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I agree---release it separately, on it's own. Make the length of it a "feature" if you will - don't treat it like "just another track" (that just happens to be hella long!).
I grew up on Yes, ELP, et al, and I love the idea of longer pieces, so I think its great you're doing this....
I grew up on Yes, ELP, et al, and I love the idea of longer pieces, so I think its great you're doing this....
The length of prog songs it what gives them the opportunity to be progressive... I don't get what the all the complaints are about. I am NOT a very big prog fan. But when I listen to a Yes album, I listen to "Close to the Edge", "Relayer", and my all time favorite, "Tales from Topographic Oceans". Long songs are what makes prog an interesting and unique genre in my humble opinion.
There are songs on those Yes albums that I could listen to for hours if they kept going. To me, prog is about getting lost in a foreign soundscape. Make your EP as long as you want and put whatever you want on it.
There are songs on those Yes albums that I could listen to for hours if they kept going. To me, prog is about getting lost in a foreign soundscape. Make your EP as long as you want and put whatever you want on it.
In case no one mentioned it:
Sleep’s “Dopesmoker” album is basically one 63 minute track with a nine minute track thrown in as an afterthought, and it is LEGENDARY in metal circles.
Sleep’s “Dopesmoker” album is basically one 63 minute track with a nine minute track thrown in as an afterthought, and it is LEGENDARY in metal circles.
I usually think of an EP as a product with 3-4 originnal songs (20/30 minutes).
Why not adding the +20 minutes track and go full album?
Why not adding the +20 minutes track and go full album?
How many bands have been successful with 25 minute songs in human history? Even Yes didn’t start their career with really long songs.
Hello there, I play in a prog metal band and we are in the process of writing our album. We are four in the band and all except our singer are in the late 30s, he is in his mid 20s. he came to us with a 12 minutes song and we split that into two thinking people would find 12 minutes too long but we did maintain thematic continuity between the two parts. They are definitely going to be two tracks on the final record.
That's not really prog as I know it, but my main comment is that the timing seems to be off in Anathema, the second being I'm not a fan of the guitar tones. Can you get alternative comments on rough cuts before committing to the EP?
On the guitar tone, my preference would be less gain, or fuzz, and thinning out the tone. An example might be Martin Barre - great tone for Aqualung, but really wearing by 'A'. Steve Hackett and Robert Fripp tend to use fuzz rather than standard high gain. Alex Lifeson was in a tone wilderness for much of the 1980s
I have no expertise other than that I like prog bands myself. On the one hand, as many have said, a 25 minute track is par for the course in prog, and fans would have no problem with it. On the other, it may not be what you want to LEAD with right out the gate on your first EP. I would suggest holding it in reserve while you get some shorter and more accessible material out, then unveil it later once you start having a record company and crowd warming up to you.
I’d probably vote to record it with the other songs but then promote it and release it separately. That way the production quality matches the album you’re working and you won’t have to go in the studio and dialing things in for one long song at another session. If not that I’d split it up into parts and just make it a full length album with that really long song split up in to part 1, part 2, and part 3 but have the audio continuous instead of fading out or ending each track.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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Questions for your bandmates (and yourself):
Who is this recording for? Ourselves? Fans? Record label pitch?
Do we understand what record labels do in the 21st century? Do we know what they DON'T do? What are our expectations from a record label?
I can tell you from over 20 years in the record industry that fans want one thing, the label another, and often the band wants a third thing altogether! I can also tell you that record labels are different than 15 to 20 years ago. Today, the artist does 80% of the work. If you cant self promote, provide your own tour support, and build a fan base- a record label cannot do that for you. They usually wont even sign you without significant traction on your own.
Be honest about what/who this recording is for.
Who is this recording for? Ourselves? Fans? Record label pitch?
Do we understand what record labels do in the 21st century? Do we know what they DON'T do? What are our expectations from a record label?
I can tell you from over 20 years in the record industry that fans want one thing, the label another, and often the band wants a third thing altogether! I can also tell you that record labels are different than 15 to 20 years ago. Today, the artist does 80% of the work. If you cant self promote, provide your own tour support, and build a fan base- a record label cannot do that for you. They usually wont even sign you without significant traction on your own.
Be honest about what/who this recording is for.
Having spent most of my life playing in originals bands I’d just like to offer something I observed when it comes to song lengths.
A song is as long as it needs to be. If it needs 25 minutes then that’s what it takes. However, every song needs a solid beginning, middle, and ending (unless your doing New Age
) and should have a steady musical progression to maintain listener interest from start to finish.
Which brings up the issue of “padding.”
There are genuine 20 minute long songs. And there are four minute songs that were padded and stretched out to run for 20 minutes.
Don’t fall into the trap of doing the second variety of “the long version.”
A song is as long as it needs to be. If it needs 25 minutes then that’s what it takes. However, every song needs a solid beginning, middle, and ending (unless your doing New Age
) and should have a steady musical progression to maintain listener interest from start to finish. Which brings up the issue of “padding.”
There are genuine 20 minute long songs. And there are four minute songs that were padded and stretched out to run for 20 minutes.
Don’t fall into the trap of doing the second variety of “the long version.”
Your band sounds great. I also say go for it, if you love the tune.
Why? It’s a marketing hook in prog world. Fans can brag about how deep this new band is, because they put 25 minute song on their album.
Also, and sorry for the cynicism, but most “record deals” never actually materialize, so you might as well do what you want anyway.
I have seen way too many bands change what they’re doing, in anticipation of what some theoretical record company *might* want. Then they end up with something they don’t really even like. And no record deal. Might as well play and put out what you love, in that case.
Why? It’s a marketing hook in prog world. Fans can brag about how deep this new band is, because they put 25 minute song on their album.
Also, and sorry for the cynicism, but most “record deals” never actually materialize, so you might as well do what you want anyway.
I have seen way too many bands change what they’re doing, in anticipation of what some theoretical record company *might* want. Then they end up with something they don’t really even like. And no record deal. Might as well play and put out what you love, in that case.
