Let me introduce you to a new segment, called Length Matters. We’re going to talk about absurdly long songs, and why they’re great! As you know, one of the most striking attributes of prog music is the sheer length of their songs, often going beyond the 10 minute mark, or even 20 minute, with more extreme examples reaching 30, 40 minutes, and even more!
For the first one, I will take the longest song I have in my discography, and from there go in descending length. I hope you’ll find awesome songs and new bands to listen to in the process!
Also, many of these songs are separated into multiple tracks on the album, for the sake of being more accessible, digestible, but as an ultimate prog snob, I’ve edited the tracks back together so that they form only one song, as it was composed.
So, what’s the longest continuous track I have? Fans of the band Transatlantic have most likely already guessed it: The Whirlwind. This monstrous composition, “the epic to end all epics” as stated by the band themselves, runs at 78 minutes long! That’s pretty much all you can store on a single disc! It’s arguably the best work of the supergroup, along with the SMPT:e and Bridge Across Forever albums. The twelve-part suite has it all, from the orchestral and wonderful instrumentals, to the prog rock anthems, to metal parts!
I had the chance to see this played live once, and it was worth every second and every penny! I have so much love for this band and this song ❤
Post originally published on the Prog Talk FB page on 09/08/2015 by ~Frog.
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