Let's create a new term for non-epic Long Songs
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Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=130440
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Topic: Let's create a new term for non-epic Long Songs
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Subject: Let's create a new term for non-epic Long Songs
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 09:16
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Like many people, I struggle with the use of the term "epic" to blanket cover long songs that do not express the poetic, mythological/legend elements of conflict and resolution--like all those 20-to-45 minute instrumentals in Berlin School/Progressive Electronic, Krautrock, Space/Psychedelic/Stoner/Jam Band albums & shows. To me an epic should be theatric, a rollercoaster ride, and really should include lyrics to "tell a story" along with the music (though many symphonically-minded instrumental songs truly express the rollercoaster ride of human saga--"The Fall of The House of Usher" by APP, Camel's "The Snow Goose", Focus' "Eruption", and are a few that come to mind--and which I would still include in the category "prog epic"). So, creative people that we are, let's try to come up with a term to describe these "non-epic" long prog songs--a term that we can pretty much all accept and then start to use in our discussions and categorizing polls/lists. For example: "Brob Songs" or "BS" (for Brobdingnagian) or "a Rambler" or "Lothlórien" or "Autobahn [-en]" or "autoB" or "AB", "ATB", or "ABN" or "Yatra" a pilgrimage or long journey/trip with wishful intent a CTS or MTS ("chronological time suck" or "musical time suck") a TA or "temporal anomaly" (anomalia temporalibus = "AT"); or a temporal disruption (TD "temporalibus discidium, "Temp-Disc") a "wormhole" (WH) or "portkey" (PK) or a "sonic- " or "auditory road" I don't think "long-playing" or "LP" says enough as these terms are also used to describe albums (45, EP, LP, CD, etc.) I know I've been far too cerebral in my examples, so I'll just back down and let you generate your own terms (silly, serious, and or otherwise). ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Replies:
Posted By: bartymj
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 11:54
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In the interest of being the opposite of cerebral, I propose an "Ivor". As in Ivor Biggun.
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Posted By: Jackal3000
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 14:19
| Plods |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 14:34
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Well, good luck with that. A few years ago I can up with a term that I thought I'd try and get into the popular lexicon. Whenever someone asked me how I was, I'd respond "Marvy Darvy". I thought it had a nice ring and the kids would quickly adopt it, make it go viral as they say. So...how many times have you heard anyone use it? I thought so. Good luck ! ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 14:47
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With a serious head on, 'long-form' seems to work for me. But i prefer a local west country term 'a Gurt Lummux' which usually describes someone who's 'fat and lazy' but also applicable when you're presented with something you cant really describe... ------------- |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 14:56
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Noodling that goes on for way too log: Grateful-Dead-Air ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 15:18
For me personally any song over 10 minutes long is an epic. I don't use the term literally. To me it's about song length and that's it. But i fyou want a term for a long song that's not an epic how about ..................................................................................prog. 
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Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 15:21
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Prong. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 16:09
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Well, shouldn't the word mimic the description? I give you... Tarkugraphzoidbroadbluffcygnulung ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 16:09
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Nepics? Out of those you proposed, Yatra is pretty cool (although it's also a brand).
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 16:12
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I'll stick with "Bitchin' Song".... -------------   
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 16:45
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Loooooong song. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: February 01 2023 at 17:09
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Long-ass prog songs, or LAPS. ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 00:26
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Epicesque looks kind of nice and would make sense. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 00:28
 There is a metal band named like that (can't say i like them), i honestly don't know if this is an actual word. |
suitkees wrote:Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 00:33
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 00:40
thanks for explaining.
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Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 01:39
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Mmm ^ ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 03:42
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Having some experience with subject analysis in library metadata, it's normally best to use a term that most people would use for a subject. So, the term for a long song would be long song. In a subject hierarchy, an epic song would be a narrower term (or a subclass) of a long song. Sorry for being a poophead, but from a communications standpoint, it makes more sense to use a term most people will understand, in and out of prog music. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 05:00
 ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: February 02 2023 at 10:33
I agree. However, one could argue that "epic" is a subjective notion. That is, although a song being 20 minutes long is an objective fact, whether or not that song is an epic is a matter of opinion. But it is my opinion that being an epic is about more than just its length. For example, I have used "Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)" as an example of a long song that lacks an epic quality, in contrast to "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers" which I regard as the epic of epics. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: February 04 2023 at 07:23
That's a fair point and I agree with you. One of the nice things about subject thesauri is the hierarchical structure doesn't have to be a rigid tree-shape, but can be much more complicated like a graph or network of nodes. I only gave a simplified connection between long song and epic song. Ideally, in a more complicated structure you would want to connect epic song with epic, with song (not all epic songs are long songs), with long song, and maybe some other terms that we haven't even considered, like maybe broader music genres that feature epic songs, etc. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: February 20 2023 at 05:27
I am reluctant to be derogatory, but can't restrain myself... "fatberg" may even be appropriate in some circumstances? Attempting a more conventional linguistic derivation, how about..."Hogweed"? ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: Archisorcerus
Date Posted: February 20 2023 at 07:01
| Epicling. |