Customer Reviews

Extended Versions

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

 

 

This is just a shortened version of the album Keys to Ascension.

Keys to Ascension was a reunion album for Yes with Anderson, Wakeman, Squire, White and Howe getting back together. It was a 2 CD set which consisted of material taken from a reunion concert in San Luis Obisbo and two new studio tracks. This "Extended Versions" is just most of the live tracks from Keys To Ascension.

Keys to Ascension was one of Yes's worst live albums. This version of Yes had just got together for this show after being apart for almost 10 years. The group did not practice much or have time to get used to one another again. The songs are bland and close to the studio versions. The group hardly opens up at all. The only good track was Awaken. Onward has a nice accoustic guitar intro, but Anderson's vocals just keep on droning on at the end.

BMG is a very slimey record company, that repackages old albums with new titles. BMG does not include any liner notes or background material. It is impossible to tell that this is just repackaged material. You end up buying something that you already have. BMG has a whole series of "Extended Versions" CD's from various artists, that are just tracks taken off of previously released live albums. They have done this with Little Feat, Deep Purple and Jefferson Starship.

These are live versions that we have all heard before, and are not extended versions of anything.

Misleading.

It gets three starts because it is NOT the fault of the good songs on this CD that they were mis represented.

The only REALLY necessary thing you need to know . . . If you already own Yes' "Keys to Ascension," then you already own this collection. This collection is merely a reissue of 6 of the 7 live tracks from March 1996 (missing is "The Revealing Science of God" and the two studio tracks "Be the One" and "That, That Is.")

I wonder how the reviews would have fared for this collection if these live versions of these songs were unavailable elsewhere. Probably something like this . . .

This collection starts with "SIBERIAN KHATRU" (originally from 1972's "Close to the Edge,' and with original drummer Bill Bruford). Strangely enough, it sounds a bit tired, with Steve Howe's formerly brilliant guitar work starting to drag the ensemble down tempo-wise. One gets the feeling that bass player Chris Squire and drummer Alan White are keeping the song afloat. (But frankly, most listeners won't even notice.) But the three part vocal harmonies are crisp and in tune (although they cheat at the end - Jon Anderson's voice is backed up by Rick Wakeman's keyboard rather than vocals from Howe and Squire. The repetitive nature of the guitar part can really turn off non-Yes-fans. The interest here is in the changing meters (2 sets of 8 followed by 2 sets of 7. Repeat.)

Next up is "AMERICA," another pre-White recording, originally a single released before the early 1972 breakthrough album "Fragile," and the first recording with "new" keyboardist Wakeman. It made it's first album appearance on the compilation "Yesterdays" in 1974. Things pick up a bit on this song, although it is a bit of an oddity in the yes set list - it's one of the few covers that yes has ever released (this one being a Paul Simon tune from Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends."), as well as being a non-album track. Again the three-part vocals are quite good, and Anderson sounds a bit more at ease.

Chris Squire's "ONWARD," originally from 1978's "Tormato" receives a new acoustic guitar intro from Howe which is quite nice (called "Unity," a detail missing from the non-existent liner notes for this release) . The song itself is a wonderfully dreamy gem, with excellent vocals from Anderson and Squire.

The epic "AWAKEN," (originally from 1977's "Going for the One") is masterfully executed, all members contributing meaningfully. Of note are Anderson's harp playing, Wakeman's astounding keyboards, and White's percussion. However, Squire's bass sounds even more muffled than on the rest of the album.

The classic "ROUNDABOUT," originally from "Fragile," (and also found performed live on "Yessongs," "House of Yes," "Classic Yes" and ABWH's "An Evening of Yes Music Plus") is flawlessly played, with the original intro and middle section restored (both often truncated in concert for many years), and another captivating Hammond solo by Wakeman. Even the trademark three-part vocals at the end are covered nicely.

This disc finishes off with "STARSHIP TROOPER," originally from 1971's "The Yes Album" (with original keyboardist Tony Kaye). All subsequent recordings of this classic have been vastly improved by Wakeman's solo improvisations at the end, and this one is no exception. Howe finishes off truimphantly.

As a stand-alone body of work, this CD is quite good, in spite of the poor overall sound quality of Chris Squire's usually crisp upfront bass guitar and White's undermixed drums. Anderson and Wakeman are in top form, and all vocals (including Howe's) are quite good. And there may not be a better drummer in the business than Alan White.

This is just a shortened version of the album Keys to Ascension.

Keys to Ascension was a reunion album for Yes with Anderson, Wakeman, Squire, White and Howe getting back together. It was a 2 CD set which consisted of material taken from a reunion concert in San Luis
Obisbo and two new studio tracks. This "Extended Versions" is just most of the live tracks from Keys To Ascension.

Keys to Ascension was one of Yes's worst live albums. This version of Yes had just got together for this show after being apart for almost 10 years. The group did not practice much or have time to get used to one
another again. The songs are bland and close to the studio versions. The group hardly opens up at all. The only good track was Awaken. Onward has a nice accoustic guitar intro, but Anderson's vocals just keep on
droning on at the end.

BMG is a very slimey record company, that repackages old albums with new titles. BMG does not include any liner notes or background material. It is impossible to tell that this is just repackaged material. You end
up buying something that you already have. BMG has a whole series of "Extended Versions" CD's from various artists, that are just tracks taken off of previously released live albums. They have done this with
Little Feat, Deep Purple and Jefferson Starship.

This album is essentially the live disc of KEYS TO ASCENSION,
PART 1, albeit minus one or two songs. For those of you, like
me, that didn't feel like dishing out 20 bucks for that album,
this cheapie is definitely worth having, at least for just one
song. The live version of ONWARD is positively gorgeous, with
a nice little classical guitar solo by STEVE HOWE at the beginn-
ing. I actually prefer this to the studio version from TORMATO!
This is one of the best love songs YES ever wrote! The rest of
this isn't bad either, especially the version of AWAKEN.
WORTH BUYING!

Compilation of some of the group's more well-known versions. If you are a Yes fan already, then don't bother with this album, because you already have every song and version on it. If you are new to Yes, this is a good album to buy to get a great sample of what you are in for.

Various artists have these Extended compilations made for them behind their back that are nothing more than a condensed repackaging of live material. In this case, this is steals material from Keys to Ascension. This release was not official endorced - see the discography page of yesworld.com for official releases.

If I had had a choice between purchasing this, grossly overpriced at ... for $..., or Keys To Ascension Vol. 1, with the extra "Revealing Science of God" and two studio tracks, I wouldn't have hesitated to pay twice as much for the latter.

The songs on this compilation are all really thin sounding. Steve's clean guitar tones on some parts really lessen the attack that songs like Starship Trooper and Siberian Khatru had in the studio. And dumbing down the country guitar part on Disillusion, the second song in the Starship suite, is pure sacrilege and an injustice.

A poor version of Awaken, and nearly studio copies of America and Roundabout, round out this very weak offering. In fact, the only reason it got a second star is because of the reworked Onward.

Having heard all the rave reviews over at the KTA Vol. 1 booth about how Steve reworked Onward for acoustic guitar really sparked my interest. In fact, if not for those reviews, I might never have purchased this at all. After listening to this song for the first time, I was floored. Steve's classical guitar is a work of majesty. Vocals by Jon and Chris soar above beautiful, if a bit cliché, synth washes from Rick, and the lyrics and harmonies are really moving.

Still, one song is not enough to redeem the album as a whole. Save your money and get KTA instead.

As I listened to this new Yes live CD all I could think was...oh, perhaps this should be called "KTA Live". Could someone confirm whether this is just a few of the classic tunes simply lifted off the "Keys to Ascension" album? Don't get me wrong...the music on here and the sound is great. My other theory is that these might be the same songs, just of a different set recorded during the SLO 1996 shows.

The price was right, of course, but the packaging is very thin on explanation. And what do they mean by "extended" anyway? I guess Steve's introduction to Onward might be considered an extention.

All that being said, for people not fully introduced to Yes who want to check them out cheaply, especially to hear the classic Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, White lineup, this is a great way to do it.

I don't have this cd, but I do have "Keys to Ascension" Vol 1. which has the same songs, except on this cd one live and two studio tracks are missing that are from the original "Keys" release, if the sound quality is like the "Keys" cd! this cd is well worth it at this great low price.