A Poll of Epic Proportions
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Printed Date: August 01 2025 at 20:38
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Topic: A Poll of Epic Proportions
Posted By: E-Dub
Subject: A Poll of Epic Proportions
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:26
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Just got to thinking on my lunch hour while listening to The Flower Kings' Paradox Hotel about how they tend to play a portion of an epic on their live albums. Just curious as to how everyone feels about epics in a live setting.
Myself, I'd rather hear an entire epic or two, even though it may mean they only play 5 songs total. E ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:30
| I wholly agree. An epic needs to be listened to in its true form, in my opinion. Going to a Genesis concert and getting the first 8 minutes of Supper's Ready before they play something else would be really depressing. |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:36
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The whole epic I guess, but if they can pull it off by just playing some parts, then I guess Im ok with that. The only example I can think of is Jethro Tull with its shorter Thick as a brick version, which works rather good and when Dream Theater plays some fragments of Six degrees... having said that the cherry on the cale from the Score DVD is to have the entire 42 minutes epic in its entirely... and with an orchestra!!! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:40
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How about those dreadful medleys, like the one Genesis did back on the WCD tour? It was about 20 minutes long, covered about 7 different songs and was totally incoherent. I would much rather them have done two old songs in their entirety.
Back on the Counterparts tour, Rush did a combination of I believe Xanadu and Hemispheres. I wished they had just picked one of the two songs to do in its entirety instead of cutting them both down and splicing them together.
I don't think many people in this forum are going to pick the second option. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:40
You don't answer the question: I think the question says that the epic material is cut short in favour or something at least as cool as it. If Genesis asked me "Would you like to have an 8 minute Supper's Ready and The Cinema Show for the encore, or would you just have the entire Supper's Ready instead?", that would not be easy to answer. Nice thread title by the way, E. ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
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Chameleon wrote:Posted By: Freak
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:01
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I would definitely rather hear the epic in its entirety. ------------- 
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Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:05
| All or none. |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:06
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I guess my mind kept going back to how The Flower Kings always plays the final section of "Stardust We Are" rather than the whole thing. The whole thing MUST be heard, in my opinion.
E -------------
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Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:09
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Is this a trick question? ------------- 
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:10
------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:16
Huh? Not at all. So far nobody has viewed it as a trick question; so, if you see something that I don't, clue me in and I'll change it. 
E -------------
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Posted By: FranMuzak
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:23
| Definitively the whole epic. I remember how disapointed i was when i went to Marillion´s Marbles concert and they didn´t play Ocean Cloud, my favourite of the album. They could perfectly have left some songs out |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:26
| Portion, I guess. |
Posted By: Prometheus
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:27
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well, i'd say whole epic...but there are times when an abridged version is better. for example, Thick as a Brick is good when it is cut to the 8-10 minute concert length...but then i think the normal version of the song is at least 20 minutes too long, perhaps 30, to begin with (but it is good). at a concert its better to keep a sustainable -- and building-- energy, so unless your epic can manage that its best to skip it or abridge it. i mean, if i were to go to a Meshuggah concert i would like to hear something from Catch-33, but i certainly dont want to hear the whole damn thing. ("I" on the other hand, i would) ------------- "Tell me why world, unfathomable and good, The beauty of everything is infinite and cruel." --Kayo Dot |
Posted By: Piotr Buendia
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:31
Epic with improvisation
------------- "You are free to do as we tell you."(Bill Hicks in Revelations) |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 16:31
I'd love to hear "Ocean Cloud", too. Just sounds like you were one of the unlucky stops on this tour because they're rotating their set list like crazy. E iTunes: "Tiki 4" from Fish's Fellini Days -------------
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 17:05
Depends the mood, i guess! if the beer is good or not!
Maybe one day, i will enjoy just the whole epic, maybe another day, i would enjoy a medley of epics or songs. Who knows??
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 17:36
Oh I do hope that all bands out there that write epics are reading this Poll.  ------------- What? |
Posted By: Hacketeer
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 17:48
Going to a Genesis concert on the current tour, and getting 8 minutes of anything would be really depressing! ------------- "Just keep me nose clean, egg, chips & beans, I'm always full of steam" |
Posted By: Morak99
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 20:15
| You need everything, or the song becomes less meaningfull. Medleys are not worth it. |
Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 20:18
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It depends on the epic, doesn't it? ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 20:30
Why overthink it? It can be any epic by your favorite band. For example, I'd like to hear "Stardust We Are" in it's entirety. If that means whacking a few 5-7 minute songs, then so be it. Really, it's not a hard question. E -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 20:48
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Well, if I liked the epic...sure. All of "Thick as a Brick" would be awesome. ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:24
There! Now, wasn't that easy? 
E -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:26
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No...it hurt me deep inside... ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:28
Ooohhh, did you sit on something? It's all in good fun. E -------------
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:29
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epic... probably Tales, though Six Wives would be great, too.
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:29
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Child in Time, when they were jam crazy! ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:30
Eh, I thought I answered it. Guess not.
I just meant that I would rather them play an epic in its album form instead of cutting it. It would definitely be worth missing a couple 5 minute songs.
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:32
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Wait...my daughter is dying to type something:
trewqyyrrreeeeeeeeertyuil;'yyrewwASDSDDFCFV M -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:33
Awwww...
Uh, she's, like, younger than twelve, right? ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:34
She's 4. She likes to look at the emoticons. yyrreqwwqqqwwertyuuiiiooop';' E and Emily -------------
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:35
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iuyyttttttrreewqqyttrrewq -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:35
Then I restate my "Awwwww."
...No emo-tion cons from me though. I have standards; consider yourself lucky I awwed. ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:37
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She'll point to the emoticon legend over to the left and try to guess what they're feeling.
Actually, she's wanting to write a letter to Raggedy Ann. So, as I'm typing this she's making up a story to tell them. Kids pretty cool Thanks for putting up with it. She's done now. E -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:38
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Well...what epic would she want to hear in concert? ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:41
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:42
Are you denying the epecicity of "Wheels on the Bus?" That things has, like, eighty verses! ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 21:48
| epicicity |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 22:04
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Something from The Backyardigans; however, she does listen to prog when we're in the car. Startin' her off early.
E -------------
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Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 03:09
| In entirety, please. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 03:11
bingo.... many epics are loosely tied fragments together anyway, and called epics based on length rather than content anyway. With distinct song fragments tied together with some lose or nebulous lyrical theme. You really aren't missing something by cutting them short. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 08:06
Depends on the individual. I would be. E -------------
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Posted By: refugee
Date Posted: July 08 2007 at 12:19
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I go with the majority here. I´ve always felt that the medley A Plage of Lighthouse Keepers/The Sleepwalkers at Vital is a disappointment. I know it´s impossible to play the whole of APoLK live, so they should have played the whole of Sleepwalkers instead. As for Genesis I´m not a big fan of their medleys. On the other hand, TAAB works very good in the abridged version.
------------- He say nothing is quite what it seems; I say nothing is nothing (Peter Hammill) |
Posted By: bruin69
Date Posted: July 08 2007 at 14:58
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I saw Yes doing the whole of Tales of Topographic Oceans, and Genesis do the whole of The Lamb, and it was too damn much. Each only had time for two encores, and I would have much preferred a more varied selection ------------- A dog is for lunch and not just for breakfast |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: July 08 2007 at 15:08
Hey, Epic and Concept albums are two different things.
I believe a song must be played AS IT WAS RECORDED, if not is a mutilation, that's why I never liked medleys like the ones Genesis did throwing a bone to the Prog fans.
BTW: I envy you for having seen The Lamb on stage.
 Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: LeInsomniac
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:27
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The whole epic, no doubt about it.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LeInsomniac/?chartstyle=volta"> 
Happy Family One Hand Clap, Four Went On But None Came Back |
Posted By: Evandro Martini
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 23:49
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Most times I'd prefer the whole epic. I HATE it when bands cut important sections of songs. For example, last March I saw Roger Waters playing live, and they cut two guitar solos from Shine on you crazy diamond. I wanted to kill him. Mos of the public was very excited by the music, probably didn't even notice the mutilatin... but me... I wanted to go there and complain to Roger! However, some epic mutilations work well. Rick Wakeman has been playing, since the 90s, a version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth with 17 minutes, that fature the whole album. I like this version much more than the original, and if I were in a concert by him I would be very glad to listen to it. ------------- "You’ll never make any money playing music that people can’t sing.” Keith Emerson's father |
Posted By: Evandro Martini
Date Posted: July 10 2007 at 23:51
You defined it very well, Iván. it's really a bone they throw! And a ridiculous bone. This made me remember Yes, which on their 2000 tour did a 30 seconds version of Ritual. Couldn't be more frustrating! ------------- "You’ll never make any money playing music that people can’t sing.” Keith Emerson's father |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 05:13
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All I know is if I went to a Marillion show and played "This Strange Engine" from about the 'blue pain' section on, I'd be poppin' a blood vessel.
E -------------
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