Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently loaded "Close to the Edge" on my mp3 player ... it had been 20 years since I had listened to it ... it was cool listening to it again ... great arrangement and execution ... and of course great Ric tone ...

great album
I'll listen to it again...thanks Jeff

Now you have done that load up the YESSONGS live version of CTTE.
THATS how its meant to be played!

seyesbass wrote:Now you have done that load up the YESSONGS live version of CTTE.
THATS how its meant to be played!

Truer words were never spoken, Pete

I don't think I've gone a month without listening to CTTE since I first heard it in '74. I can't imagine going 20 years.

The fantastic thing about the Yessongs version is that it's played at a rather energetic brisk tempo , as opposed to the languid "Keys to Ascension" version which is apparently due to a band member who wanted it slowed down (who??)

When we met up with Alan White at the Cavern last November the first thing we played at rehearsal was CTTE.
Our keyboard player was sorting out his Hammond patch and played a few bars of the solo and AW suggested playing it so off we went straight in from the top.
About half way through the opening runs he stopped and suggested we slow it down a bit.
We pointed out that we play the Yessongs version and thats how fast it is. To which he replied "we were all a bit crazy back then".
I like all that crazy fast paced stuff from the 70s which is why we play the stuff like we do.
I know Rush are a bit younger than the guys in Yes but they still play at a hectic pace and I would like to hear Yes go at it like a bull at a gate just one more time before they call it a day.
I love the harmonies in CTTE..just try singing at that pitch for 18 minutes let alone playing the bass as well.
Not many bands if any can match Yes in the Rock world for vocal harmony.

Peronally I think the studio track is FAR, FAR superior to the yessongs version for the simple reason that Bruford is on the track. He was the soul of Yes and it's most important member IMHO. No Bruford=less interesting.

jazzstick

+1 for Bruford

The Yessongs version is spectacular; the studio version is transcendent.

A timely thread! I just "re-discovered" CTTE about two weeks ago after not having listened to it in 10-15 years.

I do prefer Bruford's dumming, but that isn't meant to be a put down to AW.