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Topic ClosedTop 5 epics and why?

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ebag7125 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 00:46
I haven't heard a lot of the songs that other poeple are posting but these are my favorites:
2112 - rush- the first epic i've heard.
Cygnus X-1 book 2 - rush - Its AWESOME
Histoires san Paroles  - Harmonium - a great instrumental
One endless childish day - Dark suns  -   the best from that album (a great album)

my last one would either be Cinema Show by Genesis    or  The Odyssey by Symphony X
  i'm not sure Cinema show would be called an epic though
 
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 00:52
Originally posted by Gaston Gaston wrote:

Close to the Edge because it was Yes' creative epoch and explores so much....
Tarkus is top notch instrumentally and showcases how a trio can still pull off what it takes Yes five people to do.
Supper's Ready because of Gabriel.
And Gates Of Delirium because even the second best Yes epic is still in the top five epics of all time....

Agreed on the ones above - very good, Gaston.  What, BTW, constitutes an epic?  If it's length of time, then "All of the Above" by Transatlantic, several by Flower Kings, "Incomudro-Hymn to the Atman" by Kansas, and even "Awaken" by Yes would all qualify (not to mention that these have excellent prog musical quality).  If it is variance of themes within (e.g. making a 'suite'), then the whole album of Childhood's End (Marillion), the first (vinyl album) side of Smallcreep's Day (Mike Rutherford), the first four songs from Clutching at Straws (Marillion), would all qualify here.  There is either broad or more narrow definitions for 'epic' to be considered....
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 02:17
Without any specific order:
 
1. Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons: This is by far, the most beautiful song by Dream Theater and it's so underated.
2. Transatlantic - Duel With The Devil: A kick-ass track by this supergroup, wow!!!
3. Supper's Ready: Every single band member is awesome in this track, especially Peter Gabriel
4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond & Dogs: Pure Perfection
5. Close To The Edge: The epic that defines prog.


Edited by MadcapLaughs84 - May 04 2007 at 02:18
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 03:13
1. Awaken (Yes) - the most beautiful sounding, most mature epic I ever heard
2. Tarkus (ELP) - it's full of great musical ideas, very original and powerful
3. In Held Twas In I (Procol Harum) - the blueprint for Genesis' Supper's Ready
4. Song Of Sheherazade (Renaissance) - great storytelling music
5. Ragnarök (Cliffhanger) - great Dutch epic in the classic prog tradition
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 04:08
It's so difficult to work out what defines an epic. These are possibly my 5 favourite absolute undeniable prog masterpieces in no real order:
1.Echoes - Pink Floyd
2.Supper's Ready - Genesis
3.Close To The Edge - Yes
4.Karn Evil 9 - ELP
5.Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd
Honourable mention to Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd, Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield and The Gates Of Delirium - Yes.
These are definite epics but there are many I prefer more than those songs when the day suits me but whose titles as epics are questionable. Eg:
And You And I - Yes
The Musical Box - Genesis
Starless - King Crimson
A Saucerful Of Secrets (Live) - Pink Floyd
The Cinema Show - Genesis
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 04:26
Well...
 
Echoes/Dogs/Gates of Delirium/Close to the Edge/Baker Street Muse.
 
I don't relate to the tracks in TAAB or TFTO as to epics; I rather feel the albums are full suites, that are only divided into parts because of technical reason.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 04:51
Marillion - This Strange Engine, very moving..
Pink Floyd - Echoes, excellent vocal lines..
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick, cause it's the best 70's LP..
Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons, cause i never get bored of a single second of it
Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade Of Gray, cause it's the best prog concept ever..
-music is like pornography...

sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more...



-sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 05:06
Pink Floyd: Dogs
Pink Floyd: Shine
Pink Floyd: Echoes
Genesis: Supper Ready
Yes: Gates of delirium
The Beatles: Abbey Road b side
Marillion: the first three songs on Clutching at Straws (could even be called Clutching at Straws Suite IMO)
 
sorry, couldn't pick only 5
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 05:27
Yes - Heart of Sunrise, Just an explosion of beatiful emotion and feeling love it
Genesis - The Musical Box, Exciting thrilling and all in all a masterpiece
Beatles - A Day in a Life, Hard to explain this one just go listen to it
Camel - Lady Fantasy, Probably one of the best sounding songs of all time tonewise
Opeth - The Drapery Falls, Never fails to impress me with its beatiful melodies and its raw power


Edited by Marwin - May 04 2007 at 05:30
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 05:59
Wow this is hard (and fun). Been reading the forum a lot now, time to participate.
 
No particular order because that is really too hard:
 
 - Genesis - Supper's ready
   My first prog-epic, and still one of the best for me. Totally love it, with all it's    movemenst in different emeotions
 - Dream Theater - octavarium
   The best DT song up to date. Marvelous how they mingle old-school style prog with their masterful playiong skills and traditional DT-esque crazy parts.
 - Transatlantic - Stranger in your Soul
    Simply brilliant! Beautiful melodies, excellent musiscianship. lovin it!
 - Porcupine Tree - Anesthesize
   Maybe it is a bit too early to put such a 'young' epic in this list but this one really 
   blew  me away and kicked my ass. just  WOW Clap
-  The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini
   Modern prog, truly original and brilliant!
 
of course there are much much more brilliant epics out there. i mean Yes is not even on my list, and i love that band! And Mr neal Morse makes Marvellous epics.
 
but well, this is it
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 07:55

In no order

MOON IN JUNE====Soft Machine
HAMBURGER CONCERTO====Focus
SOLAR FIRE=====Grobschnitt
KOHNTARKOSZ====Magma
LIZARD======KIng Crimson                          Thumbs%20Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 08:04
I may be slightly influenced by the recent VdGG tour, but:
 
1. Plague of you know who - VdGG
2. Gog/magog - VdGG
3. Flight - Peter Hammill
4. Mergeulys III - VdGG
5. Sleepwalkers - VdGG
 
very parichial I know, but can't beat 'um.
Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 08:08
MIne are obvious.........the oldies must be the best I suppose....
 
  • Gates Of Delirium
  • Tarkus
  • Suppers Ready
  • Hemispheres
  • Ars Longa Vita Brevis
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 10:15
5. In the Court of the Crimson King- hmmmm... who was this by?...  For quite some time I didn't think you could end an album in a better way. The Mellotron at its finest.
 
4.  Close to the Edge - Yes  It seems that this is on almost all the lists, puzzeling how such an amazing song could have such a following...
 
3.  Super's Ready - Genesis  Not likeing this song is the cornerstone of the Nazi platform.
 
2.  The Zumbo Variations - Frank Zappa  While not an epic in the same way as most of the other songs being mentioned,  I still gett that same feeling from it.
 
1.  Red - hmmm... still can't remember their name...  Greatest way to end an album, greatest Epic, Greatest Song
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 12:21
well my favourite epics are in no particular order:

- Supper´s Ready - Genesis - My first prog epic and it still amazes me, Peter Gabriel at his best!
- Close to the Edge - Yes - It was when i listened to this music that i figured prog was my cup of tea. Simply a moment of art.
- A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers - Van der Graaf Generator - Such an emotional song, changes a lot of times and its just marvellous to hear it.
- Lizard - King Crimson - The beggining with Jon Anderson is something everyone should hear if that someone likes prog like we do. Someone that dont kknow this song fails to really know king crimson and therefore one of progs best moments.
- Gates of Delirium - Yes - Thinking again this music is probably prog´s best epic, and even I´m not sure about that, but this song kicks ass.

and now mention to other outstanding epics like Cignus X-1 book II, 2112, Larks tongues in Aspic, Karn Evil 9, La Rossa, The Sleepwalkers, Anglagard's Hostsejd, Nektar's A Tab in the Ocean, Echoes, Awaken, The revealing science of god, and i think thats enough for now.


Happy Family One Hand Clap, Four Went On But None Came Back
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 12:59
1. A Passion Play by Jethro Tull because I am a sucker for obtuse religious symbolism.

2. 2112 by Rush because it was one of my first epics and also I am a big Ayn Rand fan.

3. Lady Fantasy by Camel because of the beautiful melodies.

4. Lizard by King Crimson because it is an underrated masterpiece.

5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd for obvious reasons.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 13:09
Originally posted by NutterAlert NutterAlert wrote:

 
1. Plague of you know who - VdGG Whom? Voldemort Wink?
.
 
Here we go then:
 
1. A Plague of Death Eaters, I mean, Lighthouse KippersWink - Hats before Mr Hammill, his ingenious introspections in lyrics and most creative music in whole prog
2. Close To The Edge by Yes - definitive progressive symphonic song, a song deducted from nature, from birds' song, incorporating almost every style except flamenco
3. Meurglys III by Van Der Graaf Generator- to start with a fugue and end with a reggae with some of the greatest jazz - rock inside and tasty lyrics - these guys are crazier than Einstein with Feynman combined
4. Nine Feet Underground by Caravan - sheer freedom, laughter, jazz, different parts smoothly joined and vocals of Richard Sinclair and canons
5. Second Life Syndrome by Riverside - see how cleverly the group claiming its style to be prog metal and NOT neoprog follow Pink Floyd musically and Marillion lyrically and it ROCKS
 
Of course it is strictly personal and based on my recent tastes and there is no space left for King Crimson, ELP, Museo Rosenbach, Eloy, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, The Flower Kings, Peter Hammill, Transatlantic, IQ and loads more 
yet you still have time!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 14:33
Close To The Edge - Yes
Karn Evil 9 - ELP
A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers - VdGG
Supper's Ready - Genesis
Lizard - King Crimson
Gates Of Delirium - Yes
Thick As A Brick - Jethro Tull
Tarkus - ELP

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 14:44
Yes - Close to the Edge: concise and straight as a song, full of energy
VDGG - Meurglys III: I'm fond of minimalism
Kraftwerk - Autobahn: would you consider it an epic? I do: the ultimate electronic epic
Rush - The Fountain of Lamneth: not really an epic, more a concept, but so many beautiful tunes here...
Banco - Il giardino del Mago: I love its deeply Italian flavour
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2007 at 14:57
In no particular order :
 
The Gates of Delirium - Yes
The best thing Yes ever recorded, perfectly constructed, everything in it's place, every musician shines.  My favorite part is the instrumental chaotic section.
 
Xanadu - Rush
A shorter epic, but Rush's greatest in my humble opinion.
 
Jack Luminous - Voivod (from the album The Outer Limits)
That's right, Voivod !!!  Clocking in at nearly 18:00 minutes, this epic remains, to this day (in my humble opinion) the most original progressive metal epic ever made.  Maestro Piggy's best creation, for the songwriting as well as the sounds he used.  MANDATORY LISTENING FOR EVERYONE INTO PROG METAL !!!
 
Starless - King Crimson
This song never fails to give me the goosebumps, from it's beautiful, melancholic overture to the breathtaking finale, the best KC song for me.
 
Tie between Echoes, Atom Heart Mother, Shine on you Crazy Diamond and Animals by Pink Floyd.  The epics that defined prog epics.
 
"One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio
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