The Real Adam Master of rectangles

Epic songs, pick a favorite

Prepare to be polled.

For the purposes of this survey, we’ll take an “epic song” as one with musically distinct beginnings and ends. Said song shall not be a grouping of songs, like on Abbey Road or Born to Run. In other words, its only one song on the track listing. Here’s some of the best epic songs that popped into my head:

• “Bohemian Rhapsody”
• “Hey Jude”
• “Stairway to Heaven”
• “November Rain”

Your mission is to choose one of the above, or write in with your own favorite. If you write in, please do try and provide a link so that we can listen in.

Now, get those opinions flowing. Here, I’ll start. “Bohemian Rhapsody” takes the cake.

Does Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” count? (crappy version here: http://captainsdead.com/doolittle/joelmiami/07.%20Scenes%20From%20An%20Italian%20Restaurant.mp3)

It started as a nugget of a song (the middle) and he couldn’t figure out the rest of it, so he decided to just roll it into another song. It’s like a stack, push, push, push, pop, pop, pop… LOVE IT

Yeah “Scenes…” is really good. I didn’t know that’s how he created the song. And I laughed out loud when I saw the stack reference :-P

While it hasn’t yet stood any sort of test of time, Muse’s Knights of Cydonia should be included as one of the very, very few epic songs recorded in recent history.

+1 for Bohemian Rhapsody though

It’s a no-brainer, surely? Faith No More’s “Epic”.

http://songza.com/listen?z=nsETamxkT9E

AFK at the moment, so no link, but definitely “Edge of Darkness” by Eric Clapton. It is also the only Eric Clapton song that I like.

A song about a car. Red Bar-chetta.

The Protomen’s “The Stand” is absolutely mind-blowing if you’re into grandiose mega-man rock. (Think you can stream this one from http://www.protomen.com/)

Otherwise it would have to be “Time Stands Still” by Blind Guardian for the way it retells the tale of Fingolfin (http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/sotomayor/morgoth_and_fingolfin.jpg). It’s difficult to listen to that one without shedding a tear for the valorous elven lord. (Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_7sT0Oe92A)

Falconer’s “Northwind” is probably the most melodic epic metal I’ve heard. It exhibits amazing vocals, but I can’t find a link.

Epic choices, all! I’ll throw in a couple more:

• Layla
• Sir Psycho Sexy

I was tempted to throw in some Black Sabbath (“War Pigs/Luke’s Wall”), but I don’t think that hyphentated/slashed songs qualify as one song, even though they are one track.

Also, I bet Ryan Adams does the epic thing somewhere, but I don’t know enough of his songs to put my finger on one.

Adam, all fine choices (“November Rain” would get my vote).

I’d like to add “One” by Metallica: Starts like a firecracker and ends like a nuclear bomb — it’s the most intense epic (including lyrics) I can think of!

Leave Ryan Adams out of this!!!

“Echoes” - Pink Floyd, though maybe thats too epic.

SIR ADAM APPLE, IT MAY HELP US IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER ADDING WORLD NEWS
ALONG WITH SONGS. A SONG IS ONLY A PART OF THE LARGER LOGISTICS OF REALITY AS I, YOU & ZAPPA SEE IT, LIVE IT, REACT TO IT, FIGHT IT. AND ALSO INCLUDE RECORDING PROCEDURES LIKE: THE 1ST SONG TO USE THE “AURAL EXCITER” (FX DEALING WITH PSYCHOAUCOUSTICS”, IS “BOH.. RHAP….” COOL! DIG. WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE WILL BE BEST, I’M SURE. TRY A SLASH MYRIAD OF LOCATION MODULATION
WITHIN A MATRIXAL SERIAL SEQUENCE RAISING THE AMPLITUDE WITHOUT INCREASING VOLUME. SAVE SPEAKERS, NOT WAR! KEEP SHUFFLING, MR. R.&R.