record — I think it’s a great song." On December 30th,
2008, Rose wrote on the message board "Lars isn't holding anything up with our
video. Our message board comments were meant casually, in fun and amongst
friends...We hope to have our video out shortly."[10] On September 13, 2012,
nearly four years after the single release, a workprint of the video leaked onto
the internet, although as of 2021, no official video has been released.

Live[edit]
"Better" debuted live on May 12, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. It
has been played at almost every show since. During the Not in This Lifetime...
Tour, a new version of the song was played, featuring an additional intro and the
opening lines being sung by Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

Reception[edit]
The song has received a mostly positive reception from critics. Consequence of
Sound wrote "While there’s the industrial-like swagger that’s prevalent in “Chinese
Democracy”, the bite and harmony is classic GN’R. In fact, this might actually be
the best song on the record, out of all three singles released from the record it
has been considered to be the lead single." Rolling Stone concluded, "Like 'Chinese
Democracy', 'Better' feels like classic Guns N’ Roses — Rose’s growling croon in
the verses could have floated out of the Use Your Illusion sessions."[11] The song
was officially released as a single on November 17, 2008. On Rolling Stone's "100
Best Singles of 2008" list, "Better" placed at number 19.[12] Consequence of Sound
stated the song was the "hit" of the album, saying "Anyone who’s ever doubted this
current line up should listen to this song. It’s brutal, honest, and aggressive.
Rose sings with a cadence that’s uncanny, and he hasn’t sounded this youthful and
bittersweet since 1987’s “Sweet Child of Mine”. When guitarist Robin Finck wails at
3:43, there’s this feeling that screams, “They’re back,” even if “they”
aren’t."[13]
In a retrospective on the album, Steven Hyden of Grantland.com stated the song is
"the album’s catchiest track" and "the poppiest song in the GNR catalogue next to
Don't Cry".[14] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blog listed the song as one of the
10 'essential' Guns N' Roses songs.[15] In 2016 Spin ranked it as the 6th best Guns
N' Roses song out of 79.[16]

Personnel[edit]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[17]

Guns N' Roses

Axl Rose – lead vocals,
Robin Finck – lead guitar, keyboards
Paul Tobias, Richard Fortus and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal – rhythm guitar
Buckethead – lead guitar
Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals
Brain – drums
Frank Ferrer – drums
Dizzy Reed – keyboards, backing vocals
Chris Pitman – keyboards, sub bass, backing vocals
Additional credits
Guitar solos – Buckethead, Robin Finck
Arrangement – Robin Finck, Axl Rose
Drum arrangement – Robin Finck, Caram Costanzo, Brain
Digital editing – Eric Caudieux, Caram Costanzo, Robin Finck, Axl Rose
Chart positions[edit]

Chart (2008)

Peakposition
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[18]

18

References[edit]

^ "Guns N' Roses On Tour!!!". GNRontour.com. Retrieved October 27, 2011.

^ "GNR Leak - antiMUSIC News". iconofan.com. February 16, 2006. Archived from the
original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.

^ Dave De Sylvia (February 17, 2006). "Another GNR Demo Leaks - Sputnikmusic".
sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.

^ "Guns N' Roses Tracks Leak". ultimate-guitar.com. February 16, 2006. Retrieved
February 14, 2015.

^ Borivoj Krgin (October 24, 2006). "AXL ROSE And Girlfriend Hanging Out In Miami:
Photos Available". Blabbermouth.net. Borivoj Krgin. Retrieved May 3, 2015.

^ a b Borivoj Krgin (March 13, 2007). "GUNS N' ROSES Keyboardist Reveals 'The
Truth' About The Leaked Song 'Better'". Blabbermouth.net. Borivoj Krgin. Retrieved
May 3, 2015.

^ Tom Breihan (February 21, 2007). "New Guns N Roses Song: Pretty Good!". Status
Ain't Hood. Retrieved April 23, 2015.

^ "Music Video News: SHOT: Guns N' Roses - Rage, director". Video Static. Retrieved
October 27, 2011.

^ Rolling Stone, Axl Rose Talks Chinese Democracy, Kanye, "Better" video in Late
Night GnR Message Board Chat, December 12, 2008

^ GunsNRoses.com (December 30, 2008). "Guns N' Roses: News". Web.gunsnroses.com.

Retrieved October 27, 2011.

^ "A Look Back at 1991 as New Guns N' Roses Single 'Better' Premieres". Rolling
Stone. November 17, 2008. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008.

^ "Rolling Stone's 100 Best Singles Of 2008". Stereogum. Retrieved October 27,
2011.

^ "Album Review: Guns N' Roses – Chinese Democracy". November 19, 2008.

^ Hyden, Steven (July 23, 2013). "Building a Better Democracy".

^ "10 Essential Guns N' Roses Songs".

^ "Every Guns N' Roses Song, Ranked". February 19, 2016.

^ Chinese Democracy (Media notes). Guns N' Roses. Geffen Records. 2008.{{cite AV
media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

^ "Guns N Roses Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26,
2017.

vteGuns N' Roses

Axl Rose
Duff McKagan
Slash
Dizzy Reed
Richard Fortus
Frank Ferrer
Melissa Reese
Izzy Stradlin
Rob Gardner
Tracii Guns
Ole Beich
Steven Adler
Matt Sorum
Gilby Clarke
Paul Tobias
Robin Finck
Josh Freese
Tommy Stinson
Chris Pitman
Buckethead
Brain
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
DJ Ashba
Studio albums
Appetite for Destruction
G N' R Lies
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion II
"The Spaghetti Incident?"
Chinese Democracy
Live albums
Live Era '87–'93
Appetite for Democracy 3D
Extended plays
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide
Guns N' Roses
The "Civil War" EP
Hard Skool
Compilation albums
Use Your Illusion
Greatest Hits
Singles
"It's So Easy"
"Welcome to the Jungle"
"Sweet Child o' Mine"
"Paradise City"
"Patience"
"Nightrain"
"You Could Be Mine"
"Don't Cry"
"Live and Let Die"
"November Rain"
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
"Yesterdays"
"Civil War"
"Ain't It Fun"
"Estranged"
"Since I Don't Have You"
"Sympathy for the Devil"
"Chinese Democracy"
"Shadow of Your Love"
"Absurd"
"Hard Skool"
Promo singles
"Mr. Brownstone"
"My Michelle"
"14 Years"
"Pretty Tied Up"
"So Fine"
"Dead Horse"
"Garden of Eden"
"Hair of the Dog"
"New Rose"
"Oh My God"
"Better"
"Street of Dreams"
Other songs
"Think About You"
"Rocket Queen"
"Used to Love Her"
"One in a Million"
"Coma"
"Get in the Ring"
"The Garden"
"Shackler's Revenge"
"Madagascar"
"Prostitute"
Videos and DVDs
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion II
Welcome to the Videos
Appetite for Democracy 3D
Tours
The Early Days of Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour
Chinese Democracy Tour
Up Close and Personal Tour
Appetite for Democracy
Not in This Lifetime... Tour
Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour
RelatedArticles
Discography
Members
Songs
Awards and nominations
Del James
West Arkeen
Guns N' Roses Pinball
Riverport Riot
Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses
The Roots of Guns N' Roses
L.A. Guns
Bands
The Dead Daisies
Hollywood Rose
Kings of Chaos
L.A. Guns
Neurotic Outsiders
Road Crew
Slash's Snakepit
Velvet Revolver

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Authority control
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