Why does everyone hate The Battle Of Epping Forest

^ sometimes less is more? Is that what you tell your wife?

When the limos return for their final review, it's all through'
- all they can see is the morning goo.
"There's no-one left alive - must be draw."
So the Blackcap Barons toss a coin to settle the score.

Sean Trane wrote: For those who think Epping is too wordy, what should they think about Supper's Ready or the whole The Lamb, which still needed a full two pages to explain the plot At least Epping doesn't need that... It's easily understood by itself

^ Back in your box mickey, one full of pissed off inland taipans should do nicely....😎

micky wrote: it didn't earn the moniker of 'The Bataan Death March of Prog' for nothing... at least More Fool Me didn't drag on for 11 minutes..

Sean Trane wrote: I certainly find Timetable as weak or boring as Absent Friends, or Harlequin, but also lacking the sense of sweet melody chopper wrote: Sacro_Porgo wrote: zeuhl1 wrote: I remember reading that the band had conceived and written it as an instrumental and were displeased when they found out Gabriel had gone in late night and laid this torrent of words on top of it without consulting with them about it. I've read similar accounts. According to Tony, Gabriel would do that quite a lot. That's why the end of Apocalypse in 9/8 isn't instrumental. In Gabriel's defense, he's usually doing the song a favor. Well, it wouldn't have made the most exciting instrumental ever. Difficult to believe as such, actually. First time I hear about Gabe slapping on lyrics onto something not originally designed for it. The comment reads like it was a "fait accompli" and no turning back, but I suppose this didn't happen while recording it? Well I'd want to see/hear the original instrumental version of Effing Poorest before judging how good the instrumental would've been. Cos I can't begin to imagine that they didn't adapt the music once the lyrics were there. And I'm quite sure that if the middle section wouldn't have existed if there weren't lyrics "slapped" on it Dellinger wrote: I do rather hate The Battle of Epping Forest... why? I just find it annoying and can barely hear it... and then, it's way too long. I can think of the 3 classic Genesis songs that I hate for being annoying, which are this one, Harold the Barrel, and Take them out by Friday. But the longest of them all is Epping Forest. And then, ruining the masterpiece status of my otherwise favourite Genesis album doesn't help on how I feel about it (More Fool Me is not all that good either, but it's short and bland enough that it doesn't really harm the album much). well it looks/sounds like you don't like Genesis' manner of doing rock opera songs. How do you feel about Robbery Assault and Mouse's Night? I agree Harrold is poor, but Friday is OK and Epping are more than good, IMHO

Indeed I don't... I prefer them at their more pastoral and symphonic. About Robbery Assault, I don't care much for it... I didn't like it and haven't listened to it in a while... I don't really remember much about the song, but whenever I have put the CD again, it doesn't change my mind about the song. About Mouse's Night, that one's frustrating, for I like the song... the music that is... but the lyrics are rather ridiculous... like the band was trying to pull some Gabriel-like lyrics (which I don't really like to begin with), and ended up failing misserably... yet, I try to think about the lyrics as being about Tom and Jerry to digest them a bit better (not that I was ever much of a fan of the cartoons, but I did watch them back then sometimes).

I don't hate it, but I can live without it.

It seems to me that there is something distinctly British about The Battle Of Epping Forest, and I wonder if perhaps this is a little too much for American or European audiences. As an Australian who has been around for about six decades, I am quite familiar with British comedies and the British sense of humour in general. Look at that... I even spell "humour" the same way as the British.

I prophesy disaster wrote: It seems to me that there is something distinctly British about The Battle Of Epping Forest, and I wonder if perhaps this is a little too much for American or European audiences. As an Australian who has been around for about six decades, I am quite familiar with British comedies and the British sense of humour in general. Look at that... I even spell "humour" the same way as the British.

 

Dellinger wrote: Actually no, I don't really enjoy humor in music. The point of humor is to make you laugh, and I can hardly think of someone actually laughing at any gimmick within a song... it might amuse a bit, but not really laugh. And I won't really go looking for a song to laugh... if that's what I want, I'll see a comic movie, or read jokes, or watch a comedian show.