Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Everything about Catcher In The Rye the song!





/jarmo

The Guitar in Catcher is awesome..... ps I am watching Letterman right now, MrBrownstone is about to perform, 2 bad it wasnt the real thing

I just love the new rhythm/lead. The solos are amazing, just amazing. Axl's vocals are top notch as well. I really love it... love it. The intro is the most beautiful intro i've ever heard.

Two words. Fuckin Amazing.  :smoking:

I think this is my favourite song on the album. Hell, I think it might be up there as one of my all time favourites.

It's got such a beautiful melody, and the lyrics are awesome. Axl sounds great.

by far the best finished track from the leaks, the guitar work and axls vocals are fucking top notch

I think my expectations were too high for this song.

It was my absolute favorite from the original leaks.

I think once I listen to it a few more times I will love it again, but the additional guitar work AS OF THIS MOMENT isn't doing it for me.  Overall the structure is the same and the lyrics are BEAUTIFUL and so is the piano and Pitman makes good use of his programs.  

Like I said before, after a few more spins, all will be good.  8)

I felt that way at first. I certainly miss Brian May's work, but once you get used to it, the new guitars are pretty cool. I do feel that Finck went into the fast section of his solo a bit prematurely though.

I went back to listen to the old leak, and I found myself missing a lot of the little things that the album mix brings to the table.

This is a classic, most of this song makes me wanna cry YEAH I ADMIT IT.

i hope that the song didn't change to much i really liked the version that leaked a while ago

i'm gonna wait this time and see : ok:

Me too damn it. I don't know how those guys did it, but fuck me they did :crying:

I love the ending ...

i think brain may parts where removed from this song

totally agree with you

much much better than leak.
One of my favor (with sorry,scraped,s.revenge and the blues)

The song as a whole is much better than the leak, but the solo is not as good as Brian May's. I love this song and I love all the others to  :beer: Maybe I will think the solo is better after I have listen to it more.

It just seems to lose everything that I loved about the demo. Every little section was brilliant and I was eager to hear how it would evolve but it now sounds so flat and just passes me by. The album's biggest disappointment for me, but still a great song underneath the misguided production, so I'm genuinely glad others are able to love it.

Brian May's original solo was also inevitably better executed. Axl must be regretting cutting it out for Robin's inferior take now he's out of the band.

This is a sweet song, very soft and easygoing rock ballad, and May's guitars reflected that. The song went from a 9 to 7.5 with this new solo, that is too loud. In the end you can make a bad song sound bad, but a great song will never sound bad, and Catcher is a great song.

I hope they release the May's one in a single B-side, it would be the first time I'd buy a single!

Something about this song won't allow me to love it just yet. Maybe I need to dig into the lyrics further. From a couple listens it just seems as if it's rambling out. The melodies, guitar and groove are good enough they all just seem to be rambling. High point is "you decide..." bridge and guitar solo.
2/5

 think the problem some people are having with this song, is that this is one of the songs that changed the most since the leak we had. And people have habits and dont like to be surprised lol. I think this final version is an all time great! Still is one of my favourites, and relax people, we will probably hear a polished version with brian May as a bside or something

I never liked the leak, May solo or not. I actually like the new solo better then what I can remember of the May solo anyways.

I like the song more now then I used to but not by much. Maybe after I read through the lyrics I'll get it more.

I have to say I love the album, but at the same time I am a bit disapointed and this song is one of the main reasons I am.

To me it just seems too busy, almost like they tried to crowbar in as much content into each song as possible. I've always been a fan of less is better, so at times there is so much going on in some of these songs that at points I feel like there is just a wall of noise behind Axl's vocal.

I feel like I need to appologize for thinking this, because overall I love the album, but do we really need to jam every person who worked on this album into each song. I was laughing when my father made the comment over my house last night that "Les Paul is probably regretting ever inventing multi track recording after hearing this cd"... while it was a joke, he has a point I would love to see how many tracks some of these songs break out to...
2 drums
6+ guitars
2 bass lines
keyboard/synth too many to count
vocals??

I just feel after listening that there were probably a few too many years of over tweaking and over producing.

But for an over produced/over tweaked album... it is probably album of the year... I would just love to see CD re-visited several years down the line like the Beatles 'Let it Be' with the 'Let it Be Naked' album.

I'm with you. I love this song. If you listened to the leaks shame on you.Demos are demos for a reason. How can you not love this song.

Yeah I definitely want Brian's solo back on there, though Ron didn't do a bad job himself. One thing I really don't like is that they kind of mellowed down the keyboard work right before the first, "nah nah naaah nah nah nah nahhhhh"s. I really liked that little melody. It's still there, but it sounds very watered down.

Yep, that used to be a great little breakdown, now it does nothing for me.

I wouldn't say it does nothing but I liked it better before.  Also, I'll say it one more time:  should have left the Brian May solo in.

i thought the demo was easily the best of the leaks. i'm afraid i'm not gonna like this song as much. guess i'll see sunday. (yes i'm holding out till sunday)

Don't worry man, as I said, the song is still amazing, one of the best in the album. There were some changes, good or bad, the song is still fuckin' brilliant, and think about it how will sound live?! :drool:

Now that some actually have the album, is Brian May credited anywhere in the liner notes for this song.

Related question: Are there lyrics included with the album?

Yes to the lyrics, no to Brian.

right now i'm very ambivalent about this version. still it would be unfair to judge it now. maybe i only have to get used to it. first impression was that axl's vocals seem to be burried under all those sounds and guitars. the tender melodies can hardly "breath",  for there's so much goin on.... but as i said, we will see. it's a general problem that we "downloading motherfuckers" have heard the leaks so often, that we might have expected the same arrangements, just better sounding. that is not the case here. but: whenever a piece of art and a human head crash together, it's not always the art that sounds hollow...  ;)

That would have been perfect  : ok:

What should have been CD's centrepiece has been rendered an unpleasant and tragic mess. It's not a case of getting used to it. We shouldn't need to, the demo is infinitely better, it was an unfortunate decision to take it in this direction.

man, what can i say.
If this song was just an instrumental i would not have recognised it from what we heard all those years ago i mean jesus what a change, but its not bad not bad at all i think this will be up there in my fav tracks

I love it! this is my 2nd fav on the album right now. WAY better then the demo.  5/5 :beer:

I am simply blown away by this song!  For fuck's sake I'm writing this as I'm hearing it for the first time.  Unbelievable.

I have not listened to the leak for well over a year now, maybe longer.

The solo just past the 2 minute mark is incredible.  The one midway through the 4th minute sends this song into legendary status.  Axl's vocals have so much feel to them I'm actually shocked.  He never sounded this good (IMO).

So Beatle-esque.

Axl said somewhere way back when, or somebody else did, that this song would not be on the first cd but thankfully he changed his mind.  Perhaps this song being leaked led to its inclusion on CD.

This could be a huge radio hit.

Honestly I think this one was better before. It seems over produced now. To much going on. The leaked demo was better IMO. Hopefully it will grow on me...

Maybe they'll do what they did with "You're Crazy"? On AFD it was the pumped up rocker version and then on Lies it was the striped down Original mellow version.

So maybe on the next album  (:hihi: whenever that may be) they'll give us a stripped down Brian May version.

The song isn't bad now I just think it was better and less busy before. But like I said I'm sure it will grow on me.

 :beer:

This is awesome, I thought the leak was good but this is just so much better, its ..... a fantastic track!

I love the song,

but yes, I do miss Brians solo, that solo for catcher, to say that it fitted it perfectly would be an understatement,

but I love this version nonetheless, just wish Brian was still on it.

I know that sometimes it's hard to accept changes to a song once you're used to one version.... and there are definitely A LOT of things I preferred about the original leaked demo... but if the song is as good as this one, it still rates as a classic.  One of the things I was looking forward to the most about this CD, GREAT!

CITR has easily been my favorite song of GN'R 2.0 since I first heard it.  Had it not been included on CD I would've been sorely disappointed.

I was extremely happy to see it when I first saw the track listing on Best Buy's website.  If I hated every other song on the album, I would've still bought it for CITR.

the leak was genius from "you decide..." up until the solo, the vocal layerings were incredible and made the song majestic. They stupidly took that out and now Axl's voice sounds flat, as in not hitting the notes, and it just isnt as good. Plus the mix is too crowded. I'll be listening to the leak at least as much as the finished version. too bad because the leak version, cleaned up with proper production, was a classic waiting to happen. listening to it as i type and cant believe how badly they gutted this song....tragic...the vocals right before "oh no..." and that breakdown are so beautiful on the demo and just fall short here, and that electric bloop thing in the demo got replaced by a string section which just sounds too safe....C- on the finished track, A- on the demo

The final cut is very disappointing. I thought the demo indicated that we would end up with something epic and in the class of "Stairway to Heaven". But sadly no.

The tempo is slow and boring, all the punchiness in the music and melody has somehow been stripped away. I think Axl might have redone the vocals and there just doesn't seem to be the same conviction. This is probably the worst song on the album along with Scraped for me. I cant believe how bad it turned out???  :drool: :drool: ???

You should definitely PM me when that arrives my good sir.  : ok:

I love to see all the genuine love for this song. For me, it really stands out on the record, and showcases Axl's songwriting ability. This is the one song that just sounds like GnR, and could have been released in 1991 or 2008. I hope it gets picked to be a single, as I think it has a big chance to appeal to a broad audience.

I'm glad Axl included this in the final selection. Not only as the final version is enjoyable, but it does what Axl has always done (like with UYI 1 and 2) and pushes the music from one extreme to another, and he pulls it off.

An instant classic. Incredible track by Mr. Rose and Mr. Tobias. Again, that's GNR on a Queen/Led Zeppellin level.
Bass and Rythm guitars are powerfull!! Imagine it live, people!?!?.
Miss Mr. May's solo, but there's a fantastic work from Bumble there.

I like the version on the official release, but definitely like the leaked version better. I was a little disappointed by the official version after hearing the leak for 2 years.

Guess that's why leaks are bad...If nobody heard the leaked version with Brian May, nobody would be complaining right now.

Still a great song on a great album.

That's my biggest problem with Riad right now. Loved the new one, but still not confortable with it, comparing, etc.

Concerning CITR I'm already in love with it! Awesome song!

It?s a very good song and I LIKE it...
...but I used to LOVE the leaked version...

That?s the difference.

well, if I do it, it will be for my personal use only, sorry. I don't want any legal problems with the band I love.
anyway, even if I prefer the Brian May version, I still like the track and his new guitars parts, that's for sure.

Best song on the album, closely followed by This I Love, There Was A Time, Madagascar, Better and IRS. Catcher In The Rye is best Guns N' Roses song ever. Compleyely innovative and breathtakinly beautiful, I was stunned when I heard the leak and incredibly stoked when I found out it was on the album. I was very concerned when I heard it might not be on the album, but thank God it's there, the album wouldn't be the same without this song.

Scrapped is an aweosme song dude !!!!   that seems like QUEEN

What ^^^^^ said.

IMO much better then the leak, i'll probably come with a better "review" of the song laterz

this is the one song on the album where i liked the leak better than the mastered version.  brian may's guitar solo was great.  i'm gonna guess the new solo is by finck... sorta sounds like his sloppy, loose brand of play.  it's not so much the guitar solo that makes it not as good as the leak... the new version sounds overproduced, the vocals are not as good, and the song just lost its overall, stripped down, classic feel to it.  however, i still do like the finished version, but having heard the leak, the finished product, in my opinion was dissapointing.

I had heard the leaks, but I wasn't disappointed when I heard the final product. This song is still one of my favorites on this album.

I like the bass part at the beginning.  :peace:

I've showed the album to many of my friends. This along with This I Love and There Was A Time is their favorite.

I like the piano part at the end a lot.

This final version of Catcher In The Rye is my ONLY point of contention with this masterpiece of an album. It was originally my favorite song out of all of the leaks up until today, but they really overproduced this one. I think a lot of its impact and melody gets a bit murfed as a result, because there's so many other things going on at the same time (like all the added guitars). Where this is usually a strong point in most songs on the album, I felt that here it was a detriment. I really felt that this song would end up being one of the modern classics off of this album, but as it is now, not so much.

Then again it may grow on me more, but I think it ended up worse for the wear.

And the new solo makes me sad :-\ Brian's was absolutely perfect.

Not gonna lie, I like how the keyboards are more amped up and louder in the leak.

Awesome track, one of the best on the album. Glad to see the synth breakdown survived!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorites on the album.  I love the lyrics and even the new solo has really grown on me.

better then the demo, not talking quality of sound but actual song, meaning guitars :P

i love especially one little lick in the solo i think.. i'll point it out later :)

This is the weakest track on the record....I'm not going to lie, I heard the leaked version with Brian May's guitar work and think it's so much better. Very Slash-like (which is maybe why Axl didn't use it).

Also, the drums just don't sound very good in the final version. Needs more OOMPH.

It's still a decent tune, but in comparison to the rest of the CD, it's average.

Yeah I definitely agree, I preferred Brian May's lead guitar work, especially on the outro, which is kind of messy in the final version. The vocals are great, and everything but the lead guitar sounds great, its just the guitar work that just sounds unnecessary, its too busy for its own good. Brian May in the leak had more in a higher octave and fewer notes overall, keeping the focus on Axl, with the guitar acting as the backing, but here, its as if both are fighting for the spotlight, and kinda reduces the Awesomeness of the conclusion. But still, its a great song, and I'm glad it was put on the album.

Yes !! I think that makes the song right there.  Funny how a tiny little piano part at the end makes the song a classic. Only Axl could do that, for those who say the leak version is better than the actual version.  Just think if it never leaked, you wouldn't of known it existed.  Final version is way way better than any old leak.

I need a difinative answer here people...was it Robin who is responsible for the solo or Bumble?

i'm really glad this song made its way onto the album but i must say even though i like this song, i like the older version better :yes:

I really like Bumbles solo in the middle, but whoever put that solo over the last verse kkkkkkkkkkkkilllllllllls it. I hate that solo

For real? I think it adds beautifully. Robin's slides at the end over the slamming drums and Axl's clean vocals make for a perfect outro.

Yes, this was my favorite part...and you can barely hear them now.  I loved that part!!!

A song about Mark Chapman? Good, melodic verses. Falls apart during the chorus.

Same here. I actually view them as 2 entirely different songs (the leak and final version). Both really cool paths Axl could have chosen with the track and he chose one instead of the other. There was NO wrong choice IMHO. I LOVED the leak BUT I just can't bring myself to view this as some kind of major tragic catastrophe... not when the studio cut has me constantly hitting "repeat" on my cd player. :smoking:

Perhaps not the best song on the record, but for surely the style and subject matter perhaps are the coolest.

Its fantastic how can I think EXACTLY, WORD BY WORD, opposite to you.

The production in Catcher is unbelievably great. The leak was ''meh'' to me, an empty song, nothing great at all, and now I find Catcher as one of the highest points in the album,.

And Bumblefoot solo is way, way greater than Brian's. I love brian, but thank god Ron's solo is there.

I agree with pretty much everything you said there. I thought it had great potential when I heard the leak (although I only listened to teh leak a couple of times), but it really is a weak link on the album. The production definitely doesn't really benefit the song IMO.

I thought it was bumblefoot. Just wanted to make sure because what I am about to say would sound really dumb if it wasn't.
Before the album came out and it was learned by some that Brian May's work was not going to be used I was more than bummed. I really wanted him to be a part of this record.

HOWEVER, listening to the final version, I think I'm glad he's not on the track. I have been secretly wondering about Bumble's place in the band for a while. I am sure people smarter than me never had a doubt, but his solo work at live shows never really did it for me. I mean the speed was there, and I could tell that he had skill, it just didn't make my ear happy you know?.
That was until I heard the solo on this track. I am turned completely. He's going to be awesome. Hell, he already is.

Loving Bumblefoot's solo.      May's was nice, but I like what Ron is doing and he's in the band  :)   

This song improved 10 times over from that leak that came out a few years ago.    Everything about it has gotten better.

^^^

i can't disagree more. Dont get me wrong i respect your opinion, and i like bbf's playing style, i just think that Brain May was awesome on that song and gave it a real cool 70's vibe that reflected the content of the song (John Lennon).

 I was a big fan of this song when we first got the leaks.   I thought the lyrics were the most personal and emotional to Axl in a lot of ways.   The album version takes the song to another level for me. Absolutely love it.
Axl's lyrics are very deep here. I believe the song is about his and his siblings' childhood and the loss of innocence. Especially that last verse.  Man, I get the chills from it.
I LOVED Brian May's solo in the leak and would have preferred for it to be on the album, but the solo (I believe it is Thal's though originally thought it was Robin's) is fantastic in its own way and takes the song to another level.

I still think we'll hear May on another track down the road (he did a lot of guitar work in his session) - so I'm not too bummed his solo is gone.

I never heard that. That's awesome, I hope so!

the intro sounds alot like
the intro to the blues ,
the guitar sound I mean,

it has that warm feeling to it, then just the "cold" piano..
I like it.

My favorite vocals on this song are when Axl goes, "The CATCHER in the rye again, ooooohh."

The way he delivers that line (twice) always knocks me on my ass.

I don't understand all the complaints, wouldn't you rather have someone who's actually in the band play the solo?
This song is brilliant no matter how you look at it, the lyrics are deep and the melody is beautiful, the end part is simply epic and really warms my heart with joy and emotion. One of the best GN'R songs ever to be made.

This song is growing on me, love the redone intro with the guitar. Timeless type of song. Classic

Nice poem.

It would be nice if they'd release the version with May as a B-Side at least.

What a deep song.  Loves this song since the leak and find it so emotional.  Just thinking of Axl's interview he did with Kim Neely in Rolling Stone back in 1992 and from what he says in that interview you can see where "Catcher In The Rye" came from regarding the horrible things he and his siblings experienced in childhood.  That early loss of innocence.

What caught my eye on re-reading it, Axl talks about his first memory being a toy gun.

"you gave that boy a gun" - also a symbolic/metaphoric statement. Gave Axl his weapon in this life - his gift of expressing his anger and emotions through his voice - by both singing and also speaking out against what had happened as he did in this interview subsequently angering many of his family members and severing his bonds and relationships with them.

Now we got 2 versions of the song. I say that's cool.

ok that is just great.. what a good observation!!! I think you really hit upon the meaning of this song.. nice!

now, what do you think he means when he is singing the chorus "oooh Catcher in the Rye again..." etc.

to me, during the end of the song, with all the guitar solos going on, sort of takes focus away from the great melody and even greater lyrics of the song.  the demo was more raw, less produced, and you could hear the melodies and lyrics more clear.  the new version is starting to grow on me, there are a couple things i like better, such as the piano, and the beginning bass lines, its just the ending, there's so much going on!

Yeah that guitar over the last verse only distracts me...  :no:. Other than that I prefer the album version to the demo

Funny how so many posts about CITR are comparing it to the demo...Are so many in love w/ the demo because Brian May played on it or for what Brian May had played on it..I personally like the CD version..My favorite lines are "a body took a body, someone gave that boy a gun"...Is it about the loss of innocence and the end is how John Lennon's murder was the loss of innocence for an entire generation? Interesting tid bit about John Lennons murder, is that hours before he had signed an autograph for Mark Chapman..
Wikipedi has been updated w/ a ref. to Axl writing the song..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye

I agree...
the solo is way to high in the mix.

yeh its hard to hear the last verse..

Love this song.  The album version brings it to a new level.  Great song.

I'm afirad that I agree with all those that preferred the Demo. All of the extra guitar overdubs obscure the shifting moods in the backing track and the lyrics. The final song is good, but just sounds overly sweet whilst the demo was toweringly melncholic and yearning.

Bumble foots solos are good, and rousing. But Brian May's were absolutely spine tingling.

beautiful song...sounds old school if ya know what i mean

I love the outro; the lyrics and vocal delivery are quite powerful. Plus, I love how it's placed right between my other two favorites from CD, TWAT and Scraped.

Since the leaks, I never really cared about this song. It was OK and everything, but it never meant so much to me, at least as much as the other leaked songs.

But I bought the book last week, the same day as I bought my CD, I'm only a few pages away from finishing it and, well, now this song is one of my favorites! When I listen to the lyrics of "Catcher in the Rye" I immediately remember some parts of the book, and, well, it's such a weird feeling that I can't put on words. All I can say is that, after reading the book, this song means something to me.

I like the off-beat piano that sort of comes out of nowhere.

I can't say that lyrically, CITR has any impact on me at all. Typically I do look for meaningful lyrics in a GNR song. I can;t quite sing along with it.
But musically, its very dynamic and works really. It sounds like a very easy going song, which is great for traveling nice to hear on a GNR album and only serves to diversify their portfolio even more and in the course of things, attract a bigger fan base overall.
 :D
MNW

 I think the song has very little to nothing to do with Lennon's killer and is all about Axl and his siblings' childhood and abuse and loss of innocence. I've been saying it since I first heard the leak. The song seems to be the most personal and emotional for Axl out of all the new songs in my opinion.

I think you can re-read the Rolling Stone interview he did with Kim Neely in 1992 and get an idea of where this song came from.
 Axl's first memory - having a toy gun.

"you gave that boy a gun" - also a symbolic/metaphoric statement. Gave Axl his weapon in this life - his gift of expressing his anger and emotions through his voice - by both singing and also speaking out against what had happened as he did in this interview subsequently angering many of his family members and severing his bonds and relationships with them.

I dont know where this song got the history of being about Chapman. I know people unfortunately think of Chapman when they hear or see the book The Catcher In The Rye but I dont think he has anything to do with this song. The only parallel I can see with Chapman and the novel/the killing of Lennon - was in some ways a loss of innocence for many as it represented the end of a dream that Lennon stood for. It was a devastating event in many people's lives. My mom is a great example. Lennon being murdered is one of my first solid and vivid memories for me as a child. I had trouble sleeping that night and went into my mom's bedroom where she was watching t.v. My dad and uncle were in the living room watching the football game. Moments later the news was announced by Howard Cosell and my dad rushed into my mom's room. They were/are HUGE Beatles fans - my mom being a HUGE Lennon fan and my dad a HUGE McCartney fan. Those memories of my mom breaking down into my dad's arms...it was very very emotional for me and still is.

So that is really the only parallel I can see between Chapman/Lennon killing and this song.

I think the feeling of the novel resonated with Axl and was his way of exploring and expressing the themes he (and his siblings) suffered and went through and thought about in his own childhood and adolosence.

Here is a take on the song by a great poster at another forum.  I really agree with his take on it regarding any parallel and link between Chapman, Lennon, and Ax's experiences.

To me, Catcher is about the world losing John Lennon and Axl losing his childhood innocence, with some lyrics referring to one or the other or both. From a child abuse standpoint "how a body took a body and gave that boy a gun" would deal with how Axl had his innocence stolen by being raped as a child which lit a certain fire inside of him. The last line can easily reference both the loss of innocence of the world when Lennon died as well as the loss of innocence when a child is abused.



As for the solos; there are three guitar solos credited on this song in this order; Thal, Robin, and Thal.  The way I am scoring it, I see the solos as this:
Ron's first solo is from and including at 59 seconds - 1:57.
Then Robin's solo (the solo that replaced Brian May's) is at 2:23 - 3:00.   It sounds a lot like Robin's "pick up" and style though it contains a bit of fast "noodling" at 2:32 which sounds like Ron's style but could very easily be done by Robin too.   The rest of the solo sounds very much like Robin.  And is fantastic.
I am thinking then the outro solo is Ron's as he is credited last and that it is the last solo on the song starting at 4:13.
If I am scoring solos right.

personally, i think its the solo beginning at 4:13 that sort of puts a damper on the song.  a bit too much.  good solo, wrong spot.  i am slowly getting used to it though, still love the song  :peace:

You're not scoring the solo's right. The main and the end are Ron the other "queenish" fills in the right channel are all Robins. Technically Robin doesn't have a solo, but he is credited for his fills.

Can you give me a time on where Robin's "fills" appear?

The guitar from the 2:22 mark sounds very much queenish to me. to the end.

My 2nd fave song on the album after Better. I'm not a Queen fan by any means but this song somehow reminds me of Queen a lot.

before the album had been released, of all the leaked songs, this was actually the song i had listened the least too, dunno if it was due to the quality.. now it's my most played song on the album :)

This is the leaked song I liked the least. I have no idea what I was thinking!!!!!  The melody, lyrics, the GUITAR SOLO by Ron (as good as May's work on the leak was, BF really brought it on this song) everything about this song is great. The na na na parts are great too. After digesting CD for a few weeks now, this is my favorite song on the album...

you people waited years for this record, you get it, it is arguably 1-14 the best record in eons and you still criticize and denigrate. i am confused ?

I thought this song was absolutely beautiful since it leaked. The album version however, makes it one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Period.

I agree. Catcher In The Rye and There Was A Time alone makes the album brilliant in my eyes. This I Love is right up there with them. After 3 weeks of listening to the album, I've finally managed to narrow it down to my top 3 right there ;D

Edit:

Oh shit, what about Street Of Dreams and IRS? :nervous:

Oh well, back to the drawing board... ::)

Ok here goes, I have just had my lunch at work, sitting at my desk with ipod on shuffle and Catcher has arrived, im on 5th listen to now, everytime I seem to pic a different feeling from the song, there is a mix of sadness and also rejoice in this song.
The sadness being the loss of innocence and childhood, the joy being the overcoming of this sadness and finding that you have a deeper streangth and purpose to your life.

The way the song builds to a climax like someone coming out of a depression and finding peace is just brilliant. I get images of vast oceans and sky's with the song floating across these all driven by Ron's solo's, this song is way better than the leak and without compromising the emotional content of the song.

This was one of my least favorite tracks amongst the leaks, but has become one of my 3-4 favorite tracks on the album based upon the final version.  It was always brilliant lyrically but I thought the leak, aside from Brian May's solo, was kind of flat and dull.  The final version is a thing of beauty, the guitars during the final verse are just great

My favorite line is the final one, "Sometimes the only thing we counted on when no one else was there"

Because that's how I feel about Guns music.  May sound corny but there have been some real tough times where Axl's music and lyrics helped pulled me through.  I'll never know the guy but it's a comfort knowing someone as talented and successful as him experiences the same feelings and emotional struggles that I do.  Awesome song

That's what separates good music from truly great music.

Great music makes you feel something.





/jarmo

That's not corny at all.  That's how I feel too.  I am anything but ashamed of that.  I'm proud actually.

Ali

Everyone I know who has heard this song didn't like it, but I LOVED it from the get go. The melody is great. It's one of those songs that you forget about, but when you hear it again you really appreciate it.

a.

I think all the speculation on this song can be laid to rest now. Axl Rose's post on Catcher In The Rye:

Ok, I've never actually tried to put this into words this way before and this'll probably get me in trouble with someone but here goes...

The piano started while watching a documentary or A&E type show on Chapman and wanting to write something for Lennon and his family.

W/the book it started as fascination and curiosity with Holden Caufield Syndrome and what was or could possibly be in the book that obviously certain vulnerable people have seemed to become so passionate about and resort to outrageous public attempts or acts of violence. That and the question most have in regard to Lennon's death...why?

Can't say I have those answers but I feel our song pays the emotional tribute to John Lennon in the end that I'd wanted to write since the night he was killed and also since first listening to Elton and Bernie's Empty Garden.

I read the book. I fell into a deep dark sleep. Went to the studio and sang as a joke what I refer to as the Holden parts off the top of my head and felt at the time at least imo I had stumbled on a way of thinking that had a pattern and a flow but was broken up like a television station going out and coming back slightly off course intermittently and not making sense with it's earlier portion.

Where this unease helped to justify or even demand taking action and feeling the power of taking that action against whoever your mind felt was somehow involved or the root of this unease and alienation.  Accompanied by a calming surreal almost religious (but totally insane) vibe I think that if some were to experience having limited capabilities, insecurities or are mentally and emotionally challenged in some way could find a false sense of solace and take comfort in like being on some type of drugs or meds but with an added completely false sense of an imagined calling or purpose.

It certainly could and very well often would feel better than some individuals real world or having to experience or live with a clearer perspective of their true reality...

All of which of course could be imagined and hooked together by events like Lennon's murder, reading the book, wanting to write a song about someone being insane, John Lennon, Chapman, people shooting people and watching Mel Gibson's Conspiracy!

And when I got home not in any dramatic way but more like cleaning off the dinner table I threw my book away.

Don't know if any of that's really what any of that's about but that's how it hit me and just like an instant cake we got the basis for a song.

Oh yeah I'm not embarrassed to admit it, some people just don't understand it because they don't connect with music that way.  I just like that line because Axl's talking about Lennon's music and now there are a bunch of people who feel the same way about his own music, it kind of lends to the timeless value of the song

Very cool to see Axl's description of how he came up with the idea

I don't know if I got right but I understood that Axl doesn't like the book, is that right?

Wow, I really thought he loved the book, and that's why he had written a song with that title.

Yeah but it makes a lot more sense now. Considering the nature of the book, it pays more tribute to Lennon when you know it's not a tribute to the book, i think.   :peace:

Yes sir. The "You took our innocence beyond our stares, sometimes the only thing we counted on when no one else was there" line is one of my favorites in GNR history. Really powerful and true.

i have this song on now. and its just so good.  :drool:

Me too. When it's played live, I wouldn't mind Axl introducing the song to the audience, many who may be only familiar with the GNR classics  ::), as a tribute to the life and legacy of John Lennon. This would make everyone tune in on the lyrics and emotionally absorb the song.

I think that this song should be the next single after the BETTER video comes out. It is very relevant to what is going on in the world right now.

I love this song, but I would have to say they need to go with This I Love.

I do hope Catcher is a single at some point.

I really like this song, and it actually had to grow on me more than the others. I like it more and more with each listen now, and the lyrics are probably my favorite part because they are deep and meaningful and really poetic in their own right. However, i just don't understand you guys who say you really relate to the words. I mean obviously you can relate to anything ?but the words in catcher to me seem not like something you relate to, just something you appreciate. Which is also partially why i don't think it would be a good single. It wouldn't be a bad choice, but there are a lot of better ones on the album.


And for the record, i like the album version a lot better than the demo, AND i like the solo better.  :yes:

Is anybody else in love with the bass line at the start of the song?
When I 1st got the record this was my least favourite but now it is a top 3.


 :peace:

If you don't like this masterpiece you're either tone def or stupid.

Although personally I like the Brian May version better, this version is pretty good too.

The final few minutes after the guitar solos finish and once the lyrics start to flow are spectacular.

I agree, this song (only the last verse wise) is where I appreciate Rons contributions the MOST on cd, more then any other song,

the last verse along with Rons outro solo is one of the best moments on cd for me.
where you just Have Axls voice and Rons solo , hes not finger tapping/shredding etc, hes just playing the guitar seemingly in line with Axls voice, its great.

Absolutely agree. Best moment on the whole album for me. Ron's guitar really gave this song a kick.

Yeah, it's the best moment on any GN'R moment, no doubt. Pure magic.

Althought I rather Mays solo in the middle more then Rons,
Ron does a better job in the outro solo then May.

After recently re reading the book, I found Axls comments on CITR to be a little hypocritical.

Why should an artist be responsible for the actions of a persons interpretation of their work?

Not sure if this has been posted or if it's in the right section...but sad nonetheless!

RIP J.D.  :(

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_en_ot/us_obit_salinger

here's the first few paragraphs:

NEW YORK ? J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.

Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H.

"The Catcher in the Rye," with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of modern adolescence. The Book-of-the-Month Club, which made "Catcher" a featured selection, advised that for "anyone who has ever brought up a son" the novel will be "a source of wonder and delight ? and concern."

Enraged by all the "phonies" who make "me so depressed I go crazy," Holden soon became American literature's most famous anti-hero since Huckleberry Finn. The novel's sales are astonishing ? more than 60 million copies worldwide ? and its impact incalculable. Decades after publication, the book remains a defining expression of that most American of dreams ? to never grow up.

Salinger was writing for adults, but teenagers from all over identified with the novel's themes of alienation, innocence and fantasy, not to mention the luck of having the last word. "Catcher" presents the world as an ever-so-unfair struggle between the goodness of young people and the corruption of elders, a message that only intensified with the oncoming generation gap.

Novels from Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep," movies from "Rebel Without a Cause" to "The Breakfast Club," and countless rock 'n' roll songs echoed Salinger's message of kids under siege. One of the great anti-heroes of the 1960s, Benjamin Braddock of "The Graduate," was but a blander version of Salinger's narrator.

Yeah, I just saw this on Yahoo news.  I was going to post a link but you beat me to it.  I'm curious if this might spur the band to play the song tonight.  That said, I recall Axl saying he hated the book and didn't relish the fact that the song might draw attention to the novel.  I'm hoping they do play it tonight in Toronto as Catcher and Prostitute are the only two songs I have not heard performed live; all the others have received a check mark.

In any event, it's a sad day that one of the literary giants of the past 100 years has passed away. 

Cheers,

Andrew

One of my favourite books ever.

R.I.P.

I always loved The Catcher in the Rye as well. One of the few mandatory reading books in HS that I actually enjoyed..If you like CITR check out the Tender Bar written by J.R. Moehringer...

anyone knows more about this? hoax or for real?? :S

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7XhwncxP8&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7XhwncxP8&feature=player_embedded)

rip

now, i can never know what has become of the glasses. :-\

Not a clue... I don't think so. Good video nonetheless.

Don't know if's it legit...but I like it.

On another note: RIP Mr. Salinger.  "Catcher" is still one of those books that just never lets you go.  I still remember my first read back in High School (along, I'm sure, with just about everyone else).

His material will be published now that he has passed on.  That was always his plan.

RIP Jerome David Salinger. 

God bless his soul.


Is it terrible that the first thought that comes to mind is 'hope they play the song tonight'?  :-[

Mix some official images of the band performing on this tour and we've got a perfect GNR new video

maybe if the boy died or killed someone

C'mon... as good as that is it's probably shot with a newer DSLR camera which supports HD video. Shaky as hell. And it doesn't add anything. Proper video would be with proper equipment. Great work regardless.

I understand he was old, he died with 91 years old, and haven't published anything new since the 60's, but it's always harsh when creative people who put wild ideas on the table dies, at any time or age. I'm really sad to knowing this. His material will live forever, though.

May he rest in peace.  :'(

R.I.P.

 :(

Wonder if any radio stations will play it tomorrow? We shoulld all call our local stations and request it..

I heard about J.D Salinger passing away in my hotel room the day of the show. And I just want to say the band did him proud when they played it live in Toronto. Axl's short speech which then led to the most heartfelt version I have ever heard. I remember looking up at the screens and having goosebumps when Bumblefoot was doing the solo. I'm sure it was emotional for the band, and it resulted in the best live version of Catcher In The Rye so far in my opinion.

It made my trip that extra special.    ;)

Lee

I was listening to Chinese Democracy today, and when CITR came on I was blown away by Rons solo. It just hit me, that solo is something really special, the way it goes along with the melody, and all of the tapping is just perfect.  8)

I did actually tell Ron when I met him for the 2nd time in London, 2008, that his CITR solo is way better than Brian Mays. And Ron was the gentleman and kept on saying "nah, nah" while shaking his head, very modest.

But everyone should listen to this song right now, and listen to that beautiful solo. Words can't describe, it's total Ron, but it also goes with the song perfectly too.  :)

I still prefer May's solo, but Ron's is cool too. I love the outro solo underneath Axl's vocals.

I just love how Rons' solo cuts straight in, and he uses alot of the same melodic phrases that May used, but adds alot of excitment in between. But I prefer Rons, that solo is just a work of art, and I was lucky enough to see it live in Toronto, 2010.  ;)

And that outro as well is mindblowing, again he compliments Axls' vocals perfectly by his guitar "answering" if you like, all of Axl's words. I love that whole song, and I have to say, a big part of that is because of Rons additions.  :)

The outtro definitely adds a lot to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lcEK0GGsaA

the best version on the acoustics!

Yeah this is great!

Try to forget everything in the song for a second and just pay attention to the drums, there's a lot going in there... not only playing wise but sound wise ... really great stuff !

I might prefer that acoustic solo over both May and BF's studio version.

It is amazing isn't it?.  ;D

And I can't believe I got on a Eurostar train in Paris, literally hours before this performance to go back to London, UK.  :hihi:

If only I had psychic powers.  8)

Axl's backing vocals are amazing. Haunthing n' beautiful. Love the official solo - Brian's is cool but the official one brings the song to a different level, maybe more positive I think. Very Guns N' Roses but also very new n' catchy, touching n' deep lyrics w/ many different meanings. Anyway I truly enjoy the drums from the demo (I think it's Josh). But I love the official one n' I don't care it's not there.
One very positive thing about not having Brian's solo is that most bands would KILL to have Brian May in their records, even if the solo he did sucked big time. Axl chose to not have it because he probably felt he had a better solo in hands. Which shows, one more time, that this band is very real towards its music n' won't compromise because of possibilities of bigger sales - c'mon, a sticker at the cover saying that Brian May of Queen is a special guest would increase the sales a lot in some countries where Queen is very huge (saying that because Queen isn't so big in the US but is a fucking monster in Europe, Japan n' South America).
I think it's never enough to say it once again...

Axl! thanks for Chinese Democracy!!!!!!!!!

If The World is the best song in CD, Catcher is the second best in my opinion!

Sounds amazing live!


Even if you never heard the song before, you can hum along to the "na na na" part instantly!





/jarmo

I've always found Axl's ability to use overlapping vocals, and overdubs superb.  :drool:

And many songs from Chinese Democracy demonstrate this perfectly, including Catcher In The Rye. Axl usually adds a low (or high), version of the same phrase or word. And the result is just mindblowing, he really does know how to use sounds and harmonys exceptionally.  8)

And Yes, I agree, the outro to this song is one of the best, with Axl and Ron trading licks, and harmonys. What you will notice about the outro, is that Ron uses his guitar to "answer" Axl's words, and this is breathtaking.  : ok:

Well done Ron.  :love: