Epic Songs? Like Em Love Em Hate Em Or Care Less?

Question

I was just listening to Billy Thorp's incredible Epic
"Children Of The Sun"
Ever heard it? If not You don't know what Your missing. It's an epic sci fi treat, and it rocks!
However I was wondering how You felt about long Epic Songs
(Zep's "Stairway To Heaven" for example)
And if they're your cup of tea...got a favorite You want to share?

Answer 1

Epic songs are awesome, although it seems like a lot of people don't have the patience to listen to them. Oh well, their loss.

My picks.

Get Ready - Rare Earth. One of the funkiest jams ever, and downright awesome.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly. Who doesn't love a insanely long drum solo?
Close To The Edge - Yes. Just the musicianship on this piece is amazing.
Thick As A Brick - Jethro Tull. One of the densest songs ever, but also one of the coolest.
Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix. A haunting rhythm section paired with one of the most blistering guitar performances ever.
Child In Time - Deep Purple. Starts off slow and builds into a fierce keyboard and guitar duel.
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John. One of the best songs on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.'
The End - The Doors. An overblown tale of despair, with a bleak picture of the world.
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who. An anthem for rebellion summed up in an awesome song.
You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones. A fitting song to sum up the end of an era.
Hey Jude - The Beatles. The greatest Beatles song ever.

Answer 2

I *love* epics! But a song has to be over 6 mins for me to think of it as 'epic'. Don't expect this list to be short!

Underway {16:15} ~ Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
Tunnel of Love ~ Dire Straits
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) {live '69} ~ Jimi Hendrix
FreeBird ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd
It's All Coming Back to Me Now ~ Pandora's Box
Incantations {parts 1 - 4} ~ Mike Oldfield

Led Zeppelin :~
Stairway To Heaven
When the Levee Breaks
No Quarter
The Rain Song
Kashmir {the '94 P&P version was 12 mins +}
10 Years Gone
Achilles Last Stand
In the Light
In My Time of Dying
Carouselambra
Since I've Been Loving You

Pink Floyd :~
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Echoes
Money
Time

Jethro Tull :~
Minstrel in the Gallery
Thick As A Brick {parts 1&2}
Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
No Lullaby
Dark Ages
Wounded, Old And Treacherous
Heavy Horses
Budapest

Meat Loaf :~
Bat Out of Hell
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
For Crying Out Loud
I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)
Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)
Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
Bad for Good

Type O Negative :~
Black No.1
Bloody Kisses
Wolf Moon
Love You to Death
Burnt Flowers Fallen
All Hallows Eve
Creepy Green Light


There are probably more, but it's getting late!


Edit :~
I knew I forgot some!

Child In Time ~ Deep Purple
Fires At Midnight {live} ~ Blackmore's Night
Estranged ~ Guns N' Roses
Coma ~ Guns N' Roses

Answer 3

Epics happen to be my favorite type of song, and the songs I love that aren't epics, I wish they were epics. I always find that my favorite songs always end too soon. The longer the song is, the longer you can stay in that mood.
My personal favorites:
Pink Floyd- Echoes
Pink Floyd- Shine on You Crazy Diamond
Pink Floyd- Atom Heart Mother Suite
Yes- Close to the Edge
Yes- Gates of Delirium
Yes- And You and I
Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick
Porcupine Tree- Buying New Soul
Porcupine Tree- The Sky Moves Sideways
Opeth- Harlequin Forest (not sure if it's epic....)
ELP- Tarkus
etc.

Answer 4

I love some Epic long songs:

Stevie Wright's "Evie, Parts 1,2 and 3"

"The Low Spark of High-heeled Boys" by Traffic.

How about RUSH "Cygnus X-1, Book 1 AND 2 from 'A Farewell To Kings' AND the first side of 'Hemispheres', and of course the first side of '2112'?

There are many other Epic songs in classic rock that are excellent. So I would say I do love Epic songs.

Answer 5

Love em.

They're awesome. Usually if an album has an epic song, it's my favorite on the album. I wish more bands had them.

My favorite is either Tetragrammaton by the Mars Volta or the Island by the Decemberists.

Answer 6

Most of the time I just feel they are unnecessary. Sometimes they are amusing and then I might not mind as much, but I do prefer shorter titles. I have enough trouble trying to remember song titles as it is. BA: "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage" by Panic at the Disco "Norwegian Black Metal Sword Fight to the Death" by Form and Fate "All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know" by The Ataris "And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman" by Dance Gavin Dance "You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keep Your Head In The Clouds" by Mayday Parade

Answer 7

I have heard "Children of the Sun" Cool noises. Makes me think of the band Planet P. Also, some early Alan Parson Project was real spacey like that. I listen to some post rock drone music as well.

Answer 8

The epic songs I love and that I listen to very often are:

YES- tales from Topographic Oceans

PINK FLOYD-Echoes, Shine on you crazy diamond, Sheep, Pigs on the wing

GENESIS- Supper's ready, Squonk, Ripples

KING CRIMSON- Epitaph

METALLICA- Wherever I may roam, One

DIRE STRAITS, Tunnel of love, Telegraph road, Sultans of swing

URIAH HEEP- July morning

GUNS N' ROSES- Estranged, November rain

ABOVE AND BEYOND-Can't sleep


and many more..

Answer 9

long epic songs are fine by me ;) i think in a way that's something that adds to it's 'epicness' that ya listen to the song and ya love all 8 min of it.

anyway 2112

Answer 10

Love em'! They are indeed my cup of tea.

They are one of the reasons I often site for loving Led Zeppelin.

Some of my personal faves:
"In my time of dying"- zeppelin (11 minutes and 8 seconds of pure joy)
"Alice's restaurant"- arlo guthrie
"shine on you crazy diamond" -pink floyd
"Rock is dead"& "the end"- the doors
"I heard it through the grapevine"- CCR
"achillies last stand"- led zeppelin....again ( they have a bunch)