Customer Reviews

3 Ships

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Okay, so the do-it-yourself Photoshop look of the back cover where a more recent (and out of proportion) picture of Jon's head was placed on the smaller body of a 1985 Jon Anderson may have you thinking this is yet another careless reissue from Opio Media. Don't be afraid. And so what if the bonus tracks are thrown into the album's running order disrupting the flow we've all grown to love. It's not a problem. I can find ways to play it back in the original running order. And even though there are some bits that have been lost to early fades (Three Ships for example) I'm still not worried. And who cares if I see the name of the engineer who ruined the CD issue of Animation on the back cover. Never fear... this is actually a decent CD re-issue.

Like I said before I though Jon had squeezed me for more money when I saw remastering credit given to Mike Pietrini. Last itme I saw his name in the credits of a Jon Anderson CD it was for remastering the CD version of Animation. For that release he took a needle drop from a worn record (pops, ticks and scratches included!) EQ'd the crap out of it and then ran it through a limiter to the point of distortion and then they charged me $40!

However, for this release Mike may have regained some credibly. Basically what he did to make this 22nd Anniversary edition is rip the very nice sounding original Japanese CD of 3 Ships into his DAW and insert some bonus tracks. There was some minimal EQ and compression added but it's tastefully done. Two of the bonus tracks were ripped from the CD Change We Must (a Jon Anderson solo solo album from 1994... one of his very best releases, IMHO). Mike did a nice job of EQing these two tracks to fit in with the Japanese 3 Ships CD.

Also, there is a bit of a surprise on Ding Dong Merrily On High. There's something different with the backing vocals. Either they used the "BGV UP" mix or they took the original mix and overlaid the backing vocals at a higher level. The mix is the same but when I phase canceled it with the original CD I was left with only the background vocals. Kind of a neat addition. My only complaint is Mike must've EQd this track a bit when mixing the vocals in. It's just a bit on the dark side even though the original Japanese CD was bright and clear.

One last thing. Why was producer Roy Thomas Baker's name taken off the credits? Is there some rift between Jon and Roy? Is it a money thing (avoiding a royalty payment perhaps?)

Overall this is actually a decent release with some thought given to the sound quality this time. If you can't find that Japanese CD (catalog #32XD-886) this re-issue is a worthy place holder.

This was a favorite of mine when originally released on Vinyl.

However, As with Animation, this CD version is not remastered from the original Master Tapes, but is in fact a transfer from Vinyl. The sound quality is horrendous.

Secondly, most albums with bonus tracks place the tracks at the end of the original recording. For some insane reason they have decided to scatter these tracks randomly through the CD breaking the natural flow of the original. They're not even Christmas songs....

Thirdly, They have replaced the original Anderson head on the picture on the back cover with a more recent picture!!!!. The rest of the photo is the same, just the head is different! It looks stupid beyond belief.

This is another attempt by Voiceprint/Anderson to con the public. Shame on you all.........

This is my all-time favorite holiday album. Bought the audio cassette at a hardware store checkout display of holiday cassettes in the early 90s; don't ask me why I picked it up. It was love at first note. I was thrilled to just notice today that it is available on i-tunes (individual tracks for .99) or in its entirety (with five bonus tracks) for $9.99. I'm downloading, but looking for CD copy as well (will pursue the reviewer's suggestion of visiting the artists site). I agree with the reviewer concerned with sound quality, if familiar with the content, it could be easily distorted. It makes me tempted to hear it on vinyl. I also agree with the reviewer regarding the order of the bonus tracks, yuk! I can fix this with i-tunes download and my i-pod.

Great album....but don't pay ridiculous prices that sellers are demanding for it. It has been re-released in a special edition CD with 5 bonus tracks, and can be found through Jon Anderson's site, at JonAnderson3Ships dot com. (Yes, it's all one word, just like I typed it.) Highly Recommended.

Update: I-Tunes has even picked up on the re-release of this CD. I can't believe sellers are still demanding hundreds of dollars for a copy of this! Ridiculous.

I remember sooo vividly the day I was introduced to Jon Anderson and his fabulous vibe...almost 25 years ago, in 1986. That was on vinyl, and I can remember so clearly how my eight-year-old head turned and stared at the speakers when the first sparkling notes of "Save All Your Love" came pouring into the room. I stared even harder when Jon's clear-and-clean voice washed over my ears.

Any other holiday albums that had ranked "#1" in my personal esteem just went downward. Permanently. Jon's voice is one you don't forget. His music and his Cosmic Vibe? Equally so. So when CDs came out and I had not seen any re-issue of this out-of-this-world album, I was sad, because this should have been one of the first Jon Anderson albums to be put on CD. Finally, about three years ago, Jon announced the CD re-issue and as soon as I could afford it, I went to Voiceprint and snapped it up, especially since Jon put extra music on there, thanks to the CD format allowing that extra few minutes, as opposed to vinyl which usually requires a double album for longer recordings (think "Topographic Oceans" or "Relayer!")...

While I WAS hoping that the original picture of Jon from 1985 would have been left alone, I realize also that the age-progression was necessary to a point. Was it done as well as it could have been? Probably not, but given that someone was trying to place a newer pic on top of an older one--especially from a 20-something album cover, maybe they did the best they could. Besides, not only do I not know much about that kind of photo-editing, but in my view, the picture is not the point of the re-release. It's all about the music, and always has been.

My thoughts about the additional tracks: Brilliant choices, actually! I actually got this album in the mail before I ordered one of my other favorite Jon albums, "Change We Must," so it was the first time ever I had heard the orchestrated version of "Hurry Home," a song I've loved since first hearing it in 2002, courtesy of an online friend. The addition of "Ave Verum" (from his "Toltec" album) was not surprising at all...and Christmas ain't Christmas without candles, so "The Candle Song" was a spot-on pick! Especially since I've long associated that piece with how much Jon himself has inspired me over the years ever since, well, Christmas of '86! :D His two new songs tacked on to either end of the album are clearly reflective of where Jon has gone with his music since 1985, updating both the album and his overall sound, but they are no less beautiful and full of the Light that Jon is! :D

I have since purchased an extra copy for my dad. Yes, off of Voiceprint...Do I think it's a ripoff? Heck no! If it's being offered there at about 10 GBP (translated to about 17 USD, roughly) and Amazon wants $16 and some odd cents, that's only about a 40-something-cent difference, before shipping, of course. Okay, so Amazon offers super-saver shipping and this album is now available here instead of exclusively at V-print. I guess I'm not one to quibble too much about price when it comes to Jon Anderson! ;-) I may be a fool, yes, but I'm a musician who's a fool for music like Jon's: straight from the stars, into everyone's hearts...in the end, it ain't about the money...it's about the music and the Cosmic Love, in my view! And that is worth EVERY penny, and then some!

I own this cassette, and it is an excellent album from Jon Anderson of "YES" fame. But the seller who is asking $150 for a cassette is crazy!!
wait for the re-issue CD.

I was introduced to this album back in 1985 by my college roommate. I made a tape copy of that, (back before MP3's existed), and listened to that after college. Since I had been listening to music less and less, in 1993, I trashed my whole tape collection before a move.

EVERY Christmas since then I have REGRETTED that.
THESE SONGS ARE AWESOME in their BEAUTY!

All I have are memories of this album, which I listen to in my mind, but I don't have a perfect memory, so with the joy these songs bring is also longing to hear them complete.

I'd looked for this album before last year, and never found it.
I didn't look last year.
And due to a conversation I just had, I just looked and JOY of JOYS!
Its re-released.
Thanks for the website reference by the other reviewer: JonAnderson3Ships dot com
If I need more copies, they're available there.
(Amazon found me one a little closer for a little less.)
Now I get to share this AWESOME Christmas music with my children!
THANK-YOU Mr. Anderson!

Beyond a shadow of a doubt the best christmas music I have ever listened to my entire life. Jon Anderson's voice just screems of "JOY"!

Beautifully Arranged and Produced. One of Prog.-Rock's Most Talented Singers/Songwriter's Wonderful Holiday Release. It's so Captivating that it can be Listened to and enjoyed all year long. Jon Anderson is a Remarkable and Endearing Performer/Artist. It's pure Aural Bliss. 'Tis the Season to Celebrate indeed. A Wonderful Voice, Exhilerating Music,for Yes fans, and all fans of Great Music.

This is my all-time favorite Christmas album. It has a great blend of traditional and original songs. The highlight tunes are "How It Hits You" "Save All Your Love" "Oh Holy Night" Great stuff for any Yes fan .