Starless vs Echoes

Starless

Echoes

uduwudu wrote: Both top 40 pop classics. Starless this time. Damned if I'll live without either. Oddly, if I may be permitted an observation I've yet to find a live version to equal the studio versions, official or otherwise. Many come close but it's at the climax of both numbers where concert versions don't meet the studio high. Naturally your mileage may get more gas to the dollar.

About Starless, I definitley like better the live version I heard first over the studio. I'm talking about the live version on Collectilble King Crimson Vol 1, disc 1. This one has the strongest climax of the song I have heard, over any other live version that usually pale a lot, and even over the studio version. Also, since I heard the live version before the studio one, for me the main theme, or opening theme, was made to be played by violin (and since the live versions were the original ones, it might just as well be the case). The only downstep of this particular version is that the sound quality is slightly lower than what could be found on other live versions, but if you don't listen to it right next to the other versions you might not even notice it.

About Echoes, I do agree. My main comparison is with the Gilmour solo version. Actually, for most of the song I do like Gilmour's version better. It sounds more mature and his guitar playing is stronger and all. But first, the vocals are not as soft and ethereal as the original version, which suites this song better. And most important, the come-back section after ambient screaming guitars section... it is just perfect on the studio album, and live versions just don't do it right. First, the drums, they may be stronger on Gilmour's version, but the soft way it's played on studio seems better to me. Then the guitars... I guess I could say there are two kinds of guitars here, one the U2 like guitar, and another the "heavy" guitar part (if I can make myself understood). For me, in studio Gilmour got it just right, with the "heavy" ones much stronger, and on other versions it's played much lower, or played by keyboards, and the U2-like guitars go louder... and for me it just doesn't work as great. However, the last decisive factor that makes me go with the studio version is the keyboard part on this section. On studio, it does a really wonderful melody that I can't get enough from, but in the live versions he just doesn't do it the same, he just plays some keyboards with a less defined melody that doesn't have much to do with the original one.

Starless for me but then I like KC over Floyd any day of the week....and I have always thought Echoes was a bit too long.

Both top 40 pop classics. Starless this time. Damned if I'll live without either. Oddly, if I may be permitted an observation I've yet to find a live version to equal the studio versions, official or otherwise. Many come close but it's at the climax of both numbers where concert versions don't meet the studio high. Naturally your mileage may get more gas to the dollar.

AZF wrote: "Echoes" is really great, but there's something about "Starless". It's at least better lyrically and the same guitar notes in the solo are more atmospheric than Gilmour's pleasurable solo.

I definitley don't agree about Starless being better lyrically. It might have some cool lyrics, but for me Echoes is something else altogether. Now that I think about it, it might be some of my favourite lyrics out there.

Starless, among the best songs ever recorded. I really don't hear what's so great about Echoes. 

Echoes

Both great pieces, but "Echoes" is magical.

Starless