Short Prog Songs
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Topic: Short Prog Songs
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Subject: Short Prog Songs
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:36
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Ok, so everyone talks about epics, and suites, and double LPs, but what about short (sub 3 minute or so) progressive songs? Can artists portray the myriad of emotions and concepts frequently observed in progressive music in such a very short time? Discuss. |
Replies:
Posted By: Synchestra
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:53
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Gentle Giant. Album after album of short (by prog standards) but fantastic songs that managed to show musicianship and songwriting at a high standard, not many other bands i can think of that were as prolific at it, but there a certainly alot of short prog songs by other bands that show the emotional content as well as skill that we love about prog, such as 'song for the innocent' by Pain of Salvation. very short but always gets me
------------- 'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan |
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 21:59
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Yeah, Gentle Giant are an amazing band for being able to cramp a lot of music into a tight package. The problem that many shorter prog peices face is that they just get cast away as filler or 'padding'. I find this to be quite a hard thing to judge, as some short peices, like those found in The Wall are essential to the progression of the narrative, however, some are quite clearly not. |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:13
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Not a song, but see "The Spider" by Kansas. For songs, how about "Spirit of the Water" by Camel? Or "Grace" by Jethro Tull. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:22
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The first thing to come to mind was More Fool Me, which then led to thinking of For Absent Friends and other short Genesis songs.
Then I think of the first 3 songs from Misplaced Childhood, and then such Rush songs as Different Strings Circumstances and Tears....
I think all would fit the bill.
------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:27
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Gong has made a lot of good shorter songs as well.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: September 16 2009 at 22:48
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 00:13
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Going through my iTunes list and looking through prog bands reveals there is heaps of short songs. The Mars Volta, Between the Buried and Me, Cynic, Agalloch, Isis, Yes, The Postman Syndrome, just to name a few have short songs. Can artists portray the myriad of emotions and concepts frequently observed in progressive music in such a very short time? Sure, I think they can. ------------- 
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Posted By: tdfloyd
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 00:45
Most all of the shorter pieces on The Wall are excellent. You may try to think of them as a long suite with different sections, especially since many of them are run into the next w/o the space of silence between them like individual singles.
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Any Colour You Like wrote:Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 01:33
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Great thread idea - Some I love would have to be Porcupine Tree's Small Fish, How Is Your Life Today? and Marillion's Lavender and White Feather
All of them are short but sweet, and get a well formed point across in the short time they play for 
-Joel |
Posted By: theBox
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:31
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Three words: Long Distance Runaround. Yes in a nutshell. A very small nutshell, mind you..
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:41
Well picked! I'd also like to add Yes' The Fish - Schindleria Praematurus to the list. |
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 02:47
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Two of my favourite short prog songs have been mentioned here, and they both involve fish. Small Fish, PT from Up The Downstair The Fish - Schindleria Praematurus, Yes, Fragile Short, sharp, and to the point. Why spend 14 minutes elaborating on a theme when you can be done in 3 and a bit eh? |
Posted By: The Sleepwalker
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 03:24
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What comes to mind emediately is Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, which exists of relatively short songs, but some of them are much more emotional than a 15+ epic. King Crimson's The Great Deceiver also deserves a place here. It is 4 minutes in length, but has a big bunch of different themes and riffs. ------------- 
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Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 03:30
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Nice tread
Like to mention a few relative short tracks i allways loved
Genesis : Broadway Melody of 1974
Genesis : More Fool me
KC: Two Hands
KC: Cat Food (maby not short, but def. not an Epic)
Marrilion : Punce and Judy
------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
Posted By: pianoman
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 05:42
| I love mOTW'S Interludes. Beautiful short prog instrumentals |
Posted By: pmendes
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 05:59
Many Procol Harum songs are not that long. Whiter Shade of Pale, Homburg, Conquistador, Nothing but the Truth, a Salty Dog, yes, you can be short and sweet! Paulo ------------- NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH |
Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 06:03
------------- http://www.formspring.me/Aragorn224" rel="nofollow - Trendsetter win! The search for nonexistent perfection. |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 06:22
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Maybe not 100% prog at all times, but: Genesis - I Know what i Like Uriah Heep - The Wizard Jethro Tull - A New Day Yesterday Yes - No opportunity neccesary, no experience needed Rush - Twillight Zone Caravan - Cecil Rons And many more! |
Posted By: friso
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 07:10
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Kayak made some beautifull short songs! Somehow they used very short songs for the end of the album. I have always been facinated by this. All of these songs are last tracks of Kayak albums.
His Master's Noise (1:45) My heart has changed (2:31) Well done (0:52) |
Posted By: Marty McFly
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 07:20
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Skilled artist can make good, short song which can be comparable to epic ones. Not with length, but with quality.
------------- There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless," -Andyman1125 on Lulu  Even my |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 07:30
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Emëhntëht-Rê #2 by Magma clocks out at 3:13 and it's an outstanding example of prog in a nutshell! You can listen to it http://muzihk.free.fr/radio/radio.htm - here . ------------- 
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 07:34
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Sigur Ros - Takk...
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Protest The Hero - Sequoia Throne |
Posted By: Marty McFly
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 08:20
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OK, if you want songs, then simplest answer is Pink Floyd - Eclipse.
------------- There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless," -Andyman1125 on Lulu Even my |
Posted By: Darklord55
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 08:21
I can think of quite a few songs that meet the qualifications. However, my favorites are both by Jethro Tull. "Dun Ringhilll" and "Life Is A Long Song". 
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 08:33
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KENSO manage to pack l-o-a-d-s of exciting ideas into two and three minute tracks, especially on their most recent studio album, UTSUROI YUKU MONO, which is on the same level of inspiration as Gentle Giant or Brand X at their very best, albeit without vocals. Honestly!
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 09:13
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When it comes to complex short instrumentals, Talisma comes to mind first...
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: proggy
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 09:47
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Genesis - Anyway(The most underrated song on "The Lamb.....")
Rush - Madigral(Too damn short)
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Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 10:09
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Peter Gabriel - Family Snapshot A four minutes epic! |
Posted By: questionsneverknown
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 11:39
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Based solely on length, I have to thrown in The Residents' Commercial Album; every song is one-minute long. The vast majority of songs on Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica are also around 3-4 minutes, as are most of the songs on Samla Mamma Manna's debut.
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 13:11
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10cc - Im Mandy fly Me is a short but still a lovly peace of pop-prog and also Art for Art sake and Wall Streat Shufle. there are also some vary nice short progsongs on the debute record by Asia one is some of my favourite prog songs called Without You (my top 5 prog song for the moment). I agree that Gentle Giant is a grete exepttion of the rule that sais that all progsongs most be long you can also compose short prog songs that are stil as exiting as a 15++ min song but my favuorite length for a prog song is somewhere between 6.30 min and 10.00 min not less not more  |
Posted By: 33rpm
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 17:49
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I agree with those that have mentioned Gentle Giant.
Jethro Tull has many I love.
"Cheap Day Return" - 1:23
"Wond'ring Aloud" - 1:55
"Slipstream" - 1:13
"Nursie" - 1:36
" A Christmas Song" - 2:47
Non prog "Badge" -2:47 by Cream is great as well. ------------- Vinyl just sounds better!! |
Posted By: King Crimson776
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 19:33
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Living in the Past - Jethro Tull Book of Saturday - King Crimson Grand Old World - The Flower Kings Broadway Melody of '74 - Genesis My Shoes - Spock's Beard From the Beginning - Emerson, Lake & Palmer Aspirations - Gentle Giant Theme One - Van der Graaf Generator Supertwister - Camel Mystery Train - Transatlantic Sky Is Falling - Rocket Scientists Snowman - Frost* Piano Lessons - Porcupine Tree The list goes on forever...
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 19:48
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Kevin Gilbert. One of my favorite modern prog musicians, and doesn't have a song that exceeds 7 minutes.
------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 19:56
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All in a Mouses' Night - Genesis Anyway - Genesis Lilywhite Lilith - Genesis Fly on a Windshield - Genesis Harold the Barrel - Genesis All these are incredible short Prog songs by Genesis :P |
Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: September 17 2009 at 20:11
Yes Kayak wrote beautiful music. Phantom Of the Night. It's how Procol Harum sounded on Grand Hotel or A Salty Dog. The first 5 tracks on MERLIN (not to be confused with the later release) are short and progressive in style. Their 2nd album is one of their most impressive.
Curved Air had excellent short songs. Everdance, Jumbo, Melinda(more or less). Profondo Rosso by Goblin. The Devil by The Enid
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Posted By: King Crimson776
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 01:48
I love KG too, but Certifiable #1 Smash, A Long Day's Life and Shadow Self all exceed 7 minutes.
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 02:38
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 06:13
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Alas, no-one ever agrees with me on Kenso!
The main problem must be that their best albums hardly ever find their way out of Japan. I remain convinced that FABULIS MIRABILIBUS and UTSUROI YUKU MONO are simply the best (and the most inspired) instrumental prog of the past quarter century. |
Posted By: RoeDent
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 06:44
| The Answer Lies Within and I Walk Beside You are both fantastic short songs (by DT standards), but if you're looking for sub-3 minutes, I'd probably go for Eclipse by Pink Floyd. Brilliant, moving end to the album. |
Posted By: Ultime
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 08:36
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when talking of symphonic prog, seems obvious that short songs are "shadowed" by long ones.
e.g. Nursery Cryme & Fragile - but to be shadoewd does not mean that the song is not good !
Spock Beard has made some very good short songs : "In the Mouth of Madness" ; "june"
Also, speaking of short songs, I remember the first tijme I heard "Il Rovescio della Medaglia" (RDM - Contamination back those days) - We were all completely astonished ------------- Ultime tentative |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 08:52
| There are a number of modern prog bands that specialize in shorter songs (meaning around 5 minutes), and do it very, very well. I have recently come across a Toronto-based band called Half Past Four (they are included in our DB under Eclectic), whose debut album, Rabbit in the Vestibule, is definitely worth a listen for those who believe that prog does necessarily have to mean 20-minute epics. Some of the songs on the album are under 3 minutes in length, but I found them quite impressive nonetheless. |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 15:40
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How about The Residents 'The Commercial Album' for short songs. All 40(!) songs are in the one minute range :) Mindblowing stuff :) ------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 17:34
You can add Marrids Gift of Art, Geography, The Horror of Lunars Retreat, Gleam in Ranks, The Painting of Mu Principle and Sleep is a Curse to that list.
For the heavier side I really like Gojira's Backbone. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: zappaholic
Date Posted: September 18 2009 at 19:30
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"Point Of Know Return" by Kansas always floors me. It's only 3 minutes long but it feels much longer because there's just so much going on. ------------- "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken |
Posted By: progger7
Date Posted: September 19 2009 at 09:00
| most riverside songs are short but, really good. |
Posted By: Morningrise
Date Posted: September 19 2009 at 14:50
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Rhayader (Camel)
Conceiving You (Riverside)
Easy Livin (Uriah Heep)
Closer To The Heart (Rush)
Goodbye Blue Sky (Pink Floyd)
Wait For Sleep (Dream Theater)
The Logical Song (Supertramp)
Son Et Lumiere (Mars Volta)
The Masquerade Overture (Pendragon)
Jerusalem (Emerson Lake And Palmer)
10 examples of awesome short prog songs!!
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Posted By: jpgarcia7787
Date Posted: September 22 2009 at 02:03
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Harold the Barrel by Genesis from the album, "Nursery Cryme" Peter Gabriel's lyrics telling this story of Harold trying to commit suicide are awesome and presented very well as always. What a great lyricist. ------------- The only reason we're so narrow-minded is because we fear what will change over the generations and lose the sanctity in what we hold so dear. This includes you, Prog Elitists. Ease up. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: September 26 2009 at 03:17
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: September 26 2009 at 03:35
| Marillion - Most Toys, Marbles I, Marbles II, Marbles III, Marbles IV |
Posted By: polumbric
Date Posted: September 26 2009 at 17:59
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Speaking of Half Past Four's short songs, they just released their first music video to one of their shortest songs, about 2:37 minutes in length. It can be found on youtube (if permissible by Progarchives): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5AFe8MgRuQ |
Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: October 03 2009 at 06:48
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I 've always liked 'Slow Marching Band' by Jethro Tull from 'Broadsword and the Beast' - a perfectly formed and concise song. If you want a really short one - what about 'Cheerio' from the same album?
------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: LateralMe
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 15:28
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King Crimson's 'Book of Saturday'.
------------- A Flower!? |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 15:59
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there are many beautiful short prog songs. sometimes simple conveys a lot more emotion than complicated
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Varon
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 16:14
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My favourites are "Moths" and "Rover" by Jethro Tull, "Anyway" by Genesis, ELPs' "Canario", + there are a lot of great and not long songs on Camels' "Harbour of tears" , + "Words unspoken" from first Supertramp album. ------------- Would you catch the final words of mine? Would you catch my words??? |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 16:23
Sorry about that. None of those are under 8 though, I think. -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |