Just curious. Do you like the nightbugs versions of "Eliot" and "Weight" or the Blue Parade and Universe versions?

I think I like the Nightbugs ones because there seems to be more confidence in her voice and a different energy behind them.

I agree with you on that. I think there is more freedom in here voice -- she sounds less constrained on nightbugs -- more sure of herself, and plus, I think the producing on that album was fantabulous.

The Blue Parade and Universe versions are for me... I'm just not fond of the vocal style she adopted for Night Bugs.

Myself, I have to go with the Nightbugs version of "Weight" and the Blue Parade version of "Eliot." Especially "Eliot", I love the Nightbugs version, but the Blue parade version seems to trust the song more without orchestration.

i definately liked the night bugs' versions better. not sure why, really. maybe its because theyre both so much more dramatic than previously....and i love that about sarah's performing. i can just see her swaying and gyrating (for lack of a better word) around the piano, sooooo passionate

[quote:2bb4c6d2ed="spiffylike"]I agree with you on that. I think there is more freedom in here voice -- she sounds less constrained on nightbugs -- more sure of herself, and plus, I think the producing on that album was fantabulous.[/quote:2bb4c6d2ed]

yeah, especially in the lines "How sure, how right can anyone one be on sight I said I had hope I lied" sooo powerful! and "what a vacant breath when you say my name" has a little more edge to it.

(ive decided to expand on earlier statements...)

i do agree with you Pilgrim...there is a completely different energy behind the versions on night bugs...
for elliot, the blue parade version is quite light hearted and has a really romantic feel to it. its like she just met elliot, at that point, and was all over him, falling in love with him, etc....staring up at the stars dreamily...."i said i had hope....i lied" the way she says it there is like, what does it matter? im so in love! everything sounds inconsequential in that tone...and i think the accordian really adds to that aire

then you get to night bugs, and it just comes out more confident, like you said...a new perspective in life....to me, it almost seems like she and elliot had a falling out, and shes become bitter towards him (this is just my take on things...dont get me wrong...just how i interpret it all).
sounds more grown up...with a more realistic view of the world around her. she really paints a different picture of the "buldings, with people and they rip at the seems...dont they, dont they know....?" like shes realized the true situation around her...and shes more desperate to show them whats going on...

mmmm

colleen~

[quote:8fabff0650="pilgrim"]
yeah, especially in the lines "How sure, how right can anyone one be on sight I said I had hope I lied" sooo powerful! and "what a vacant breath when you say my name" has a little more edge to it.[/quote:8fabff0650]

If it makes more sense, I think she's breathier..I don't know -- I just think that although she definitely does seem to have different vocal qualities in both versions, I am a fan of a more expanded, lyrical voice. I think her vocals in Weight on Universe were comparatively flat. Who knows whether or not which vocal style is more 'her' -- I suppose it's only Sarah who would know that

hehe "breathier". Yeah that makes sense. I know what you mean. "Expanded" is a good way to put it. She sounds more free.

I'm not sure if I know the non-night bugs of 'Eliot' but for 'Weight', I got to know the first one first and later heard the 'Night Bugs' version and I loved that more when I heard it but comparing both, I think I like the original because she dives right into the song as if, as someone said, there are no limitations to what the song is.

definately the nightbugs version, but for completely personal reasons. the first time i saw her, it was just after the nightbugs release, so that's what she was playing. and that night changed my life forever. i have not been the same person (in a GREAT way) since i saw her performing her songs that night. i still get goosebumps thinking about it!

I have JUST heard the other non-nightbugs versions.

They don't sound as energetic as the new ones. Night bugs is full of life and confidence.

So this is (for some reason) the first time since this was posted that i pulled out my old albums... I think I definitely like the newer version of Eliot, simply because the older version has a bit of a fake sound to it (eek.. MIDI keyboard!)... it's still beautiful but Night BUgs definitely crisps it up a bit...
Conversely, I prefer the older version of Weight, because it's so raw... there's something about the raw-ness that conveys reality.

I like the "Night Bugs," versions better, I agree with my invitation.

I should really listen to Universe.. I haven't in a while.. and I love the song Universe, one of my faves.

well, now that i've gotten copies of Universe and Blue Parade and have given them some serious listening, I can contribute my thoughts on this thread.

I should state first off that both songs, both versions are wonderful.

Having said that, I prefer the BP version of Eliot over the NB version. There seems to me to be more fragility in her voice and that combined with the rawer production values give a more emotional sense of the story to me. And I like the accordian on the BP version as well.

wrt Weight, I'm leaning towards the NightBugs version. What I like about this song in general is the pulsing piano based rhythm of it. And the richer production on NB gives the song more "weight", as it were...

...jim