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Topic ClosedAmerica song written by Paul Simon
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Poll Question: Which of America song version do you prefer?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
15 [53.57%]
10 [35.71%]
3 [10.71%]
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SteveG View Drop Down
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    Posted: June 11 2014 at 12:00
Did you know that Renaissance did a touching version of this song as a second encore after Ashes Are Burning in the 1980's with Jon Camp's treble turned up so high that he almost sounded as if was adding electric lead phrases after Annie's verses. Camp (unashamed) always credited Chris Squire for his sound.

Edited by SteveG - June 11 2014 at 12:02
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Padraic View Drop Down
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2014 at 20:52
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

As many times as I've been up and down the Jersey Turnpike, I've never bothered trying to count cars.  :)


But you weren't on a bus!


Nor was I ever romantically involved with anyone named Cathy.
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Points: 32482 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2014 at 20:28
Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

As many times as I've been up and down the Jersey Turnpike, I've never bothered trying to count cars.  :)


But you weren't on a bus!
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2014 at 10:32
As many times as I've been up and down the Jersey Turnpike, I've never bothered trying to count cars.  :)
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Points: 12702 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 11 2014 at 08:04
Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

Never liked the Yes version.

Bowies version is ok, but the S&G's is clearly the best imo.

I agree with your assessment.
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Points: 16130 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 11 2014 at 02:13
Never liked the Yes version.

Bowies version is ok, but the S&G's is clearly the best imo.
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Points: 2466 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2014 at 14:35
its YES for me, this should've been in one of the the prog polls or something but oh well, i did hear the original version of the song by Simon & Garfunkel once while listening to the Almost Famous soundtrack one day (didn't the movie though), so maybe i need to listen it again one of these later days
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Points: 1781 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2014 at 06:03
Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:

Originally posted by BarryGlibb BarryGlibb wrote:

C'mon you guys...get off your Prog/Prog-related high horses.....the Simon and Garfunkel version is the original and the best. The others are just adding twiddly bits to a song that was already perfection. Jon Anderson's voice always irritated me and Bowie has never really done it for me either.
The 1968 Simon and Garfunkel's America is in the top 5 songs of all time.


Cooee!! BarryGlibbb ermmm... C'mon guys and "girl" actually Hey this is not a sexist topic however I must add that girls are hot too Back to topic, I have to disagree with you because your description of just adding twiddle bits (I am speechless really because I cannot even use exaggerated in this sentence lol) makes no sense especially considering that we are discussing YES and David Bowie here and what they contributed to the song.    

Sorry Kati...in the twenty tens "guys" includes females as well....I didn't mean to seem sexist. No hard feelings I hope.
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Points: 8856 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 22:36
Original, not a hard vote either. Yes version is kind of nice, but overwrought. Don't really like the Bowie version. Too British (Wink). In context, I can imagine it was a nice gesture, but, out of context, it doesn't really do anything for me.

Edited by Polymorphia - March 08 2014 at 22:38
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Points: 1458 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 18:24
The original version.
When he rides, my fears subside.
For darkness turns once more to light.
Through the skies, his white horse flies.
To find a land beyond the night.
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Points: 20477 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 10:33
Yes does a nice version , but the original by Simon is still the best imo.
Didn't care for the Bowie version at all and the '123' version was just ok.
Didn't even know 123 became Clouds. Confused
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
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Points: 6253 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:52
Originally posted by BarryGlibb BarryGlibb wrote:

C'mon you guys...get off your Prog/Prog-related high horses.....the Simon and Garfunkel version is the original and the best. The others are just adding twiddly bits to a song that was already perfection. Jon Anderson's voice always irritated me and Bowie has never really done it for me either.
The 1968 Simon and Garfunkel's America is in the top 5 songs of all time.


Cooee!! BarryGlibbb ermmm... C'mon guys and "girl" actually Hey this is not a sexist topic however I must add that girls are hot too Back to topic, I have to disagree with you because your description of just adding twiddle bits (I am speechless really because I cannot even use exaggerated in this sentence lol) makes no sense especially considering that we are discussing YES and David Bowie here and what they contributed to the song.    
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Points: 64375 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:23
Ah I love the shadowy recesses of rock history, I can smell the cardboard and vinyl now
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Points: 1781 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:22
C'mon you guys...get off your Prog/Prog-related high horses.....the Simon and Garfunkel version is the original and the best. The others are just adding twiddly bits to a song that was already perfection. Jon Anderson's voice always irritated me and Bowie has never really done it for me either.

The 1968 Simon and Garfunkel's America is in the top 5 songs of all time.
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:20
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

I seem to recall a Zep studio show or two that had an audience but I may be imagining that
Some did, but not all. 
What?
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:16
Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:


Hoh crap! I never heard of 1.2.3 band before Dean. I always thought that this song was written by Paul Simon. Thanks for letting me know, I would add them on the poll above for sure if I had known and could :) anyway all the above I mentioned, I love them all, each is different and it's hard to compare one to another really considering that their approach is so different yet brilliant. I love Bowie's most too, I cannot imagine anyone else singing as he did and being able to pull it of too. hugs
No, Paul Simon definitely wrote it. 

This 1-2-3 version is claimed by some to have been played in the Marquee in London in 1967 several months before S&G released Bookends and several years before Yes recorded their not dissimilar version. The claim is they had heard a pre-release copy of S&Gs Bookends and liked that track so much they included it in their live set. Miraculously this "tape" of 1-2-3 playing America suddenly appeared about 5 years ago. On hearing it I remarked that there was no way on this green earth that it was recorded in the Marquee in 1967. The sound quality and balance is far too perfect for the kind of "bootleg" equipment that was available at the time, there is no audience noise during the song (this is impossible in a small venue like the Marquee) and the teenage screams at the beginning and end were obviously from another recording, probably of a different band and certainly of a far larger audience than the 150-250 people that the Marquee could hold. I also find it remarkable that this is the only song that has surfaced from that recording - surely whoever tape it would have taped the entire performance. Having cast doubt upon the provenance of this recording I am now accused of focussing too much on the recording itself - which is in itself, rather odd.

The official 1-2-3 website is now claiming that their version not only influenced Yes, it also influenced David Bowie's 2001 version.
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Points: 64375 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:13
I seem to recall a Zep studio show or two that had an audience but I may be imagining that
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:10
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
some might say too quiet, even for English audiences LOL

I'd say any BBC studio sesh qualifies there
BBC studio sessions are so great. Due to a Musician's Union clause in the BBC's corporation charter a certain percentage of the music played on the radio had to be live. The BBC live sessions were a means of getting around that clause - they are recorded live in a BBC recording studio without an audience, which is why there is no audience noise.
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Points: 6253 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:07
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

^ Noted--  it's always a risk with that much music that much of it will be sub par.   No samples, but the reviews match your sentiments.   Musically and historically it looks interesting, and it's only twelve bucks.BTW, the guy on the right of the Clouds cover may be Allan Holdsworth ;Image: Old Polydor Records photo of British progressive supergroup, UK, featuring Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson.

The guy on the pic at the back in the middle looks a bit like Bill Bruford hihihi Bruford is funny and hot too!
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Points: 64375 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:01
^ Noted--  it's always a risk with that much music that much of it will be sub par.   No samples, but the reviews match your sentiments.   Musically and historically it looks interesting, and it's only twelve bucks.

BTW, the guy on the right of the Clouds cover may be Allan Holdsworth ;

Image: Old Polydor Records photo of British progressive supergroup, UK, featuring Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson.
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