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Points: 12294 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Short Prog Songs
    Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:36
Ok, so everyone talks about epics, and suites, and double LPs, but what about short (sub 3 minute or so) progressive songs?

Can artists portray the myriad of emotions and concepts frequently observed in progressive music in such a very short time?

Discuss.
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Points: 734 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:53
Gentle Giant. Album after album of short (by prog standards) but fantastic songs that managed to show musicianship and songwriting at a high standard, not many other bands i can think of that were as prolific at it, but there a certainly alot of short prog songs by other bands that show the emotional content as well as skill that we love about prog, such as 'song for the innocent' by Pain of Salvation. very short but always gets me
 
'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan
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Points: 12294 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:59
Yeah, Gentle Giant are an amazing band for being able to cramp a lot of music into a tight package.

The problem that many shorter prog peices face is that they just get cast away as filler or 'padding'. I find this to be quite a hard thing to judge, as some short peices, like those found in The Wall are essential to the progression of the narrative, however, some are quite clearly not.
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Points: 32530 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:13
Not a song, but see "The Spider" by Kansas.

For songs, how about "Spirit of the Water" by Camel?

Or "Grace" by Jethro Tull.
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
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Points: 1416 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:22
The first thing to come to mind was More Fool Me, which then led to thinking of For Absent Friends and other short Genesis songs.
 
Then I think of the first 3 songs from Misplaced Childhood, and then such Rush songs as Different Strings Circumstances and Tears....
 
I think all would fit the bill.
 
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Points: 28772 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:27
Gong has made a lot of good shorter songs as well.
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Points: 65760 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:48
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow

Smile
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Points: 25210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 00:13
Going through my iTunes list and looking through prog bands reveals there is heaps of short songs.
The Mars Volta, Between the Buried and Me, Cynic, Agalloch, Isis, Yes, The Postman Syndrome, just to name a few have short songs.

Can artists portray the myriad of emotions and concepts frequently observed in progressive music in such a very short time? Sure, I think they can.
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Points: 1002 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 00:45
Originally posted by Any Colour You Like Any Colour You Like wrote:


The problem that many shorter prog peices face is that they just get cast away as filler or 'padding'. I find this to be quite a hard thing to judge, as some short peices, like those found in The Wall are essential to the progression of the narrative, however, some are quite clearly not.
 
Most all of the shorter pieces on The Wall are excellent.  You may try to think of them as a long suite with different sections, especially since many of them are run into the next w/o the space of silence between them like individual singles.
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Points: 19643 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 01:33
Great thread idea - Some I love would have to be Porcupine Tree's Small Fish, How Is Your Life Today? and Marillion's Lavender and White Feather

All of them are short but sweet, and get a well formed point across in the short time they play for


-Joel
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Points: 427 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:31
Three words: Long Distance Runaround. Yes in a nutshell. A very small nutshell, mind you..
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Points: 19643 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:41
Originally posted by theBox theBox wrote:

Three words: Long Distance Runaround. Yes in a nutshell. A very small nutshell, mind you..




Well picked!

I'd also like to add Yes' The Fish - Schindleria Praematurus to the list.
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Points: 12294 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:47
Two of my favourite short prog songs have been mentioned here, and they both involve fish.

Small Fish, PT from Up The Downstair
The Fish - Schindleria Praematurus, Yes, Fragile

Short, sharp, and to the point. Why spend 14 minutes elaborating on a theme when you can be done in 3 and a bit eh?
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Points: 15141 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 03:24
What comes to mind emediately is Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, which exists of relatively short songs, but some of them are much more emotional than a 15+ epic. King Crimson's The Great Deceiver also deserves a place here. It is 4 minutes in length, but has a big bunch of different themes and riffs.
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Points: 4287 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 03:30
Nice tread
Like to mention a few relative short tracks i allways loved
Genesis : Broadway Melody of 1974
Genesis : More Fool me
KC: Two Hands
KC: Cat Food (maby not short, but def. not an Epic)
Marrilion : Punce and Judy
 
 
 
Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours
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Points: 793 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 05:42
I love mOTW'S Interludes. Beautiful short prog instrumentals
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Points: 25 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 05:59
Many Procol Harum songs are not that long. Whiter Shade of Pale, Homburg, Conquistador, Nothing but the Truth, a Salty Dog, yes, you can be short and sweet!Big smile


Paulo


Edited by pmendes - September 17 2009 at 06:01
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
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Points: 3144 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 06:03
Originally posted by SaltyJon SaltyJon wrote:

Gong has made a lot of good shorter songs as well.
I Never Glid Before, Eat That Phone Book Coda, Selene, Pot Head Pixies, they're all Gong classics, and my favorite Gong songs, so yeah, +1.
Trendsetter win!

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Points: 18292 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 06:22
Maybe not 100% prog at all times, but:
Genesis - I Know what i Like
Uriah Heep - The Wizard
Jethro Tull - A New Day Yesterday
Yes - No opportunity neccesary, no experience needed
Rush - Twillight Zone
Caravan - Cecil Rons

And many more!
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Points: 2506 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2009 at 07:10
Kayak made some beautifull short songs! Somehow they used very short songs for the end of the album. I have always been facinated by this. All of these songs are last tracks of Kayak albums.
His Master's Noise (1:45)
My heart has changed (2:31)
Well done (0:52)
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