I don't think we can put a time limit on these, as martin alluded to. It needs to go through dramatic progressions within the song, thus the length of the song will be much longer than normal naturally, but not necessarily meet a time limit. Yes was far and away the best band ever at writing these types of songs. I wouldn't put Hey Jude on this list because it's simply just a long song, but nothing more. There are no dramatic changes within the song. It's just elongated.
Even this song, which falls just short of 7 minutes qualifies. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92tKKrxJVM4]YouTube - Jethro Tull - Aqualung Lyrics[/ame]
Hey, it was "Epic Long Songs", not "Epic Songs". I don't consider 6 and half minutes a particularly long song. Lots of Progressive Rock albums had songs that went the whole side and a few that you had to flip the record in the middle. This is an epic long song. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m60s70qX-xw]YouTube - Tubular Bells, Part 1[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44U0ddz78Ys&feature=related"]YouTube - Tubular Bells, Part 2[/ame]
This qualifies as an epic. It went through a dramatic progression to become an 'Epic Long Bore'. It was "new age crystal worship" music before it was cool. I'm allowed this observation because I bought the album and never could find the time, drink, girl, or 'mind enhancer' to make me want to listen to the complete album.
It was better with the drugs. We listened to it for hours. It was the grandfather of "New Age Music", but in 1973 it was an interesting offshoot progressive rock.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Ps_C1O1Ts]YouTube - CSN (AND Y!!!) -Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Woodstock 1969[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SInH7BLVGRk]YouTube - Styx - Prelude 12/Suite Madame Blue[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMRN3dZL5Ns]YouTube - Triumph - Ordinary Man[/ame] Also an entire album can be considered epic. Most know Pink Floyd/The Wall but Queensryche/Operation: Mindcrime was pretty good too. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4txSldNFE8]YouTube - Spreading the Disease[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQU2JPmH7NE]YouTube - QUEENSRYCHE - SUITE SISTER MARY (NEW!).wmv[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eus0q7JNrs]YouTube - QUEENSRYCHE - My Empty Room + Eyes of a Stranger[/ame]
Tubular Bells always freaks me out because of it's ties to "The Exorcist". That movie scared the crap out of me when I was young. lol
Damn CO, good selections ya made there. Props to Kluke on the Tubular Bells link, too.... Mike Oldfield has a few CD's like that.. Songs of Distant Earth is good as well.
