Best endings in Prog
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
Forum Description: List all your favourites here
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=124694
Printed Date: August 02 2025 at 20:23
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Topic: Best endings in Prog
Posted By: Reminisce
Subject: Best endings in Prog
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 07:15
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2 threads about this have been made in the past couple of years but those were from around 2006 so i guess it is time to make one again. What are your favorite endings in all of Prog? I love them and these are my favorites: Genesis - Supper's Ready (duh) Although i don't like the fade out and it ends way too soon!! King Crimson - Starless Genesis - Musical Box Riverside - Second Life Syndrome (really underrated) Bacamarte - Ultimo Entardecer (one of the best songs i literally discovered a couple of weeks ago) Genesis - Entangled (the choir and the synths <3) Camel - Lady Fantasy and Never let Go Pink Floyd - Saucerful of Secrets Focus - Eruption King Crimson - Epitaph I'd like to know what your favorites are as i want to delve into it. |
Replies:
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 07:28
| Shadow of the Hierophant. |
Posted By: Ronstein
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 07:46
| Procul Harum, In Held 'Twas in I - e) Grande Finale |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 07:50
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PROG: Flower Kings - Final Deal (one of the finest examples of how to end an epic) Chris Squire - Silently Falling (an incredible coda section with everything but the kitchen sink in it, including crazy vocal adlibs by Chris) Roine Stolt - Flower of Love (Humanizzimo) (a dark, beautiful, tear jerking ending) NON PROG: Elton John - Curtains (great album closer) ------------- 
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Posted By: Homotopy
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 07:58
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2006? These has been a similar one just a few months ago.
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=123410
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 08:38
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Los Endos no need to say more, right?
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Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 08:48
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Foxlight by Wobbler, I love any kind of celebratory conclusion Without Walls by IQ Song Within a Song by Camel The Leper Affinity by Opeth Journey From Mariabronn Kansas
------------- The sun has left the sky... ...Now you can close your eyes |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 09:09
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Rush~By-Tor & The Snow Dog: Part IV-Epilogue.......Neil and his chimes in a locked run out groove. -------------   
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 09:12
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ELP - Lucky Man. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 09:15
| Yes - Awaken, And You And I and The Remembering |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 09:45
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Yes...Starship Trooper ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 09:58
That one is probably number one for me. Starship Trooper and Silently Falling are also great answers. The Return of the Giant Hogweed is fantastic as well. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Manuel wrote:Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 10:05
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http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=123410&PID=5780986#5780986" rel="nofollow - Still the same as in a similar thread from last July. The part from 8:18 to 10:24 to be more precisely. ------------- 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 10:11
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The first to come to my mind is Cardiacs’ “The Everso Closely Guarded Line” off of the album On Land and in the Sea. Wondrous to these ears. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Mirakaze
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 11:53
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Return To Forever - Vulcan Worlds |
Posted By: Reminisce
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 14:17
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My bad, hopefully there can never be enough threads about best prog endings :S i looked up on google and just found one from 2006 alone and thought it would be the only one. Also i want to add Ashes are Burning.
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Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 14:51
and both "Song for all Seasons" and "Day of the Dreamer"
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Posted By: ForestFriend
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 15:04
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Yes - Release, Release It's terrible and I love it. DUNANANA DUNANANA BUM BUM BUM BABUM BUM ------------- https://borealkinship.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My prog band - Boreal Kinship |
Posted By: Sacro_Porgo
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 16:22
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Attention all planets of the Solar Federation Attention all planets of the Solar Federation Attention all planets of the Solar Federation We have assumed control We have assumed control We have assumed control ------------- Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :) |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 21:59
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The ending of the song "Close to the Edge," especially in concert. First time I saw this song performed was 22 Sept, 1972....I hadn't even heard the album yet and came expecting to hear "America!" At the end of that magnificent song, the band and audience are quite drained, and the appearance of the famous sparkle ball signifies a grand closure. ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: November 26 2020 at 22:25
| I really like the ending to "dancing with the moonlit knight." They almost invented new age music with that. I also like "lady fantasy." The mellotron at the end is a nice touch. |
Posted By: Spacegod87
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 05:13
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To parrot what a few have already said: Shadow of the Hierophant by Steve Hackett The Everso Closely Guarded Line by Cardiacs Majestic, uplifting, powerful..beautiful. ------------- Levitating downwards, atomic feedback scream. |
Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 07:15
Never noticed the mellotron on Lady Fantasy, i'm supposed to be the Camel fiend here
 Regarding moonlit knight, does Tubular Bells count as new age? Cause that beat Moonlit Knight by a few months. And Popol Vuh trumps both of them------------- The sun has left the sky... ...Now you can close your eyes |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 08:20
Actually side two of Ash Ra Tempel's first album has them all beat in the proto new age category. ;) Ok, maybe not Popol Vuh though. Not sure. Anyway, yeah that's definitely a "mellie" at the end of LF. Listen again. It starts to kick in towards the end of the long guitar and organ jam then you hear it(admittedly somewhat in the background) when the guitar line that was heard in the beginning comes on again. They didn't use a tron a whole lot but they did use it. There's also a nice mellotron section in the procession part of nimrodel/procession/the white rider on mirage.
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Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 08:26
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Off the top of my head I hear the tron in Nimrodel and Never Let Go for sure, Camel mostly stuck to the synths. To contribute to the actual discussion, some great Camel endings! Separation Nimrodel Air Born Metrognome Unevensong Drafted ------------- The sun has left the sky... ...Now you can close your eyes |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 12:36
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Hi, NEKTAR ... and you can hear it in "Sounds Like This" and then "A Tab in the Ocean" (ending of the side 2 of the album), and then "Recycled" with Larry Fast helping deal the punch and powow ... it kinda stops after the end of Side 1 of the album ... and their album version of "M. Moses" on the album was not half as good as the one they originally did, which was punk prog if there ever was such a thing! The live versions in the albums were already the later versions to sound/look like the album version.
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: November 27 2020 at 19:21
Well, like I said there's definitely mellotron during the last few minutes of Lady Fantasy also. Unless someone doesn't know what a mellotron sounds like I really don't see how anyone can not notice it.
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Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 00:26
Did they always use the sparkle ball live for CTTE? I've seen videos of the song live from 1972 with all sorts of stuff, including the balls; like projector screens with bubbles and abstract psyche sh*t everywhere, SO awesome lol. My pick for this thread is Siberian Khatru. ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Progmind
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 01:19
This!!!! Majestic and epic, Willian Drake its a genious
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Posted By: hellogoodbye
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 01:28
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David Bowie : Scary Monsters : It's no game (part 2) Holger Czukay : Movies. Hollywood Symphony |
Posted By: alfred1983
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 01:38
| Mister Robot "fables for robots" absolutely brilliant album finale. |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 15:23
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i Love the ending to this great song |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 15:45
Every time I've seen CTTE in concert with Jon Anderson performing, they used the disco ball! In 1972, I was like "What the hell is THAT??" I like how they reprise the beginning of the song with the ending = Wakeman's tinkling Moog synth notes, with waterfall sounds and birds chirping. Very dramatic! This is how Squire looked back then....the guy was an animal, all over the stage!!  ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: November 28 2020 at 22:48
YES (pun intended)!!! I had plethora of legendary Squire shots as my avatar for the longest time, I bring them back when I'm feeling it. Chris Squire is my favorite bass player, and progressive rock musician, of all time. No contest, no exaggeration, no hyperbole. He is the master of rhythm (of love)! Not to mention the dude was a TALL 6'4", absolutely towering over his band mates, lol. TALK ABOUT PRESENCE, YEAH?!  ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 02:41
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Emerson, Lake and Palmer - A Time and a Place (Emerson cranks up the Moog!) Emerson, Lake and Powell - Mars, The Bringer Of War ( Emerson again , but this time adding a synth solo that improves Holst original composition) Genesis - Cinema Show (live version) Yes - The Gates Of Delirium (calm after the storm) Lone Star - The Bells Of Berlin (this just beats everything!!) The Nice - She Belongs To Me (quite long and boring but the band then hits a wonderful groove to elevate the track from nothing much to write home about to something special) |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 04:43
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That last little trumpet flourish in RDM's (Il Rovescio Della Medaglia) Contamination ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: iguana.will
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 12:13
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To me it narrows down to these: Yes - Starship Trooper Yes- Close to the Edge Van der Graaf Generator - Man-Erg BBT - Hedgerow Proclamation - Gentle Giant Camel - Air Born Genesis - The Musical Box Van der Graaf Generator - Pilgrims Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Live at Knebworth 1990) - Pink Floyd Brain Damage/ Eclipse - Pink Floyd (If you consider Eclipse an ending) Tell me what you think about it. |
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 13:21
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KC - The Mincer and Snakefinger’s Smelly Tongues end with the crinkled tail of the tape running out. I love that. I also love the Aisle of Plenty closing of Cinema Show. Gabriel’s best vamping! |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 13:22
Posted By: Reminisce
Date Posted: November 29 2020 at 13:44
| I'd also like to add Big Big Train both The Underfall Yard and Victorian Brickwork |
Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: December 18 2020 at 08:40
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Wonderous Stories Howe's jazzy guitar revolving around at the end. Fountain of Salmacis Siberian Khatru Mahavishnu's Birds of Fire The pace increasing, drums going crazy, rockets flying around.., We used to make *enhanced* 'sessions' with that thing! Whoaaaa scary & heavy  ...and if you listen carefully, there's a last, single guitar note that holds and barely hears at the very end (at least on my CD): McLaughlin -the guitar- finishing the song in all justice. 
Thank you man.. I rarely venture from Big X, their "satellites" :) or to 2000's, but liked this one fair. Listened it through.
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: December 18 2020 at 13:05
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Listen to the last 3 minutes or so of Thick as a Brick. Perfect recapitulation of the entire album and a manic flipping of about a half-dozen time signatures. Brilliant work by John Evan and Barrie Barlow. Also, the outro of Starship Trooper. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: December 18 2020 at 18:52
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Kate Bush - Breathing (and Aerial deserves mention too) David Sylvian/Robert Fripp - The First Day |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: December 19 2020 at 00:07
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Transatlantic - All of the above
Yes - Awaken King Crimson - larks tongues in aspic part 2 VDGG - pilgrims
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: December 19 2020 at 08:22
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Hi, We forgot one of the BEST ENDINGS OF ALL ... the never ending ending. ALICE BOWIE! Have fun finding it and listening to it! Sadly, it was almost a complete rip off of the stuff in NEKTAR's "Sounds Like This" album that had a whole bunch of really neat "endings". Sadly it looks like folks only posted their "faves" ... not other endings they have heard or not bother to check out!
 ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Rrattlesnake
Date Posted: December 24 2020 at 10:43
| Opeth - White Cluster |
Posted By: princerupert
Date Posted: December 25 2020 at 16:05
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Lady Fantasy - Camel A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers - VdGG |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 25 2020 at 16:25
The only Alice Bowie I know is Cheech Marin (Tommy Chong lived close to me) and I grew up with Cheech & Chong, although my dad who was in Corrections would not have approved. Anyway, that's not Prog and I don't know what you are referring to. The original poster wrote "What are your favorite endings in all of Prog?" and finished up the post with "I'd like to know what your favorites are as i want to delve into it", so I can't follow what's "sad" (one of your favourite words it seems) about listing our favourites. I certainly wouldn't list ones that I haven't checked out. What would you expect from the opening post? ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 25 2020 at 16:28
The only Alice Bowie I know is Cheech Marin (Tommy Chong lived close to me) and I grew up with Cheech & Chong, although my dad who was in Corrections would not have approved. Anyway, that's not Prog and I don't know what you are referring to. The original poster wrote "What are your favorite endings in all of Prog?" and finished up the post with "I'd like to know what your favorites are as i want to delve into it", so I can't follow what's "sad" (one of your favourite words it seems) about listing our favourites. I certainly wouldn't list ones that I haven't checked out. What would you expect from the opening post?
Thanks. William Drake's work is wonderful, and I agree on it being so majestic and epic. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: December 26 2020 at 09:12
Hi, It would not make it as "prog" today ... but for the time that it came out, it was very progressive and not just "song" oriented. AND, it sounded great! We even used to joke that it was done by NEKTAR! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: timehat
Date Posted: December 29 2020 at 11:26
| I love the end of Cynic's "I'm but a Wave to..." In a world of rock and pop songs with Vegas endings or fadeouts (an oversimplification, I know, but they are massively overused) was the first ending that really made me sit up and take notice. It made me really want to strive to put such a lovely, well-considered, bow on the end of my own pieces. |
Posted By: haerskar
Date Posted: December 31 2020 at 05:35
| Fade out on Hocus Pocus ( fast version ) aka Hocus Pocus ( American version ) I would have liked to hear the whole thing not faded out. This was when Jan Akkerman was at the top of his game in the early 70 s. |
Posted By: enrico.rennella
Date Posted: December 31 2020 at 09:20
| ' |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: December 31 2020 at 12:31
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Museo Rosenbach's Zarathrustra ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: haerskar
Date Posted: January 05 2021 at 01:11
| OK I have changed my mind. The best two endings are... wait for it..........The whole Yes Close To The Edge and King Crimson Larke's Tongues In Aspic. That is my final answer. There this thread has ended. No more discussion. |
Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: January 06 2021 at 07:05
| Florentine Pogen.. the way it fades with the synths. |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: January 07 2021 at 07:20
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Someone mentioned Thick As A Brick but I must second it - and refine it. It is really that last build up leading to the acoustic theme's recapitulation. The frantic ascending energy, those three Hammond-heavy triads and then Ian brings it all full circle. I'm not a huge Jethro Tull fan but DAMN!!! That's my favorite two minutes of music ever. ------------- The Prog Corner |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: January 07 2021 at 12:59
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I often listen closely to the Shepard tone at the end of Echoes. The ending of A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers is truly amazing, as is the ending of Scorched Earth. There are quite a few interesting endings among VdGG tracks. ------------- 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: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: January 07 2021 at 23:43
Chester's Gorilla...she go QUACK! Chester's Gorilla...she go MOO! ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: January 08 2021 at 01:45
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^She also go "rent." Pop quiz: name another Zappa tune where that "word" shows up near the end.
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Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: January 08 2021 at 03:38
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I have no clue because my brain is just going right to Evelyn, a modified dog Viewed the quivering fringe of a special doily Draped across the piano, with some surprise In the darkened room Where the chairs dismayed And the horrible curtains Muffled the rain She could hardly believe her eyes A curious breeze A garlic breath Which sounded like a snore Somewhere near the Steinway (or even from within) Had caused the doily fringe to waft & tremble in the gloom Evelyn, a dog, having undergone Further modification Pondered the significance of short-person behavior In pedal-depressed panchromatic resonance And other highly ambient domains... Arf she said ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: January 08 2021 at 04:14
| I'd probably go for Genesis' Musical Box, also an honourable mention for Yes' The Remembering. |
Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: January 30 2021 at 10:36
| ELP's The Barbarian. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: January 30 2021 at 12:38
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The last 2:30 minutes of Karn Evil 9 3rd imp. Jump to 6:30... ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: January 31 2021 at 13:24
No, really... Please give it a listen and report back! I heard it casually a couple of nights ago with a friend, now on vacations, kind of showing some music to him (with some additional stimulus.. and drinks) and suddenly... the finale completely stood out at me... Palmer gives you absolutely no truce and he robs the movie entirely! astounding! what do you think? It strikes me it wasn't mentioned yet.. a masterpiece! |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: January 31 2021 at 13:55
For endings this one is tough to beat. Also, I know it sounds crazy but it still sounds way ahead of it's time and it was recorded 47 years ago! Maybe one day some modern prog bands will catch up to it but I doubt it. ;)
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Posted By: Earl of Mar
Date Posted: February 01 2021 at 10:41
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Lots of Genesis tracks but the musical box is a favourite. Cygnus x1 book 1 by Rush. 2112 is also great. The Yes tracks have all been rightly mentioned. Its prog related but after all these years and listening Stairway to Heaven has a great ending still. |
Posted By: efoman2
Date Posted: February 03 2021 at 12:17
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There are probably equal or better ones out there, but three jumped in my mind just now: The Gates of Delirium-Yes Forgotten Sons-Marillion Jig of Life-Kate Bush |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: February 03 2021 at 12:29
| ^ The Gates of Delirium ending is basically just the "soon" section. |
Posted By: Dopeydoc
Date Posted: February 03 2021 at 15:11
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RPWL - Home Again. A wonderful guitar solo "ŕ la Gilmour". |
Posted By: jgfergus
Date Posted: February 03 2021 at 15:22
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The last 5 minutes of Grobschnitt's "Rockpommel's Land" is majestic... |
Posted By: Tancos
Date Posted: February 03 2021 at 17:05
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The codas to a couple of Wishbone Ash tunes lift them to a higher level: "Valediction;" "Warrior." A memorable ending of a different sort: The Beatles, "I want You (She's So Heavy)."
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Posted By: Ruby900
Date Posted: February 05 2021 at 05:15
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Not sure anyone has mentioned Procol Harum's Whaling stories - the coda is epic. Especially on Live at Edmonton. Incredible stuff ------------- "I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: February 06 2021 at 10:01
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10cc's Feel the Benefit. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |