What song would you have shortened or excluded
 

So in 1987 the Tusk album was released in CD for the first time (or so I read) and "it featured the edited 4:37 version of Sara which leaves out the middle verse and musical bridge". Didn't find the reason but I guess it was because of technical limitations at that time (already resolved nowadays). I got the CD in 1992 (before that I had the tape that didn't sound that good). So I was really upset about finding Sara shortened.

So do you agree with that decision, and if not, what song would you have cut or deleted? Probably, as fans, we would have preferred a double cd edition, but let's suppose, for this poll, there were just those 3 options.

I voted to shorten “Sisters of the Moon” instead of “Sara.” You could lop off the second verse of the former and save a minute or so, or you could lop off the transitional verse (“Some call her sister of the moon. . .”). Would I want to ideally? No. But better to cut that than “Sara” for the album’s atmosphere and mystery, to which “Sara” makes the greater contribution. Editing “Sara” was like wresting it out of the sea of love and hauling it onto dry land. The album is the most sensual thing that configuration ever did — I bet countless people have made love to “Sara.” But who would make love to “Sisters of the Moon”? Thump-thump-thump in 4/4 isn’t what you’d call erotic, even though it has other powers (Jim Ladd used to say it had “totemic” power as a symbol of Stevie Nicks). “Sara” is water bound, “Sisters” is earth bound. “Sara” is chthonic fertility, “Sisters” is seasonal crop yield. “Sara” is oysters on the half shell, “Sisters” is standing rib roast (with a mustard peppercorn crust). “Sara” is a mermaid, “Sisters” is a yeti. “Sara” is Bed, Bath, and Beyond, “Sisters” is Hobby Lobby.

Everyone will flame me on the Ledge if I say, The Ledge could have been removed from the album Tusk. Its still my least favorite of the album. I don't hate it as much as I used to but after a fresh listen to Tusk in its entirety last month, I learned its still my least favorite song on the album.
I dont think any Tusk songs are unusually long.

The Ledge is such great Lindsey-hating-on-Stevie and it's got bounce and pep.
I'd vote to get rid of Save Me a Place.

Just another reason to flame on you! I love that song!!

The Ledge is awesomeness!

I'd vote to LENGTHEN Think About Me, and shorten Sara, and kick Storms off the album.

:laugh:


I would speed up That's All For Everyone and Walk A Thin Line to 1.5 speed (try it on YouTube), making them more accessible and shaving off the 2 minutes or so needed for Sara to do her drowning in full and rightful glory.

But if Lindsey wouldn't have that, I vote to boot Never Make Me Cry instead. Doubt Christine would shed any tears: "Go and do what you want. I'll be alright." The track as it appears on the album is an airy afterthought, an echo of Songbird, like something they threw together after their studio lease had expired and the crew and instruments were half out the door. I'd miss the instrumental bridge but that's about it.

I vote to add a longer version of Oh Daddy to the album. A much longer instrumental ending version. Maybe as long as Stairway to Heaven or something.

You would have to ask Christine to add a longer second verse to Think About Me. The song works perfect the way that it is.
Not a coincidence IMHO that the best song Think about me is along side the worst song The Ledge. After listening to the WTF song, the conventional Think About Me starts right up.

Question: When you grew up in Indiana, did you bale hay to the song The Ledge? I picture someone in long overalls with a piece of hay in the corner of their mouth feeding the livestock to the song. Could that possibly be you?

If one had to go, I'd definitely cut Not That Funny. Easy decision for me.

I ain't never baled no hay. Most of my cousins have, though. They called me "college boy".

They did it right: they shortened the one song that was already shortened on the 45 single. It wasn’t ideal but all the other songs, regardless of the varying quality, needed to be on that early cd release.

I do love Sara, but I never even noticed it was shortened.

They left out the “Hold on, the night is coming…” section :(

But they made the right decision. No other song on the album should have been sacrificed.

(until I looked at the album's/cd's running track times)

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't the full version of Sara appear on the Greatest Hits album? I remember this discussion when the band appeared on Rockline in 1988.
The full version is on the album but in the primitive early days of CD, they could not fit all the songs on Tusk so they shortened Sara.