Short and Sweet

[bob_32_116]

In the world of progressive music, a good deal is made of the "epic". We rightly celebrate the fact that our favourite musicians are able to create works that are free of the time contraint of the traditional 3-minute radio-friendly pop single.

Sometimes, however, three minutes is enough for the perfect song. Sometimes it's more than enough. My all time favourite song, Bob Lind's "Elusive Butterfly", clocks in at 2min 46sec. First verse, chorus, second verse, chorus, short instrumental section, and repeat the last two lines of the chorus. Apparently Lind wrote no fewer than five verses. Producer Jack Nitzsche, who knew that sometimes less is more, went over his head and trimmed it down to two verses, and those two verses say everything the song needs to say.

-----------------------------

Exhibit A: Simon and Garfunkel - April Come She Will.
Running time: 1:51.



Exhibit B: Bob Lind - A Nameless Request.
Running time: 2:17.

[emperorken]

The greatest 3 minute pop song by a semi-prog band.

[JJ88]

Genesis' 'For Absent Friends'. Small but perfectly formed. It later received a slower but equally effective orchestral rearrangement with Colin Blunstone singing.

[klothos]

[Dana5140]

3 minutes of bliss, from Hedvig Mollestad:

[No Pride]

[bob_32_116]

^^ The first of those two videos is "not available".

[No Pride]

^^ The first of those two videos is "not available".

It's working here. What country do you live in, Bob?

[walt]

[walt]

[bob_32_116]

It's working here. What country do you live in, Bob?

Australia.

[No Pride]

^
I have no idea why, but sometimes YT isn't internationally compatible.

Corresponding with (somewhat) current topics around here:

[JKL2000]

Once when I was espousing the prog epic, a friend proposed that the song Lights Are Changing by The Bevis Frond was his favorite, concise pop tune. Just thought I'd toss that out there.

[interbellum]

Toto: Child's Anthem

[interbellum]

David Sancious: Just As I Thought

David Sancious: Run


Love this album :-)

[davis]

[bob_32_116]

^
I have no idea why, but sometimes YT isn't internationally compatible.

I think it's more a matter of some videos having certain country-specific viewing permissions. Most of the YT clips posted here I can view and listen to without difficulty.

[Reid]

[Digital_Man]

This one breaks the rules by a few seconds.

[Dusty Chalk]

Rick Wakeman, "Twij"
just about everything by Zorn, ever (except maybe the two with Justin Broaderick?)

[Garden Dreamer]

[PotatoSolution]

If you don't like this song you are a heartless monster.

[Facelift]

Rush - Malignant Narcisism

[bob_32_116]

If you don't like this song you are a heartless monster.

Wasn't there another quite different song with this same title, or at least the same three words in the first line?

[mogrooves]