KTA: buried treasure?

[vad]

It was the height of idiocy to bury so much studio material in a collection of greatest hits. It was so buried that I didn't even notice all this new stuff until years later. My favorite track on the studio disc is actually what everyone else seems to call a throwaway--Sign Language. Steve and Rick sound great together. They always have. I also like Foot Prints, and Mind Drive is ok.

For the live tracks, I love these versions of AYAI and Turn of the Century. I don't think this version of CttE is anything to write home about, though. It seems to be missing some passionate involvement with the music. Rick's playing on that song is disappointing to me.

[brismike]

Wow - You bought KTA 2 and missed the studio tracks?? Then years later you discovered them!! - Thats like buying a car with 5 speed transmission and only using 3 of them for the first 5 years of owning it lol.

Did you know that you can now get all the KTA1 & 2 tracks on one CD called KeyStudio ??

Enjoy your new find anyway .. but if you havn't heard KTA1, check out "That That Is", which is one of the studio tracks on the first KTA. This one I think is probably much better than Mind Drive, but also one I am sure they will never perform live unfortunatly.

Mike

[vad]

Well, no, I just didn't look carefully at the KTA2 cover enough when it came out to BUY the thing. I already had seek KTA1, which I really only got for the (what I discovered to be botched) live version of RSoG.

When I finally did get KTA2, I think I like the ordering of the studio tracks on that second disk.

[ronw]

Keys Studio probably should have been released by itself from the get go. I think the studio tracks are excellent, although that seems to be the minority on this board. I think it started getting into the true YES music and away from pop style Rabin stuff.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought the live tracks were good. I especially liked Awaken.

[RobAdams]

I've been trying to get KEYS 2 for a while now. I saw it once when I had no money, then POOF. It was gone. I've looked over and over for almost a year...No KEYS 2 anywhere. And I hate mail ordering stuff, so I just kept hoping one would pop up somewhere. No such luck...

Yesterday I took a day trip to Rutland VT with Mom & Dad. I stopped at a COCONUTS. They had KEYS 2!!!

I've only heard this one 3 times so far, so these are very early impressions. MIND DRIVE does stand out as the most compelling studio track so far. Throughout the track I can hear nuances of songs from DRAMA, TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS and MAGNIFICATION. I think I will grow to love this song a lot. The other studio tracks are pretty good, but so far MIND DRIVE stands out.

The live tracks are a nice addition to my collection. I have mixed feelings about GOING FOR THE ONE and TURN OF THE CENTURY. The performanes are decent - yet the changes in key are hard to get used to. GFTO is in a key that Jon can handle without straining, which sounds good, but it's strange hearing all the music in that odd key. TURN OF THE CENTURY starts off in the usual key, but shifts down after the instrumental break. My ears keep wanting to hear it properly. TIME AND A WORD is absolutely stunning here. And I'm not a big fan of TAAW to begin with. Steve's time away from the band is evident on the remaining tracks. His playing sounds just a bit rough on ISAGP, CTTE and AYAI. Still it's great to hear Jon, Chris, Steve, Rick and Alan together after so long being apart. After hearing the live KEYS 2 tracks it's clear that the best performances were already released on the first KEYS cd.

[RobAdams]

I wonder what it would be like to take the KEYS2 version of GOING FOR THE ONE and speed it up so it's in the same key as the original studio version. I think it would be interesting. If I had me old 4 track I'd just copy the song onto the tape and adjust the pitch control until it matches. I think the result would be great. The tempo would be faster obviously. The instrumentation would be in the proper key, and Jon would possibly sound like he had inhaled helium.

I sure think about some really dumb stuff

Originally posted by i-and-i
I sure think about some really dumb stuff

There's got to be a way to market that stuff though.

[Jackaranda]

The studio songs on K2 is the best music they've made since making the big change in 95. Bring Me to the Power and Footprints are really strong pieces of music, but the marketing strategy was terrible...

[Joedude]

I agree, jack gowen. The marketing was horrible but I loved the studio tracks on Keys2. Besides Mind Drive, I loved Children of Light.

[Westmont272]

I heard Children of light live and loved it, but the song is mind drive. i love that song. It's like a meeting between the past and the present. I thought that the guys were great. Bring me to the power is cool too.

[RobAdams]

Vad -

I was wondering what is botched on THE REVEALING SCIENCE OF GOD on KEYS 1. It must be something very subtle that I don't hear. Sounds to me like a pretty decent performance of a song they hadn't played in quite a few years.

[mal b]

VAD I have to agree I think Keys 2 the studio tracks are definitely the best stuff the band has done since the drama album...
sign language is a great track - steve and rick work so well together - and i really don't see this as a throwaway just a natural continual flow of the album - i'm hoping to hear more than just mind drive on the upcoming tour...

[mattquarterstein]

I wonder what it would be like to take the KEYS2 version of GOING FOR THE ONE and speed it up so it's in the same key as the original studio version. I think it would be interesting. If I had me old 4 track I'd just copy the song onto the tape and adjust the pitch control until it matches. I think the result would be great. The tempo would be faster obviously. The instrumentation would be in the proper key, and Jon would possibly sound like he had inhaled helium.

I sure think about some really dumb stuff

Rip the song onto MP3, get some audio software like Goldwave. That can change the pitch pretty easily.

[Gabriel]

I absolutely love the Keys 2 version of Going for the One. I dont know why since its in a lower key to the original but i think its really awesome; really rocking and Jons voice is fantastic!

[Mr. Holland]

I also think Sign Language is great. This piece could fit nice into the set, when their doing their solo's. I am a bit tired of them always doing the same things for their solo, but what if the band members would chose pieces they've put on Yes albums and that they would let the solo's flow over in each other with duo pieces, say like this:

Jon solo: Show me
Jon & Rick: Vevey part 1 & 2
Rick solo: Cahns & Brahms
Rick & Steve: Sign Language
Steve solo: Masquerade

...and after Masquerade, Steve still alone on stage starts playing togetherness, the first part of That, That is and then the rest of the band joins again to play the rest of the song. Things would flow over in each other fluently and naturaley........

[BrianD]

I also think Sign Language is great. This piece could fit nice into the set, when their doing their solo's. I am a bit tired of them always doing the same things for their solo, but what if the band members would chose pieces they've put on Yes albums and that they would let the solo's flow over in each other with duo pieces, say like this:

Jon solo: Show me
Jon & Rick: Vevey part 1 & 2
Rick solo: Cahns & Brahms
Rick & Steve: Sign Language
Steve solo: Masquerade

...and after Masquerade, Steve still alone on stage starts playing togetherness, the first part of That, That is and then the rest of the band joins again to play the rest of the song. Things would flow over in each other fluently and naturaley........

I agree with most of that suggestion - but I have had enough of Show me - if Jon wants to do a solo 'Jon' then why not one of the new tracks he did on the solo tour earlier in the year? Or if he wants to do a Yes solo Jon - why not one of the following - Madrigal, Holy Lamb, From the balcony....

[Mr. Holland]

I agree with most of that suggestion - but I have had enough of Show me - if Jon wants to do a solo 'Jon' then why not one of the new tracks he did on the solo tour earlier in the year? Or if he wants to do a Yes solo Jon - why not one of the following - Madrigal, Holy Lamb, From the balcony....

Agreed Brian, I was just saying it as an example, but the songs you suggest would be very nice, especially Holy Lamb I think, provided he could do it without any of the other members playing, for it is the "Jon solo"....