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From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Seeking long/varied rock pieces
Message-ID: <1111@opus.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Feb-85 14:30:15 EST
Article-I.D.: opus.1111
Posted: Sat Feb 23 14:30:15 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 07:13:47 EST
Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO
Lines: 46

A lot of rock music, particularly that which finds its way onto recordings,
tends to be pretty short (say, 3-5 min.) and follow one theme throughout.
There are some pieces which are quite different--they go on at length (as
much as a side of an album) and work through a progression of themes.  As
such, they tend to get more interesting as you hear them again rather than
getting boring.  I'm trying to get a list of these--if you have
suggestions, please MAIL them to me (so that we don't flood net.music,
OK?).  I'll compile a list and post it in a week or two.

Let me give a few examples of what I mean:

	"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (Elton John): wide
	variations of piano work, standard guitar, vocals in several moods.

	"Terrapin Station" (Grateful Dead): varies from a folk tale to
	surreal imagery to heavy rock.

	"Telegraph Road" (Dire Straits):  a single story, but one which
	spands a long period of time; changes through the story are carried
	by the changing mood of the music.

	"In Held 'Twas In I" (Procol Harum): one of the oddest I can find--
	interludes of spoken words, some little song-lets complete unto
	themselves, one stray koan (of sorts), ramblings on guitar and
	synthesizer, finishing with a full choir in a grandiose (in fact,
	amusingly overblown) fashion.

I'm also at somewhat of a loss [obviously] to give a good characterization
of the type of piece I'm talking about, let alone giving it a name.  Anyone
(perhaps some of you more musically inclined) care to offer a taxonomy that
would help?

I've thought of a number of pieces which sort of halfway fit what I have in
mind:
	"Season of the Witch" Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills (from Super Session)
	"Spoonful" Cream (Wheels of Fire)
	"Mountain Jam" Allman Brothers (Eat a Peach)
Being "long" is not the only qualification; it's just that it takes a while
to weave a number of moods/styles together.

Enough rambling--again, I recommend that if you want to suggest other
titles along these lines, mail to me and I'll summarize.  If you want to
start a discussion, post.
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
   ...Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been.