Epics easily loved

Epic songs were cool. in fact I was just influenced before and after I was able to listen there
I came to realize and appreciate the beauty of those epic songs.

I was just in my secondary grade when I come across with that type of songs. And that
really amazed me. When we all think of epic songs, what comes to our mind is that this
song features rich, poetic storytelling, an epic that captures the imagination of all who
are privy to it's lyrical melody.



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crimson87 wrote: Now you have The Flower Kings that write two epics at least per album , but none of them has the quality of one from the golden era.

In your opinion.

There's been a few off-hand comments about TFK in this thread which is a shame.

I'll list a few Flower Kings epics that I love every bit as much as any 70s classic:

Garden Of Dreams
The Truth Will Set You Free
I Am The Sun
Devil's Playground
Monsters and Men
Stardust We Are
Humanizzimo

To me, those are glorious epics, beautifully played and superbly composed. They sound natural and organic - like the band are meant to be playing this kind of music rather than the painting-by-numbers prog we get from less gifted musicians.

Even if you don't think those tracks are quite as good as Supper's Ready or CTTE (etc), they should still be applauded for continuing to fly the flag for the prog epic. And maybe if you could just accept that you don't enjoy them quite as much as the 70s classics then you could be enjoying this band rather than criticizing them.

Personally speaking, I feel absolutely blessed to know this band exists and to hear them constantly producing music that I enjoy every bit as much as the bands that I grew up with.




Edited by Nov - June 06 2009 at 10:31

What about PT's Russia On Ice ? It's beautiful all the time. And by the way, is it just my opinion, or are most of people overlooking Lightbulb Sun for others, like Fear of the Blank Planet. But nevermind, they all are good except one. I listened it once and I instantly started to hate this album. Their first. It's abomination of their otherwise good music.

DT's Metropolis part 2, could it be considered as a epic ? It's concept album, so maybe ...

Lenghth of Script for the Jester's Tear is quite long too ... and epic

Moon Safari's Other Half of the Sky, which is in fact collection of few songs with common theme.

Lucent wrote: Tony R wrote: Lucent wrote: I only have 4 words: The Sky Moves Sideways I agree wholeheartedly. I was elated when Steve performed it on the last tour. Speaking of old PT material, I'd love to hear them perform Mute live, if it were ever possible.

I think the only PT epics that will be performed in the future will be new ones. Unfortunately. I personally hope that they put Anesthetize to bed now but of course we are being promised a 55 minute epic (or song cycle as SW calls it) concept piece for the new album.

I wish I had seen them in 95 or 96 when they performed their more adventurous material.

fernandobz wrote: The Flower Kings that write two epics at least per album , but none of them has the quality of one from the golden era, ub ¨70s

I really can't think of epics from 00's that can match the innovation of those from the 70's, but as far the musicianship and composition, I think they can match them, like All of the Above by Transatlantic.

I only have 4 words:

Edited by Lucent - May 03 2009 at 13:54

BrufordFreak wrote: I understand and share your concern that a long song ensures a group or album's inclusion into Prog mania or Prog classica. There are a lot of fair to poor songs out there that run  longer than seven or eight minutes. BUT I am SO EXCITED to share and promote a find I've had, thanks to ProgArchives:  ODYSSEY "The Greatest Tale" from Musea Records and Colossus Magazine in 2004 is AMAZING! Nine progrock artists from seven different countries collaborated to tell the tale of Ulysses/Odysseus' trials and tribulations while trying to get home after the Trojan War. NINE PIECES, 3CDS, EVERY SONG OVER 20 MINUTES, With no less than five masterpieces, IMO. (Nexus, Aether, Glass Hammer, C.A.P., Tempano). Truly a MUST for any prog lover, prog-epic lover, music lover, art lover, theater lover. GET IT!

And how about the mini-graphic novel with the excellent artwork? Almost worth keeping just for that, but hey, the music's great, too!

I understand and share your concern that a long song ensures a group or album's inclusion into Prog mania or Prog classica. There are a lot of fair to poor songs out there that run  longer than seven or eight minutes. BUT I am SO EXCITED to share and promote a find I've had, thanks to ProgArchives: 

Roland113 wrote: My point is that many epics (in my opinion) aren't as good as they could be because too much padding is added and at times, I really do think the padding is added just to have bragging rights.  I can imagine the guys sitting around at progfests, 'I wrote a twenty-five minute song' , 'yeah, well I wrote a twenty-six minute one'. I'm joking with the bragging rights, but only to a certain extent.  I've read more than one review of 'Experiments in Mass Appeal' that expressed disappointment as there wasn't an epic on it, before they even listened to the CD.

Phideaux wrote: As a consumer of Epics (Lighthouse Keepers, Supper's Ready, Abbey Road Side 2, We're Only In It For The Money, Gates Of Delerium, Grendel) I will say I love them.  However, when they are bad, they are WELL BAD (A Guy Named Sid, That,That Is, In A Gadda Da Vida -- just kidding that's a classic). I think there are often multiple songs ganged together and reprised and variated.  That is certainly NOT possible in a 3 minute Beatle song (although they managed to do EVERYTHING ELSE HUMANLY POSSIBLE within the context of pop/experimental music up to that point).  A 6 minute song (Gentle Giant, Crimson) allows for variation and restating of themes, but you can't thread too many multiple themes through without it becoming too dissipated.  As a consumer, it is so satisfying when I know a long form song very well and we start to come in for the landing.  The last "song" of both Lighthouse and Gates are so beautiful, you almost feel that you had to go through the journey to get there. A song like Dogs by Floyd works because you have the opportunity to REALLY spend time in the minutae of the music.  The sheer slow growing detail is exotic and intoxicating. When the horns restate the "You never give me your money" theme at the end of Abbey Road suite, it's like a regal fanfare and a welcome nod back to the original theme. I am also a creator of long form compositions.  I love my short songs and especially songs in the 6 - 8 minute range, but to have the option of stretching out is very fun.  Obviously a lot of us make music for the sheer hell of it.  The song is 26 minutes because it can be!  There is the danger of having too many epics.  Up until now we have had one (Chupacabras) which broke the 20 minute mark.  On our upcoming album there is another called "Waiting For The Axe" however, we will be breaking it up into shorter "tracks" in order to conceal that fact.  But the album after that already has an "epic" 78% in the can.  That song came out of nowhere and is called "Star Of Light".  It was never intended to be a long form, but it's been growing and there are certain elements that the song is calling for and we are obeying its call.  That will bring us up to 3, which is dangerously close to Flower Kings level  :-) The even worse thing is that we are resisting the recording of an album that is already written which consists soley of two 26 minute songs "Infernal" and "Eternal".  I didn't want to undertake those songs just yet because they are too detailed and complicated for me to have the stamina just now...  Soon I will need Epics Anonymous...

Edited by p0mt3 - April 20 2009 at 18:14