Head to Head Tuesday 5/20/03...Onward...

[yarstruly]

OK...its been a few days...its that damn real life thing again...but the good news is only 3 more school days and a teacher workday before I am off for the summer...the little joys of teaching ;)

For today's poll I am putting 2 versions of the same song against each other...

Onward (Original Tormato Version)

vs.

Onward (Live version from Keys to Ascension)

[Sonoacustico]

I believe the studio version is just one more average song...
but the live version really made me appreciate it, and now it's a very important song for my girl and me :D
KTA version rules!!!!! ;)

[Dragonfly]

I guess I've got to vote "Garfunkle" on this one. The French horn is a very important part of the song to me. The liner notes from the album say this in the credits:

"Andrew Pryce Jackman arrangement and orchestration on "Onward"...from an original idea by Rick Wakeman."

I'm pleased with Rick's work, but prefer to hear the orchestra performing an idea of Rick's work instead of Rick doing an interpretation of the orchestra's interpretation. There are other concerns, too. On the live version Steve's working very hard to maintain those arpeggios throughout most of the piece. He does a brilliant job that adds new color to the composition. This comes at the cost of his mulit-tracked efforts on the studio version - which I happen to prefer.

I feel like that about slower, softer songs. They sound great, "clean". The big numbers like “On the Silent Wings of Freedom” and “Arriving UFO” would be cool live, if the band would only release some decent live recordings of these.
:fmad:

My feelings are the same about the MAGNIFICATION cuts I've seen and heard with Rick back in the band. He's brilliant and I certainly enjoy how he’s transformed the orchestra’s work, but I like the versions with the orchestra, both studio and live, better.

Dragonfly :fly:

P.S. As regards the Garfunkle reference: I heard that Art always wanted to stick as close to the studio versions of their songs when he and Simon performed live. I’ve also heard that Paul didn't share Art's sentiment on the subject and that it became the source of some friction between them.

[Dantalion Rides Again]

Of course, I usually prefer studio versions anyway. Especially with Yes - they are so great live, really, but in the studio everything is perfect . . . that's what the studio is for!!

[My Pros for Onward live:] Onward live was a treat for me because I've always loved that song (always feel like Tormato doesn't get enough space on the compilations and live albums). And Keys To Ascension disc one is loaded with great stuff that hadn't been released live before. The sound quality of Keys to Ascension One is sweet. Plus Steve's "Unity" intro is real nice.

[Cons:] However . . . the big bass run isn't as good. I think Chris starts it from a different note and it doesn't end as nicely. Also the vocal meandering doesn't sit with me as well as the straight delivery on the studio version (on the line where he goes "of my life" Jon adds a few extra notes, and the harmony vocal stops before that - gotta give Jon credit for experimenting though). Plus Jon sounds so pumped at that point on the studio version, and that's one real moving point in the studio version that the live one didn't quite capture.

Steve Howe is great on both versions, I think. And all in all I think "Onward" is a really great & well done live Yes track compared to other Yes live tracks.

Good one Yarstruly! That was awfully fun to go on and on about that. :cheers:

[R'tanys]

I voted for the live version because I like the little extras and because Yesmusic is generally better live.
However, this one was a little tough for me since I had the studio version played at my wedding, there's a sentimental attachment.
This is one of the greatest love songs ever written. Bravo, Chris.

[Silent_wings]

Onward: Live Version from Keys to Acension
I just love it

[BrianD]

Steve's intro on the live version just sets it up perfectly

[Martin Riley]

I'll go for the studio becaus eI'm never sure just how 'live' the live material is on KTA.

[tardistraveler]

Well, I had to vote the live version! Live is ALWAYS better! Well, I think so, anyway! It's a beautiful song, in either version!

Hey, I think this is my 2800th post! I've posted about a thousand since the site crash!

[Gato]

I've always liked Ownward despite the fact that lyrics-wise it could be said is just one more love song, which I'm not especially fond of (hey, nothing against love itself!). When Keys came out with the live version, I went from liking it to loving it (even if one cannot be sure that everything on Keys is actually 100% live, as Martin has pointed out rightly): Howe's acoustic guitar and... Squire's vocal harmonies!

[Earl Grey]

Steve does it on a classical guitar... Which is really nice.
On the studio version, those trills always sounded a bit thin to me. It should have been done on the 'classical' to begin with.
Oh well, YES 'fixed it'.

The Keys version really made this song for me.
Much emotion, and never 'plodding'.
Love it!

Earlie:yesbird:

[Mr. Holland]

I have to go with the "live version". I can't really put my finger on it, but it's got something extra for me. Very interesting to read, Martin and Gato, that I'm not the only one that doubts the "live-ness" of keys. I haven't read this doubts from other fans before, so at some point I started to think that there was something wrong with my hearing, but appearently some of you here the same things I do.....