Best lengthy epic from the classic era

danbo wrote: landberkdoten wrote:  I think there's also missing "Sheep" in here. You won't find any Sheep here. Dude's got 'em all penned up in Austrailia. Gets cold at night, ya know?

Ooops!

TARKUS, always... to me is the premier long song ever, and actally the first one, from 71, 21 minutes long; (close to the edge is from 73, supper's ready from 72, even Siberian Khatru is from 72, and thick as a brick is later, echoes 73, Lizard 72) etc, i love the song, a complete epic song with up and downs, a very well crafted story with a sad ending, as a redemption

peace

That was the radio highlight of the year for me - I used to tape the lot so I could have it on repeat at work!

The Friday Rock Show was the best - even with Tommy Vance... anything that could be considered rock was played, including the occasional live set. There were at least 4 from Marillion, and Reading ROCK festival was heavily featured. They did a "Rock War" in 1989 (I think), and played a track from my band's demo. I'm going all misty eyed now...

Focussed wrote: It was the Friday rock show that got me into Genesis, after Alan Partridge, er sorry ..I mean Tommy Vance played their 1978 Knebworth set, and Suppers Ready was in the listerners chart. I would tape the show every week and trawl through my recordings looking for new bands. First heard Pallas there too! That was the first time I ever heard The Enid. Now, they produced some lengthy works, but they are not in this poll, and I dont think I've heard anyone mention them on this forum. Were they really prog? Were they a phigment of our imagination? Perhaps time for a new thread..

I never missed a Friday Rock Show. "Hi, This is Thomas the Vance here, T.V. on the radio. The Music Vendor!.....". Ahh,  the memories! You're right about the Enid, (a band I have seen 19 times, bit of a fan!) Their gig at Reading Rock '83 was the most exiting musical experience off my then 16 years! Were they Prog? God yes! With knobs on!

Vance played rare BBC sessions by all manner of great bands. Solstice did a brilliant session for the rock show, which they later released on LP. The BBC sessions were much better than the album.

For me the highlight of every show was the "Friday Night Connection". Three unnamed songs connected in someway, no clues, the winner gets to offer 3 more related tracks for next weeks show, and all that introduced to the sound of VDGG's "Theme 1"! 

And before the Friday rock show, Alan' Freeman's Saturday afternoon show on BBC radio 1. They thought they would get rid of him giving him a graveyard slot.

He played rock, prog, and generally great music on daytime national radio, and awakened a nation to good music.

Hey Umma', you forgot some quintessential "classic" epic tracks :

Renaissance : "Song of Scheherazade"

Banco : "L'evoluzione"

Focus : "Hamburger concerto" or "Eruption"

Colosseum : "Valentyne suite"

Caravan : "Nine feet underground"

UK : "In the dead of night suite"

Kansas : "Magnum opus"

Soft Machine : "Hazard profile"

PINK FLOYD - ECHOES

HI, THIS IS CÉSAR INCA.

Maybe I would have voted for any of Soft Machine's 'Third' four suites. One of the best Canterbury things in prog history.

Regards.