Best demos/demo versions?

[dparrott]

Make a list of what you think are either the best demos of unreleased songs (ie Raise The Knife) or cases where the demo version is better than the studio version.

Alice In Chains:
I Can't Have You Blues
Social Parasite

Blur:
I Got Law (demo of Gorillaz Tomorrow Comes Today)
Close
Far Out (Electric Version)

Oasis:
Songbird (demo has full band)
It's A Crime (early demo of Let There Be Love)
Colour My Life

Duran Duran:
Beautiful Colors
Pretty Ones
Capital Chill
A Matter Of Feeling (Demo)

Imperial Drag: Do You Spy

[DTA]

I always liked the post-solo riff on Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction demo. They should've stuck it in the final version somehow

[Ben_Jamin]

Devin Townsend:
Take My Ego
Love and Marriage
Happy Birthday
Love Tonight
Heatwave
Believe


Dream Theater:
Take Away My Pain
Lines In The Sand
Raise The Knife

[HOF]

Outside of the FII demos, this is kind of hard. Not a lot of demos I can think of that are better than the final album version. There are a few good Marillion demos that I like:

Exile on Princes Street
Mirages
Not necessarily better than the album version, but there’s a demo version of No One Can that is a bit more rock-ish that I really like.

[Bentower]

Neurosis - Takeahnase (album cut on Souls at Zero, the demo appeared as a bonus track on Enemy of the Sun)

Although the tones are somewhat inferior on the demo the vibe is fantastic and the guttural heavy part CRUSHES.

[SoundscapeMN]

Kevin Gilbert - Tired Old Man (aka "The Puppet Suite")
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons ("Please Don't Go" Demo), Raise the Knife, Speak to Me, The Way it Used to Be
The Dear Hunter - Camera, Economics
House of Fools - Need to Be Free
Kaddisfly - Man on a String

[ozzy554]

Ozzy Osbourne - walk on water, bang bang you're dead, Mama I'm coming home.

Black sabbath - the ray gillen version of Eternal Idol.

Sanctuary - Die for my Sins

Candlemass - Witches (with Tony Martin)

Halford - Silent Screams

Kiss - Sword and stone

Judas Priest - Heart of a Lion

[dparrott]

Metallica's My Apocalypse demo ("Ten") has background vocals in the pre-chorus.  Kinda wish that was on the studio version.

[Fritzinger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zicmB4aJIhE

I think this song is the perfect proof for Donald Fagen's genius. If he considered this song not good enough to be released on an album, how good are his other songs?

[Stadler]

This is obscure, but the Buffalo Springfield box set has a series of demos in there of songs that were later "finished" for (I think) the fourth album.   There's a version of "Hung Upside Down" that is rather different and in my opinion much better than the final version (and the final version is still pretty good.)

[Zydar]

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George Harrison's demo is just so beautiful).

[Stadler]

^^^  That's a good call; there are some excellent demos on the Anthology sets; I still haven't gotten "The White Album" set yet, but the "Escher Tapes" are essential. 

[ozzy554]

Also I'll give an honorable mention to Junior's eyes with Dave walker on vocals. I still prefer the ozzy version but this one has really grown on me lately.

I know not exactly a demo but I'll still count it as the song was completely redone