Better - Rock am Ring 2006 vs. Apollo 2017

[Sosso]

 

Which one of these two live performances do you like better?

[IncitingChaos]

It’s not even a contest. 2006 Better is 10 billion times “better”

[Thorbear]

I think they are both impressive performances of a great song. I like the new intro they play now, but the 2006 version just sounds so mean (especially the vocals) so that is the one that gets my vote. 

 

The 2006 lineup is just great, a shame they only did that tour. Might be my favorite lineup.  

Edited November 22, 2017 by Thorbear

[soon]

2006 for me.  Except I do appreciate that Axl usually lets Melissa and the gang sing in the intro and outro more now.  Axl never sounded good on that part live, imo.

Brains drum beats on Better is one of my favourite arrangements in rock drumming.  He pulls of the subtitles here as well as one could in a big stage like that.  And goes nice and big in the live setting too.  And dang it, if he doesn't just stay in time even 

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

Hmm...I don't think it's necessarily fair to compare 2006 Better with Apollo gig Better since that really isn't the best current version of the song.  Any Better from the last five shows would be..er, better? lol   Like Louisville - Slash was on fire that night and I prefer his take on it.  Houston and Chicago were also miles better than Apollo.  There was one from a couple of shows ago that was outstanding but I can't remember the gig name and the videos are getting harder and harder to find. 

[AxlRoseCDII]

I say this as a big Chinese fan (if you somehow didn’t know I liked Chinese after my 1,000 posts) that Better should be dropped. Axl really struggles with it and doesn’t sound anything like the studio version.

[MrSoftie]

IMO each have their merits: 2006 has raspier vocals but 2017 has much better control and Axl isn't running out of breath, I think 2017's arrangement is better, 2006 Axl looks badass lol

[Top-Hatted One]

2006 hands down

[F*ck Fear]

One of my favorite tracks on Chinese!

Hands down 2006! 

The shows LA in December of that year were better than the RAR soundboard.

I also love the new arrangement. The vocals are bad though.

[Dean]

2 hours ago, MrSoftie said:

IMO each have their merits: 2006 has raspier vocals but 2017 has much better control and Axl isn't running out of breath, I think 2017's arrangement is better, 2006 Axl looks badass lol

I definitely agree with this. However it's hard to sit through some of the performances of Better from the last several years. I wasn't actually too keen on it in 09/10 either. 

[Jw224]

They both suck. He's always sucked at this song live, which is a shame. I'm pretty sure he could nail it but he never does. 

[megaguns1982]

Both are shit, that song never goes across well live

[Swedish]

I liked Better a lot when they played it in Stockholm last summer but I haven't watched it on YouTube since then so my point of view isn't very nuanced, it may sound like shit for all I know! 

[DieselDaisy]

I do not like that Fincky numetal sound so I'd have to say Slash's version but it is not a song I care for in toto.

[action]

i'm really happy for you guys if you like the song. more power to you.

I started the 2006 clip and by the 50th second of finck's intro, i had to quit cos i was about to break stuff.

[Teroz]

2006, should be dropped now really and ZZZZ moment in the setlist. I love CD, but Better has never been a top song to me on the album - most the album infact is BETTER in my opinion. 

Also gotta sai that Bryan "Brain" Mantia was the best drummer that the organization called Guns N Roses has ever had. Ever. Steven Adler follows, then Joshua Freese, then Frankie and then Casio2010 Sorum.

Edited November 23, 2017 by Teroz

[F*ck Fear]

If Axl could sing it that would be a great moment live.

[RussTCB]

19 hours ago, Sosso said:

 

Robin looks cool AF 

[estranged_85]

2006 vocals are 10x better. but i like the new intro better..

Edited November 23, 2017 by estranged_85

[shootingstar]

9 hours ago, Jw224 said:

They both suck. He's always sucked at this song live, which is a shame. I'm pretty sure he could nail it but he never does. 

Yeah, he doesn't sound good now. But always sucked at this song live? No.

Btw, the rock am ring version is probably the worst performannce of Better during 2006.

[IndiannaRose]

Take the verses from Hammerstein (2006) and the intro + chorus from Apollo (new sinister voice) and you have a perfect live performance. 

[t-p-d-a]

i vote Apollo 2017 because of Slash

2006 doesn't sound like Guns N' Roses.. Axls voice is amazing but thats not GN'R

 

Apollo thats GN'R amazing Slashs playing

[AlterL]

2006 is just that much better. Better instrumental arrangements, better vocals, better ambient and sound. I'm not even sure if it can get better than that. As far as the whole show goes 2006GN'R>2017GN'R although the Apollo set list is awesome as well as the current one (way better than any set list of 2006 I believe) the performances themselves were better back then. 

[Jw224]

4 hours ago, shootingstar said:

Yeah, he doesn't sound good now. But always sucked at this song live? No.

Btw, the rock am ring version is probably the worst performannce of Better during 2006.

I disagree. He's always been lazy with his vocals on this song. Even when he had rasp it was weak, even though he was able to rasp the hell out of other songs in the same concert. It just always stands out to me as a weak vocal performance. All imo of course.