YES "Fly From Here" with re-recorded vocals in 2017?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Musician95616, Dec 5, 2016.

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  1. SJB

    SJB Beloved Parasitic Nuisance

    Reminds me of this story from a few years back:
    https://entertainment.theonion.com/...ly-finishes-watering-down-long-awa-1819567529
    "No matter how many times we recorded the new single 'Sitting Down (Hands At My Side),' there was still a certain 'oomph' coming through in the drums, a loud-ish, slightly gripping sound that we couldn't remove," drummer Paul Doucette said. "Finally, after running them through about two dozen filters, we managed to get that 'plastic spork hitting mashed potatoes' sound we were after."
     
  2. SonicBob

    SonicBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Virginia
    All of this talk about Fly from Here has me listening to it again, thanks everyone!:wave:
     
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  3. RangerXT

    RangerXT Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I think Horn just wasn't used to extensive touring. Had they lowered the key for a few classic yes songs, Horn wouldn't have struggled vocally so much (I believe Squire refused to lower the key, which forced Horn to struggle through some of the songs). That being said, I never felt his voice was THAT bad. He actually sounds a lot like Anderson in my opinion.

    It just saddens me that no decent recordings exist. I've heard that the equipment they used to record the FM broadcast at the Madison Square Garden was very low tech compared to what is normally used for radio broadcasts. What a huge freaking oversite!
     
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  4. vinylphile

    vinylphile Forum Resident

    I actually really like Trevor’s vocals on Drama. Huge Yes fan but have never really liked Anderson’s vocals a whole lot. What makes Yes vocals good are all the harmonies IMO.
     
  5. Sadcafe

    Sadcafe In the kingdom of the deaf, one eared man is King

    I have just seen Trevor play live at the Sunday for Sammy in Newcastle at the Arena. What a thrill. Did Video Killed in fine voice.
     
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  6. Thoughtships

    Thoughtships Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon, UK
    I adore the Producers album. One of my favourites of this decade. And yes, Horn is brilliant on it. Well worth seeking out the 2 CD version for the cool extras, too.
     
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  7. That's the one you HAVE to have since it's got the best version of the best track, "Garden of Flowers."
     
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  8. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    I wonder if the broadcast was a very last-minute decision by either party.

    They definitely could've tuned down 1/2 step...now every band does that, but maybe back in 1980 the practice wasn't acceptable in rock circles yet (aside from bands like Kiss who did it on their studio albums).

    I think Horn sounds okay on the recordings I have, but you can definitely tell he's reaching beyond his natural limits on the old songs, and it'd affect his vocal health pretty quickly as the tour went on. Poor guy.
     
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  9. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Tuning down for a vocalist never made a lot of sense to me. I can see some tunes being a problem, but just how many songs have melodies where a vocalist needs to hit the top semitone they can hit? Isn't it kind of ridiculous to initially write every tune so that it includes the highest semitone the vocalist can hit?

    Bob: "Joe, what's the highest pitch you can possibly sing in tune?"
    Joe: "C#5"
    Bob" "Cool beans. I'm going to write melodies with a crapload of C#5s in every tune we do."

    Who does that?
     
  10. Andy Smith

    Andy Smith .....Like a good pinch of snuff......

    Never understood the distain for Trevor Horn. I dig ‘Drama’.
     
  11. Thoughtships

    Thoughtships Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon, UK
    And get the earlier CD single of Barking Up The Right Tree as well, for a different version of that song and Freeway.
     
  12. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Yes and Journey? :laugh: (And King Diamond)
     
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  13. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    This is just speculation, but I get the impression that a lot of record producers, if not the performers themselves, find higher vocal ranges more immediate and "exciting"--I think I've heard terms like "concert range," implying a vocal range that will stand out from (or perhaps up to) the rest of the instruments. In addition, I think a vocalist might have little problem singing certain notes in a recording session where it might take days of takes to record a single track, but having to sing them night after night, along with more than a dozen other songs, in deafening conditions, might be another story entirely. And then there's the inevitable issue of aging, where most voices tend to get lower. While it might be nice for studio recording producers to take these factors more into account and record in lower keys to begin with, I have zero problem with vocalists doing what they need to do to preserve their fragile voices. The idea of an instrumentalist refusing to make adjustments for the health of a singer's voice strikes me as abusive. If the story about Chris doing this with Trevor is true, I'm shocked that Trevor was willing to go on--I think he should have refused to perform unless his vocal health were given proper respect.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2018
  14. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    Yeah...what's with all the bashing of FFH? It's a great record. It's better than anything Jon Anderson has done in the last couple of decades.
    I think it's possible that Horn would have recorded this originally if they didn't already have Benoit at the time. Not saying joining YES just recording this record with them. That's just an assumption on my part but it explains Trevor re recording the vocals.
     
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  15. My take is that Trevor's been going through a bucket list of sorts in recent years, including a return to live performing with various groups and even revisiting the Buggles' material, with much of Fly From Here intended for Adventures In Modern Recording (or at least that was before Geoff Downes left to join Asia). Prior to this, a large portion of the album's tracks were meant to be the immediate follow-up to Drama until Yes also imploded, so I get the feeling that being able to tackle these songs 100% - or as close as possible - is his way is a case of settling unfinished business, as every prior released version of the basic songs was compromised in some way.
     
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  16. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    Look, like it or not, DRAMA is a truly great Yes album, it really is. Trust me on this one.
     
  17. tedhead

    tedhead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Space City
    Unless I missed something or a post was deleted, I don't think anyone in this thread has bashed Drama, or FFH for that matter. I'm curious as to how Trevor will sound with his vocals since that should have been the plan to begin with. I'd have had Trevor sing FFH in the studio, and let Benoit handle the touring load.

    I remember an interview (I believe in one of my old issues of Prog Magazine) where Benoit said that he was stressed about writing and that was the real reason he was sacked anyway (Chris told him to smoke a joint to help his writing :biglaugh:). He was from a Yes tribute band, and shouldn't have been expected to write anyway. This way, FFH could be the true followup to Drama, and Trevor Horn wouldn't have to worry about another tour straining his vocals (although I think folks would have been kinder to him now than back in 1980).

    After ABWHS, the Drama lineup is either my second favorite Yes lineup, or at least ties with the Relayer lineup depending on my mood. Machine Messiah, Run Through The Light (those synths :o), and Tempus Fugit are up there with any of the classics they played to death on the radio.

    FFH was a nice followup. I was extremely happy to get that and King Crimson's "Projekct" Scarcity of Miracles within a month of each other back in 2011. It was even nicer to hear them both live as well.
     
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  18. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Everyone whose range shrinks as they get old.
     
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  19. Aggie87

    Aggie87 Gig 'Em!

    Location:
    Carefree, AZ
    Is somebody arguing that?
     
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  20. altaeria

    altaeria Forum Resident

    I get that. I’m a huge Hendrix fan, except for all the guitar playing.
     
  21. RangerXT

    RangerXT Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Anderson naturally sings very high. Try singing to yes songs at the notes he hits. Hard if you're not a vocalist with a naturally high voice.
     
  22. RangerXT

    RangerXT Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Just want to point out that my mentioning of this is me going by memory from one of Henry Potts' footnotes to the Drama album on his website: Drama

    Not sure if it's entirely confirmed or not, but Henry Potts tends to know his **** when it comes to Yes.
     
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  23. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    I've read the claim in many places over the years as well, and agree with you about Henry Potts. I didn't say "if true" in order to cast doubt on your veracity, but just out of general caution that unless we were actually there, we don't know for sure what really went on.
     
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  24. SonicBob

    SonicBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Virginia
    Ok. so, I've been listening to Fly from Here, the album, for the last two days comparing it to Heaven and Earth. I'm convinced that Fly From Here is superior and yet, at the same time, I can't help but draw comparisons to it and Drama. Trevor Horn's production and involvement within the development of material brought to Fly From Here's eventual issue as newer Yes product is obviously a main factor in comparison.

    With that being said, I would like to offer a speculative, but constructively critical opinion as to why Yes are remixing and rerecording the vocals for this release, which is now going on seven years of age. I see that on Amazon, a current(used) copy of Fly From Here on CD is available at the low price:rolleyes: of $39.95+shipping cost. It's my belief that the reason why there is a reissue with Trevor's newly grafted vocals replacing Benoit David's is a financial decision and possible legal one at that, considering Benoit left or quit the group back in 2012 and was effectively done with Yes for any and all contractual stipulations, responsibilities and perhaps, royalties. I've noticed how the Live from Lyon release has also been promptly buried and was the other product made available during his short stint with the group.

    Personally, I think this tactic, if that is the case, is incredibly selfish and shameless on the part of Yes, Inc. But as Bill Bruford once said, to paraphrase, Yes is forever guided financially when it comes to performing, recording and group activity, being flooded with managers, lawyers and accountants wanting to give their sixth pen 'o worth on how decisions are made. I think it's a bit sad in this respect, that Yes functions on a form of dysfunction in several areas and aspects of its career. Anyone else think that Howe & Co. decided to rerelease Fly From Here because of the reason I just gave? I don't think I'm too far off the mark here, but please, indulge me.
     
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  25. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    You know, this could very well be true. YES has ALWAYS made bad business decisions. I still think it's Trevor just wanting to make his material his own if you know what I mean. It's not like this will sell 500,000 copies so that they would have to pay out major coin to a former member. Benoit only had a minor writing credit on FFH anyway.
    Either way I'm looking forward to it's release.
     
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