Long Songs: Epic, Progressive, Acid, Trance...

Does MacArthur Park count?

Tarkus by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, also their Karn Evil 9, in three parts.

I would recommend The Orb, harmonic. They've split now, but released some fine stuff in the early-mid 90's. Most of their tracks are around 10-20 mins. The genres would probably be ambient/house/electronic/dub.

For starters, I'd get hold of their album "U.F.Orb", released about 92/93 on Island Records, and work backwards from there. The later stuff is okay, but not great.

For trivia fans, they hold the record for the longest single to reach the UK singles chart. The song was 'Blue Room' and clocks in at around 48 mins - I kid ye not! The album version is around 18 mins. It reached top 20, I think.

Has anyone heard of a band called Earth? They have one album side that sounds like one long, vibrating, bass chord sustained for like 20 minutes.

The first track that's come into my head is Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands - It takes up one whole side of Blonde on Blonde - Dylan.

Cool. I've been downloading Tarkus in bits and peices today. Hope it comes through ok...

Pink Floyd has quite a few long ones!

Also... I don't know how this would fit in, but you have Abbey Road - Ya know how the last half of the album is linda like one long song...

Running more or less one LP side:
Close to The Edge - Yes
Tubular Bells (et al) - Mike Oldfield
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

Two sides:
Thick as a Brick -Jethro Tull

This is sort of an extension to the three minute single, because that's all that fits on a 45.

Do we expect 80 minute songs that fit on a CD? Well, why not?

Isaac Hayes "Hot, Buttered Soul", "The Issac Hayes Movement" or "To Be Continued...". Five, maybe six cuts per album.