Prog rock epics - NOT including Suppers Ready

  • Fave epic?? 24

    1. Close to the Edge - Yes (5) 21%
    2. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers - Van der Graff Generator (1) 4%
    3. 2112 - Rush (1) 4%
    4. Dogs - Pink Floyd (3) 13%
    5. Awaken - Yes (4) 17%
    6. Tarkus - ELP (1) 4%
    7. Hemispheres - Rush (1) 4%
    8. Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull (4) 17%
    9. Another - Pleae specify (4) 17%

    Pick a favourite classic prog rock epic track from these options, or suggest 'Another'


    Go!

  • ^^^ Awaken is possibly my favourite Yes song. It has everything a Yes-head could want. It's overblown, mostrously pretentious, earth shaking, speaker blowing, brilliant and beautiful. Love it! I like that album too. Some moan about the muddy production, but apart from the title track, every song is belter IMO.

  • Going to have to say ELP.. Love all those 5 earlier albums they did and consider their best work... ELP are concidered one of my favourite classic best bands.


    Others after that would be


    2. Pink Floyd

    3 .Yes

    4. Jethro Tull

    5. VDGG


    Not sure why you chose 2 albums by Rush?. :/ Who are they?? ^^

  • Awaken with Close to Edge close second.


    ^^^ Awaken is possibly my favourite Yes song. It has everything a Yes-head could want. It's overblown, mostrously pretentious, earth shaking, speaker blowing, brilliant and beautiful. Love it! I like that album too. Some moan about the muddy production, but apart from the title track, every song is belter IMO.

    Motion thirded. 8)

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

  • From the ones in the list, it is definitely Close To The Edge with Awaken being a close second.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

  • This Strange Engine by Marillion.


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  • I voted for Plague of Lighthouse Keepers. Other faves include Close to the Edge, In Held Twas in I (Procol Harum), Echoes. Possibly 2112 (will have to listen to it some more, am just discovering Rush). Awaken seems rather hit or miss, there are parts I like, while others don't do anything for me. I nearly forgot the Foreigner Suite by Cat Stevens.

  • From that list, I was torn between Close and Plague, voted for Close. I couldn't be bothered trying to think of one not on the list. I don't think I'm all that interested in 'epics'. There are a few pretty good ones on the list, I quite like Thick but while something of a Rush fan I never much liked their long tracks. I know 2112 is meant to be this great classic but once it gets past the 'Overture' (!) that's me done.

    ^^^ Awaken is possibly my favourite Yes song. It has everything a Yes-head could want. It's overblown, mostrously pretentious, earth shaking, speaker blowing, brilliant and beautiful. Love it! I like that album too. Some moan about the muddy production, but apart from the title track, every song is belter IMO.

    Awaken is kind of all the things people who don't like prog, and always dismiss it, think it is. But while it's nowhere near being my favourite Yes track I do quite like it and partly for the same reasons as you! I almost admire the way it seems to be saying "So you think this is what prog is? Well okay, yeah!" and just defiantly wallows in it. In particular the second part, and the way it goes from a tiny little triangle tinging, to power chords, resounding demented-genius cathedral organ and a choir... none more prog! For all the same reasons it comes across as cartoonishly prog, but I still like it.


    On balance yes I'd probably "moan" about the production on GFTO, on the basis that it is pretty bad and in fact I think it ill-serves the grandiosity of Awaken. Better, sharper production would have made it even more impressive. Ditto Parallels. Turn is okay and Stories is like having super-sweet glittery cake icing rubbed into my eardrums. Unlike you, I like the title track. After Tales and Relayer it was good to have a relatively short stripped-back opener to the new album, mirrored in the simpler starker cover imagery which was a relief following a long run of fantastical Dean stuff that became very formulaic.

    Abandon all reason