The First PROG epics

I have to say, Pedro, that I've never agreed with the limitation of "one song/album per band" for top lists. If a song or album is one of the best (or worst) of all-time, then it deserves to be on a list of "best of all-time" etc. If they're all songs/albums by Yes or Caravan, Miles Davis or IQ, it shouldn't matter: that's the way of "bests." E.g. I'd choose any/all of Mozart's piano concertos over any one elses: his 25 would make my Top 25 (though here it is purely a preferential thing). So, top Prog Epics of all-time? Let ten of them be from Yes! They probably deserve it!

I guess though that you have to have a differential in terms of style. Also are we saying that a great epic has to be made by a 5 peice line up which has keys, bass, lead and drums? It's rare that I will ever support Pedro but I don't need 10 epics by one band in a list. Maybe 2 or 3. It's never going to be a science anyway. IMO

Close to the Edge (1972)

Tarkus (1971)

Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Echoes (1971)

Thick as a Brick (1972)

The Devil's Triangle (if we can count anything over ten minutes long) (1970)

Cressida - Let them come when they will (1971)*

Rare Bird - Flight (1970)*

Mcdonald & Giles - Birdman (1971) 

Focus - Eruption (1971)

Caravan - Nine Feet Underground (1971)

Soft Machine - all four tracks from Third (1970)

* Haven't actually heard the track but saw that it was long.

Yep agreed although unsurprisingly (for PA) the thread got derailed quickly.

The Top 100 isn't some sort of truth of course. There are plenty of anomalies all over the place (lack of Krautrock or Soft Machine for instance). I would also not have any albums that have less than 500 reviews in it. Doesn't make a lot of difference to ELP which moves up a whole 4 places but then it does let Leftoverture into the list which at least should please Kansas fans!

Grumpyprogfan wrote: We've been down this topic before. Zappa - Lumpy Gravy ([first released on August 7,] 1967) was one.

I appreciate what you're saying about Harper's early material and the 'nebulous' definition of what constitutes an epic and yes, absolutely, probably not 'Prog' by the generally accepted 'ideas' of what that may constitute it on this site, but in 1967 the idea of extending the length and breadth of a 'popular' music (in its most generalist term of the time) song in those days came from many differing quarters- Folk, Jazz, Psych, stoner-blues-rock (whatever the heck you want to call it) and within the next couple of years they would collide and cross pollinate to create what would become 'progressive rock'. Harper was doing something very different (certainly in the UK) and although i probably should have expanded my reasoning, i feel that the whole of the second side of the 'come out fighting genghis smith' lp is really one piece in the way it was conceived and the way the ideas flow. But that is just my own personal view.

Glad you like the idea of 'A very cellular song', it really was something very unique at the time