Top Song Ever?

I'm clueless on this one because i have so many  that i love 

Umm,off the top of my head I am going with Endless Dream by Yes.
Yes,I realize that it is on Talk and not CTTE or Fragile

Its between CTTE and Echoes for me. well, echoes or Shine On You Crazy Diamond. so hard to chose. i really dont think there's a greatest prog song ever, but those few are some of the most progressive and well composed of the bunch.

Metropolis (including SFAM)

It seems fitting that the greatest band should have the greatest song.

Genesis - Fountain of Salmacis

This song was also my introduction to Genesis. A guy in my college dorm said "you gotta listen to this", and then he played me the last song on the 2nd side of Nursery Cryme. He could have cued up The Musical Box or Seven Stones or whatever, but he chose Fountain of Salmacis. After buying the album and listening to it all the way thru, I had to agree with his choice.

Which brings up a question. :) The Musical Box is the first song on the LP. But in my case I heard the last song first. How much does being "first" have to do with one's choice of a best song? A lot, I say....

But The Musical Box? - Great song. Classic prog. The imagery, though, that Salmacis evokes along with its grandiousity (true, bordering on pretentious that may disqualify it for some) and its theme is what defines prog for me.

Tough decision.

DavinS06

Edited by DavinS06 - March 19 2008 at 21:03

DavinS06 wrote: It seems fitting that the greatest band should have the greatest song. Genesis - Fountain of Salmacis This song was also my introduction to Genesis. A guy in my college dorm said "you gotta listen to this", and then he played me the last song on the 2nd side of Nursery Cryme. He could have cued up The Musical Box or Seven Stones or whatever, but he chose Fountain of Salmacis. After buying the album and listening to it all the way thru, I had to agree with his choice. Which brings up a question. :) The Musical Box is the first song on the LP. But in my case I heard the last song first. How much does being "first" have to do with one's choice of a best song? A lot, I say.... But The Musical Box? - Great song. Classic prog. The imagery, though, that Salmacis evokes along with its grandiousity (true, bordering on pretentious that may disqualify it for some) and its theme is what defines prog for me. Tough decision. DavinS06

Hm. A good point, certainly, but not one I'd say is generally true.

I mean, take Birds Of Fire (TMO, on the album of the same name), which won a huge victory on best MO song way back. I don't think it particularly stands out above the rest of the album, but their material is all very good (almost on one level over two albums), and generally quite similar in style, so it has the advantage of being remembered more. Similarly, positioning and relative length seem to give an edge to Red or Histoires Sans Paroles (and Minstrel In The Gallery).

There's the other aspect that a band wants to make a good first impression, and so may open/close their album with what they regard as their best material (take One Of These Days in comparison to the other short tracks on Meddle). Also, plenty of songs (Script For A Jester's Tear, The Knife) are absolutely perfect openers or closers, while there are very few stunning songs that I would say suit the middle of an album.

I think that, for a lot of songs, the positioning does make a difference, but take Time or Xanadu or Toccata, and I think it'll show that generally, where there is a variety of material, easily distinguishable tracks and a variety of strength in the material, the choice won't be based on ordering.

Mecropolis2112 wrote: What about "the Odyssey" from Symphony X.. an incredible masterpice of progrock, but i can´t leave Genesis from this topic. Probably i think that i could write all the songs from Genesis with Peter, since Looking for Someone, the first track of the first "official" album, Trespass",  to "It" the last incredible song from the last incredible album with Peter Gabriel ,"The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". But if i have to choice one, only one.. (that is very difficult for many people) from Foxtrot will be my choice. all thinks that supper's ready but a very unnoticed song called "Can-Utility and the Coastliner" stole away my desicion.

This is going to require some serious study. Of all the early Genesis albums, I'm least familiar with Foxtrot.

(.......goes away and listens to Foxtrot, side one.......)

OK, "Watcher's of the Skies" ranks as one of Genesis's best , IMHO. "Can-Utility and the Coastliner" on the other hand didn't quite live up to its promise for me. Very nice start, but the long instrumental sections and attempt to build to epic grandeur seemed out of character. I think I would have prefered it short and sweet, like "Harlequin".

"Get 'em out by Friday "showed affinities with "Return of the Giant Hogweed" from Nursery Cryme, my least favorite tune on that album. I think I liked it a little better than "Hogweed" thanks to some softer sections.

"Time Tables" was also a strong number - maybe my second favorite on the side.

So, for now, "Fountain of Salmacus" from Nursery Cryme remains my top Genesis song.

DavinS06

Hard question...

Third Eye - Tool

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd