It Doesn't Have To Take Up a Whole Side-Our Top 20 Mini Epics 

Wow, only four minutes into the video and already I have to write a comment. I love Frequency, but my pick is Ryker Skies--what a melody!

I can't listen to goodbye stranger anymore without thinking of Toby from the office 😄 also, congrats on the radio show! Ye'll be brilliant on it 👍

Great video! Now I can share a list of tunes that don't quite qualify as epics. So here's my list: Goblin-Goblin, Rush-La Villa Strangiato, Frank Zappa-The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution, Al Di Meola-Race With Devil on Spanish Highway, Return to Forever-Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant, Kansas-Magnum Opus, King Crimson-Red, Mike Oldfield-QE2, Holding Pattern-Honor Before Glory, Morse Code-La Marche Des Hommes(The March of Men), Jean-Luc Ponty-Enigmatic Ocean, Genesis-Return of the Giant Hogweed, Shadowfax-The Shape of a Word, Supertramp-Fool's Overture, Happy the Man-Ibby It Is, Split Enz-Stranger Than Fiction, Pink Floyd-Sheep, Camel-Docks/Beached, Yes-Heart of the Sunrise and James Gang-The Bomber. Although the James Gang isn't a prog band, the tune sure is prog. It's a brilliant song that they blend in Vince Guaraldi's Cast Your Fate to the Wind and Ravel's Bolero.

That is a brilliant album on Mastodon. I love The Last Baron.

What a great idea. I’d add; Beautiful As The Moon - Henry Cow What’s New In Baltimore? - FZ (but take your pick obviously) Dirty Boy - Cardiacs (ditto) Inanimate Sensation - Death Grips I’m Mandy, Fly Me - 10cc

Hello there...or, as Scot Lade would say (well, shout), greetings and salutations! I've just watched the 1 hour 50 minute live stream on Gentle Giant partly because I'm a recent subscriber to Scot's channel but mainly because the subject is my favourite rock group. Thus I discovered your channel, Prisms Of Prog and that splendid Swedish chap, Pontus. I'll subscribe to your channel now because people like you deserve our support. Although I am old enough to have been aware of the original progressive groups of the 1970s, I only discovered them in 2002. Prior to that I only listened to classical music, mainly baroque and 20th century. As an inveterate snob, I assumed 'pop music' was far too shallow and insubstantial for me to waste my valuable time upon. However, our group (UNIT) had Cheung Yiu Munn in it, an 18 year old Hong Kong Chinese lad who was our flute and guitar player from 2002 to 2011. He found my musical snobbery deplorable and insisted I take notice of these ancient groups he loved (primarily Jethro Tull, ELP, Yes, Genesis and Dream Theatre). To cut a long story short, while I found some of that music interesting, even inspiring (especially Tull), I investigated further and managed to discover Colosseum, The Family, Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Gentle Giant by myself. The Family and Gentle Giant are, to date, the only groups for which I have in my collection every studio tracks they ever recorded. There are few tracks from Bandstand that only barely make the grade and most (but not all) of the tracks from the final 3 Giant albums are definitely below par yet still good enough (but only just) for me to retain in my collection. The advantage for me here is that my introduction to this music is devoid of any hint of nostalgia so it was all totally new to me. (As an aside, it's faintly ironic it took a Chinese teenager to introduce me to music from my own culture. I wonder though...how did an 18 year old Chinese lad become acquainted with numerous progressive rock groups from the 1970s?) Anyway, when I heard Octopus and Glass House for the first time (in 2003), I could not believe what I heard. I spent 3 or days listening to those 2 albums in order to try to comprehend all the different, disparate musical strands. Like The Family they utilised all manner of varied instruments but unlike The Family they mastered harmony, counterpoint and rhythmic complexity that forced me to admit not only classical musicians know how to compose and perform music that merited my attention - groovy! The progressive rock influence is apparent on a fair number of our own pieces although we do not possess the astonishing technical proficiency of any of these groups, especially not Gentle Giant, but I don't want this to appear as a thinkly disguised attempt to advertise our own group, so I'll stop here. I hope your channel increases in popularity and introduces more young people (and maybe not so young people) to progressive rock, especially the groups who are not so famous. Rock on!

My favourite would be Setanta through to the March on the classic album behind you. Let's have some love for the Horslips.

I'm sitting hear watching , thinking about "mini" epics and it occurs to me that the king of epics is actually .....Paul McCartney. I know, I know..not prog. But tunes like Band on the Run, Uncle Albert, The Pound is Sinking, House of Wax, Live and Let Die and a few others are definitely mini epics of the first order. Little muti-part masterpieces. Just sayin'... Here's ten more off the top of my head. 01. Friends of Mr Cairo - Jon & Vangelis 02. Feel the Benefit - 10cc 03. Life Auction - Strawbs 04. White Punks on Dope - Tubes 05. Montana - Frank 06. Bogus Man - Roxy Music 07. Station to Station - David Bowie 08. Nocturn - Kate Bush 09. Eleventh Earl of Mar - Genesis 10. Hero & the Madman - Thin Lizzy You peeps picked some excellent tracks. Of course I am a little more biased towards those older tunes only because they are embedded in my DNA. Tara check out Santana IV...if you love early Santana this album is for you. I kid you not.

Great kansas album point of no return

This is a great and fresh idea. Fantastic job. Cheers and all the best.

I’m exactly like you Dermot , leave the high price new releases and pick up the classics at shops,fairs,EBay & Discogs 😎👌🎸🇦🇺 Love the YES album ! Good selection of ‘In Rock ‘Tara ,as well as being a sensational album it has an iconic cover sleeve !

I've just watched that Desert Island Discs video of Scot...and thus I must say 'thank you' for giving a mention for Horslips, an outfit too often overlooked. I sat there for 1'28" and realised how divergent my tastes are from the panel. The Family (Roger Chapman's mob), Colosseum, IF, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, to name the 4 groups absent from the discussion. Mind you, I've never even heard of about 80% of the groups and artists mentioned. I think I'm largely ignorant of any progressive rock made after the early 1990s. Anyway, since your 'light sabre' episode was mentioned in that Desert Island Discs video, I shall go and watch it now!

Song for America from the second Kansas album is a great choice. Also from that album, Lamplight Symphony and the Devil Game could be mini epics.

Cheers to you both!

So glad you discovered Kansas! Nice job. Personal favorite....try Masque next 👊

I saw Kansas at a three day festival in Barachois New Brunswick Canada in 1999 in August of that year. They were absolutely mind blowing .Others in the lineup were Nazareth, Styx, Lee Aaron, April Wine, Chilliwack and ZZ Top. 😎👍

Warrior On The Edge Of Time...yes...the only Hawkwind album on which I like every track. Our bass player introduced me to Hawkwind circa 2003 and I'm glad he did. Are they 'progressive rock'? Well, yes...sometimes. Certainly their lyrics fit with the genre, especially those by Robert Calvert.

What a great list, all favourites of mine. I have a list too but I won't bother you with them all just an older one England - Three Piece Suite and a newer one Kino - Swimming in Women.

Every once in a while especialy if day not going as planned i will take a time out and watch Buckethead playing Soothsayer Epic

side 4 of Yes' Tales from topographic oceans is great!

Wow...thank you for responding so swiftly, especially given my inability to type comments shorter than 3 long paragraphs. I was never adept at precis in school. Anyway, since you expressed a most unexpected interest in our music, I can send you a dozen of our most 'prog' tracks taken from recent albums either on a disc via old fashioned snail mail or via We Transfer. Which would you prefer? Oh yes - given the topic of this video, our longest track is 18'49" but that's the exception rather than the rule. While I admit Tarkus, Karn Evil 9, Supper's Ready , A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers, Close To The Edge and Awaken are splendid, it isn't essential to extend your work in this manner...cf Gentle Giant, for example!

Heep and Purple, Tara has the best taste😁😁😁, fan from Norway.

Great selection of Albums.

Overseer Overture - Jethro Tull Master Of The Universe - Hawkwind Footprints In The Snow - Uriah Heep and glad Lunar Sea by Camel got a mention. Also UK band Sabbat - Clerical Conspiracy great prog thrashmetal from the late 80s.

Another lovely video from you lovely people. How's about the king of the mini epics, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen! Or One Night In Paris by 10CC. For a long song, relatively "simple" musically but one that totally commands your attention in an epic way; Desolation Row by Bob Dylan. The MCR version ain't bad either, to my ears 😊 Last one, Song Dance by Pavlov's Dog.

It would be great to look at those songs that are short just before an epic long song. For instance Horizons before Supper's Ready on the Foxtrot album.

Pulling out Sleepless at the end was perfect!

Frumpy - How the Gypsy was Born and Duty.

Hi, great idea and show! As we talked about Golden Earring the other day, they got a bunch of those mini epics, too. She flies on strange Wings from Seven Tears, Vanilla Queen from Moontan or Con Man from Contraband . And Tara had Child in Time on her list, German band Eloy released The Light from Deep Darkness on their album Floating which comes up with the same chord progression in the second part of the song. The shortest mini epic might be Good Vibrations, everytime I listen to it I think its way longer than just around 3 minutes.

No, it doesn't have to take up a whole side of a disc...but it's often groovy when it does! Mind you, there are exceptions. I can't tolerate A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers, for example, yet Tarkus, Karn Evil 9, Close To The Edge and Supper's Ready are sublime...but then Awaken and The Endless Enigma I consider epics. There are a couple of other 9 minute epics I discovered recently by a Scottish outfit (at least I think they're Scottish) called UNIT, namely Earth Is Finite, Sun Cycle (both 10+ minutes) and At The Academy (8 minutes) and then there's my own favourite, Refugee which is 2/3 of The Nice + Patrick Moraz. There are 2 long tracks on their one and only album that make me wish they'd recorded more.

Tara you would have loved Hawkwind in Belfast and they played Assault and Battery. I thought Stargazer might have got a mention.

I am very much looking forward to your podcast ! Fantastic news !

Great video, Hawkwind a great band my favourite mini epic song by them is Damnation Alley from the Querks and Strangeness album another mini epic is the title track from a band called Black Bonzo who were around between 2003-2011 and the track was called Sound of the Apocalypse which is a great track especially how it builds up not sure if their is a Hammond organ but i think there is a Mellotron instead!

Almost at 1k subs!!! Kudos to you guys 🤘🤘🤘🤘 congratulations!! 😃🎵

Have my tickets for Beat ( the band ) Now thats going to be Epic

Really excited about your radio show....maybe I'll finally understand what Prog is. Fun video

La Rossa & Man-Erg are brilliant choices, but I am a bit of a VDGG / Hammill obsessive 😮. I'll definitely be checking out the Hillage album. A few of my faves are Fleetwood Mac's 'Green Manalishi', Edgar Broughton's 'Evening Over Rooftops' Kevin Ayers 'Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes' Atomic Rooster's 'Death Walks Behind You' & the Purps 'Speed King'. All prog classic mini epics in my opinion. Looking forwards to the radio show. Loving your vids: keep 'em comin'😊

La Rossa.. c'mon just HOW good is that !!....The Musical Box awesome Dermot , but my personal favourite is Hogweed. Or on another day Fountain of Salmacis. I have to say One for the Vine from Wind and Wuthering deserves my vote....Child in time Tara !! What a pick !! And whatever kind of epic it is South side of the Sky from YES. Great video Tara and Dermot !! Vodka intimate. 😉 🎵😍

Another great video guys. Absolutely smashing it. I have an idea for the two of you. I don't believe anyone has done this before. Why not take some albums and look at how they were reviewed compared to how they actually fared in real life. Several amazing prog and rock albums were absolutely slated on release but went on to be massive hits and were later called classics. Absolutely stoked for the radio show. Congratulations.

Im going with Lady of the Birds by Home, that 2nd self titled LP is awesome, Anesthetise P Tree, Fountain of Salmacis Genesis, The Ryme of the Ancient Mariner Irons, I still stand by Untouchable Anathema, In every dream Home a Heartache Roxy, Epitaph Crimson, I could never be a soldier Gnidrolog, Refugee Van der graaf and Good news bad news Family..I like the live one off Anyway

Congrats on the radio show!

chicago. south california purples 😊

that will be fun on the 22 of may can.t wait .and this was really a entertaining video even without alex and chicago 😂

IQ - Darkest Hour and Guiding Light Steven Wilson - take your pick from his Raven and Hand Cannot Erase albums Porcupine Tree - Radioactive Toy and Dark Matter Big Big Train - Brave Captain and Victorian Brickwork Camel - Nimrodel / White Rider Eloy - A Broken Frame, Poseidon's Creation, Decay of Logos Pink Floyd - Sheep Yes - And You And I, and Siberian Khatru

Tirando Piedras Al Rio from Miguel Abuelo and Nada. You may want to brush up on your espanol but not completely necessary to enjoy the song.(great vocals)

An interesting sampling there. How about the title track from Supertramp's 'Brother Where You Bound' album, which nobody ever mentions? Proud owner of first UK pressings of all Hawkwind albums, 1970 to 1985 and anyone who says they're not Prog is a dafty.

You know who has some amazing epics and it's gonna come from the most unlikely band and source Motown and the temptations yes so the temptations had their psychedelic funk period from 69 to 74 so here are a few to check out from 1971 from the skies the limit album the totally haunting smiling faces, sometimes and love can be anything (stronger than love) the epic 9 minute closer and the monumental 1973 masterpiece title track, ma, law of the land and plastic man are funk prog masterpieces if you don't know this era of the temptations I totally recommend you check it out if you love early 70s funkadelic then go ahead 😊

In Rock is one of Deep Purple 's best. 😎👍

Your cat likes The Yes Album

Hi Spinnin' Proggers👋🏻 One of the things I'll never understand about prog fans is the obsession with long songs. You guys made my day by acknowledging that shorter songs are sometimes more epic than their longer counterpoints. Hallelujah!! I thought I was the only person who felt that way. I'd better not comment on too many of your selections or I'll be writing all night but I've got to mention a few. Fish is one of my favourite lyricists so Assassing and Fugazi are great choices. I was listening to the Fugazi album on Sunday, then a couple of hours later Tara mentions it on The Prog Corner livestream. Coincidence or synchronicity? 😱 Cudos for giving Goodbye Stranger some love too👍🏻 Cudos to Dermot for giving metal some love too by selecting Mastodon. Emperor Of Sand is my favourite album of theirs but nothing on there is as epic as The Last Barron👍🏻. My favourite Opeth mini epic has to be Ghost Of Perdition. The two 'winding ever higher' sections give me goosebumps every time. I'm a bit surprised that Rush didn't get a mention tho. There's so much 'epicness' crammed into Xanadu's 11 minutes 🥰. Natural Science and Jacobs Ladder run it pretty close tho. However, the Rush song which never fails to give me goosebumps is Witch Hunt. The section from 'Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves' to the end gets me every time. Finally ('about bloody' time I hear you cry) you've almost reached 1000 subscribers, so well done guys🤘🏻

Paradox was a great kansas song

Hi Spinning Prog from Canada. I am a Uriah Heep fan and I noticed Sara showing the Magician's Birthday album and references to it often is it because Sara finds it to be the best Uriah Heep album? Just curious 😎👍

Star Castle Lady of the Lake.. Uriah Heep The Musicians birthday..😮

Grand Hotel. Procul Harum.

Dermot and Tara are great

Apologies to Tara I called you Sara sorry about that. 😎👍

Global Warming by Gojira!

but dermot IQ and mastadon is modern . i ask the new records i want on my christmas or birthday list

i know i have two daughters .they got away with everthing