a thought about aCoS

[gabeh1018]

this may have been brought up before, but after listening to the original version of aCos, the live version(from a tase of memories) a few things came to mind.

A. too bad the drums weren't more powerful sounding on the official release. Hearing the snare and kick in this live version gives the song more energy that I feel the track sometimes loses. Anyone else agree the snare is too thin sounding on the 95 release.

B. there are awesome parts that god taken out for some reason, especially that unison towards the later half of the song
C. the solos in this version that take place of what is on the official recording are more pure awesomeness on the live original version.

D. the only thing that got touched up which needed it and actually benefited were the vocal melodies, which are obviously far superior in the 95 release.

thoughts, opinions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKGQ3Uw1rvU

[bosk1]

You don't say which live version, so it's hard to tell what you are listening to to make your comparison.  But for me, having heard most if not all versions of the song, I prefer the live version on Live Scenes From New York to anything else.

[gabeh1018]

You don't say which live version, so it's hard to tell what you are listening to to make your comparison.  But for me, having heard most if not all versions of the song, I prefer the live version on Live Scenes From New York to anything else.

I  edited my original post but I am referring to the version on the official bootleg release of a tase of memories whatever version that may be. 

[Dublagent66]

^Never heard of that version, but I agree with Bosk that the LSFNY version is the best from what I've heard.

[Elite]

You don't say which live version, so it's hard to tell what you are listening to to make your comparison.  But for me, having heard most if not all versions of the song, I prefer the live version on Live Scenes From New York to anything else.

Really? More so than the studio recording?
I always thought it was very clearly audible that the band was completely knackered from their 2.5 hour performance prior to ACOS. It sounds lifeless and tired, to me. It's good, sure, but I think the studio recording is a lot better.

[snowdog]

I had a bootleg of the original version that was played a few times on the I&W tour.  I was very familiar with that version and so the studio version took me a bit to get used to.  Some of the things I was very fond of were cut/changed.  I particularly liked some of the instrumental stuff in the 2nd half of the song.  I also preferred Moore's solo, though what Derek did definitely fit him better and I don't have a problem with it.  I still prefer the line "Another time like this can't be found" to "Cherish your life while you're still around". 

The studio version definitely has superior vocals for obvious reasons.  I also prefer the intro they added to the studio version.  Overall I do prefer the studio version.  I think this is a good example of why playing a song prior to it being officially released/completed is a bad idea.  Fans are going to end up with recordings of them and become attached to them.  In the end they can easily be disappointed with the end result.

[Chino]

I havent listened to any versions of this song in a while. But if I remember correctly, the line "we can hope for a future, but there may not be one" was delayed slightly in the LSFNY version. There was more emphasis on it. For some reason that little change always sounded more superior to the studio track.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

Totally agree on the snare sound brought up in the OP. It's way too thin--the one time (except for the obviously underproduced WDAU) that Portnoy's snare sound doesn't really cut the mustard for me.

[wasteland]

You don't say which live version, so it's hard to tell what you are listening to to make your comparison.  But for me, having heard most if not all versions of the song, I prefer the live version on Live Scenes From New York to anything else.

The live performance he linked is off the Dreambill show. The other 93 performance is just the same, except for James, who was quite struggling that night.

I have to say that I agree with the OP, especially on this point:

B. there are awesome parts that god taken out for some reason, especially that unison towards the later half of the song

Yet, as bosk remarked, there is no other officially released performance better than LSFNY's, which is the one I listen to the most.

On a side note, I would like to ask a question to bosk or anyone else who attended the Roseland show: was the Dead Poet Society Intro actually played and edited out the release or they went straight on ACOS after the encore break?

[Ben_Jamin]

I really liked the way they did The Inevitable Summer on the Ytsejam release better than the studio. but ACOS LSFNY is amazingly great, just the way they transition from sections makes them have more oomph.

[Lionheart1827]

If I remember correctly, David Prater also did ACOS album as well, so that may explain the snare.

I like the official studio ACOS, in every way except for the instrumental section that was cut. You can hear it on the 1993 NYC official bootleg album. It starts at 13:50 and goes to 16:35. I've always loved this part of the song, especially Petrucci's leads here.

[senecadawg2]

I love all the live versions, but somehow I don't love them quite as much as the studio release. Its just so perfect, and I have trouble imagining it being improved in any way.

[Perpetual Change]

You don't say which live version, so it's hard to tell what you are listening to to make your comparison.  But for me, having heard most if not all versions of the song, I prefer the live version on Live Scenes From New York to anything else.

Yup, this. Sound-quality wise it's worlds better than Prater's.... interesting... production choices. But I also enjoy the way James fights through the song vocally (it's very impassioned) and the changes made my JR (ragtime), JM (baseball), and JP(simpsons) to their "solo" sections actually add to the meaning of the song.