I also loved the earlier versions of the title track, the drumming was super, and that subtle ambience in the verses was really quite original I thought.

Before it was subtle, now it hits you like a sledgehammer, and both are pretty cool in there own ways.

I'm cool with Rons additions, its not exactly an easy task he had and reading what he has since said about that recording process, my respect for his additions have grown very much.

To me now, this album, it is what it is. I never listen to the demos ever, so the one they released is the only one for me.

Although after hearing Rons improvement on the Catcher solos live, I wish he had got the chance to properly live with the song for a while in the recording of it, cause his performance on the album version seems a bit rushed and as if he was winging it. His new live version has much better feel and emotion.
Given that Brains on the drums, I suppose there must be a version of Catcher in the vault with Bucket and Robin, now thats something I would like to hear!

Slash talks about it in his book.

I still listen to it all the time, I love it for doing cardio exercise, its so varied and I lose myself in it with ease, and that means I'm not focused on my breathing or fatigue. And thats suits me cause I've been too fond of the bottle and weed the last couple of years and have became an unfit, potbellied 30 year old. Ouch

4 months till Reading, phew...

I havnt really been following the South American tour too closely and havnt been watching much footage, they are coming to the UK this year and I dont want to over familiarise myself with the show before seeing it live. I'd be pretty disapointed if I dont get to see about 10 new songs when I go to the shows, couldnt give a flying fuck about setlists at shows I wasnt at though.
Only thing that I'm disapointed in GNR about this tour is these late starts, whats the fucking deal? Not even managing to get on before midnight, seriously? Thats weak.

The Reading/Leeds festival organiser say's he has been promised Axl wont be late, but I'm a little worried about the rest of a full UK tour if it happens, he doesnt seem to be trying at the moment to go onstage at a reasonable time for the audience, and it wont wash here. If they tried that midnight/1am starting crap in Glasgow in 2006 it would have been a bloodbath.
Not worth worrying about at the moment I suppose, but I'll be watching the first Euro dates with interest for sure.

But I really cant figure out whats so different about South America that he has to go on after midnight and its apparantly no big deal, unless I'm missing something obvious?

^^ lol I thought the board went tits up again, and extinct threads had risen from the grave.