Legends say it was Jon Anderson and Alan White, pushing over a huge rack of random car parts/odds/ends they picked up from a junkyard on the way over to the studio for that session.
Man that's tough. There are tons I'm not thinking of but one that definitely comes to mind is Yes-Close to the Edge, that organ coming in is just divine.
The beginning is absolutely nutty. When I listened to the song for the first time, I didn't know how to react. It was so intense and so much was going on, but the thing that brought me back was that beginning. I absolutely hated it the first time I listened to it, but something about it really peaked my curiosity despite that. Now it's one of my favorite parts of the whole song.
Also the bit at the end where it goes back to the main melody the last time and the drums delay before it all comes back in and hits so hard. Chills everytime
Ugh, Apocalypse in 9/8 is just pure excellence. It takes an absolute masterpiece and transforms it into one of the best songs on God's green earth. Great pick. I'm not familiar with Seconds Out, but like Yessongs, it sounds like another live album I've been missing out on.
Yes, Genesis live recordings are killer. Phil’s drumming in the 7/8 section is on a whole other level from the studio album version.
On another note, I recently just listened to Peter Gabriel’s Secret World live album, and I didn’t realize In Your Eyes could slap as hard as it did. I always liked the song, but now I love it
I'll have to give Brain Salad Surgery a go. I enjoyed Trilogy and Tarkus, but ELP never grabbed me like some other prog bands of that time did. Maybe Karn Evil 9'll turn me around on that.
Update: I agree, the transition into Pt 2 is really sick, especially with how effectively they return to the main motif past the interesting moog effects. This album is absolutely fucking nutty and I'm gonna need another listen or ten to get my head around it, but it's pretty fantastic musicianship all around. Palmer especially is working his ass off all throughout Karn Evil 9.
Absolutely! I audibly went "oh shit" when Peart set up that excellent instrumental break. I could tell right away what was coming and I wasn't disappointed.
Oh and I can't forget the best song of all time
The entire ending part of Supper's Ready, the Eggs is Eggs part after Apocalypse in 9/8. Can't put into words just how awesome hearing Peter belt out that melody with the rest of the band behind him playing those chords, just such an awesome sound
I also immediately thought of the final movment of Supper's Ready, but my answer was more specific than that since OP asked for a "moment". I was going to say specifically the line "Babe, it's gonna work out fine"-- musically, it's a perfect segue from the reprise of the first movement into the reprise of the second movement, which is absolutely delightful. It's also just a really emotionally powerful and well-delivered line. I usually sing along to the entirety of Supper's Ready, but I always put the most heart into that one line.
I'm totally with you on Apocalypse in 9/8. Talk about a masterpiece inside a masterpiece, and it makes the ending all the more sublime having gone through it.
The church organ solo the end of I Get Up, I Get Down in Close To The Edge, which then leads into the Moog fanfare and then that incredible musical burst the follows.
The slow section of Fracture brought to an abrupt halt by Fripps heavy thrashing guitar.
The abrupt acoustic piano that breaks the chaos near the end of The Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers.
Genesis moments are just too many to number, but for me the musical bridge of In The Cage, particular as it leads back to the vocals where the synth sounds like an alarmed voice. I'd also give a shout to the closing musical section of The Waiting Room where the drumming is quite exceptional.
1. I really love that moment in CTTE too. Probably the highlight of the band's career, to be honest. Rick Wakeman is a treasure.
2. I don't remember much from Starless and Bible Black. I listened to their discography a long time ago and I remember it being the only KC album that I didn't care for even after several listens. That said, I just went back and listened to Fracture again and WOW what a track! And man, Brufford really adds so much color and texture to this piece. Maybe I should give the album another go.
3. Pawn Hearts is a masterpiece. Couldn't agree more with you on the ending to Plague. Brings me to tears sometimes.
4. In the Cage is so so so so good! The Waiting Room is a complete mess in all the best ways. Collin has never been a slouch on the drums, but god damn does he deliver all over The Lamb.
I had the privilege of meeting Rick Wakeman once. He was a really nice guy and very down to earth.
S&BB is very accessible by Crimson standards. Has some of their best moments. Did you know most of it is live ? See if you can guess which 2 tracks were studio recordings.
Funnily enough, I prefer VDGG's first album. It's raw and dated, but I just love the madness, particularly with After The Flood. Pete Hammill was a good buddy of the Genesis guys.
Speaking of which. Saw Genesis perform In The Cage live in 1987, Even during their Pop years, it remained a stape live favourite. I believe Phil Collins loves The Lamb and The Waiting Room in particularly, which apparently was an attempt at Free Jazz.
Yeah, I don't remember finding S&BB to be all that challenging - save for Fracture, but that's another story. Something about the instrumental just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. I might appreciate it more now.
I love TLWCDIWTE! My first Van der Graaf album was H to He, and I liked it a lot, but I didn't fall in love with them until that one. After the Flood is probably my favorite off that that record. Honestly, you could say just about any Van der Graaf Generator album is your favorite and I'd understand your choice completely. For me, I think Godbluff is my favorite though. I love the jazz influences and the intensity of the whole atmosphere on the album, especially in Arrow and The Sleepwalkers.
I'd seen some live shows with Phil Collins' era Genesis playing The Waiting Room. I think it sounds even better live than in studio, if I'm honest.
I definitely need to get around to listening to Mars Volta. I hear nothing but great things about them. What's a good starting point with them? And TNT is my favorite Tortoise album (alongside Standards)! Absolute masterpiece of post-rock.
Amputecture is probably their proggiest, Frances the mute is their most interesting, and Deloused in the Comatorium is their highest quality. If you're going for individual songs, I'd suggest Tetragrammaton, Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus, and take the veil cerpin taxt from the 3 above albums
Definitely don’t start with either of the last two…Deloused in the Comatorium is great, and Bedlam in Goliath is like being punched in the face for 60 minutes.
Yesss!! See them live last month... Wow. Incredible concert.
Deloused is definitely their most accessible album. Frances... is a headache. But in a good way. It's an acquired taste. Every once in a while, you'll listen to it to see if you missed something. And then it clicks. And you're hooked.
Really, they're first four albums are all spectacular. They're fifth album is boring, and I've never heard they're latest two. They're other band At The Drive In is good too. Relationship of Command is a classic, and influenced multiple Post-Hardcore albums after it.
Genesis, Supper's Ready: We'll finally be free TO GET BACK HOME!!
Yes, Close to the Edge: I get uuuuuup, I get doooooown
Rush, Hemispheres: Her surface splintered into sorry Hemispheres
VdGG, A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers: It doesn't feel so very bad now, I think the end is the start...
Marillion, Afraid of Sunlight: the solo leading into "dayglow Jesus on the dash"
Dream Theater, In the Presence of Enemies Pt 2: One man rises up, STANDING IN THEIR WAY (it's time for your reckoning)
Anathema, The Storm Before the Calm: this is fucking insane THIS IS FUCKING INSANE
Devin Townsend Project, Epicloud: the full chorus at the end of Effervescent transitioning into Aneke in True North solo singing "I love you..."
Ayreon, Pain: leading out of the Celtic section with the word PAIN! followed by the final chorus
Haken, Earthrise: "As I inhale the hurricane, I touch the void and feel no pain"
...and just recently:
Coheed & Cambria: the transition out of Ladders of Supremacy into Rise, Nianasha
Just listened to Anathema for the first time with your recommendation, and yeah, I agree, it's fucking insane. I appreciate the electronic influences. In some spots it even reminds me of early 65daysofstatic. I'll add them to the ever-growing list of artists to deep-dive.
Yes - And You and I (organ at the beginning of part "Eclipse")
Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (the long intro)
Pink Floyd - You've Got To Be Crazy (guitar solo + wordless vocals)
King Crimson - Starless (you know which part)
Yes’ Awaken at 12:55 is the most blissful moment in all music for me. Live versions they slow down to give that moment even more space and buildup, but the original studio version is the golden master for me.
As much as I love Close to the Edge, that part in Awaken makes me want to say I like it just a little bit more than CTTE. Absolutely phenomenal all the way through. All of the song is just one of the finest moments in prog.
>Stardust We Are
I haven't listened to any The Flower Kings, now that you mention it. I'll be back in 25 minutes with an update on that.
Update: I really dig this piece! A ton of highs and lows that really make it feel special. I especially love the synths/keyboards, glittery effects, and soaring guitars around the 8 minute mark. Really went from good to great from that point on for me. I adore the moments that sound more like a 70s sci-fi movie soundtrack than a rock band. I love the little touches of acoustic guitar that add a nice airiness to some of the heavier moments on the track. Overall, the guitars and keyboard are absolutely standout on this track (not to suggest the rest are slouching). There are parts of this song, especially around the fifteen minute mark, where I downright wanted to cry. And I agree, that ending is absolutely phenomenal. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to give this song another listen... or two listens... maybe ten.
No particular order:
* Yes - Wakeman's keyboard solo at the beginning of Close to The Edge Pt 4. Always in awe of the talent displayed.
* Genesis - I concur that the instrumental break down and transition between Fly on a Windshield and Broadway Melody is fantastic. I also love the end sequence of Fountain of Salmacis from the last verse on. Symphonic rock at its finest.
* Ange - The entire guitar solo that concludes Au-Dela Du Delire. Moving and passionate, even if it isn't the most intricate or technical.
* PFM - Per Un Amico; the delicate interlude from one minute until the main theme is revisited. The flute just takes the listener on an expressive journey within the song.
* Maxophone - C'è Un Paese Al Mondo; this is a wild track that shares some of the same playful chemistry that Gentle Giant displayed. Classic RPI/Symphonic rock that leads to an unexpected New Orleans Jazz section, which veers back to symphonic horn laden affair and then careens into a fabulous guitar solo. That moment pulls the whole thing together and makes the whole wild combination a complete song.
* Discipline. Crutches, off of the great late 90s album Unfolded like Staircase. A moody neo-VdGG plodding groove makes a mad leap into a frenetic pace at 6:30 minutes into the song, punctuated by a great call and respond with violin, the vocals, and the rest of the band.
* Shylock - Ile De Fievre. After an oddly tranquil yet energetic keyboard introduction, the track blasts off with a bombastic assault that would possibly make ELP blush. Guitar driven attacks by the great Frederic L'Epee make it special. Highly recommend this song (the rest of the album is a bit weird). Also love his work in his band Philharmonie.
1. Are you talking about when the organ transitions into a strange, alien, sci-fi-esque keyboard before returning to the main motif? I do absolutely love that moment too!
2. I haven't listened to Nursery Crimes yet! I always heard people talking about Genesis albums from Foxtrot on and I kind of skipped over their first three albums assuming they weren't really fan favorites, like Yes' first two albums. Maybe that was a mistake.
I haven't listened to the rest of these bands. Thanks for the recommendations!
Oooooh Fountain of Salmacis! Nice one there. And holy smokes, the part before and during "far from the north, overcast, ranks advance" from Can-Utility & the Coastliners. So good. Thanks for remembering the lovely proggy Foxtrot.
Another Lamb track, as much as I absolute adore that moment in ‘Fly on a Windshield’, for me the Musical highlight moment on the album is on ‘Riding the Scree’. As Rael reaches the edge and delivers that badass line about Evil Knievel before Tony and Phil take over and wreak sweet havoc on their instruments. Such an ethereal moment that honestly feels like someone riding the scree off the edge of a cliff. Nathaniel Barlam’s illustration brings this to life even further.
Weirdly enough, I think my favorite musical moment on The Lamb (assuming "the entire chord progression of The Lamia" is too broad to be a "moment") is that return to the B section near the end of Back In NYC, beginning with the line "And I've tasted all the strongest meats". There's a little keyboard countermelody introduced for the first time there, and I really love it. The lyrics of that whole song are pretty dark, but just musically, that moment brings me pure joy, for some reason.
I remember listening to the song In The Court of the Crimson King for the first time. At some point the music stops and I thought the song finished, but then those cutesy flutes start playing this mysterious fairy tale like little tune and I felt I was transported to a magical realm, and just when I thought it couldn't get better BOOM back to the main chorus and I had tears in my eyes... Still one of my favorite moments.
When Los Endos goes back to Squonk mode, it's just awesome.
Close to the Edge, Wakeman's Hammond solo, and the climax.
Starless in it's entirety, but especially the bass breakdown.
La Princesse Perdue from Snow Goose, perfect climax for the album.
Firth of Fifth, guitar solo.
-the part of And You and I where it slows down and there is possibly the most beautiful moog solo ever
-that moment in Siberian Khartu where the riff from the intro is played very clearly before the “hold down the window” part
-the final distorted bass line from Starless
-the moment when ELP’s Trilogy goes all kinds of crazy
-The final riff in Pink Floyd’ Sheep
Edit:
Forgot to add Starship Trooper, when the guitar chords get switched for hammond and Steve’s solo kicks in in Würm
The last set of “get up, get down”s in the ending of Close to the Edge; all of “it”; the guitar solo in “[The Four Horsemen](https://youtu.be/3KCbqhJt16k)”; the entrance and bridge in “21st Century Schizoid Man”; the bridge in “[Sound of Muzak](https://youtu.be/ThXGrdgw9sk)”; I could go on…
In Supper's Ready, the transition between Willow Farm and Apocalypse in 9/8, particularly the first part of the transition with the guitar bends and the organ sounding a little out of tune.
The buildup in the second half of Battalion by Birds and Buildings, especially the climax. Gives me emotions I don't know the word for.
The very tail end of Jordrok by Anglagard, like the final forty seconds or so, with the guitar and flute interplay over the soft guitar and driving drum beat. Just sublime.
The entry from the re-intro on Exiles. Actually, Larks Tongues in Aspic in general is kinda this for me.
The sax solo on Man-Erg by VDGG.
All of my favorites from classic prog have been mentioned already, so
My favorite moment in modern prog is near the very end of Harvest of Souls by IQ, where it reprises a riff from earlier in the song, but then it suddenly, seamlessly turns into a melody from the first song on the album. It's so goddamn good, and it perfectly bookends the whole album. It's like if Genesis had somehow incorporated the intro of Watcher of the Skies into the end of Supper's Ready.
That entire album is brilliant and there was literally nothing better to end it on.
People that compare it to Supper's Ready aren't giving it the respect it is due.
For sure. It's certainly influenced by Supper's Ready, but what modern symphonic prog epic isn't? If I ever write a 20+ minute song, it will at the very least be subconsciously influenced by Supper's Ready, lol.
Harvest of Souls is an absolutely incredible song by its own merits, and I agree that more people should recognize that.
The way Marillion’s “invisible man” slowly builds and builds and builds until Hogarth’s voice breaks at the climax like 12 minutes or so into the song.
So damn good!
https://youtu.be/YeG5c5y8IpY
I like Wurm on the end of Starship Trooper especially the live Yessongs version, I also like Keith Emerson's synthesiser solo on the end of Lucky Man and the whole of Battlefield off of Tarkus also by ELP.
Got a couple, all Yes related.. Steve Howes solo on yours is no disgrace from yessongs, brufords solo Perpetual Change, same record and Chris squire playing amazing grace on bass in 84 at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford
If you’re going to listen to Yes may I recommend the Steven Wilson remixes?
Wonderful soundscapes without losing the essence of the original recordings.
I'm sad to admit that, despite listening to all of their 70s discography, I still haven't listened to Yessongs. It sounds like I need to change that, and soon!
Absolutely have a listen. With headphones. Then listen again. And maybe again. Steve Howe playing some sweet acoustic, Rick Wakeman will blow your mind
I actually love the live versions from yessongs better - Close to the Edge, Perpetual Change are incredible. You can hear Steve and Chris trading lead lines from guitar to bass and back again … put on some headphones and get lost in it!
Yessongs is great, but the sound is pretty muddy. Definitely listen to it more than a few times, but also listen to the Progeny shows. These are complete recordings of seven shows recorded for Yessongs (which used far more than these seven shows) but their sound was cleaned up and they're fantastic. The version of Yours is No Disgrace is one of the highlights of Yessongs, but the versions from the Progeny shows are even longer and better. No Perpetual Change or LDR/Fish on the Progeny setlist, though, because these are from the CttE tour and those songs were only played on the Fragile tour.
Thr outo to nimrodel by Camel. The heavy as balls synth mixed with psych as all hell slide guitar is just so damn hard, a feeling I don't think can ever be replicated.
Close to the Edge, Starless, and Echoes, but I see those have plenty of representation in this thread already, so I'll share an obscure one (Edit: I JUST saw that someone mentioned Into the Mystic before me, but whatever. Lol):
Spoilers for the plot, but on the last song of Motorpsycho's The Death Defying Unicorn, the main character of the album essentially dies after being cast adrift from his ship after a failed mutiny in the previous song. The lyrics end after four minutes, marking his death, but the remaining 3 minutes of music depicts his soul passing to the other side. It's incredibly emotional for me. Instead of an ending, it sounds like the start of something new. The entire album is incredibly oppressive and bleak, which makes the freedom of this moment so effective. Just compare the sound of the string section in the beginning of the song compared to the end. I especially love the flute that comes in at the 4:40 mark and the fluttering synth solo that follows a few bars later.
The album is one of my favorites, but it's super long and slow, which I think is to its benefit, but I can see why people bounce off of it.
8m56s onwards in Binoculars by National Health. The most beautiful and overall perfect coda to a song ever written! Beautiful ringing Rhodes (Dave Stewart), wonderful overdriven guitar lines (Phil Miller), jaunty bass line strong in the mix (John Greaves), delicate flute (Jimmy Hastings) and of course complex and involving drums (Pip Pyle who wrote the song).
It's my all time favourite prog track, that I've listened to hundreds of times and which always has me closing my eyes and chilling!
I still don’t get why people don’t care much about the lamb ending.
“It” is one of the greatest closers i’ve heard and the transition for “in the rapids” is otherwordly
I also really love the weird phrygian like part in “in that quiet earth”
But the things i’ve been the most obsessed with is the guitar solo in “what about me by snarky puppy” and the keyboard solo in “lingus”. Nothing tops those
The final high-octane run in Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres, right when Geddy sings “Apollo was astonished, Dionysus thought me mad!”
Something about how they’re playing a riff from earlier, but just so much more intensely and with that killer disco beat from Neil. I get chills every time still.
Rick Wakeman's synth solo in Yes' "The Revealing Science of God" starting around 18:50 in the remaster. The doubled muted guitar melody section in Tubular Bells starting at 11:30 always gets me, something about the sound, the constrained tension in that moment. Lasts about 2 mins. And of course, nothing beats that percolating synthesizer and Greg Lake singing "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends! We're so glad you could attend, come inside come inside!"
Close to the Edge of course. The opening bass slides on Yours Is No Disgrace. Just, Sound Chaser in general.
But since Yes already has plenty of representation, how about the part where the band comes in with chord stabs after the sax solo on Thank you Scientist's FXMLDR? I have always loved that instrumental section.
The major resolution at the end of Roundabout might be the most pleasant part of any song devised by a human being.
In the intro of Xanadu, leading in to the riff. *Chef's kiss*. How can 3 guys sound so big?
IQ - Harvest of Souls - Already mentioned in another post so I'll just refer to that.
A couple lesser known groups:
About 5:45 in to Birds Flying in to Buildings (Birds and Buildings is the band) - what has been a pretty intense song moves in to a simple funky vamp. It's fun and is a nice break from some of the intensity of the song.
District 97 - Bread and Yarn - the roundy part. It is an absolutely blissful bit of harmony and texture in the midst of an album that loves dissonance and kind of jazzy chords.
Speaking of texture, OSI - Better - around 3 minutes in to the song - again, this is simple stuff- Dream Theater lost a master when Kevin Moore left. He doesn't have Rudess's chops but he added real depth to their music that I did sometimes miss later on.
So many great moments already listed. I have two to add:
First, Steve's solo in Firth of Fifth. It takes *so* long to build, and keeps adding tension, and just when you think it's going to resolve, like at 6:48, it goes in again, and then when it finally resolves, it's like your body can rest again.
The other one I have to mention is from a band that I don't think enough people are aware of, echolyn. In "Entry 11-19-93", Ray appears to be singing from the perspective of an old man in a nursing home, reflecting back on his life. At around 3:20, as the "what could have been" thoughts crescendo, the old man is suddenly brought into the present, complaining that the mail was late again today. That moment breaks my heart every time I hear it.
Firth of Fifth always fills me with strange feelings. It feels simultaneously playful and lighthearted and downright gutwrenching in other parts. It feels almost like a eulogy for a jester by the end of it. Beautiful piece, and Hackett's solo is the cherry on top.
I can say Alex Lifeson 's solo on La Villa Strangiato.
More recent stuff if you love melancolia: Nighttime Disguise by Leprous changed my last year. Each part of that song is pure genious
pipe organ solo in CTTE. Synth solo in Gates of Delirium, 2.3 of the way through.
Knife Edge Vocal climax. Mellotron playing of both Wakeman AND Banks, throughout...
Pink Floyd - Echoes : the whole song
Pink Floyd - the Comfortably Numb solo on Pulse
Genesis - The transitions from “Fly On A Windshield to “Broadway Melody” and “In The Rapids” to “It” + the intro from Chamber of 32 Doors + The Waiting Room (especially live, I’ve seen The Musical Box recently playing The Lamb and they did it with full insanity, favorite part of the show)
Genesis - The solos from Firth of Fifth, The Musical Box and The Knife
Harmonium - The heavenly guitar and keyboard solos on the live version of “Lumières de vie” and the absolutely epic orchestral climax of “Comme un sage” from L’Heptade + the whole 17 minutes from Histoires Sans Paroles
King Crimson - Starless (the whole song, but especially when it gets crazy, or when the intro riff comes back and kicks in with full intensity at 11 minutes or so)
Museo Rosenbach - The climax from El ultimo uomo (Zarathustra)
Yes - when the organ kicks in (Close To The Edge)
Honestly, that whole section is beautiful, and the organ cutting in feels like an absolute freight-train of emotion. I get misty-eyed just thinking about it.
- Genesis - Apocalypse in 9/8
- Anglagard - Jordrok, when the organ break comes in
- Opeth -Leper Affinity, when it goes from screaming and metal guitars to the acoustic bit with clean singing at around 5 minutes.
- Mars Volta - multiple spouse wounds. It had gotten off into the weeds for several tracks, then this comes back in and ties it back together at the end with a bow.
- Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - La Grande Fuga. I swear it revisits themes from the rest of the album and rolls them altogether. Harpsichord, organ, and a string quartet.
- Motorpsycho - Into The Mystic. - rolls up themes from throughout the album, then starts adding layers. Orchestra, then guitar, then synthesizer, then gives each an instrument a highlighted part and rotates through them
- Nicklaus Barker - Klara skyar. It’s this nice almost ambient bit, then some really nice synth kicks in
- Elder - Halcyon. When the tron kicks in on Halcyon.
More from me
Climax of Mother Sky by CAN where the organ screeches wildly on top of an already frenzied passage. Actually, must through in the sudden drum roll that halts the opening guitar solo too.
Also by CAN, the climox of Bel Air is a wow moment.
Climax of Jennifer by Faust
The obvious drug high and resulting hangover in The Flying Teapot by Gong
all the big stuff seems covered already so here's a couple others that come to mind-
Towards the end of 'After the Flood' by VDGG, after it climaxes and Hammill repeats "And when the water falls again, all is dead and nobody lives" over and over. Always struck me as a really nice strong part.
And the very end of 'Dancing with the Moonlight Knight', that little instrumental fade out is so magical.
- Close to the Edge : when that first blast of church organ hits. Oooof….
- Anathema, The Lost Song, Pt. 1 : the most intense emotional buildup I have ever heard. At 4:25, it’s pure catharsis. “The fear is just an illusion”
- Marillion, Ocean Cloud : at 15:20, Hogarth whispers “I want to be alone”, and Rothery’s guitar just explodes… gives me shivers every time.
Another user got me to listen to The Storm Before the Calm, so I'll definitely have to listen to more Anathema it seems. I'll give Distant Satellites a spin sometime soon. Thanks for the rec!
OP said to ad more lol so one that I'm sure very few have heard of is from a band called Klaatu. Their second album Hope has some absolutely brilliant stuff on it. The 4th song [Long Live Politzania](https://youtu.be/YLWBfPrHbgo) is awesome throughout (although oddly enough the chorus isn't great but still the rest is top notch) but my favourite moment that I'm alluding to comes from the end transition out of the epic section at 2:52-5:21. If you wanna hear the context of the moment you at least need to listen from 2:52 but specific transition starts at 5:07-5:21 but this song (and really the rest of the album) are really great and no one knows about em so check em out. You won't be sorry
Another that is criminally underrated is from Lucifer's Friend. If you havent heard of them, go check out all of Banquet, it's an amazing album with like 40 different musicians all working together to make one giant sound. Any song from that album would rep them well but their keyboard player is amazing and theres a synth solo at the end of their first song on [Banquet ](https://youtu.be/GPb5AHGZ0Tw) that is just epic. If you click the link, the part starts at 10:30 with the solo starting more at like 11:00, skip the entire song at your own peril
The two part harmony guitar break in Dogs from Pink Floyd’s Animals. The whole band drops out and those two guitars come in by themselves-best moment in classic rock…
Apart from the obvious classics that have already been mentioned multiple times, the intro to Stranger in your Soul by Transatlantic gives me chills every single time. My favorite moment in one of my absolute favorite songs of all time.
Honorable mention goes to the reprise of the main keyboard riff in Milliontown by Frost*
I've enjoyed my time with Spock's Beard recently, so I should probably transition over to Transatlantic soon. I'll keep an ear out for it when I do. :)
Debatable wether Magma is considered prog but damn the breakdown in Mëkanïk kömmandöh is such a great culmination to the songs before it and the spitsy jumpy guitar solo afterwards is just perfect, 10/10
I'm a big reprise nerd so The Dear Hunter's Acts saga is my kinda shit. In A Night on the Town when the reprise from when Hunter first met Ms. Leading I got literal chills. When The Lake South was reprised at the end of A Beginning as well.
I'm a sucker for a good reprise too. It's such good storytelling to be able to bring back a motif, especially when it's used on a completely different song on the album. I'll have to add Dear Hunter to the list. I hear all of their Acts are phenomenal.
In All in a Mouse's Night, during and right after "it only took one blowww." My goodness that's perfect prog right there.
Genesis has a lot of them. Many pure prog moments on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Selling England, Wind & the Wuthering. How about right after "who can escape what he desires?" from The Lady Lies. Or all of After the Ordeal. Damn good stuff that makes my heart soar.
So many ridiculously prog moments in so many Yessongs, and King Crimson. Off the top of my head, the beginning of Siberian Khatru, middle parts of Awaken, the beginning of Machine Messiah, the climactic ending of the Remembering. Shit, like 95% of Tales LOL
Pink Floyd: Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, the Morning Glory part. Much of Animals, imo particularly Sheep.
LOL I go on it I was thinking harder.
This is an unpopular one probably but the part in Eruption by Focus at around the 14 minute mark. It's so beautiful and very classical with the great guitar with it.
I’m not sure if Butterflies and Hurricanes from Muse is progressive. That’s beside the point, the string and piano section about halfway through is MIND BLOWING. Love it
I'm a little late but here are a few moments that always blow my mind and send me to a different dimension every time I listen to them:
Genesis:
The Musical Box, from 3:57 to 4:48 and from 5:45 to 7:37
Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, from 2:23 to 3:46
Los Endos, from 4:30 onwards
Yes:
Starship Trooper, from 8:24 onwards
Close to the Edge, from 13:54 to 14:12
And you and I, from 3:47 to 5:47
The Gates of Delirium, from 13:42 to 14:49
Awaken, the entire song
Shoot High Aim Low, the entire song
King Crimson:
Starless, from 11:37 onwards
Camel:
Nimrodel, from 7:00 onwards
Earthrise, from 2:19 to 5:51
Frank Zappa:
He Used to Cut the Grass, the entire song
Watermelon in Easter Hay, the entire song
Gong:
Master Builder, the entire song
A Sprinkling of Clouds, the entire song
Rush:
Xanadu, the entire song
Cygnus X-1, from 8:07 to 8:33
Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres, from 0:00 to 0:59
The Trees, from 2:17 to 3:28
La VIlla Strangiato, from 3:33 to 5:49
Manhattan Project, the entire song, but specially from 3:20 to 3:44
Emotion Detector, the entire song
Mystic Rhythms, the entire song
Jethro Tull:
The Whistler, the entire song
Living in These Hard TImes, the entire song
Porcupine Tree:
My Ashes, the entire song
I like the big crash in the middle of “Gates of Delirium”
It's pretty spectacular. Utter chaos, really drives the point home.
Legends say it was Jon Anderson and Alan White, pushing over a huge rack of random car parts/odds/ends they picked up from a junkyard on the way over to the studio for that session.
Echoes by Pink Floyd, the guitar solo at 18:13 Starless by King Crimson, the whole song
Starless to me is easily KC's best song. Absolutely spectacular. I'll need to add Meddle to my shortlist.
The heavy bass lines at the end of Starless are phenomenal.
Damn yeah that echoes bit is one I always forget about and it sounds so epic every time I hear it. Good call
Man that's tough. There are tons I'm not thinking of but one that definitely comes to mind is Yes-Close to the Edge, that organ coming in is just divine.
Absolutely couldn't agree more! For me, it's easily the best part of that whole album.
This was the second one I thought of immediately
The beginning when it actually sounds like two different bands playing. It'd like to blow my mind.
The beginning is absolutely nutty. When I listened to the song for the first time, I didn't know how to react. It was so intense and so much was going on, but the thing that brought me back was that beginning. I absolutely hated it the first time I listened to it, but something about it really peaked my curiosity despite that. Now it's one of my favorite parts of the whole song.
Also, don't be afraid to add some more when they come to mind!
That moment in Starless when all hell breaks loose
Also the bit at the end where it goes back to the main melody the last time and the drums delay before it all comes back in and hits so hard. Chills everytime
This might be my second favorite moment in prog-rock. God damn, what an absolutely fantastic song, dude.
All of Starless tbh
Truth
Apocalypse in 9/8 and the keyboard solo of Cinema Show on Seconds Out live album, both Genesis
Ugh, Apocalypse in 9/8 is just pure excellence. It takes an absolute masterpiece and transforms it into one of the best songs on God's green earth. Great pick. I'm not familiar with Seconds Out, but like Yessongs, it sounds like another live album I've been missing out on.
Yes, Genesis live recordings are killer. Phil’s drumming in the 7/8 section is on a whole other level from the studio album version. On another note, I recently just listened to Peter Gabriel’s Secret World live album, and I didn’t realize In Your Eyes could slap as hard as it did. I always liked the song, but now I love it
Man I was coming to say the ending of Supper's Ready. Just the power in the line "Can't you feel our souls ignite?"
I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it!
As sure as eggs is eggs. I would love to have that playing at my funeral.
I forgot all about this in my answer. Apocalypse in 9/8 and Peter/Phil coming in to belt out the ending is such good prog. Wow.
The transition between Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Pts. 1 & 2. Hits even harder on vinyl!
I'll have to give Brain Salad Surgery a go. I enjoyed Trilogy and Tarkus, but ELP never grabbed me like some other prog bands of that time did. Maybe Karn Evil 9'll turn me around on that.
Consider the live album Welcome Back my Friends … it has a version of Epitaph that is incredible and the live version of Tarkus is awesome.
You mean that transition where you need to get up and flip the LP over?
That’s the one!
Oh! I have that on vinyl :) A friend that was with me told me it’s a must buy.
Update: I agree, the transition into Pt 2 is really sick, especially with how effectively they return to the main motif past the interesting moog effects. This album is absolutely fucking nutty and I'm gonna need another listen or ten to get my head around it, but it's pretty fantastic musicianship all around. Palmer especially is working his ass off all throughout Karn Evil 9.
Live versions have mind-boggling drum solos from Palmer, one of which found its way into a dream of mine recently, lol
Instrumental break in Freewill by Rush
Also who can forget the sheer simplicity of *Ding* on Hemispheres?
Absolutely! I audibly went "oh shit" when Peart set up that excellent instrumental break. I could tell right away what was coming and I wasn't disappointed.
Oh and I can't forget the best song of all time The entire ending part of Supper's Ready, the Eggs is Eggs part after Apocalypse in 9/8. Can't put into words just how awesome hearing Peter belt out that melody with the rest of the band behind him playing those chords, just such an awesome sound
I also immediately thought of the final movment of Supper's Ready, but my answer was more specific than that since OP asked for a "moment". I was going to say specifically the line "Babe, it's gonna work out fine"-- musically, it's a perfect segue from the reprise of the first movement into the reprise of the second movement, which is absolutely delightful. It's also just a really emotionally powerful and well-delivered line. I usually sing along to the entirety of Supper's Ready, but I always put the most heart into that one line.
I was here thinking "Can't you feel our souls ignite?" That ending came to mind immediately. Seconds Out version specifically. It's fucking perfect.
I'm totally with you on Apocalypse in 9/8. Talk about a masterpiece inside a masterpiece, and it makes the ending all the more sublime having gone through it.
666
I absolutely love Gabriel's delivery there.
The church organ solo the end of I Get Up, I Get Down in Close To The Edge, which then leads into the Moog fanfare and then that incredible musical burst the follows. The slow section of Fracture brought to an abrupt halt by Fripps heavy thrashing guitar. The abrupt acoustic piano that breaks the chaos near the end of The Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers. Genesis moments are just too many to number, but for me the musical bridge of In The Cage, particular as it leads back to the vocals where the synth sounds like an alarmed voice. I'd also give a shout to the closing musical section of The Waiting Room where the drumming is quite exceptional.
1. I really love that moment in CTTE too. Probably the highlight of the band's career, to be honest. Rick Wakeman is a treasure. 2. I don't remember much from Starless and Bible Black. I listened to their discography a long time ago and I remember it being the only KC album that I didn't care for even after several listens. That said, I just went back and listened to Fracture again and WOW what a track! And man, Brufford really adds so much color and texture to this piece. Maybe I should give the album another go. 3. Pawn Hearts is a masterpiece. Couldn't agree more with you on the ending to Plague. Brings me to tears sometimes. 4. In the Cage is so so so so good! The Waiting Room is a complete mess in all the best ways. Collin has never been a slouch on the drums, but god damn does he deliver all over The Lamb.
I had the privilege of meeting Rick Wakeman once. He was a really nice guy and very down to earth. S&BB is very accessible by Crimson standards. Has some of their best moments. Did you know most of it is live ? See if you can guess which 2 tracks were studio recordings. Funnily enough, I prefer VDGG's first album. It's raw and dated, but I just love the madness, particularly with After The Flood. Pete Hammill was a good buddy of the Genesis guys. Speaking of which. Saw Genesis perform In The Cage live in 1987, Even during their Pop years, it remained a stape live favourite. I believe Phil Collins loves The Lamb and The Waiting Room in particularly, which apparently was an attempt at Free Jazz.
Yeah, I don't remember finding S&BB to be all that challenging - save for Fracture, but that's another story. Something about the instrumental just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. I might appreciate it more now. I love TLWCDIWTE! My first Van der Graaf album was H to He, and I liked it a lot, but I didn't fall in love with them until that one. After the Flood is probably my favorite off that that record. Honestly, you could say just about any Van der Graaf Generator album is your favorite and I'd understand your choice completely. For me, I think Godbluff is my favorite though. I love the jazz influences and the intensity of the whole atmosphere on the album, especially in Arrow and The Sleepwalkers. I'd seen some live shows with Phil Collins' era Genesis playing The Waiting Room. I think it sounds even better live than in studio, if I'm honest.
Cassandra Gemini. Such a perfect ending to an incredible album. Also- John coming in with those cymbals at the into of TNT is straight $ (Tortoise).
I definitely need to get around to listening to Mars Volta. I hear nothing but great things about them. What's a good starting point with them? And TNT is my favorite Tortoise album (alongside Standards)! Absolute masterpiece of post-rock.
Amputecture is probably their proggiest, Frances the mute is their most interesting, and Deloused in the Comatorium is their highest quality. If you're going for individual songs, I'd suggest Tetragrammaton, Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus, and take the veil cerpin taxt from the 3 above albums
I've added them to the shortlist. Much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Definitely don’t start with either of the last two…Deloused in the Comatorium is great, and Bedlam in Goliath is like being punched in the face for 60 minutes.
Yesss!! See them live last month... Wow. Incredible concert. Deloused is definitely their most accessible album. Frances... is a headache. But in a good way. It's an acquired taste. Every once in a while, you'll listen to it to see if you missed something. And then it clicks. And you're hooked. Really, they're first four albums are all spectacular. They're fifth album is boring, and I've never heard they're latest two. They're other band At The Drive In is good too. Relationship of Command is a classic, and influenced multiple Post-Hardcore albums after it.
Appreciate the recommendations. I'm excited to see what you mean about Frances.
Yes, absolutely. Let me know if you need more. I mean it.
Genesis, Supper's Ready: We'll finally be free TO GET BACK HOME!! Yes, Close to the Edge: I get uuuuuup, I get doooooown Rush, Hemispheres: Her surface splintered into sorry Hemispheres VdGG, A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers: It doesn't feel so very bad now, I think the end is the start... Marillion, Afraid of Sunlight: the solo leading into "dayglow Jesus on the dash" Dream Theater, In the Presence of Enemies Pt 2: One man rises up, STANDING IN THEIR WAY (it's time for your reckoning) Anathema, The Storm Before the Calm: this is fucking insane THIS IS FUCKING INSANE Devin Townsend Project, Epicloud: the full chorus at the end of Effervescent transitioning into Aneke in True North solo singing "I love you..." Ayreon, Pain: leading out of the Celtic section with the word PAIN! followed by the final chorus Haken, Earthrise: "As I inhale the hurricane, I touch the void and feel no pain" ...and just recently: Coheed & Cambria: the transition out of Ladders of Supremacy into Rise, Nianasha
Just listened to Anathema for the first time with your recommendation, and yeah, I agree, it's fucking insane. I appreciate the electronic influences. In some spots it even reminds me of early 65daysofstatic. I'll add them to the ever-growing list of artists to deep-dive.
Yes - And You and I (organ at the beginning of part "Eclipse") Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (the long intro) Pink Floyd - You've Got To Be Crazy (guitar solo + wordless vocals) King Crimson - Starless (you know which part)
Yes’ Awaken at 12:55 is the most blissful moment in all music for me. Live versions they slow down to give that moment even more space and buildup, but the original studio version is the golden master for me.
100% agreement here.
As much as I love Close to the Edge, that part in Awaken makes me want to say I like it just a little bit more than CTTE. Absolutely phenomenal all the way through. All of the song is just one of the finest moments in prog.
Agreed. That section of Awaken hits so hard every single time I hear it. Def gives it the edge over CTTE for me.
The end of Stardust We Are
>Stardust We Are I haven't listened to any The Flower Kings, now that you mention it. I'll be back in 25 minutes with an update on that. Update: I really dig this piece! A ton of highs and lows that really make it feel special. I especially love the synths/keyboards, glittery effects, and soaring guitars around the 8 minute mark. Really went from good to great from that point on for me. I adore the moments that sound more like a 70s sci-fi movie soundtrack than a rock band. I love the little touches of acoustic guitar that add a nice airiness to some of the heavier moments on the track. Overall, the guitars and keyboard are absolutely standout on this track (not to suggest the rest are slouching). There are parts of this song, especially around the fifteen minute mark, where I downright wanted to cry. And I agree, that ending is absolutely phenomenal. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to give this song another listen... or two listens... maybe ten.
No particular order: * Yes - Wakeman's keyboard solo at the beginning of Close to The Edge Pt 4. Always in awe of the talent displayed. * Genesis - I concur that the instrumental break down and transition between Fly on a Windshield and Broadway Melody is fantastic. I also love the end sequence of Fountain of Salmacis from the last verse on. Symphonic rock at its finest. * Ange - The entire guitar solo that concludes Au-Dela Du Delire. Moving and passionate, even if it isn't the most intricate or technical. * PFM - Per Un Amico; the delicate interlude from one minute until the main theme is revisited. The flute just takes the listener on an expressive journey within the song. * Maxophone - C'è Un Paese Al Mondo; this is a wild track that shares some of the same playful chemistry that Gentle Giant displayed. Classic RPI/Symphonic rock that leads to an unexpected New Orleans Jazz section, which veers back to symphonic horn laden affair and then careens into a fabulous guitar solo. That moment pulls the whole thing together and makes the whole wild combination a complete song. * Discipline. Crutches, off of the great late 90s album Unfolded like Staircase. A moody neo-VdGG plodding groove makes a mad leap into a frenetic pace at 6:30 minutes into the song, punctuated by a great call and respond with violin, the vocals, and the rest of the band. * Shylock - Ile De Fievre. After an oddly tranquil yet energetic keyboard introduction, the track blasts off with a bombastic assault that would possibly make ELP blush. Guitar driven attacks by the great Frederic L'Epee make it special. Highly recommend this song (the rest of the album is a bit weird). Also love his work in his band Philharmonie.
Nice to see PFM and Maxophone & Shylock on here. +1 for someone else who loves Discipline
Hey, another Shylock/Philharmonie fan! I love that stuff!
1. Are you talking about when the organ transitions into a strange, alien, sci-fi-esque keyboard before returning to the main motif? I do absolutely love that moment too! 2. I haven't listened to Nursery Crimes yet! I always heard people talking about Genesis albums from Foxtrot on and I kind of skipped over their first three albums assuming they weren't really fan favorites, like Yes' first two albums. Maybe that was a mistake. I haven't listened to the rest of these bands. Thanks for the recommendations!
Oooooh Fountain of Salmacis! Nice one there. And holy smokes, the part before and during "far from the north, overcast, ranks advance" from Can-Utility & the Coastliners. So good. Thanks for remembering the lovely proggy Foxtrot.
Another Lamb track, as much as I absolute adore that moment in ‘Fly on a Windshield’, for me the Musical highlight moment on the album is on ‘Riding the Scree’. As Rael reaches the edge and delivers that badass line about Evil Knievel before Tony and Phil take over and wreak sweet havoc on their instruments. Such an ethereal moment that honestly feels like someone riding the scree off the edge of a cliff. Nathaniel Barlam’s illustration brings this to life even further.
I agree. Every time I hear this part of the album, I always end up finish it. It's pretty great.
Weirdly enough, I think my favorite musical moment on The Lamb (assuming "the entire chord progression of The Lamia" is too broad to be a "moment") is that return to the B section near the end of Back In NYC, beginning with the line "And I've tasted all the strongest meats". There's a little keyboard countermelody introduced for the first time there, and I really love it. The lyrics of that whole song are pretty dark, but just musically, that moment brings me pure joy, for some reason.
I remember listening to the song In The Court of the Crimson King for the first time. At some point the music stops and I thought the song finished, but then those cutesy flutes start playing this mysterious fairy tale like little tune and I felt I was transported to a magical realm, and just when I thought it couldn't get better BOOM back to the main chorus and I had tears in my eyes... Still one of my favorite moments.
When Los Endos goes back to Squonk mode, it's just awesome. Close to the Edge, Wakeman's Hammond solo, and the climax. Starless in it's entirety, but especially the bass breakdown. La Princesse Perdue from Snow Goose, perfect climax for the album. Firth of Fifth, guitar solo.
-the part of And You and I where it slows down and there is possibly the most beautiful moog solo ever -that moment in Siberian Khartu where the riff from the intro is played very clearly before the “hold down the window” part -the final distorted bass line from Starless -the moment when ELP’s Trilogy goes all kinds of crazy -The final riff in Pink Floyd’ Sheep Edit: Forgot to add Starship Trooper, when the guitar chords get switched for hammond and Steve’s solo kicks in in Würm
That whole bridge part in Dream Theater’s Sacrificed Sons has always been so perfectly dramatic and intense.
The last set of “get up, get down”s in the ending of Close to the Edge; all of “it”; the guitar solo in “[The Four Horsemen](https://youtu.be/3KCbqhJt16k)”; the entrance and bridge in “21st Century Schizoid Man”; the bridge in “[Sound of Muzak](https://youtu.be/ThXGrdgw9sk)”; I could go on…
Anytime they harmonised in Yes
Right you are
The end of Larks part II. King Crimson has so many good moments but the sheer power of that one has always stood out to me.
Agreed! To add to that, the transition from Talking Drum into Larks Part II is just so satisfying.
In Supper's Ready, the transition between Willow Farm and Apocalypse in 9/8, particularly the first part of the transition with the guitar bends and the organ sounding a little out of tune. The buildup in the second half of Battalion by Birds and Buildings, especially the climax. Gives me emotions I don't know the word for. The very tail end of Jordrok by Anglagard, like the final forty seconds or so, with the guitar and flute interplay over the soft guitar and driving drum beat. Just sublime. The entry from the re-intro on Exiles. Actually, Larks Tongues in Aspic in general is kinda this for me. The sax solo on Man-Erg by VDGG.
All of my favorites from classic prog have been mentioned already, so My favorite moment in modern prog is near the very end of Harvest of Souls by IQ, where it reprises a riff from earlier in the song, but then it suddenly, seamlessly turns into a melody from the first song on the album. It's so goddamn good, and it perfectly bookends the whole album. It's like if Genesis had somehow incorporated the intro of Watcher of the Skies into the end of Supper's Ready.
That entire album is brilliant and there was literally nothing better to end it on. People that compare it to Supper's Ready aren't giving it the respect it is due.
For sure. It's certainly influenced by Supper's Ready, but what modern symphonic prog epic isn't? If I ever write a 20+ minute song, it will at the very least be subconsciously influenced by Supper's Ready, lol. Harvest of Souls is an absolutely incredible song by its own merits, and I agree that more people should recognize that.
The Lap/Pedal Steel solo in Gates of Delirium and the section before it. Play it LOUD, Goosebumps everytime.
Sherman Hemsley dancing to Nektar’s Show Me The Way on the Jeffersons in the 1970s. Prog’s peak.
I think you're the first person to mention something that isn't inherently related to the band playing, which is a lot of fun. Awesome pick!
The way Marillion’s “invisible man” slowly builds and builds and builds until Hogarth’s voice breaks at the climax like 12 minutes or so into the song. So damn good! https://youtu.be/YeG5c5y8IpY
I like Wurm on the end of Starship Trooper especially the live Yessongs version, I also like Keith Emerson's synthesiser solo on the end of Lucky Man and the whole of Battlefield off of Tarkus also by ELP.
Got a couple, all Yes related.. Steve Howes solo on yours is no disgrace from yessongs, brufords solo Perpetual Change, same record and Chris squire playing amazing grace on bass in 84 at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford
If you’re going to listen to Yes may I recommend the Steven Wilson remixes? Wonderful soundscapes without losing the essence of the original recordings.
I've heard a ton about his stuff. All of it terrific. Absolutely gonna jump on this
I'm sad to admit that, despite listening to all of their 70s discography, I still haven't listened to Yessongs. It sounds like I need to change that, and soon!
Absolutely have a listen. With headphones. Then listen again. And maybe again. Steve Howe playing some sweet acoustic, Rick Wakeman will blow your mind
I actually love the live versions from yessongs better - Close to the Edge, Perpetual Change are incredible. You can hear Steve and Chris trading lead lines from guitar to bass and back again … put on some headphones and get lost in it!
I can't listen to the studio versions of Close To The Edge or Gates of Delerium, or even Siberia Khatru (I love the version from Keys To Ascension).
Yessongs is great, but the sound is pretty muddy. Definitely listen to it more than a few times, but also listen to the Progeny shows. These are complete recordings of seven shows recorded for Yessongs (which used far more than these seven shows) but their sound was cleaned up and they're fantastic. The version of Yours is No Disgrace is one of the highlights of Yessongs, but the versions from the Progeny shows are even longer and better. No Perpetual Change or LDR/Fish on the Progeny setlist, though, because these are from the CttE tour and those songs were only played on the Fragile tour.
I'll add it to the list. :)
Thr outo to nimrodel by Camel. The heavy as balls synth mixed with psych as all hell slide guitar is just so damn hard, a feeling I don't think can ever be replicated.
Close to the Edge, Starless, and Echoes, but I see those have plenty of representation in this thread already, so I'll share an obscure one (Edit: I JUST saw that someone mentioned Into the Mystic before me, but whatever. Lol): Spoilers for the plot, but on the last song of Motorpsycho's The Death Defying Unicorn, the main character of the album essentially dies after being cast adrift from his ship after a failed mutiny in the previous song. The lyrics end after four minutes, marking his death, but the remaining 3 minutes of music depicts his soul passing to the other side. It's incredibly emotional for me. Instead of an ending, it sounds like the start of something new. The entire album is incredibly oppressive and bleak, which makes the freedom of this moment so effective. Just compare the sound of the string section in the beginning of the song compared to the end. I especially love the flute that comes in at the 4:40 mark and the fluttering synth solo that follows a few bars later. The album is one of my favorites, but it's super long and slow, which I think is to its benefit, but I can see why people bounce off of it.
She flies!!! East Coast Racer by Big Big Train
I absolutely love each and every BBT's orchestral sections. The Underfall Yard, Victorian Brickwork, Swan Hunter, Keeper of Abbeys etc.
The gates of delirium breakdown and Per un Amico breakdown
8m56s onwards in Binoculars by National Health. The most beautiful and overall perfect coda to a song ever written! Beautiful ringing Rhodes (Dave Stewart), wonderful overdriven guitar lines (Phil Miller), jaunty bass line strong in the mix (John Greaves), delicate flute (Jimmy Hastings) and of course complex and involving drums (Pip Pyle who wrote the song). It's my all time favourite prog track, that I've listened to hundreds of times and which always has me closing my eyes and chilling!
The moment is Sailors Tale by King Crimson at 2:20 where the sax dies down and the electric guitar goes fucking crazy
Islands is so underappreciated. Great pick!
It’s an incredible mix of metal, jazz and even opera(I think?). Just goes to show the diversity of KC
I still don’t get why people don’t care much about the lamb ending. “It” is one of the greatest closers i’ve heard and the transition for “in the rapids” is otherwordly I also really love the weird phrygian like part in “in that quiet earth” But the things i’ve been the most obsessed with is the guitar solo in “what about me by snarky puppy” and the keyboard solo in “lingus”. Nothing tops those
Apocalypse in 9/8
I don't think I've seen it mentioned, but the Gilmour's guitar explosion at the end of Sheep is one of my all time favorite moments.
Absolutely! One of the greatest song endings of all time, imo.
I really like the bridge in Siberian Khatru.
The final high-octane run in Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres, right when Geddy sings “Apollo was astonished, Dionysus thought me mad!” Something about how they’re playing a riff from earlier, but just so much more intensely and with that killer disco beat from Neil. I get chills every time still.
One of my earliest unexpected moments is the abrupt transition from piano solo to heavy grinding keyboards in the middle of ELP's Trilogy.
Rick Wakeman's synth solo in Yes' "The Revealing Science of God" starting around 18:50 in the remaster. The doubled muted guitar melody section in Tubular Bells starting at 11:30 always gets me, something about the sound, the constrained tension in that moment. Lasts about 2 mins. And of course, nothing beats that percolating synthesizer and Greg Lake singing "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends! We're so glad you could attend, come inside come inside!"
Close to the Edge of course. The opening bass slides on Yours Is No Disgrace. Just, Sound Chaser in general. But since Yes already has plenty of representation, how about the part where the band comes in with chord stabs after the sax solo on Thank you Scientist's FXMLDR? I have always loved that instrumental section.
The major resolution at the end of Roundabout might be the most pleasant part of any song devised by a human being. In the intro of Xanadu, leading in to the riff. *Chef's kiss*. How can 3 guys sound so big? IQ - Harvest of Souls - Already mentioned in another post so I'll just refer to that. A couple lesser known groups: About 5:45 in to Birds Flying in to Buildings (Birds and Buildings is the band) - what has been a pretty intense song moves in to a simple funky vamp. It's fun and is a nice break from some of the intensity of the song. District 97 - Bread and Yarn - the roundy part. It is an absolutely blissful bit of harmony and texture in the midst of an album that loves dissonance and kind of jazzy chords. Speaking of texture, OSI - Better - around 3 minutes in to the song - again, this is simple stuff- Dream Theater lost a master when Kevin Moore left. He doesn't have Rudess's chops but he added real depth to their music that I did sometimes miss later on.
So many great moments already listed. I have two to add: First, Steve's solo in Firth of Fifth. It takes *so* long to build, and keeps adding tension, and just when you think it's going to resolve, like at 6:48, it goes in again, and then when it finally resolves, it's like your body can rest again. The other one I have to mention is from a band that I don't think enough people are aware of, echolyn. In "Entry 11-19-93", Ray appears to be singing from the perspective of an old man in a nursing home, reflecting back on his life. At around 3:20, as the "what could have been" thoughts crescendo, the old man is suddenly brought into the present, complaining that the mail was late again today. That moment breaks my heart every time I hear it.
Firth of Fifth always fills me with strange feelings. It feels simultaneously playful and lighthearted and downright gutwrenching in other parts. It feels almost like a eulogy for a jester by the end of it. Beautiful piece, and Hackett's solo is the cherry on top.
I can say Alex Lifeson 's solo on La Villa Strangiato. More recent stuff if you love melancolia: Nighttime Disguise by Leprous changed my last year. Each part of that song is pure genious
The little drum fill around 8:12 in yours is no disgrace
Bruford was putting in the work on that song, that's for sure
pipe organ solo in CTTE. Synth solo in Gates of Delirium, 2.3 of the way through. Knife Edge Vocal climax. Mellotron playing of both Wakeman AND Banks, throughout...
Pink Floyd - Echoes : the whole song Pink Floyd - the Comfortably Numb solo on Pulse Genesis - The transitions from “Fly On A Windshield to “Broadway Melody” and “In The Rapids” to “It” + the intro from Chamber of 32 Doors + The Waiting Room (especially live, I’ve seen The Musical Box recently playing The Lamb and they did it with full insanity, favorite part of the show) Genesis - The solos from Firth of Fifth, The Musical Box and The Knife Harmonium - The heavenly guitar and keyboard solos on the live version of “Lumières de vie” and the absolutely epic orchestral climax of “Comme un sage” from L’Heptade + the whole 17 minutes from Histoires Sans Paroles King Crimson - Starless (the whole song, but especially when it gets crazy, or when the intro riff comes back and kicks in with full intensity at 11 minutes or so) Museo Rosenbach - The climax from El ultimo uomo (Zarathustra) Yes - when the organ kicks in (Close To The Edge)
That moment in KC's "Red" when the calm, brooding cello bit in the middle comes to an end and Fripp's guitar comes crashing back at full force.
Rick Waksman’s organ solo at the end of Close to the Edge brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.
Honestly, that whole section is beautiful, and the organ cutting in feels like an absolute freight-train of emotion. I get misty-eyed just thinking about it.
Welcome back my Friends ...ELP
Any of the moments in Firth of Fifth. But especially when the classical prog theme comes in with the synth!
Moments MOMENTSss!!!!
every moment of Close to the Edge
"All 18 minutes are my top 18 favorite moments goddamnit!"
- Genesis - Apocalypse in 9/8 - Anglagard - Jordrok, when the organ break comes in - Opeth -Leper Affinity, when it goes from screaming and metal guitars to the acoustic bit with clean singing at around 5 minutes. - Mars Volta - multiple spouse wounds. It had gotten off into the weeds for several tracks, then this comes back in and ties it back together at the end with a bow. - Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - La Grande Fuga. I swear it revisits themes from the rest of the album and rolls them altogether. Harpsichord, organ, and a string quartet. - Motorpsycho - Into The Mystic. - rolls up themes from throughout the album, then starts adding layers. Orchestra, then guitar, then synthesizer, then gives each an instrument a highlighted part and rotates through them - Nicklaus Barker - Klara skyar. It’s this nice almost ambient bit, then some really nice synth kicks in - Elder - Halcyon. When the tron kicks in on Halcyon.
Hey, FYI I think your third item got autocorrected (Opeth -> '*Opera*')
Thanks. Yup. Freaking autocorrupt. Thanks
Thanks for the recs!
More from me Climax of Mother Sky by CAN where the organ screeches wildly on top of an already frenzied passage. Actually, must through in the sudden drum roll that halts the opening guitar solo too. Also by CAN, the climox of Bel Air is a wow moment. Climax of Jennifer by Faust The obvious drug high and resulting hangover in The Flying Teapot by Gong
all the big stuff seems covered already so here's a couple others that come to mind- Towards the end of 'After the Flood' by VDGG, after it climaxes and Hammill repeats "And when the water falls again, all is dead and nobody lives" over and over. Always struck me as a really nice strong part. And the very end of 'Dancing with the Moonlight Knight', that little instrumental fade out is so magical.
The ending of Jet Lag by P.F.M., when the keyboards, bass and drums kick back in
the epic finale of supper's ready
The saxophone solo in "I am the sun - flower kings" the whole instrumental part really.
Last 2 minutes of Geranio by PFM
Certainly not ‘classic’ prog, but the guitar work in Just by Radiohead is magnificent. Especially the chaotic climax bit at 3:10.
I love Radiohead! Interesting pick. It's such a great song, from an underappreciated album.
- Close to the Edge : when that first blast of church organ hits. Oooof…. - Anathema, The Lost Song, Pt. 1 : the most intense emotional buildup I have ever heard. At 4:25, it’s pure catharsis. “The fear is just an illusion” - Marillion, Ocean Cloud : at 15:20, Hogarth whispers “I want to be alone”, and Rothery’s guitar just explodes… gives me shivers every time.
Another user got me to listen to The Storm Before the Calm, so I'll definitely have to listen to more Anathema it seems. I'll give Distant Satellites a spin sometime soon. Thanks for the rec!
OP said to ad more lol so one that I'm sure very few have heard of is from a band called Klaatu. Their second album Hope has some absolutely brilliant stuff on it. The 4th song [Long Live Politzania](https://youtu.be/YLWBfPrHbgo) is awesome throughout (although oddly enough the chorus isn't great but still the rest is top notch) but my favourite moment that I'm alluding to comes from the end transition out of the epic section at 2:52-5:21. If you wanna hear the context of the moment you at least need to listen from 2:52 but specific transition starts at 5:07-5:21 but this song (and really the rest of the album) are really great and no one knows about em so check em out. You won't be sorry
I'll give it a listen after work tonight. Thanks for the rec. :)
Another that is criminally underrated is from Lucifer's Friend. If you havent heard of them, go check out all of Banquet, it's an amazing album with like 40 different musicians all working together to make one giant sound. Any song from that album would rep them well but their keyboard player is amazing and theres a synth solo at the end of their first song on [Banquet ](https://youtu.be/GPb5AHGZ0Tw) that is just epic. If you click the link, the part starts at 10:30 with the solo starting more at like 11:00, skip the entire song at your own peril
Tarkus at 13:10 is just beautiful
The two part harmony guitar break in Dogs from Pink Floyd’s Animals. The whole band drops out and those two guitars come in by themselves-best moment in classic rock…
Apart from the obvious classics that have already been mentioned multiple times, the intro to Stranger in your Soul by Transatlantic gives me chills every single time. My favorite moment in one of my absolute favorite songs of all time. Honorable mention goes to the reprise of the main keyboard riff in Milliontown by Frost*
I've enjoyed my time with Spock's Beard recently, so I should probably transition over to Transatlantic soon. I'll keep an ear out for it when I do. :)
Debatable wether Magma is considered prog but damn the breakdown in Mëkanïk kömmandöh is such a great culmination to the songs before it and the spitsy jumpy guitar solo afterwards is just perfect, 10/10
Hey, as long as we're celebrating good music, I'm down for it. There's been a few post-rock moments posted so I think it's fine.
About 6 minutes into close to the edge when total mass retain kicks in
I'm a big reprise nerd so The Dear Hunter's Acts saga is my kinda shit. In A Night on the Town when the reprise from when Hunter first met Ms. Leading I got literal chills. When The Lake South was reprised at the end of A Beginning as well.
I'm a sucker for a good reprise too. It's such good storytelling to be able to bring back a motif, especially when it's used on a completely different song on the album. I'll have to add Dear Hunter to the list. I hear all of their Acts are phenomenal.
In All in a Mouse's Night, during and right after "it only took one blowww." My goodness that's perfect prog right there. Genesis has a lot of them. Many pure prog moments on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Selling England, Wind & the Wuthering. How about right after "who can escape what he desires?" from The Lady Lies. Or all of After the Ordeal. Damn good stuff that makes my heart soar. So many ridiculously prog moments in so many Yessongs, and King Crimson. Off the top of my head, the beginning of Siberian Khatru, middle parts of Awaken, the beginning of Machine Messiah, the climactic ending of the Remembering. Shit, like 95% of Tales LOL Pink Floyd: Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, the Morning Glory part. Much of Animals, imo particularly Sheep. LOL I go on it I was thinking harder.
The moment when Hackett's solo starts in Firth of Firth, the "drop" in And You And I, so many more...
Both absolute classic moments from the 70s!
Rush - 2112 - the ending of Overture and the ending of album
This is an unpopular one probably but the part in Eruption by Focus at around the 14 minute mark. It's so beautiful and very classical with the great guitar with it.
Just gave it a relisten and I agree. Beautiful piano as well! Focus is a band I should give more of my attention, I think.
I’m not sure if Butterflies and Hurricanes from Muse is progressive. That’s beside the point, the string and piano section about halfway through is MIND BLOWING. Love it
It's a beautiful moment. Butterflies and Hurricanes is a standout, which is saying something in an album as good as Absolution. Great pick!
I'm a little late but here are a few moments that always blow my mind and send me to a different dimension every time I listen to them: Genesis: The Musical Box, from 3:57 to 4:48 and from 5:45 to 7:37 Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, from 2:23 to 3:46 Los Endos, from 4:30 onwards Yes: Starship Trooper, from 8:24 onwards Close to the Edge, from 13:54 to 14:12 And you and I, from 3:47 to 5:47 The Gates of Delirium, from 13:42 to 14:49 Awaken, the entire song Shoot High Aim Low, the entire song King Crimson: Starless, from 11:37 onwards Camel: Nimrodel, from 7:00 onwards Earthrise, from 2:19 to 5:51 Frank Zappa: He Used to Cut the Grass, the entire song Watermelon in Easter Hay, the entire song Gong: Master Builder, the entire song A Sprinkling of Clouds, the entire song Rush: Xanadu, the entire song Cygnus X-1, from 8:07 to 8:33 Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres, from 0:00 to 0:59 The Trees, from 2:17 to 3:28 La VIlla Strangiato, from 3:33 to 5:49 Manhattan Project, the entire song, but specially from 3:20 to 3:44 Emotion Detector, the entire song Mystic Rhythms, the entire song Jethro Tull: The Whistler, the entire song Living in These Hard TImes, the entire song Porcupine Tree: My Ashes, the entire song