"Epic" compositions worth giving a spin


Not concept albums, but a single LP side consisting of a work with some sort of unity/continuity.  Possibly with one or more recurring musical themes or ideas.  Could be vocal or pure instrumental and I would think in the 20-30 minute duration.  What made me think of this is "Supper's Ready," by Genesis, which I've listened to a few times recently.  It seems challenging to put together a piece that has repetition and variety such as this and I think they pulled it off nicely.  I especially like the concert version with the added visual interest of Peter Gabriel's costumes, gestures and mime routines, but for me this one works well with just the music.  Does anyone have a favorite one-side long-form piece to throw out?
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Oh, okay, NOW I understand the premise! I’m probably less a fan of the "long-form" song than anyone else here, but there have been a couple I liked. Brian Wilson’s "Elements Suite" would have been a classic had it not gone down in flames, both figuratively and literally, with the rest of The Beach Boys Smile album. "In Held ’Twas I", the second side of Procol Harum’s Shine On Brightly album is a good one. I liked The Who’s Tommy when it was released (and saw the tour in support of), but that is spread over four LP sides. I guess each side could be considered a "movement" of the mini-Opera. A rock Group referencing their music to Opera about says it all, doesn’t it? Oy.

For the generation in High School in the early-to-mid 70’s, Progressive music was what was happening. I’ve played music with guys that age, and it has always amazed me how completely British influenced they are, knowing so little about American "Roots" music. The British-lead Prog Rock Bands discarded American Rock ’n Roll for Classical and Jazz as the ingredients for their music making. I was not and am not alone in finding the music made by these self-proclaimed and self-congratulatory "Classically trained" musicians pompous, pretentious, and shallow---an exercise in displays of empty virtuosity. "Pictures At An Exhibition" as performed by a 3-piece Rock Group? What an astoundingly bad idea! It’s execution is even worse. I saw Emerson’s pre-ELP Group The Nice live (and had their album), and nice they were not.

Around the same time The Kinks were able to come back to America, and I saw them twice in a year. Now THERE was a great British Band! They have two albums that qualify for inclusion in this discussion---The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, and Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). Great albums! I don’t know how they did it, not having any classical training.

"The British-lead Prog Rock Bands discarded American Rock ’n Roll for Classical and Jazz as the ingredients for their music making."


No they didn’t. 


 "I was not and am not alone in finding the music made by these self-proclaimed and self-congratulatory "Classically trained" musicians pompous, pretentious, and shallow---an exercise in displays of empty virtuosity."


Are you referring to all British prog artists during that period? Do you retain the same belief for contemporary progressive music?
bdp24, I liked the Kinks (more 60's and early 70's than later, but some good things happened later on) and the British prog-rock bands, to a degree.  I liked Yes through Close to the Edge and Genesis up until The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.  DIdn't like them after Gabriel left and Phil took over.  I felt King Crimson was usually interesting and good no matter what the lineup.  For a less indulgent and more rock-based sound try the Yes album, my favorite of theirs.
As far as the thread prescription goes, I think any side of Yes' Topographic Oceans fits better than a side of Tommy.

Timeless - John Abercrombie and Jan Hammer. Simply mezmerizing...

I always felt that U2's Joshua Tree had great continuity and flowed very well.