What was your first epic prog song?
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Topic: What was your first epic prog song?
Posted By: whydontyoueatcarrots
Subject: What was your first epic prog song?
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 19:47
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One of the defining characteristics of prog music seems to be lengthy tunes. What was the first song that introduced you to this concept? For me, Tarkus by ELP. I heard it on the greatest hits comp, I was just dabbling with the idea of prog at that point. Checked out a few bands, but it was a pretty new concept to me. My dad would play a lot of ELP and Genesis when I was a kid, but I was pretty metal back then, ha. Didn't care for any of that hippy crap... Tarkus was one of those songs that turned around my opinion of prog, the Battlefield section still gives me chills and the lyrics are fantastic: Clear the battlefield and let me see All the profit from our victory. You talk of freedom, starving children fall. Are you deaf when you hear the season's call? Were you there to watch the earth be scorched? Did you stand beside the spectral torch? Know the leaves of sorrow turned their face, Scattered on the ashes of disgrace. Ev'ry blade is sharp; the arrows fly Where the victims of your armies lie, Where the blades of brass and arrows reign Then there will be no sorrow, Be no pain. It's funny, I don't care for the rest of the album, but that song is phenomenal. What was your first EPIC prog song experience? Super long, has chapters, etc. I'd imagine this and Close to the Edge will be the popular choices. |
Replies:
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 19:58
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2112 by Rush was my first, and it still holds a special place for me because of that.
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Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 20:03
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roundabout by Yes.
------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 20:14
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Depends on your definition of epic. Since I tend to think about 16+ minutes, I can confidently say "Close to the Edge." And the first time I heard it was live.  ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Tsevir Leirbag
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 20:40
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Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Yes' Close to the Edge
Jethro Tull's Thick As a Brick ------------- Les mains, les pieds balancés Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 20:45
| Pink Floyd Shine on you Crazy Diamond. |
Posted By: whydontyoueatcarrots
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 21:48
 That would be an amazing introduction to the world of the epic! I was thinking of epic in the way you are, AT LEAST over 10 minutes. |
Epignosis wrote:Posted By: The Block
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 22:10
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My first epic(16+)- Shine on You Crazy Diamonds
My first epic-epic(20+)- Octavarium
My first epic-epic-epic(30+)- The Truth Will Set You Free
My first epic-epic-epic-epic(40+)- Crimson I and II
My first epic-epic-epic-epic-epic(50+)- Mei -------------  |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 22:13
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My first true epics I discovered through Genesis' Selling England By The Pound. If we're talking about 20+ minute epics, it would be Supper's Ready. Because of that ALL of the Peter Gabriel-era Genesis albums hold a very special place inside of me.  -Jeff ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: The Block
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 22:15
How sweet... let me give you a hug. ------------- |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 23:08
You ate the albums? Doesn't that make it hard to listen to them? Let's see...first epic over 10 minutes was probably...Heart of the Sunrise. I got the 35th Anniversary 3-disc collection thingy as my introduction to Yes and the first disc got TONS of play. Since Heart of the Sunrise is the first song listed on it as being over 10 minutes, it gets my answer.  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 23:12
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20+ Probably Close To The Edge, Gates Of Delirium or Supper's Ready. Although I can't remember the exact time I first heard parts of one of those, I remember listening to Relayer from start to finish in the car with my dad on a holiday.
If we're talking 10+, I can really clearly remember listening to The Battle Of Epping forest with my dad when I was 5 or 6. ------------- 
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 23:13
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July Morning by Uriah Heep.
Didn't even knew Prog existed.
Then Close to the Edge.
My favourite: Supper's Ready
Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: January 09 2010 at 23:16
| "Echoes" by Pink Floyd. I wish it could say something else (although I still love that song,) but it was before I truly got into Prog. |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 05:14
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Tubular Bells ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: The Sleepwalker
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 05:22
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Shine On ------------- 
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Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 05:23
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Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden was the song that introduced me to 10+ minute songs, but I think the first real epic was A Change of Seasons. Still my favourite DT track and one of my favourite songs of all time. ------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA! 
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Posted By: synthguy
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 11:30
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My first epic track was Supper's Ready, it's still my favorite. ------------- Wearing feelings on our faces when our faces took a rest... |
Posted By: ProgressiveAttic
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 11:37
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Yes - The Gates of Delirium (I was listening to Relayer in its entirety for the first time) ------------- Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com) 
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Posted By: RoeDent
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 11:38
| My first 20-minute-plus epic was Echoes by Pink Floyd. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 12:42
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I really could not say. I grew up with prog. my parents were hippies and listened to all this stuff all the time. hearing prog epics was absolutely normal to me when I was a kid -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 14:03
Fixed. ------------- http://www.formspring.me/Aragorn224" rel="nofollow - Trendsetter win! The search for nonexistent perfection. |
Posted By: Malve87
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 16:30
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Shine On You Crazy Diamond
------------- ] 
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Posted By: ProgressiveAttic
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 17:05
well.... I am not really sure.... because my father used to play prog music to me wen I was between 3 and 6.... I rediscovered prog with Relayer so that is my final answer.... ------------- Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com)
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 21:50
| For me, it was Yes' "Sound Chaser". |
Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 21:53
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Pink Floyd was my first prog band, I guess the first epic I heard was "Dogs", although I didn't think of it as anything other than a long PF song at the time. I'm not counting Shine On, because I could hardly remember hearing it from when I was younger. |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 22:32
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I think I first heard an "epic" of sorts when my brother and his friend played me Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic. I loved the neverending nature of it.
After that I can't really remember. I guess I was into Green Day when they came out with American Idiot so I had Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming (9+) and I loved those too, they actually changed movements and it felt like a journey. After that, long songs were totally natural.
I can't say for sure what the next epic was, it was probably SOYCD. Of course I'd look up prog albums all the time and notice the ones with long songs, so I was familiar with all they Pink Floyd ones. As for the first 20+ minute one it was probably Octavarium. ------------- 
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Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: January 10 2010 at 22:58
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My first was Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The local classic rock album was playing it as part of their "deeper than the singles" (or whatever they called it) series. I remember it gave me the impression of being in a cave for the first bit. I don't know how much of the song they played, though, because I wasn't aware it was split into multiple parts, and that was back when five minute songs sometimes sounded long to me, so Shine On definitely seemed long. (But not in a bad way...) I later got Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd, and it has most of Shine On, and Echoes. My next one would have been Dogs/Sheep/Pigs from Animals. But, as much as I liked these songs, they were just long songs to me ... not "epics" The first song that seemed to be more than a long song for me was Gates of Delirium by Yes. Ironically, I bought that, not as a prog fan, but just as someone who had seen Relayer while browsing for 90125 and been fascinated by the three song format. I ended up loving it, but in a "This is a work of genius but way over my head" kind of way. It would be three years before I truly understood Yes ... and then there was no going back.
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Posted By: halabalushindigus
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 00:30
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From Todd Rundgren's "Utopia", The Ikon ------------- assume the power 1586/14.3 |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 01:10
| Nektar's A Tab In The Ocean. That rocked my world. |
Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 11:45
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As a matter of fact, Close to the edge was my FIRST one. -------------  One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
Posted By: dtig80
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 11:45
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My first epic was A Change of Seasons by Dream Theater. It is still one of my favorites to this day. It was when I first getting into prog and that song completely changed my perspective on music. There are so many different parts in that song that it feels like 5 different ones. This is obviously why they gave each part of the song a different name because of the different stages it goes through. I have gone deeper into prog rock now and I see where Dream Theater gets a lot of there different themes. This song sounds like a heavier version of Rush and Yes combined. ------------- dtig80 |
Posted By: Bitterblogger
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 11:45
For recordings, probably Echoes (seeing Live At Pompeii in a theater), or Karn Evil 9 (on "Quadrophonic"; anyone remember that?).
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Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 11:50
I have this feeling that 'Tubular f**king Bells' was the first epic I heard. But the first Epic I took in was (Of course) Supper's Ready - My preferred form of epic  ------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: Bolix
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 16:54
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I was sixteen when I bought WISH YOU WERE HERE.
With few money in my pockets i could buy only one or two LP in a year (life changed when i enterd in a bank to work...).
This LP is one of the greatest things in my life, absolutely !!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 17:00
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Thirteen years old - Awaken, and fell in love at first listen. Although, if prog related is in the mix, it would be Stargazer by Rainbow from Rising a year earlier. Happy days they were too. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: January 11 2010 at 17:12
| Coin flip between Close and Supper's... typical BOF!! |
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: January 12 2010 at 08:07
| PF Atom Heart Mother and ELP The endless enigma Part1/The Fugue/The Endless Enigma Part 2 |
Posted By: Nightshine
Date Posted: January 12 2010 at 09:22
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Close to the Edge. When I was 13 years old.
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Posted By: whydontyoueatcarrots
Date Posted: January 12 2010 at 12:57
An 8 minute and 26 seconds long song featuring the Munich Philharmonic about going to battle against a wizard, I think we can let it slide?  Definitely the song that made me love (Dio era) Rainbow. Really, Dio in general. There's no sun in the shadow of the wizard... ------------- Mom, I tore a big hole in the convertible |
Posted By: Morsenator
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 13:06
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I think the first one that I really listened to was Trial of Tears.. the live version from Once in a Livetime (that was also the first prog cd that I bought, you can laugh if you want |
). Well, I guess it was a really decent one to start with because it got me into epic songs and it's still my favorite DT song Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 17:17
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Also speaking of Dream Theater, I heard A Change of Seasons and 6 Degrees around the same time. Proably my first epics, as such. ------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: Zebedee
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 17:21
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Thick as a Brick was my first true epic I believe.
------------- 
Friendship is like wetting your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth. |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 18:08
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I thiknk it was Awaken - Yes actually. So far back now though I'm struggling to remember.
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: Juiceboxbiotch
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 18:10
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The first epic song that really got to me was Achilles Last Stand - Led Zeppelin... As far as 10+ minute songs go I got into Close to the Edge and Ritual right around the same time (i was like 16)... those along with Heart of the Sunrise and Southside of the Sky really got me all fanboyed out on Yes. |
Posted By: Johnnytuba
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 19:24
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Mine was 2112 by Rush. I got stoned with a rugby buddy of mine and he threw it on. My favorite epic now is Gates of Delirium ------------- "The things that we're concealing, will never let us grow. Time will do its healing, you've got to let it go. |
Posted By: Zombywoof
Date Posted: January 13 2010 at 19:53
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull |
Posted By: Gillywibble
Date Posted: January 14 2010 at 01:58
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Gong - A Sprinkling of Clouds
------------- There is in fact more earth than sea. http://www.last.fm/user/Gillywibble |
Posted By: Rogertheshrubber
Date Posted: January 14 2010 at 10:44
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"Close to the Edge" when I was 15. The wall of Wakeman's keyboards was really something in 1972. Not to mention Howe's guitar, Squires' bass, Bruford's drums and Anderson's vocals. In 1972 when my mom heard it she thought I had flipped out and was playing a church service over my receiver. That middle break with Wakeman does sound pretty "preachy". ------------- I have nothing to say occifer! |
Posted By: Rushlover13
Date Posted: January 14 2010 at 18:56
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2112 by Rush, totally changed my thoughts on how music was to be played. I used to give into that pop crap a few years ago, now I completely hate it. How Rush has changed my life....and Geddy Lee. ------------- I Love Rush. |
Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: January 15 2010 at 08:57
| Pink Floyd's Echoes |
Posted By: refugee
Date Posted: January 15 2010 at 10:17
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10+ Fool’s Overture (I got into prog through bands like Supertramp and 10cc) 20+ Supper’s Ready (I heard it live the first time — without Gabriel and Hackett, though) ------------- He say nothing is quite what it seems; I say nothing is nothing (Peter Hammill) |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: January 15 2010 at 14:57
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I think it was "Echoes" by Pink Floyd. Somewhere in there was "In Held Twas in I" by Procol Harum too. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Adams Bolero
Date Posted: January 17 2010 at 01:42
| 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) by Jimi Hendrix when I was 14 years old. I never heard of prog at the time but it certainly put me in the right direction. |
Posted By: AbrahamSapien
Date Posted: January 17 2010 at 02:28
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Echoes from Pink Floyd A Change of Seasons by Dream Theater |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: January 18 2010 at 17:54
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Yes' Gates of Delirium really set me on my ear when I heard it in its entirety while in a parking lot waiting for my ma to come out of a church during Advent long ago. |
Posted By: Eapo_q42
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 00:37
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I don't know if this counts...but being honest, it dates back to my childhood when my dad played me Deep Purple's self-titled album from 1969 (before gillan and glover joined the band). The track is April, and it goes for 12 minutes, and I consider it my first epic. After that, it was Echoes by Floyd. |
Posted By: Epyros
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 01:04
Same here
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Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 20:39
| Thick as a Brick when I was a sophomore in high school, followed closely by The Musical Box and Close to the Edge. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 20:42
Dude! Your parents were awesome. I wish my parents played Prog for me as a child.
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Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 20:50
I'm not entirely sure... Gates of Delirium I think...  ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: Eapo_q42
Date Posted: January 19 2010 at 21:01
My dad introduced me to Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and King Crimson. I wouldn't even call him a progger. He's just from the right time period, that's all. |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: January 21 2010 at 10:15
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"Stairway to Heaven" (Zep) or "Closer to Home" (Grand Funk) I can't remember which--though some Beatles songs/sides felt as though they were "epic." Also, pretty sure I discovered Uriah Heep after hearing the above two. ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: January 22 2010 at 14:28
| Fool's Overture was my first exposure to longer-than-usual song form. I remember bragging about it to my friend at school about how I had a ten minute song (I would have been about twelve years old, haha) and he said "That's nothing, my dad's got this song called Tarkus and it's more than twenty minutes." I checked that one out and man, I was blown away (also, being young, I really enjoyed the weird synth tone used after Battlefield, haha). |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 08:29
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Mike Oldfield's 'Crises'.
My dad used to play that one often when I was a kid and I loved it, and it still have a special place in my heart. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 10:17
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I guess it depends on how you define epic, but I'm pretty sure that Yours is No Disgrace, clocking in at just under ten minutes, should count as my first epic. ------------- 
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Posted By: halabalushindigus
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 11:34
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not neccesarily epic by today's standards, but back in 67', it was epic as epic can be. This song made me stop and yell, "What the HECK! is going on?" I was 9. The song was "A Day In A Life" by The Beatles
which, in my estimation, hints of a nuclear event. It is in this song that the orchestra builds to a rising peak, not once, but twice. And it is in this second crescendo that I absolutely freaked out. I did not know what was happening to my mind, I thought I had lost it ------------- assume the power 1586/14.3 |
Posted By: Rogertheshrubber
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 14:47
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gottogetintogetout!
Tulsey Town! What's up! As far as I remember I spent much time in the late 70's early 80's there in Green Country. Grew up in Ponca City (Zonka). We used to play good football until we ran into the Tulsa schools part of the schedule. Wow you people used to humble our over-rated squads in the 70's. I haven't been to Tulsa since 1996. Lots of good concerts and memories. Todd. Genesis. Even saw a Beatle. Saw George Harrison from floor seats at the Assembly Center. I love Tulsa. I need to go back before I get old. OOPS!
L A W Z E E ! ------------- I have nothing to say occifer! |
Posted By: LandofLein
Date Posted: January 25 2010 at 19:21
| 2112 |
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: January 25 2010 at 19:35
| ''Question'' by The Moody Blues. Ok it's not epic and it's not really prog, but this is where it all started for me 40 years ago. Am I really that old!?! |
Posted By: Urik
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 09:34
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Dream Theater - Octavarium My reaction was a huge "What the f**k?" |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 10:11
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my three first epics are 1. Elton John - Funural For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 11:09 min (i was 3 years old first time my father playd this on the record player but i was scared to death by the synth intro started crying and I was nervous at listning to it in many years to come) 2. King Crimson - Starless (one song i downloaded when I was starting to get curious on what prog was together with The Sheltering Skye from Dicipline great song with chapman stick)anyone else who likes the Sheltering Skye? 3. Dream Theater - Take the Time and Metropolis prt . and different songs by bands I downloaded bach when I was 16-17 years at my beginner stage |
Posted By: Geizao
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 12:47
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The Beatles: Abbey Road Yes: The Yes Album Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother. |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 20:22
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It was probably Zeppelin that eased me into prog, and ten minute long songs. At the time, I thought 'Stairway To Heaven' or 'The Rain Song' were the longest songs ever recorded! I credit them with getting me interested in prog. Imagine my surprise when I heard Close to the Edge or Octavarium! ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |