Who did the first SIDE LONG EPIC?

[@Morthoron1]

Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick...one song, the whole damn album.

[@WELLBRAN]

Snow goose camel another

[@beggarslexicon7649]

Followed up by A Passion Play -- another great whole album song.

[@ianwhite6812]

First, not favourite!

[@AssociationAdmirer]

Nektar did the same thing before Jethro Tull. Possibly Cosmic Eye too; I don't know what month their album came out.

[@seethroughhead505]

I now spend more time listening to people talk about music than I do listening to music.

[@DanClapp]

…dammit

[@ludochem]

and it s music to my ears !!!!!

[@bentleycharles779]

lol.

[@mikeydflyingtoaster]

@@ludochem We're definitely singing from the same hymn sheet because that really struck a chord with me. Anyway, I'll stop harping on about it or I'll start sounding like a broken record

[@ivanrain1992]

It’s true

[@stevea6307]

Bob Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" from Blonde On Blonde. June 1966. Took up the entire side 4 of this double album.

[@ggrape0]

I was going to say the same regarding rock or folk rock. Jazz and classical music are something else.

[@billstevens9686]

Perhaps the earliest, not Prog Rock, but definitely progressive for the day - the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony, written 200 years ago. Clocks in around 23-4 minutes. Perfect length for an LP side.

[@urbangrouse]

Iron Butterfly went on a side-long psychedelic trip with "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" in 1968.

[@AldousHuxleysCat]

This was the first thing I thought of, I was about 10 years old and it totally blew my mind

[@falconquest2068]

Me too but it was not a whole album side.

[@AldousHuxleysCat]

@@falconquest2068 I'm not sure what you're talking about, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was a 17 minute song and took an entire side of vinyl.

[@verngreenway1051]

Iron Butterfly 👍

[@falconquest2068]

@@AldousHuxleysCat I stand corrected. You're right. I thought there was another song on that side. My bad!

[@davidberry7834]

Soft Machine Third, 2 Lp's 4 tracks

[@nyobunknown6983]

In 1966 Love did a song called "Revelation" on the Da Capo album that was 18 minutes long and covered one side of the record. That said it was a garbage jam while the other side contained some fantastic music. Side one "Stephanie Knows Who" - 2:33 "Orange Skies" - 2:49 "¡Que Vida!" - 3:37 "7 and 7 Is" - 2:15 "The Castle" - 3:00 "She Comes in Colors" - 2:43

[@seancassidy674]

yep, a whole side but absolute filler

[@nyobunknown6983]

@@seancassidy674 I bought the album back in 1966. I listened to about half of Revelation, got bored with it and never listened again. Supposedly it was cut from a 45 minute jam. Side one was so good however that I still listen to it to this day.

[@stevea6307]

I kind of like Revelation but I agree that Side One was exceptional.

[@alanthomson1227]

@@seancassidy674saw Arthur do it live just before he died , it was hard rock classic

[@Benji306]

Shame as Bryan McLean claimed that the band had enough good songs to fill out side two with shorter pieces. Probably an example where impulsive Arthur had to get his way?

[@DannyG-cv8so]

He might not have been the first, but Mike Oldfield out did everyone, with Tubular Bells. The fact that Billy Friedkin used it on the film Exorcist, took that album to a whole new level of popularity.

[@zootallures6470]

Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed [67] is worth mentioning. I like Soft Machine I & II. Always wondered how they would have sounded had they carried on in that style. That goes for Yes - A Time and A Word too. Mumps is an amazing piece. And your Magma vocals was spot on!

[@jdmresearch]

I prefer II though my friends the more psych pop thing from I. I think their 2 and Moon in June, as well as those gigs from 1969 were really great. Live at the Paradiso 1969 is amazing. And their first phase of the more jazzy period, III, and the gigs from 1970-1971 amazing. I lost interest afterwards.

[@zootallures6470]

@@jdmresearch Are you familiar with Bundles? I consider it the best Soft Machine has made. All periods, all styles.

[@jdmresearch]

@@zootallures6470 I like it of course... but it was just a totally different beast by then.

[@randyevans5407]

Procol Harum's 1968 "In Held 'Twas In I" (And I still say they belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

[@bookhouseboy280]

Absolutely!

[@LorraineHinchliffe-vg5cb]

The Hall of Shame? I'm glad they have nothing to do with that awful place😂

[@JackJones-hm3mr]

Too right man! An absolute classic of a track from one of my favourite albums. I think that could be the first almost side long epic! Just saying almost because of “ Magdalene My Regal Zonophone” just before it…which to me seems like the prelude to In Held ‘Twas in I”..such a band and such a track!

[@randyevans5407]

@@LorraineHinchliffe-vg5cb I agree that the Hall is a joke - although it is a cool place to visit for historical purposes. Way too many bands/people not in who should be, but I’d still like to see groups like Procol in, along with Tull, the Guess Who, King Crimson, etc

[@kw19193]

Thumbs up for mentioning the mighty Procol, but, alas, "In Held 'Twas in I" shared space with another track on side two. Regardless, what a magnificent track from a magnificent band. Cheers!

[@ceedee-z2q]

Sun Ra's "The Magic City" (1965) is without question the first true epic and completely defies categorization. Starting with 'Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy' (1963) Sun Ra had moved away from anything resembling traditional or even "free" jazz and was playing to the martians in outer space. The entire prog and psychedelic scenes that would follow owe a HUGE debt to Sun Ra's fearless explorations of sound.

[@teddydog6229]

I read Miles’s autobiography and he mentioned Sun Ra quite sourly. He said he went to see Sun Ra in concert and most of the audience was white. Well what of it ? Did Miles Davis truly believe that Sun Ra sat there thinking ‘Hmmmm what kind of sound can I come up with which’ll most appeal to white kids ?’ As one of the - if not THE - founder of Afrofuturism I sort of doubt it. It just sounded like sour grapes to me.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

So that's why aliens stopped visiting?

[@JohnManderpersonal]

Check out Moondog.

[@naderzekrya5238]

Nicely put. Totally agree!

[@TheJohnmb46]

There is always Alices Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie!

[@dbarker7794]

A true epic.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

That's what I just posted before I saw your comment. That's the earliest one I know.

[@kevinmcconnell3641]

Every Thanksgiving holiday season “Alice’s restaurant” gets played on more than a few radio stations in St. Louis Missouri. It’s one of my favorite occasional listens;)

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

@@kevinmcconnell3641 Exceptin' Alice! :-)

[@kevinmcconnell3641]

@@LordHasenpfeffer With 8x10 glossies with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was. And they all moved away;)

[@batterytestchannel-v4v]

Gong further down the jazz rabbit-hole, Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman (Sept 1961) is technically one piece for an entire album.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Great album

[@sciwiz57]

Close to the Edge or Thick as a Brick

[@ludochem]

Any of Andy's KZbin post is a long side Epic.

[@heresthething41]

Transatlantic did an awesome cover of "In Held 'Twas In I". Worth checking out.

[@richardsiciliano7117]

Live/Dead had to be the first album to have TWO side long epics with Dark Star and Lovelight.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Totally agree about the Nice being one of the foundations of Progressive Rock

[@frankhoulihanfh4972]

What a great show. As they say about the great epics it seemed much shorter than it is. Andy? Keep chatting us up buddy. ❤

[@erikheddergott5514]

Quicksilver Messenger Service on Happy Trails 1969: Who do you love - Suite; 25:03 Minutes. Not the First but the one I used to listen the most. If Country Joe McDonald and the Fish had a Side Long Tune on Electric Music for Body and Mind, then that Tune would have made my Day. It is my favorite Psychedelic Record, with East-West by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band my favorite Psychedelic Tune alongside their „In my own Dream“ and its wonderful Saxophone Solo by David Sanborn. Love is Wonderful: Great Album.

[@yournamehere6719]

Tull's "Thick As A Brick" was late at '72, but one of the best ever: great arrangements & connector pieces, and the tour supporting it is one of my favorite concert memories.

[@robertgough5804]

Valentyne suite

[@guitarchannel5676]

Jan Akkerman plays a beautiful solo in that slow section of 'Eruption.' The thing about Eruption is it's a suite that has some solos (including a drum solo), but the solos are not just over 2 chord vamps. The aforementioned guitar solo occurs over a series of chord changes and the form is presented fresh; that is, new material that develops and the solo is strategically crafted over it. In a sense, it is new composed material that unravels underneath a guitar solo. I suspect Jan played this one close to the same way every time live, not totally improvised but more embellished?

[@parshakamarsh]

I love that track, it always seems to get passed over by prog fans but I think it's a fantastic piece of music

[@andrewpope1352]

The Electric Prunes -" Mass in F Minor " recorded December 1967 runs to 26 minutes and is a proto-prog , psyched out classical mass by David Axelrod.

[@SuperNevile]

David Axelrod produced "Release Of An Oath" under "The Electric Prunes" banner 11 months later, which is the 'Kol Nidre' a "prayer to release a man's spirit". Two sides over 25 minutes, and similar in form to "Mass in F minor".

[@MrFtoudalk]

Genesis members mention The Nice as one of their inspirations.. I think Gabriel mentions them on several occasions...

[@garethjenkins6273]

Side 2 of Da Capo by Love, released in 1966, has just one track -Revelation. It is almost 19 minutes long.

[@garethjenkins6273]

Oops. Didn't see the post above.

[@dmk7700]

1968 Quicksilver Messenger Service / Happy Trails --- the cut "Who Do You Love" an excellent mix of live and studio.

[@raymeedc]

~ Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands ~

[@sashaames9952]

Looks like ~2000 subscribers to go to hit that 30k Andy! This was great and I learned a whole lot and have plenty of listening to do...

[@brianparker663]

Not quite in the rock realm but Pentangle's version of "Jack Orion" from the album "Cruel Sister" (1970) is always worth a listen. Whole side - with various instrumental sections but no soloing.

[@danoloideain4155]

True, again long-form composed piece not just a long jam.

[@richardgale5369]

no mention of Paul Butterfield Blues Band's East-West written by Mike Bloomfield in 1965 but released in 66. it is 13 minutes long and was based on Bloomfield's LSD trip listening to Coltrane and Indian ragas...

[@fmellish71]

There were other tracks on the b-side though...still, landmark track

[@marshlanderdumarais264]

That was my first thought too. Still listen to it.

[@OutOnTheTiles]

I love that song and that entire album.

[@erikheddergott5514]

The 65 Version of East-West was not released back in Time so its „Mass Impact“ was not there. I love the Twin-Guitars!

[@mattw8332]

Very interesting. I bought In A Gadda Da Vida by Iron Butterfly because it was cleverly referenced in an episode of the Simpsons. 🤣 Doug Ingle sadly passed away recently. 🙁 An unpopular opinion but Lizard by King Crimson is actually my favourite album of theirs from their early era. Jon Anderson providing the vocals on the side long epic because Gordon Haskell quit if I'm not mistaken.

[@anivegmin]

Jimi Hendrix - Rainy day dream away / 1983 A merman I should turn to be - 1968. Always seemed like one side long epic to me. Kind of orchestrated prog and beats both The Nice and Procol Harum by 6 months or so.

[@OutOnTheTiles]

Beautiful song. I used to get stoned and listen to that in the early 80’s.

[@kevinetheridge7201]

I need to mention Isaac Hayes “Hot Buttered Soul” 2 tracks on each side (so not a one sided epic), but it does contain a 12 minute plus version of “Walk on by” and an 18 minute plus version of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and if I was compiling a list of songs with immense proportion these 2 would definitely be on there.

[@aliensporebomb]

The Nice "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" suite is 19:20 and dates to November of 1968. "Five Bridges Suite" (18:06) was released in June 1970. As long as we're at it we could talk about longest prog concept pieces, Todd Rundgren's Utopia released "the Ikon" in 1974 with a stunning length of (30:22) - a real technical feat for one side of an LP record. Not to be outdone, Todd himself released his "Initiation" solo record in 1975 with "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire" taking up all of side 2 at a ridiculous 36 minutes (and included a warning that if your needle was worn it would wreck the record due to the extreme narrowly packed grooves to have such a long piece on record). The CD did not have this issue but my CD copy has the warning added!

[@robertmac9057]

Pretty much a dead heat for the first side-long prog epic between the Nice and Procol Harum, with both Ars Longa Vita Brevis and In Held 'Twas I coming out in Novermber 1968.

[@spiritof6663]

@@robertmac9057 I've seen release dates for "Shine On Brightly" that range from September to December of 1968; no-one can seem to pinpoint the exact date, which drives me nuts since that would answer the question of which side-long suite came first! But both of those were actually preceded to the punch by Chad & Jeremy's (of all people!) "The Progress Suite" which landed in September 1967 and is actually quite proggy in places, although it still sits more in the psychedelic bag. And then there's The Small Faces' "Happiness Stan" from May 1968 although the songs were still listed individually on the record sleeve--but it's clear they are tied together with narration and tell a full story from start to finish. But yeah, if we're talking full-blown prog it would have to be either The Nice or Procol Harum, two *great* pieces!

[@theasphaltworld849]

Absolutely in stitches at the Magma/Chicken Tonight spiel 😂

[@JeffCooper10538]

I enjoyed their cover of Do The Shake N Vac and Put The Freshness Back.

[@Sheffield6688]

You named all of my favorite prog epics Andy. Classical takes it up a notch from prog too. Mahler’s “Symphony No. 3 in D Minor” is an hour-and-a-half long and (if we wanna get crazy) Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (containing “Ride of the Valkyries”) is something like 15 hours long and is usually played over 4 nights. True epics.

[@lemming9984]

An early side-long epic, often overlooked is Flight from Rare Bird's wonderful second album As Your Mind Flies By (1970).

[@marshmallow1680]

Another fascinating video. One of the last epics to throw in - punk was supposed to be the antithesis of prog, and yet one of my favourite side-long tracks is Babe I'm On Fire (side 4 of Nocturama) by Nick Cave. And this isn't a bunch of tracks sewn together a la 2112 but literally 15 non-stop minutes of post-punk. Check it out!

[@CasperLCat]

“The Nice” was Emerson’s pre ELP band. “Nice” was an Australian indie band from the 90s.

[@ronnelson7828]

Noice!

[@craigward2710]

VU's Sister Ray didn't take up the whole side, but at 17 minutes it could have.

[@Yes_Jorge_Yes]

Shine on Brightly by Procol Harum wich Contains In Held Twas In I was released in the USA September of 1968 and October of 68 in UK, and recorded between 1967 to 68. The Nice second album was released In November of 68. Making Procol Harum the first Progressive Rock Band with a Side Long Song. Another whole album composition that you did not mentioned was Concert for Rock Group and Orchestra by Deep Purple in 1969.

[@frankfriedlos3721]

No mention of Happiness Stan by the Small Faces? Sidelong even if not an epic. And really rather special.

[@The-Chrystalmachine]

I was just thinking about that. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear of even earlier examples.

[@musicaldiscovery1434]

Since you threw Dylan in there, I would also have to nominate Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie. I played with his brother Jamie in a band in NY. He lived two blocks from me when that album was released. One day we were practicing in his Mom's basement when Arlo came home with his girlfriend, who was from Liverpool. He sat through our rehearsal and then gave us each a signed copy of that album. What great memories.

[@andrewwrench1959]

Alice's Restaurant Masacree is definitely a single song too, not a collection of individual songs glued together as a pretend single song.

[@Three-Chord-Trick]

Ornette Coleman's "Free Jazz" is one peice spanning two sides. It was released in 1961.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

Ornette Coleman played free jazz sax on John & Yoko's "Cambridge, 1969". That was the first time I ever heard his work way back in 1983 when I was barely 17.

[@Dirgnimai7]

I fully agree, Andy. "Ars Longa..." is, in my view, the first Prog side-long epic. And, in fact, I hold that The Nice was the first Prog Rock band. And therefore, I maintain that Keith Emerson actually created Prog Rock. (I suspect this is going to cause a furor here in the comment section!)

[@JohnManderpersonal]

IMO Procol Harums "In Held Twas In I" (named after the first words in each section from what I understand) influenced Supper's Ready. Note the quirky "Twas Tea-Time at the Circus" and "Willow Farm" coming out of nowhere.

[@monofavoriten]

In held "twas in i" is taking the first word of each part "twas tea time at the circus", "in the autum of my madness" and "i know if i'd been wiser" as the title.

[@blb14cp]

"In held" are the first words of verse 1 and verse 5 (after the instrumental) of section I "glimpses of nirvana"; "twas in I" are the first words of sections II, III and IV

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?

[@deanjones684]

Echoes definitely a side long epic 24 mins. 1971

[@steliosposeidon6871]

Pink Floyds side one ‘Atom Heart Mother’ suite (in several ways a precursor to Echoes) was a whole year earlier, though Echoes is arguably one of the finest side-long epics by any artist!

[@heimomoilanen9654]

​@@steliosposeidon6871Echoes my top 10 epics occasionally even the best

[@colinharper8791]

Great stuff, Andy. A tad harsh on Focus, though - as others have said here, 'Eruption' was a tightly composed/arranged suite illustrating a story in which the solos are there, but very concise on the LP. (The 1970 live version on the '50th Anniversary' box set lasts 37+ minutes, so fair enough - in concert, they stretched those solos!) My favourite Focus recording is 'Anonymous II' on 'Focus III (1973), which lasts nearly two sides - but that one IS a theme followed by extemporised solos then back to the theme...

[@stevensabella7287]

Beautifully researched! One of your best!

[@kzustang]

So glad you brought up The Seeds. So much to talk about them.

[@stevelundquist2417]

Small note "The Fountain of Lamneth" came out before 2112

[@fmellish71]

Return of the Son of Monster Magnet was not inspired by Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. Blonde on Blonde came out a week before Freak Out! did (June 20 and June 27, 1966), so Frank wouldn't have heard it before the Freak Out! sessions, which were three days in March (!!!); a few weeks after Dylan recorded Sad-Eyed. The Seeds's Web of Sound came out in oct. '66 (plus, there is another track on that b-side, so its technically not a side-long track) and Love's Da Capo came out in Nov. '66, so the credit of first rock/pop side-long track would go to Dylan. In Held Twas in I isn't the only track on side two of Shine On Brightly, so the Nice track gets the credit for first prog side-long epic, I think.

[@MrMaxtaurus]

Cool - I could never find info on exact release date of Freak Out! and Blonde on Blonde, to determine who released the first rock double album

[@leesnider4363]

Ars Longa Vita Brevis, which I played incessantly after it first came out, introduced me to my lifelong all-time favorite composer -- Bach.

[@saintgeorge6706]

Tangerine Dream

[@Kuesel68]

Great that you mention The Seeds - they are very underrated nowadays and still for me one of the first Punk groups (like the fantastic Shadows of Knight who turned blues into proto-punk) even though that they came out of the Garage Rock movement and became one of the first psychedelic bands.

[@stevebeaney9684]

Hendrix, 1983- merman? I think it's a whole side.

[@guilhermetavares1975]

Great vídeo!! Thank you so much for the list, I'll search for the few ones I don't know yet! But hearing you I remembered Days Of Future Passed by The Moody Blues and Journey To The Centre Of The Eye by Nektar. Greetings from.the extreme South of Brasil!

[@Justice4Canaan]

"Not the first but Autobahn" is on the album by Kraftwerk under the same name. Such a game changer and although it is electronic there is a real feeling to it. It makes me tear up even today.

[@dkeener13]

first thing that came to mind when I saw the title was Sonny Rollins' Freedom Suite, 1958. I'm sure there are older examples than that.

[@batterytestchannel-v4v]

Another interesting early one - Celebration of the Lizard by The Doors was originally intended to be on Waiting for the Sun, so it would have been recorded between February and May 1968. Its first recorded release was on Absolutely Live (1970) where it runs for over 14 mins, but doesn't take up the full side.

[@apparaoapparao]

Anytime I hear Andy say “Magma”; I picture Dr Evil with the air quotes.

[@markperry9427]

I picked up an original copy of Ars Longa Vita Brevis a couple of years ago at a record fair, the first time I'd ever heard it, a bloody good album and I agree with you that The Nice should be applauded more as the originators of prog. I do also feel that the roots of prog definitely lie in jazz, the first form of experimental music. Dave Brubeck's Take Five is an undoubted stepping stone on the road to prog.

[@garyrobets6147]

MAN... some very long jams

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Come on, the first side long epic has to be a symphony by Joseph Haydn. He wrote about 20 of them between 1757 and 1760, and over 85 more later (I heard them all - most are very good). He did not invent the form, Sammartini, Brioschi, Franz Xaver Richter, CPE Bach, Leopold Mozart, Johann Stamitz all came before him but their symphonies were shorter. Haydn was one of the first to cross the 20 mn length. Now if one wants a 20 mn movement, we'll probably start with Beethoven's violin concerto. There is an 18 mn motet by Josquin Desprez from around 1505, but that's purely vocal.

[@vacuumboots]

I knew it was in the 60s!

[@John-k6f9k]

Haydn is underrated these days, I think he's as good as Mozart. I've enjoyed my fauré into listening to his music. I keep coming bach for more. Getting more Haydn is definitely on my chopin liszt, but I'm awfully bizet these days. It's such refined music, it makes a change from the beery bartók I have with my buddies on a Satie-day night.

[@djacobmadrigal]

You clearly ignored his thesis: talking about rock music.

[@rosshart9514]

Groaner that works only in German: Haydn komponierte 107 symphonien. War 'ne Heidenarbeit.

[@timhewtson6212]

Haydn's chamber music is much catchier than Mozart's. Mozart wins when he brings in the big guns.

[@DwainDwight]

I think Jazz, in particular Coltrane has a huge influence here.

[@markmarsden9459]

Not the first, but two albums with FOUR side-long pieces - Soft Machine Third (1970), Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973)

[@MrMookRecords]

Can - Yoo Doo Right 1969 And as someone else mentioned: Sandy Bull - Blend 1963

[@lib556]

Not prog. Not a full side. But... when discussing early bands that broke out of the sub 3 min pop song restriction, you have to mention The Who's A Quick One While He's Away from 1966 clocking in at just over 9 mins. Watching your video I've learned that it came after Dylan and the Seeds and Love (released Dec 66). Still, as a huge Who fan, I'd be remiss to not push for its recognition as "Tommy's parents" as Pete sometimes describes it.

[@silvertube52]

My vote is definitely for Procol Harum's "In Held Twas In I" even though they squeezed a track in before it on side two. It's also a key example of the transition from psych to prog. Surprised that you know of Trilogy for the Masses by Ford Theater, I've been a fan of that since it was released and think of it as proto-prog.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

20 Dec. 69 Deep Purple: 51' Concerto for Group and Orchestra in 3 movements: 19'21 + 19'11 + 13'08 Sep. 70 Rare Bird: 20' Flight, on As Your Mind Flies By There are other side long tracks, but not in the structured format of "prog epics". Jun. 68 John Mayall: Bare Wires - 23' suite of 7 songs linked together Mar. 69 Taste of Blues: 17' Schizofrenia Aug. 69 Can: 20'14 Yoo Doo Right on Monster Movie - a repetitive trance inducing piece. 1969 Amon Düül II: 20'45" Phallus Dei Jun. 70 Organisation: 20' Tone Float - instrumental

[@MisterLumpkin]

Thanks Andy! Now I have a bunch of new groups and albums to explore.

[@stabbrzmcgee825]

Close the Edge came out AFTER Thick as a Brick FYI.

[@williamburkholder769]

Yes' CTTE was the first side-long album I bought. I have heard that countless times. I saw them play it live in 1974, along with *Tales from Topographic Oceans.* Album sides never got better than that for me. There are many great ones (*Tubular Bells* by Mike Oldfield is a fave I heard this morning for the first time in years.)

[@MrMookRecords]

What's CTTE? AFAF (Asking For A Friend)

[@williamburkholder769]

@@MrMookRecords *Close to the Edge* by YES. Those who follow prog rock often use abbreviations or acronyms for long titles. I'm pretty sure the original poster knew what I was saying.

[@renebos5771]

Van der Graaf Generator’s “plague of lighthousekeepers” indeed as you say not the first side long epic, but WOW WOW WOW. I love “close to the edge”, but VdGG released their Pawn Hearts before and is far more adventurous musically (and obviously lyrically Hammill is in a league of his own).

[@lemming9984]

Rare Bird's Flight from As Your Mind Flies By was earlier than Plague (1970) - and *almost* as good!

[@nyobunknown6983]

Andy is a very entertaining guy to listen to even if I don't always agree with what he says.

[@AssociationAdmirer]

I questioned how one could do a whole half hour on what was the first side long epic, but I greatly enjoyed your video on albums that killed progressive rock, so I gave this a shot. You did quite well, really keeping me at the edge of my seat throughout. Though I've heard of most of the pieces you mention, even the ones from the psychedelic era, I didn't have a great sense of where they all fall on the timeline, so this was a fun and educational way of exploring the subject. While your coverage is impressive, here are a few relevant songs you didn't mention: Nektar's "Journey to the Center of the Eye" (1971) is a 42-minute album-length epic which predates many of the side-length epics you cover. Some say it's more psychedelic than progressive rock, but whatever the genre, it's a great song. Both albums recorded by Egg before their breakup have side-length pieces: "Symphony No. 2" on Egg (1970) and "Long Piece No. 3" on The Polite Force (1971). High Tide gave an entire side to the song "Saneonymous" (1970) despite it being a relatively modest 14 minutes long and having a structure which consists of verse 1/chorus/verse 2/chorus. Finally, I'm surprised you didn't mention that before King Crimson did a side-long epic, ex-KC maestros McDonald and Giles did one on their self-titled album, "Birdman" (1970). Also, I'm sure you already knew this, but since you didn't mention it: "In Held 'Twas in I" and "Supper's Ready", though reasonably long, are not side-long pieces; the former shares a side with "Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)" and the latter with "Horizons". Best of luck with your hour-long piece!

[@tombarnes7846]

I read at some point "In Held Twas in I" was classifiable as rock's first cantata (music interspersed with narrations).

[@heimomoilanen9654]

Indeed, words by Keith Reid and sung by Gary Brooker. Prog's true first symphonic epic. Sublime stuff from 1968. Second symphonic epic is Valentyne Suite by Colosseum from 1969 but without symphonic orchestra and even no lyrics! Sheer brilliance and playing virtuosity. These are definition of progressive rock music. Alongside Salisbury by Uriah Heep 1970.

[@anthonycorda7720]

1968, The Steve Miller Band did Children of the Future.

[@PaulBergen]

Nice to hear The Collectors mentioned - always wondered if they made it outside this country. Apparently so.

[@donkeyshot8472]

the collectors, kensington market, bush, mandala, max webster...lots of great canadian bands (non self-praising, non-canadian here btw).

[@PaulBergen]

@@donkeyshot8472 re prog - harmonium. also martha and the muffins

[@michaeljarvie2898]

My suggestion would be to think of Ars Longa Vita Brevis as more of an improvisatory jam session. From the perspective of classical music ALVB is more of a concerto with its extended drum and keyboard solos. If you think of something like the one-moment Symphony no 7 by Sibelius (22 minutes duration) the prog work that fully embraces that model is Close to the Edge.

[@orcaflotta7867]

Uriah Heep's 1971 belter 'Salisbury'! 16-something minutes of big band awesomeness and a 3-pronged solo by the most underappreciated guitar virtuoso Mike Box. All very cleanly composed and structured. My personal last and bestest mega-piece was 2001s 'At the End of the Day' by American band Spock's Beard. Oh, almost forgot: Does Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' count as prog rock? Guess not. ;)

[@heimomoilanen9654]

Salisbury by Uriah Heep defines Symphonic Rock, recorded 1970. My favourite still after fifty years! There are superb live versions from that era without symphonic orchestra. Live in Zurich 1971 for example.

[@orcaflotta7867]

@@heimomoilanen9654 Thx for letting my know, Heimo. To be honest, I never liked the song as such - never really liked the band - but will listen to the Zürich live version. Just out of interest how they got on.

[@clust11]

First for me at 13 years old Atomic Heart Mother, Tubular Bells then Echoes. Those still my best one.

[@GrantTregellas]

The idea of 1 song making up the entire album is brilliant. It plays into the O.C.D nature of prog fans who will now HAVE to listen to the entire album!

[@heimomoilanen9654]

Generation 13 by Saga, 1995 is their finest album by far and the best prog record from 1990s IMO

[@yes_head]

LOL -- I now have to mock my very good Magma-loving friend with "I'm having chicken tonight!" 😂 Re: The Nice, I agree that "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" is probably the first side-long prog epic (although not a great one, notwithstanding "Blinky" Davison's tasteful drumming). For me, The Nice historically fall into the category of 'Proto-Prog', which is everything pre-'In the Court of the Crimson King'. There are a bunch of groups that fit under that label, everything from obvious bands like Pink Floyd and Soft Machine to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and The Moody Blues. The odd thing about following that timeline means that Jethro Tull circa 'Stand Up' are ALSO a Proto-Prog band. Crazy, wot? Can't wait to hear your music with Singularity, Andy!

[@KevyNova]

Side three of Electric Ladyland (October 1968) is my favorite side of any album. “Rainy Day, Dream Away” and “1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)” is about as epic as you can get!

[@DavidLye-no4ht]

Interesting fact, well to me at least, the reason that LPs spin at 33 1/3rpm is because RCA, who developed the format, did a lot of research into the length of classical music, and concluded that the vast majority of it could be recorded in 19 minutes. This worked out at an Ideal speed of 33 1/3 for a 12 inch record. Bizarre to think that if some other format was used, our favourite prog epics would need to be a different length. Columbia got to market first, however, and RCA decided to ditch their 33 1/3 format and go for 45rpm instead, a number they plucked out of thin air. (The best selling 45rpm album is South Pacific). Both sides actually lost the format war, as while their own record players only played the one speed (plus 78rpm, of course), other manufacturers were free to sell machines that played both speeds. 33 1/3 had better sound quality and longer running times, so that format won. 45rpm players became obsolete and were relegated to the kid's bedroom, waiting for the 7" single to be invented...

[@batterytestchannel-v4v]

I appreciate you weren't rubbishing Van der Graaf Generator and it's good to see them acknowledged. At their best, VDGG & Peter Hammill in particular had a heartfelt emotionalism that was unmatched by other proggers. Such emotional content as prog had tended to be filtered through an intellectual lens, leaving it somewhat less heart-connected.

[@Ashley-il1yh]

Isn't the classical influence in English prog rock primarily Russian rather than English? I'm no classical music expert but the music of ELP, Genesis and Renaisssance music sounds like it's full of modified passages from Russian classics.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

There is some Bartok and some Bach in ELP. The Nice did some Bach and Tchaikovsky. I can't remember any borrowings in Genesis, it's all original. English classical music, while very rich in the 20th century, has few truly popular pieces and they would all still have been under copyright. King Crimson used to do Mars by Holst but had to rewrite it as The Devil's Triangle for the recording.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

​@@Leo_ofRedKeepNo. Sibelius was Finnish; Bach was basically German. The Nice also used Lalo (Spanish), Bernstein and ELP, Copland (American), Dvorak and Bartok (Roumanian and Hungarian), Janacek (Polish), Ginastera (Argentinian). The Nice did one Tchaikofsky piece and ELP one Moussorgsky piece. They were pretty international in their covers

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

​@@Leo_ofRedKeepGenesis didn't borrow but they were heavily influenced by the Nice, Rachmaninov was Banks favorite composer and Hackett liked lots of early English music, as I recall.

[@thewavingbear]

Perez Prado and Shorty Rogers- Voodoo Suite 1955

[@yoganut01]

Excellent topic and well done, really enjoyed the reverse chronological order.

[@heimomoilanen9654]

Procol Harum: In Held 'Twas in I 1968, Side B of Shine on Brightly

[@juliemusique-tn4dp]

excellent

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Many many thanks

[@ice9snowflake187]

I'm sorry you left out the first side of "Anthem Of The Sun" by The Grateful Dead. Technically, it's three tracks, but it runs together as a single piece. It's not just psychedelic jamming. Another interesting whole-side epic is John Fahey's "The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party" on "John Fahey Vol. 4" from about 1966. Oh yeah- and don't forget "Darkness Falls/Midnight" and "Rolling Stone" on Terje Rypdal's "Odyssey" album, and "Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away" on his album of the same name.

[@gregcable3250]

Ina-godda-davida (sp?), 1968, Iron Butterfly? Remember that playing at Bill Warnock's party in a 'Burb of Pittsburgh when we were in 6th grade (complete with a room with black lights and cool posters--Peter Max things, I believe.

[@vizzini589]

Was the first song I thought of.

[@leoalexhorta]

Fantastic video and many new musical ideas again!!

[@pandstar]

Probably not rhe first, but one of the first in the prog realm. The song "Morning " by the band T2. 1970. Takes up the entire side 2 of the album, It'll All Work Out in Boomland.

[@danceswithcritters]

Yes, Close to the Edge, immediately came to mind at seeing the title, but knowing there were others before it.