MR

And you've probably seen this one. This is one of two single edits of Come Sail Away. This one just knocks out "The Odyssey" - there is one out there that cuts it down to 3:07 or something that cuts outs both "The Odyssey" and the entire second verse (childhood friends). That, IMO, is a complete travesty. Cutting the Odyssey is bad enough, but losing the entire second verse really bastardizes the song. Billy Joel - "It was a beautiful song, but it ran too long, if you're gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5MAg_yWsq8

And if you want to hear the 3:05 Piano Man edit, here it is. Totally changes the song IMO. Go to 34:01 of the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXT4PEAuaGw

They play this short version up here a lot. Ugh, irks me each time.

brywool wrote:They play this short version up here a lot. Ugh, irks me each time.

Which one? CSA or Piano Man? And if CSA which of the two short versions - the 4:30 version or the 3:00 version?

Toph wrote:

brywool wrote:They play this short version up here a lot. Ugh, irks me each time.

Which one? CSA or Piano Man? And if CSA which of the two short versions - the 4:30 version or the 3:00 version?

The one that cuts out the second verse AND the synth solo. Ridiculous.

brywool wrote:

Toph wrote:

brywool wrote:They play this short version up here a lot. Ugh, irks me each time.

Which one? CSA or Piano Man? And if CSA which of the two short versions - the 4:30 version or the 3:00 version?

The one that cuts out the second verse AND the synth solo. Ridiculous.

Travesty. Why they did that much of a hatchet job on that song, I have no clue. I can understand that 6:00 is too long for a single , but eliminating the middle odyssey instrumental should be the only fix. Then you have a 4:40 single which was perfectly acceptable then. Why did they need to go to such extremes I have no idea.

Toph wrote:
Travesty. Why they did that much of a hatchet job on that song, I have no clue. I can understand that 6:00 is too long for a single , but eliminating the middle odyssey instrumental should be the only fix. Then you have a 4:40 single which was perfectly acceptable then. Why did they need to go to such extremes I have no idea.

Because the American attention span is .... oh! Look at the kitty!

Travesty.? You make it sound equal to the black plague or the locusts.
If some station played the 4 min. version and it made somebody buy the album,
it doesn't sound half bad to me.
And then the shopper will be in for a nice surprise when they hear the actual song.

gr8dane wrote:Travesty.? You make it sound equal to the black plague or the locusts.
If some station played the 4 min. version and it made somebody buy the album,
it doesn't sound half bad to me.
And then the shopper will be in for a nice surprise when they hear the actual song.

I wouldn't want the 3 minute version representing me. We already know your musical taste needs improving anyway, and you continue to prove it with some of the comments you make.

Toph wrote:

gr8dane wrote:Travesty.? You make it sound equal to the black plague or the locusts.
If some station played the 4 min. version and it made somebody buy the album,
it doesn't sound half bad to me.
And then the shopper will be in for a nice surprise when they hear the actual song.

I wouldn't want the 3 minute version representing me. We already know your musical taste needs improving anyway, and you continue to prove it with some of the comments you make.

OK,I'll try again.
Would you rather sell an album as an artist or not?
If some radio stations only played the 4 min. version,and the listener of that radio station,
bought The Grand Illusion,then the edited version has done it's job.An album sold.
When I say 'It doesn't sound half bad ',I mean that the outcome of the edited single made a sale,
which is really what you want,isn't it.I did not refer to the listening experience between the 2 editions.
Is that clearer.?

gr8dane wrote:

Toph wrote:

gr8dane wrote:Travesty.? You make it sound equal to the black plague or the locusts.
If some station played the 4 min. version and it made somebody buy the album,
it doesn't sound half bad to me.
And then the shopper will be in for a nice surprise when they hear the actual song.

I wouldn't want the 3 minute version representing me. We already know your musical taste needs improving anyway, and you continue to prove it with some of the comments you make.

OK,I'll try again.
Would you rather sell an album as an artist or not?
If some radio stations only played the 4 min. version,and the listener of that radio station,
bought The Grand Illusion,then the edited version has done it's job.An album sold.
When I say 'It doesn't sound half bad ',I mean that the outcome of the edited single made a sale,
which is really what you want,isn't it.I did not refer to the listening experience between the 2 editions.
Is that clearer.?

That makes sense, but I think it was a missed opportunity. If you cut the odyssey middle and fade out faster at the end, you can accomplish the same thing without cutting out the entire second verse and adding in that cheesy keyboard transition at the end of the first verse into the "angels" guitar lick.

Styx seems to be a lot of missed opportunities ,old and new.
Too bad the maxi-single was not invented 10 years earlier and Styx with CSA,
could have had 3 or 4 alternative editions for the radio convenience.

gr8dane wrote:Styx seems to be a lot of missed opportunities ,old and new.

One of them being captured live. Caught in the act was ok but it was too late by then in
my opinion of course

Everett wrote:

gr8dane wrote:Styx seems to be a lot of missed opportunities ,old and new.

One of them being captured live. Caught in the act was ok but it was too late by then in
my opinion of course

Oh yeah....Derek Sutton REALLY missed the boat on that one. Especially in video format.