Favorite musical epics?

[mad rhetorik]

While there have been many bands who have tried to create an "epic" song (every prog outfit worth its salt), in my mind only a few have succeeded in creating something I enjoy listening to over and over again without getting bored silly. This is especially true of songs that approach the 20-minute mark. Any band can noodle for a half-hour; it takes a great and talented band to write a composition of that length that can carry its weight and stay interesting throughout.

What are your favorite "epic" (10+ minute) cuts? Here are mine:

Pink Floyd: "Dogs" (Animals)
For me, this is the 'Floyd-defining song (and album). Of course, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is also worthy, and has an ending guitar solo that I would trade a kidney for; but what makes "Dogs" great is its superb pacing, perfect buildup, Gilmour's brilliant vocal performance in the first half, Waters' poetic and dark lyrics, and a great Gilmour solo midway in, all topped by the haunting sound of the howling dogs. The final couple of verses, toward the very end, with Waters taking the vocal lead accompanied by Gilmour and Wright on their respective instruments, is absolutely wrenching in its finality:

"Who was born in a house full of pain
Who was trained not to spit in the fan
Who was told what to do by the man
Who was broken by trained personnel
Who was fitted with collar and chain
Who was given a pat on the back
Who was breaking away from the pack
Who was only a stranger at home
Who was ground down in the end
Who was found dead on the phone
Who was dragged down by the stone

Dragged down by the stone"

King Crimson: "Starless" (Red)
This 12-minute song could not have been a more perfect conclusion to the Wetton/Bruford/Cross era of the Krim. The first 5 minutes are sublime in their mellotron-drenched beauty, with Wetton putting in one of his best vocal performances. After that, Wetton stops singing, leaving just an ominous bassline, and the song really begins. The rest of the band comes in, slowly, with Fripp playing that single note on his guitar, progressively rising with intensity as the song continues. Then when it all seems about to blow through the top, Mel Collins comes in quickly with a sax solo to save us, if only briefly. Then his sax solo comes to an end with a flourish from Bruford's drums and all freaking hell breaks loose as Fripp unleashes his screaming guitar. Finally, the song comes to a beautiful close with the return of the opening theme. Sublime.

Opeth: "The Night And The Silent Water" (Morningrise)
Although all five songs on Morningrise are worthy of the "epic" tag at 10+ minutes each, this is the best one out of the bunch. The song contains all the elements the band is known for: seamlessly executed hard-to-soft transitions, complex metal passages, Mikael Akerfeldt's combination of growling and clean singing, and great touches of acoustic folk. The chiming acoustic guitars that come in somewhere around the 2-minute mark are achingly beautiful. The real highlight, however, is the buildup from the 8-minute mark to the end, slowly going from acoustic dreamland to electricity and pounding double-bass drums, culminating in the riff to end all all riffs, with Akerfeldt reciting the last verse over it all in a hoarse whisper. The song finally drifts off to its end with a few pained, dying acoustic chords.

Allman Brothers: "Whipping Post" (Live At The Filmore East)
This 23-minute jam succeeds mostly due to its strong written framework. This particular version of the song doesn't deviate much from the 5-minute version found on their first album. I love the original-length version, and this is just as good. Berry Oakley's opening bass intro, followed by Duane and Dickey Betts' stinging guitars and Gregg's weary vocals, is a pure adrenaline rush--sometimes I will start the song over a few times, just to hear the intro. Gregg's vocals (listen to him on the choruses; truly a better white blues singer you will not find) and the guitars, duetting with Gregg's organ lines, really define this song. Easily one of the greatest blues jams I've ever treated my ears to.

Jimi Hendrix: "Machine Gun" (Band Of Gypsys)
Listening to this jam, I can understand why Miles Davis took an interest in Jimi. His guitar playing was downright unbeatable. I've listened to a lot of metal, which as a genre generally strives to sound brutal and war-like; however, when it comes to evoking images of a battlefield in my mind, Jimi, Buddy, and Billy beat them all to the punch way back on New Years Eve, 1969. That funky, M16-like guitar lick in the opening sets the stage, and is followed by Buddy's rifleshot snare. I have to be sitting down when Jimi launches into that solo at the 4-minute mark, holding that one note and turning it into an air-raid siren that just dives straight into you and leaves your ears ringing (I annoy my neighbors ; P). Jimi's vocals are quite laidback through the song; he doesn't sound like he's trying. But that's unimportant, for his guitar expresses much more than any mere words could.

EDIT: In my sleep-deprived state, I almost forgot to include Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" (Hwy. 61 Revisited). I won't bother with the verbose description for that--Dylan rules, end of story.

Oh yeah, and also the VU classic "Sister Ray" deserves a mention.

[Stone]

None.

Why can't people understand
I've got a short attention span
Short attention spaaa-aan

That's my favorite song under 10 seconds.

[mad rhetorik]

None.

Why can't people understand
I've got a short attention span
Short attention spaaa-aan

I wanna be a field day for the Sundays so they can fuck up my life
Embarass my wife, and leave a bad taste
That striped toothpaste can't remove on Monday mornings
I wanna be a target for the dailies so they can show
Pictures of me with a nude on page three, so lacking in taste
Touched up near the waist, looking as limp as Monday morning...

[Stone]

I wanna be a field day for the Sundays so they can fuck up my life
Embarass my wife, and leave a bad taste
That striped toothpaste can't remove on Monday mornings
I wanna be a target for the dailies so they can show
Pictures of me with a nude on page three, so lacking in taste
Touched up near the waist, looking as limp as Monday morning...

I like that one, but I also like these a lot too (both under 30 seconds):

I like food, food tastes good!
I like food, food tastes good!

I like food, food tastes good
I like food, food tastes good
Juicy burgers, greasy fries
Turkey legs and raw fish eyes
Teenage girls with ketchup too
Get outta my way or I’ll eat you

I like food, food tastes good
I like food, food tastes good

Gonna turn dining back into eating
I like food, food tastes good

I like food, food tastes good

and

I used all the patience I had left for you
When I wrote this down

I thought of all the things you’ve done
And came up with this thirty-second song

Wanted to express how much
I’ve missed you since you’ve gone

I thought of all the things you’ve done
And came up with this thirty-second song

I thought of all the things you’ve done
And came up with this thirty-second song

[dld]

It may not quite be a ten minute epic but its surely epocheal. That would be Al Stewart's Roads To Moscow. You feel you are there with general Gadarian's (sp??) troops in WWII. The lyrics puts you right in the shoes of the German grunt. The song takes you from the flush of early successes "The old men and women they send out to fight us, they can't slow us down" to the beating the Russian winter imposed

"...and the steely Russian skies go on (pause)
for e ~~ v ~~ e ~~ r ".

[Dave_G]

Hey dld,

why would you want a squadron of tanks?

Gas is so expensive these days it would cost a fortune to drive them.

Regards,

Dave

[nobody]

I tend not to like many long songs, especially in a rock mode. Anyone know who sang that tune that went something like...

I like short songs!
I like short songs!
I like short songs!
I like short songs!

for about 20 seconds or so?

I'm guessing classical stuff doesn't count, but I do like a few longer electronic things. Stuff like The Orb's A Huge Ever-Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules rom the Centre of the Ultraworld, which has a ridiculously long title to match is nice. When it comes to electronic stuff, especially things with a more ambient or laid back bent, I can handle much longer songs than rock stuff.

[ForeverAutumn]

It may not quite be a ten minute epic but its surely epocheal. That would be Al Stewart's Roads To Moscow. You feel you are there with general Gadarian's (sp??) troops in WWII. The lyrics puts you right in the shoes of the German grunt. The song takes you from the flush of early successes "The old men and women they send out to fight us, they can't slow us down" to the beating the Russian winter imposed

"...and the steely Russian skies go on (pause)
for e ~~ v ~~ e ~~ r ".

Nobody writes lyrics like Al Stewart writes lyrics. His words paint pictures.

Now, for the epic song of choice...just qualifying at 10:25...I have to say it's Rush's Cygnus X-1. Twisting and turning on a ride through outerspace, I have loved this song since I first heard it 27 years ago.

[3-LockBox]

While there have been many bands who have tried to create an "epic" song (every prog outfit worth its salt), in my mind only a few have succeeded in creating something I enjoy listening to over and over again without getting bored silly. This is especially true of songs that approach the 20-minute mark. Any band can noodle for a half-hour; it takes a great and talented band to write a composition of that length that can carry its weight and stay interesting throughout.

'That, That Is' by Yes is my most recent fave...rivals anything from their classic period IMO.

'Harm's Way' by Spock's Beard. Yes, The Beard does do epics very well, like 'The End Of The Day', but this one is by far their best writing effort lyrically.

'Pigs (3 different ones)' by Pink Floyd is one of this band's most compelling songs of any length.

'Terrapin Station' by The Grateful Dead is a long but sublime, trance inducing jam, and is really quite proggy, if I may use that term.

[progfan]

Genesis-"Supper's Ready" especially the live Archive Box version. Killer.
Yes-"Close to the Edge"
Jethro Tull-"Baker St. Muse" shorter than TAAB or APP but just as good, imo.
Pink Floyd-"Atom Heart Mother". Seriously!! Don't laugh!
ELP-"Karn Evil 9". It's fashionable to knock these guys, but I still love this epic.

A predictable list I guess, but I can't much get into the newer symph stuff. Listening to The Flower Kings or Spock's Beard makes me want to listen to Yes or The Beatles instead. But I do have a little bit of a soft spot for "Stardust We Are".

[ForeverAutumn]

Genesis-"Supper's Ready" especially the live Archive Box version. Killer.
Yes-"Close to the Edge"
Jethro Tull-"Baker St. Muse" shorter than TAAB or APP but just as good, imo.
Pink Floyd-"Atom Heart Mother". Seriously!! Don't laugh!
ELP-"Karn Evil 9". It's fashionable to knock these guys, but I still love this epic.

A predictable list I guess, but I can't much get into the newer symph stuff. Listening to The Flower Kings or Spock's Beard makes me want to listen to Yes or The Beatles instead. But I do have a little bit of a soft spot for "Stardust We Are".

Nice list. I haven't listened to Karn Evil 9 in years. Thanks for the reminder of a great song. Time to pull out my ELP.

[Troy]

I prefer the live version of Supper's Ready on Seconds Out. Musically, it's the tightest, most dramatic version.

Spocks Beard epics, I gotta go with "Time has Come". I love the whole junkyard thing in it. "Flow" is a strong one too.

Good call on "Baker Street Muse". And "Terrapin Station", the only Grateful Dead track that I enjoy.

[Dusty Chalk]

Nice list. I haven't listened to Karn Evil 9 in years. Thanks for the reminder of a great song. Time to pull out my ELP.

Or you can listen to this version. (Why couldn't my high school band teacher have been this cool? Actually, he was very cool, just not that cool.)

[Troy]

That version of Karn Evel #9 is really amazing. Any band with 8 vibes players is ok in my book. Yeah, rough in spots, but geez . . . that's a High School band? Wow.

[BarryL]

Here are some:

Van Der Graff Generator: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers and House With No Door
The Flower Kings: The Truth Will Set You Free
Spock's Beard: The Light
Yes: Perpetual Change
Bowie: Station To Station
Harry Chapin: Sniper
ELP: Pirates
Refugee: Grand Canyon Suite
Pat Metheny Group: As Witchita Falls, So Falls Witchita Falls
Arlo Guthrie: Alice's Resteraunt

[Dave_G]

First of all I can't believe this thread is getting up to 40 posts, pretty damn good.

Secondly, I think that Roger Waters was and is still the best member of Pink Floyd.

I have seen PF without him ( bummer ) and have seen him solo several times.

PF sans RW relies too much on lights, foof, and "show", to cover his abscence.

RW solo is killer. The R.A.D.I.O.K.A.O.S. concerts were some of the best ever.

David Gilmore of course was/is a key member, but I think PF was "Rogers Band" so to speak. Kind of like when PG left Genesis.

Any doubters need only watch the RW concert dvd called "In The Flesh". That sums it all up for me.

But all of this is just my opinion, folks.

Dave

[Dusty Chalk]

Secondly, I think that Roger Waters was and is still the best member of Pink Floyd.

I disagree completely. My favourite has well gone to Gilmour at this point. I mean, listen to the bassline of "One of these Days", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pt. ...7? is it?", and "Sheep". You say "reinvents himself", I say "repeats himself".

I have seen PF without him ( bummer ) and have seen him solo several times.

PF sans RW relies too much on lights, foof, and "show", to cover his abscence.

Dude! Have you heard about their earlier concerts? They used to depend on foof, show, lights, lasers, volume (enough to kill fish, at one particular incident), huge inflatable octopuses, and other such "spectacle" -- that's one of the reasons I love them so much. Sure, it's visual smoke and mirrors, but they've got the music to back it up. My favourite kind of concert is when it's the best of both worlds. A lost art. It's one of the reasons I liked Sigur Rós live so much -- although completely different form of visuals (mesmerizing, rather than explosive or amusing), it's still a "best of both worlds" type of scenario, and perfectly suited to their music.

But I digress...my point was, Pink Floyd have always had a flashy stage show, and are not using it to cover Roger's ommission. On the contrary, I applaud them for hiring multiple additional musicians to pull it all off live, rather than having half of it pre-recorded, as is too often the case.

David Gilmore of course was/is a key member, but I think PF was "Rogers Band" so to speak.

Hardly. He only really took over around 1978/1979 or so, during the writing of the wall. Look at the writing credits to Dark Side of the Moon, Animals and Wish You Were Here to get a better idea of whose band it is.

Kind of like when PG left Genesis.

Excellent analogy, but I don't think it makes your point, I think it makes mine.

Any doubters need only watch the RW concert dvd called "In The Flesh". That sums it all up for me.

Convinces me of nothing.

Not meant as a flame post/response, but you just said a lot of things with which I heartily disagree. Cheers.

[progfan]

On the contrary, I applaud them for hiring multiple additional musicians to pull it all off live, rather than having half of it pre-recorded, as is too often the case.

Well, they had no problem pulling it off live in the seventies without all those extra musicians. Sure, they had a sax player and couple of backing vocalists, but not 2 or 3 guitarists, 2 keyboard players, 2 percussionists, 3 backing singers, a horn player like they did recently. I had the same problem when The Who reunited for their 1989 tour. It just wasn't The Who with all those extras hanging around. Tommy sounded far too corny with all the window dressing.

He only really took over around 1978/1979 or so, during the writing of the wall. Look at the writing credits to Dark Side of the Moon, Animals and Wish You Were Here to get a better idea of whose band it is.Excellent analogy, but I don't think it makes your point, I think it makes mine.Convinces me of nothing.

Well, Gilmour is only co-credited with one song on Animals (Dogs). And Waters wrote all the lyrics for Dark Side and WYWH. The others made some contributions to the songs pre Animals, but if you tallied everything up, clearly Waters wrote the most. Personally, I don't like the idea of Floyd without both Waters and Gilmour.

And Genesis put out some great albums after PG left. What about "A Trick of the Tail" and "Wind and Wuthering"?

[Dusty Chalk]

And Waters wrote all the lyrics for Dark Side and WYWH.

Lyrics, schmyrics, I was talking about the music.

The others made some contributions to the songs pre Animals, but if you tallied everything up, clearly Waters wrote the most.

Again, I wasn't talking about the lyrics, I was talking about the music.

And Genesis put out some great albums after PG left. What about "A Trick of the Tail" and "Wind and Wuthering"?

Exactly.

[DarrenH]

Getting back to the original question. Not that there's anything wrong with a good Floyd discussion......

The Necromancer - Rush (Caress of Steel) 12:30
The Fountain of Lamneth - Rush (Caress of Steel) 19:59

I just revisited this album today and I must say this rawks. The whole album is highly under-rated imo. One of my fav Rush albums.

Baker St. Muse - Jethro Tull (Minstrel In The Gallery) 16:40

One of my most favorite Tull songs from one of my most favorite Tull albums.

Pharoah's Dance - Miles Davis (B!tches Brew) 20:05
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down - Miles Davis (B!tches Brew) 14:01

Not a lot of love for BB around here but this smokes to my ears. Great, great stuff.

Right Off - Miles Davis (Tribute To Jack Johnson) 26:54

If ya didn't like BB you might groove to this. Fantastico.

Nine Feet Underground - Caravan (In The Land of Grey and Pink) 22:40

Excellent Canterbury style riffin' and rockin'. I dig this stuff.

Salisbury - Uriah Heep (Salisbury) 16:22

This is flat out one of the best songs Uriah Heep ever wrote. It rules!

Darren

Edit: I have to add this. Can't believe I overlooked it.

Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd (Atom Heart Mother) 23:43

[Mark of Cenla]

Kansas - "Song for America"

Camel - "The Snow Goose"

Jethro Tull - "A Passion Play"

Spock's Beard - "Flow", "The Great Nothing"

Transatlantic - "Stranger in Your Soul"