Prog songs which tell a good story
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3632
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Topic: Prog songs which tell a good story
Posted By: Easy Livin
Subject: Prog songs which tell a good story
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 12:43
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There are relatively few prog tracks (as opposed to concept albums) which tell a good story from beginning to end. What are some of the best ones? Don’t be too judgmental about the music, but remember what you were taught at school, a good story has a beginning a middle and an end. (Many tracks can be very descriptive, without actually telling a story.) A couple of suggestions to start things off."The vision of the lady of the lake" by the Strawbs (From "Dragonfly"). The dramatic tale of a young man’s experiences as he faces various challenges and dangers."One for the vine" by Genesis ("Wind and withering"), a circular tale of a defector who stumbles upon another culture, and how they mistake him for a messiah. "White Mountain", also by Genesis ("Trespass") is anther good one, telling the tale of a wolf who challenges the order of the pack. |
Replies:
Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 12:47
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pallas-atlantis
"the sea boiled again as atlantis descends, to its place far below..." ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:01
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2112-Rush Incubus-Marillion Grendel - Marillion Xanadu-rush Pirates - ELP ------------- 
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Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:05
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Turn of the Century - Yes I'll second One for the Vine ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:30
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Grendel - Marillion It's a storie based on a book by John Gardner, again based on the storie of Beowulf, but with a little twist, making the "Monster" Grendel to be the Hero, and Hrothgar the evil one. To Quote Fish: "At the time of joining the band I was asked to provide lyrics for a long track the band had written with bits that had originally been in a song called "The Tower" etc. I was obsessed with a book called "Grendel" by John Gardner and the way that it points out that anything ugly is instantly scorned upon and seen as wrong." ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:33
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This is a nice thread. Good one Easy Livin To fellow contributors. Keep in mind not every body knows the songs you put forward, so a little further information on the storie would be apreciated. ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: Vegetableman
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:33
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Why Suppers Ready, of course ------------- "Mister Fripp, your music is quite different than everything else out there. In one word, how would you describe it?" "Progressive.... yeah, that's it..." |
Posted By: gdub411
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:34
I third Grendel...a great, great story! 
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Posted By: Prog_Bassist
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:55
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Grendel - Marillion
Supper's Ready - Genesis One for the Vine - Genesis Fountain of Salmacis - Genesis Xanadu - Rush ------------- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuxaD8NzaY" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuxaD8NzaY |
Posted By: Hangedman
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 13:59
The snow goose by camel... but its based on a story... and it has no lyrics... 
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Posted By: John Gargo
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 14:24
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Rush - Cygnus X-1 (off of A FAREWELL TO KINGS) Rush - Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres (off of HEMISPHERES) |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 14:24
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Rush's Red Barchetta
Beautiful encapsulation of a SF short story |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 18:57
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The Gong trilogy... Adventures of Zero the hero.
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 12 2005 at 19:09
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Well, Genesis has a lot:
Iván |
Posted By: BilboBaggins
Date Posted: February 13 2005 at 20:46
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Ripples by Genesis - a story about the ageing process. (although I can never make up my mind as to whether the 'pool' is symbolic or the events of the story. I think it is fast becoming obvious that Genesis where the King storytellers of Prog Rock. Which is somewhat ironic as Gabriel would introduce many of the songs with a little story. The only problem was the story seemed to change slightly from gig to gig and by the end of the tour it was practically a differant story!! ------------- Thoughtfullness |
Posted By: aqualung28
Date Posted: February 13 2005 at 20:55
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Delirium Corda kind of tells a story
------------- "O' lady look up in time o' lady look out of love 'n you should have us all O' you should have us fall" "Bill's Corpse" By Captain Beefheart |
Posted By: Cinema
Date Posted: February 13 2005 at 21:40
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The Gates of Delirium - Yes
South Side of The Sky - Yes Awaken - Yes Animation - Jon Anderson Cinema Show - Genesis Love Supreme - The Flower Kings Behind The Great Beyond - Glass Hammer Russia On Ice - Porcupine Tree |
Posted By: Hangedman
Date Posted: February 13 2005 at 23:32
this reminds me. All of TOTT, dont make me retype my theories on that album please |
BilboBaggins wrote:Posted By: starofsirius
Date Posted: February 13 2005 at 23:35
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Severity Town - Grobschnitt I like the story in that song. Part of a bigger story I know, but its an awesome song that does good on the storytelling. ------------- "I'm in a freefall like a snowflake falling down down down down down." |
Posted By: Valarius
Date Posted: February 14 2005 at 03:11
| Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence... Dream Theater! |
Posted By: Emperor
Date Posted: February 14 2005 at 03:21
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The epic from Rick Wakeman's COST OF LIVING album (1983, the last track) - the great ones both - and the track, and the story! Frank Zappa: Longsome Cowboy Burt. Gentle Giant - almost any track from 3 FRIENDS! ------------- I Prophesy Disaster... |
Posted By: Paco Fox
Date Posted: February 14 2005 at 04:16
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Folk rock has many story-driven songs, son The Strawbs followed that scheme in their early records. Not only 'Vision of the Lady in the Lake', but also their previous first epic 'The Battle'. Horslips' "The Tain" is a complete story, but I suspect we are talking about songs, not concept albums. |
Posted By: Trotsky
Date Posted: February 14 2005 at 04:20
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Procol Harum's Keith Reid had provided us with more than a few over the
years ... A Salty Dog, Lime Street Blues and A Whiter Shade Of Pale
(even if I still occassionally change my mind about the exact meaning
of that that acid-drenched, Canterbury Tale-influenced love song) for
starters ... but there are literally dozens ... Must admit two of my favourite story-tellers are non-proggers Al Stewart and Chris De Burgh ... ------------- "Death to Utopia! Death to faith! Death to love! Death to hope?" thunders the 20th century. "Surrender, you pathetic dreamer.” "No" replies the unhumbled optimist "You are only the present." |
Posted By: Lunarscape
Date Posted: February 14 2005 at 20:12
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Wakemans Journey To The Centre Of The Earth tells one hell of a story. ! Quite a few Pendragon Songs are pretty good stories too...
___________ Lunar ------------- Music Is The Soul Bird That Flies In The Immense Heart Of The Listener . . . |
Posted By: Big Ears
Date Posted: February 15 2005 at 10:48
| Karn Evil (or is it Eval?) 9 by ELP on Brain Salad Surgery tells of computers questioning the people that created them - 'I'm perfect, are you?'. This may sound unoriginal, but was ahead of its time in the early seventies. Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman on Love Beach is a story told through letters. It was considered inappropriate by the media, but rewards careful listening. |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: February 15 2005 at 12:40
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The story of an elderly man who's wife has recently died. In a long and desperate night see's here ghost underneath the light from a lampost outside his window is the story of The Lamplight Symphony by Kansas. ------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: frosty
Date Posted: February 15 2005 at 17:31
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Twelfth Night - Sequences. The madness that was trench warfare in WW1. |
Posted By: Paco Fox
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 03:46
That reminds me that Genesis' "Home by the sea" is about some ghosts being locked in some dreadful event of their past live and having to tell their story to anyone who enters the house. Not a proper story in the sense that it doesn't have a beginning, a middle and an end, but I read somewhere that it was inspired by an event in 'The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant', and I've always wondered if this was really so. Does anyone know? Back to the main topic, I also like Al Stewart as a storyteller. I specially love his classic 'The Year of the Cat' (Prog connection: Alan Parsons producing), wich tales how he bumped into a woman when on holiday and spent the night with her, even loosing the tourint bus. It's very romantic, and it is said the events took place just in the area where I was born in the south of Spain. |
Posted By: sigod
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 04:34
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As storytellers go, Peter Blegvad of Slap Happy/Henry Cow fame know's
how to spin a mean yarn. The track 'King Strut' from one of his later
solo albums is a cracking story about a dreamer who goes from rags to
riches with the aid of a dying man's mystery gift, only to find out
he's dreamed the entire thing while at the window of a burning mental
asylum. Wild stuff! And how can we forget Mr Waters and the Floyd...  ------------- I must remind the right honourable gentleman that a monologue is not a decision. - Clement Atlee, on Winston Churchill |
Posted By: Cluster One
Date Posted: February 16 2005 at 04:48
What Ivan said (although gotta put 'Supper's Ready' on that list as well.)Peter Gabriel is prog's ultimate story teller! ------------- Marmalade...I like marmalade. |