The ultimate summer song...

A slice of unbelievably sweet, lush electronica from Elegia. An insistent, original, clattery percussive line and the most enormous heart-rattling sub underlie a sparingly used, sweeping string riff and a vocal which you can't quite make out--I think that's to the good in this song, since Elegia are no Paul Simon--except in fragments. It's sung with strength and melancholy, perfectly structured and as moving as any six minutes I know.

Fantastic! Urinates all over Sir Elton's! So much soul in it and the dynamic is superb!

So Epic and Haunting.

With the exception of the silly dropping "daaaaaayyy" at the very end of this track, it's probably my favorite reworking of a Bowie song. The epic, quickly fading strings and strange raising/falling echoing voices pushing thru Bowie's unchanged vocals, wonderful. The strings add more power to Bowies lyrics.

I love this song because it is so romantic, sweet, and perfect. There is Isaac Slade on vocals, along with back vocalist Joe King (<3). There's a piano, cello, and drumset. It's a beautiful song, happy and passionate, perfect to sing along to, Isaac has a great voice, and lyrics are beautiful.

60's beat with female vocals (english) and doublepicked & reverbed guitar sound. this song must've been a hit in the 60s because even the dreaded Spotnicks (sweden) have covered it.

"She's only 14 but she knows how to draw!" I can't help but think this song isn't about what it sounds like. A great psychy dancer from Donovan's 'rockier' period.

A great track, sung in spanish by Nancy Ames. It opens with pulsating horns, a wall of strings and an insistent latin beat. Everything quietens down in the middle, and Nancy sings accapella before the song explodes into action again. The way the brass, strings, flute, bossa guitar and fiery pop vocals are all crammed into two minutes is pretty cool. The whole thing is extremely catchy and intoxicating.

In 2004 this album, along with Spiced with Brasil, finally made it onto CD.

From a recent cd re-issue of a for once real lost classic from the enigmatic but well connected Mr Lincoln. This sort of mines the same seam as Syd Barrett but this is psyche pop firmly rooted in English folk/folkloreand the joining of a collage of three different song parts,what some would refer to as an opus or epic.Haunting nursery rhyme intro makes way for weird fairground interlude and lysergic distraction before concluding with the painfully beautiful intro section,before finishing way too early for its own good.They dont make them like this anymore and couldnt if they tried this is from a different time and place.

I feel like very few people fully appreciate the music of Donovan, which is a shame because he may be the greatest musician of the psychedelic era in the 60's. Atlantis is his best song. A sort of whimsical and beautiful song which tells the story of the lost continent. Probably the best psychedelic song there is. It lacks the self-indulgent meandering that plagued the Grateful Dead, and lacks the obvious drug references of most psychedelic music. It's not overly rock and roll, but not overly folk either. A brilliant song with a very strong, beautiful melody.

"Frontier Psychiatrist" by the Avalanches was built around the �bercool vocal hook from this. catchy and simple tune, the feel lies somewhere in between go-go, epic drama and mariachi music. Dig the way the drums and piano work together. (Is that a harpsichord later on?) Never seen the film this is from, but i'd be dissappointed if this song wasn't used in a great scene.

From The 12 Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus, this final track on side 2 has got to be one of the most beautiful songs with its full organ sound underpinning fragile high register vocals that develop into harmonies that send shivers all over. Recorded at a studio picked for it's resident organ, the quality of the recording is crystal!

Taken from the little album that came out of nowhere and brought Ms. King the recognition that she deserved, this is my favorite track. The simple setting and instrumental arrangement provide an intimate setting that allows the words to sweep over you. My friend's mother wore out two copies of this LP before the age of CD arrived. James Taylor plays acoustic guitar on this track as well as several others and went on to record his own version of "you've got a friend" which also appears on this classic album.

Sounds almost like a country-rock interpretation of their own early-60s hits, with absolutely breathtaking harmonies that prove that Brian wasn't the only gifted composer in the band. But what is that instrument in the background, a mellotron, perhaps? Great lyrics: "Have you ever been down Salinas way?/where Steinbeck found the valley/and he wrote about it the way it was in his travelin's with Charlie."

Pitched somewhere between Elton John,s "Rocket Man"and Bowie,s "Life on Mars" but oddly unique due to Lynsey's candy floss vocal.The content typically follows glam rocks pre occupation with the planets and spacemen but listen on and what could be third rate band wagoneering evolves, in a little over 5 minutes, into a substantial and epic tale of how an alien might view our futile existence ,yearning strings and clever layering produce a pleasant surprise from a performer considered little more than a nice to look at footnote . Dont judge an L.p by its cover!

This is so wrong; it ends up being right somehow. On paper, this cover is a car wreck. Barbara takes on Bowie�s brilliant, epic ballad of camp surrealism � his homage to big, theatrical female belters like Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and�Streisand, herself � and the song escapes her utterly. Her delivery sound like she learned the lyrics phonetically. (She might as well be singing in Cantonese.) And Jon Peters� production/Tom Scott�s arrangements bring to mind the cool, �L.A.-sound� of Joni Mitchell�s �Court and Spark� LP � minus all the clever bits Joni brought to the table. Yet it spite of all of these faults � this version works. The song is just too good, and Babs� charisma is just too powerful. It�s a [Space] oddity you�ve got to hear to believe.

The title track of Television's 1975 album is the greatest statement of their cumulative abilities as a band. A majestic epic of dual guitar interplay, metronome bass playing, unconventional jazz drumming, and the strangled vocal screeds of Tom Verlaine, Marquee Moon begins with a double-stop riff. A second tangled guitar weaves in, a bass thuds upward, and a lockstep rhythm forms behind the surreal lyrics. From the chorus to the long, flowing jams that follow the third verse, the guitar interplay between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd amazes again and again. Instead of rhythm and lead guitar, the two guitarists trade solos and phrases, tones and colors. Even when Richard Lloyd plays simply, he dominates the color and tone of the solo he underscores, and when he lets loose a solo, it flows like poetry, phrasing and declaiming the beauty of the notes it contains. Band leader Tom Verlaine twists and curves his notes all over here, careening in on himself and threatening to implode before finding a perfect spot. The majestic peaks this song climbs to seem almost impossible, and it very nearly stumbles by running long. However, nothing can detract from the climactic jams that culminate in Tom Verlaine's singing bird-call guitar notes and gentle spills of warbling riffs.

Fun, sympathetic, spot-on parody of the Fab Four, who we know as The Beatles.

Such a ludicrously sentimental depiction of one party's feelings after a relationship breakup that I can imagine few would admit to liking it. However, it's a beautifully-crafted and wonderfully performed song with a superbly effective arrangement. I admit to liking it despite its total sentimentality and lack of any kind of coolness.

Heatwave's first two albums can almost be seen as prototypes for Michael Jackson's breakthrough album "Off the Wall." With Rod Temperton, future Quincy Jones and MJ collaborator, driving this album the sound is both funky and catchy, sophisticated and accessible. "Lay It On Me" is an overlooked album track that bubbles and gurgles under the surface of the groove until the chorus arrives with strings soaring for the ectasy of Johnnie Wilder's sweet vocals, "lay it on me, lay your sweet love on me!" Beautifully arranged and excellently executed and just one of many classics of their debut album.

I'm just reacquainting myself with the entire Low album after buying it on CD (my LP has been out of my reach for a few years). It really is utter genius. If they were in any other context, I don't imagine I would enjoy some of the guitar solos featured in this song. Here, they work brilliantly though. The musical basis of 'always crashing in the same car' is quite simple, but the superb musical performances and odd, otherworldly production give it an incredible richness. Bowie's vocal is mournful, and doesn't dominate the track.

This song is a perfect punk masterpiece. It's short, it's superfast and it's pissed off. It doesn't get much better.

Ellen Foley is best known for being the foil to Meat Loaf on "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" (and for a season on the TV show "Night Court"). This track which opens her first LP "Nightout" is a thunderous roar that rivals Phil Spector's wall of sound like little else. It starts quietly enough with piano motifs and an organ backing, but really cranks it up in time for the chorus. Ian Hunter and the late Mick Ronson produced. Repeat after me: bombast is good!

Diatribe against 1970s Grenada as well as the Irish Troubles, with romantic imagery and a great vocal by the late Joe Strummer.

Melancholy, lonely and beautiful. Proof of the versatility and intellligence of the Clash's music.

While i can't say i'm an admirer of Jackson, his first two Epic records "Off The Wall" and "Thriller" are a reminder he wasn't always that pathetical popular figure he is today but a talented performer and songwriter with an array of gifted people to back him up as arrangers, songwriters and musicians. The most imported credit goes to the legendary Quincy Jones, who really gave these records an incredibly rich sounding, impeccable prduction. All instruments, funky guitars and bass, swirling disco-esque strings, horns and brass, vocal harmonies and syths, are in the right place here. The production is detailed, lush and transparent sounding, easily beating most of todays pop productions, even more so on the remastered versions of these records.

Simple Mind's second single, "Chelsea Girl", was an apt follow-up to its predecessor "Life in a Day", an epic chant, a shimmering melody, and a sing-along chorus that paid spell-bound homage to Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico, in her role within Warhol�s movie of the same name.

Producer John Leckie gives "Chelsea Girl" a lovely delicate quality, especially across the long, tinkling keyboard intro, an aura that barely dissipates even when drummer Brian McGee and bassist Derek Forbes's kick in with their thumping rhythm. The band were proving to be masters at these juxtaposed styles, creating rock solid bases and overlaying them with much more fragile and elegant melodies and atmospheres. Here, those latter are close to effervescent and, as the band shift down into the long bass-driven, overlapping tag teamed vocal outro (a playful lift from Roxy Music�s �Mother Of Pearl�, but no matter), absolutely crystalline.

On album and onstage, �Chelsea Girl� remained fans' favorite, on 45 though, it inexplicably crashed and burned, and didn't even reach the UK chart.
(AMG)

An electronic collusus,the real joy of repitition ,its influence is 50% Kraftwerk and the same of Giorgio Moroder,a lenghthy epic dance workout ,increasing in intensity as it hurtles ,train like, to its sweaty conclusion ,its one concession to its American origins is the radio friendly vocal style ,imagine Hall and Oates being produced by Moroder and you are some way there .

A small hit at the time which has grown into a genuine dance classic,re mixed and revised several times ,but its always that relentless rhythym which grabs the listener,refusing to let go .

A fantastic 8 minute epic from Pete Wylie's overlooked Wah! As part of the crucial three (along with Julian Cope and Ian McCulloch) Wylie deserved to be a superstar, but, alas, fate conspired agaist him. This is the best song in a strong back catalogue, the final four minutes containing some of the most inspiring lyrics in pop history.

A pop song of epic grandeur. Marc Almond's rather out of tune singing doesn't ultimately detract from what is a great song and a very good recorded performance. The synth player of the duo, Dave Ball, appears to have been a somewhat underrated pop genius.

On �The Cutter� fellow Liverpool natives, Echo and The Bunnymen successfully wed the Eastern influenced psychedelic sounds made famous by hometown heroes, The Beatles. Crafting Eastern influences into a new post-punk hybrid that was sweeping England in the Early 80�s. It was songs like �The Cutter� that would help define the newly coined Neo-psychedelic sub-genre, practiced by such group�s of the period as The Chameleons U.K., Psychedelic Furs and Simple Minds amongst others. The track opens with a keyboard approximation of Indian strings, whirring briefly before the band kicks into a percolating groove of popping bass, driving straight drums and chinking guitar accents. Ian McCulloch adds another layer of �60 nostalgia, employing his expressive, slack-jawed vocal delivery that conjures aural images of the late Jim Morrison as he unfurls lines that drip with apprehension �Who�s on the seventh floor? / Brewing alternatives / What�s in the bottom drawer? / Waiting for things to give�. The Eastern strings re-enter at strategic points, filling in space between verses and McCulloch�s esoteric pleas to �spare us the cutter!�, which sounds like a good idea in any case. The arrangement also veers into epic territory quite unexpectedly in the second half, signaled by a sweeping wave of keyboard and McCulloch�s more subdued delivery as poses a string of rhetorically poignant questions, �Am I the happy loss? / Will I still recoil? / When the skin is lost / Am I the worthy cross? / Will I still be soiled? / When the dirt is off� -as the music swell behind him. Like any good single, the track never looses steam, cruising through each section with power and grace. A nod is in order for Ian Broudie, who�s smooth production helped The Cutter become Echo and The Bunnymen�s first top ten single in Britain and a linchpin track for the Neo-psychedelic movement.
(AMG)

During the summer of 1985 Microdisney had already lost all illusions about their potential commercially speaking. This second album was not what people would called a long awaited one. Recorded in a chaotic way (the drum part was the last thing to be put on the tape), this is a true masterpiece from track 1 to track 10 and "Are you happy ?" is its epicenter.
Cathal Coughlan (who at the time renamed himself Blah Blah and claimed to play keyboards and plastic pubis)is now a solo artist and still one of the most beautiful voice in england. Sean O'Hagan have finally achieved success through the High Llamas and Stereolab.

The final track from their superb album "A Secret Wish". Instrumental, apart from a spoken lyric at the end, this reworking of the opening track of the album uses both real strings and synths in combination with some catchy, moody chords to create real atmosphere.

Madonna can be many things. This song conveys an epic story of love, truth and regrets. I don't quite know what it's about, but I find myself being swept up in a profound tale she is telling. Maybe that's secondary. The song is just as much about what a great voice she has. A lot of her other music doesn't convey this. She has various musical guises but she has a glorious voice not always obvious in her other songs. Also, the arrangement is neat in how the song comes nearly to a stop in the middle, and then starts up again, reaching an emotional pitch a second time. It has great synthesizer too.

An even funkier hit single than "Sledgehammer" ? which had an epic groove but was too slow to actually dance to ? "Big Time" is a sardonic response to yuppie materialism with the funniest lyrics of Peter Gabriel's entire career. (The ending of the song, stopping just before the obvious punch line to all this discussion of how preternaturally huge everything in Gabriel's charmed life is, is a small moment of brilliance.) But the brilliance of the song is in the way it ties all that Gabriel had been learning about African percussion and Middle Eastern melodies ever since the days of his third solo album and ties them all into the service of a walloping great groove, making plain the connections between North Africa and Stax-Volt once and for all. The combination of talking drum and wah-wah guitar owes as much to Booker T and the MGs as it does to King Sunny Ade, which is both the key to "Big Time" and a clue as to why Gabriel's later, more explicitly world music focused albums just aren't as much fun.
(AMG)

i`m on a pixies high now. thank your favourite fictional deity that they`ve still got it:) it`s always a relief when reunions actually work..
this track from their debut ep is freaky and wonderful, like most pixies tracks. the lyrics are among their best (and most coherent!)
you-are-the-son of incestuous union!

An eighties incarnation of the epic sadness and yearning that the Walker Brothers did so well with the songs of Jaques Brel and Bob Gaudio(Sun aint gonna shine Anymore).This band was a rare thing at this point ,they had aspirations to write great timeless songs when drum machines ruled the world.On this ,they suceeded ,the songs heartbreaking climax could make a man cry,awash with brave brass and orchestral tears leaving a man broken in two and drowning in his own tears by the time the song fades into an eerie percussive silence .

The 'Best Of' album, 'Death to the Pixies' is full of classics, but if I had to choose one it would be Track 14 'Where is my Mind?'. Its haunting and uplifting at the same time, its got that epic feel to it which makes it seem like more than just a song, plus it kicks arse simply as a rock song! Not sure if I understand entirely what its about, but heh, music is also just about an emotional experience.

The genius of Billy McKenzie is distilled in this largely unheard epic.Tribal drums introduce a synth pop backing which allows a bit more floorspace for what sounds like a barber shop quartet before McKenzie,s yerning vocals commence the song proper.
Both chaotic and cohesive ,this really shouldnt work but a maverick self belief produces a truly fantastic odd,unforgetable moment.This remained unreleased for nearly twenty years by a short sighted record company looking for a uqick repetitive return.Some things never change .

An epic finale to an epic album,psychedelic but inside the real world ,existential but accesible,beautiful acoustic guitars and backing harmonies.This is the birth or re birth of British pop music after its castration at the hands of eighties over production and souless technology.Dragging Pink Floyd behind it on its way to meet Oasis a few years down the line .

We all know a song whose brilliance seemed to avoid the rest of the worlds attention but "You Used To" is genuinely brilliant .Released at the start of the 90,s in the midst of Mad-chester and all that!,this soulful,mournful swirling orchestral epic sank without trace soon after .I found a copy a few weeks ago and its brilliance has not been dimmed by the passing of time in fact it now seems more relevant in the wake of Massive Attack,Morcheba and Duffy .You may find it hard to find but if you have it let someone else hear it NOW!!!!!!!!!!

'Metal Warriors' is Manowar's call to arms, a joyous rallying cry to all the "Brothers of True Metal" of the world. Stand tall and proud, they implore, for the magic of the metal has brought you here. The power within each and every one unites them, and to exclusion of everybody else ("if you're not into metal, you are not my friend!"). Anyone that tries to suppress their might will be met with fearless defiance, "we don't turn down for anyone, we do just what we please!". And they live and die metal, and will not tolerate fakes and frauds and softies, "heavy metal, or no metal at all, wimps and posers, leave the hall!" rings out the epic chorus, "heavy metal, or no metal at all, wimps and posers� go on get out!"

So, anyway, put your reservations aside and head out into the streets to find this one, just this one*, awesome, thumping Manowar track. Spinal Tap were playing for laughs, this however, is frighteningly real.

*although 'Achilles, Agony, and Ecstasy in Eight Parts: Prelude/I. Hector Storms' their 30 minute interpretation of Homer's Iliad is certainly worth a listen.

The opening track of Edwyn's usually-overlooked follow-up to 1994's "Gorgeous George", this song is a perfect example of what orchestral pop should be.

This is like a favourite film. A spoken word track, with backing by a scratchy American Red Cross WWII record, it's an epic tale of time travel and family hatred.

Miranda is multi-talented, being a recording artist, film maker, performance artist and writer. Unfortunately she seems to have given up making records: a real loss.

This song was to be a key moment in the reformation of Echo & the Bunnymen. Ian McCulloch originally wrote "Just a Touch Away" back in the mid-Nineties, in the midst of the Electrafixion era, but felt it inappropriate for that band. Over time, the singer found himself shelving more and more songs, as it became ever more evident that Electrafixion's days were numbered. Eventually McCulloch played a demo of the song for Will Sergeant, who was decidedly impressed; soon after, the pair turned out the lights on Elektrafixion, re-united with Les Pattison, reformed Echo & the Bunnymen, and began work on their new album, 1997's Evergreen. "Just a Touch Away" would take pride of place within, its evocative atmospheres and haunting lyrics creating an eloquent showcase of the band's new styles and sounds. Today, the song is Sergeant's favorite track from the set, proving McCulloch was right to have so much faith in it all along.

Quite simply one of the greatest live albums ever, and this is the pick of the bunch. A slow, beautiful melody explodes into a slide guitar driven landscape. Thrilling.

This is a great song from the Godzilla soundtrack, that me as a 'longtime' Foo Fighters fan still can't believe more people don't know about. The sound has one of my favorite unique sounding solos in it. Great underrated song!

An intense and beautiful epic, this track is the opener on the band's superb 1998 album, 'Deserters Songs'. I'm quite fickle, and usually prefer two to three-minute songs, but this track is so brilliant that it seems short at 6 minutes. It builds up beautifully, starting with just an echoey string aura, with vocals, synth (a Supertramp-like wurlitzer sound) and guitar coming in one by one. The music finally explodes after a couple of minutes, with full drums and eerie oscillating noises. It's incredibly beautiful and dense, and the song has a melancholy air that is very affecting. Mercury Rev have a habit of putting incredible tracks at the beginning of their albums. I'm glad they are now getting more of the attention they deserve.

Excellent track in which rather Beatley-sounding vocals are married with some nice synthesized sounds. It took me several minutes of thinking to remember what it is that the verse of this reminds me of - it's the title track from Procol Harum's second album "Shine on Brightly".

An acoustic verse,which in any lesser band would have been a great chorus bleeds in to a glammed up sneering chorus,this process is repeated for the rest of the track ,rendering this epic song strangely upbeat/downbeat with no clear winner

Some of the albums I like are good - a select few are really fabulous. This track comes from a fabulous album. Mirroring Slowdive's early 1990s soundscapes, Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Ros blend marimba, orchestra and effect-laiden guitar to create amazing tunes. Flugufrelsarinn is the pick - with a glorious multi-layered sound and an epic chorus. You must own this.

I amit it. I am a closeted Pearl Jam fan. PJ are my favorite band, but for some reason there's always someone wishing to tell me hoow much they suck, or how much they hate Eddie Vedder's voice.

Anyway, here's one of their greatest songs. Included in the "Binaural" album, it's a sow, though energic song, with a great crescendo in mr. Vedder's voice that still gives me goosebumps. "Every inch between us becomes light years now... no need to be void... or save up on live..."

Before the Sugababes became just a catalogue of "epic" ballads and stylist errors they were a phenomenally good UK pop band. Not marketing themselves as slappers or party girls, they exhibited an edginess not commonly associated with mainstream chart acts. The whole first album is a miraculous hotbed of beats and songwriting that gels so unbelievably well with the girls' image that you can believe their contribution to the process was more than just the "change a word, take a third" Spice Girls school of songwriting. Overload and Run For Cover are two of my favourite singles of the last ten years.

Equally commendable (and something else, along with member Siobhan and nice clothes, that fell by the wayside come second album time) was their attention to B sides and bonus tracks. Most had a quality that rivalled the album songs and singles - and Sugababes On The Run is even better. I can see why it wouldn't fit on the album - too novelty-ish, few people can pull off a track with their own name in it - but it works perfectly as a flitty ditty about the best teen subject: being pissed off at your parents.

Nevertheless, it does has a depth to it. In its own pop way, it's examining the precipice between youth and cynicism - does getting older always mean losing your ideals?

Probably....

The sweetness of the vocals (particularly Keisha's) and the general kid sister affection of the 'Babes mean that, however much crap they release I'll still be there every new release Monday hoping for another B-side of this quality - and getting a god-awful remix instead.

A long track (23 min) with orchestral sound. About the album: "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is unusual in being structurally and conceptually closer to a symphony than a conventional pop or rock album. The four tracks are composed of internal movements, with different sub-titles, that fade into each other. The whole album is instrumental, except for sampled voice inserts, and starts with an almost orchestral crescendo somewhat reminiscent of Ravel's Bolero." (http://en.wikipedia.org/) <- basically the same goes for the track.

I like it because of the dark and powerful feeling it conveys.

To be honest, I have little idea of what this song is about, but it certainly sets an intoxicating mood - rather intense and dramatic, but very cool. It's a sprawling, majestic pop song, opening gently with a faint trumpet solo and a picked guitar, and then building up nicely with strings soon after the vocals come in. The chorus is simple and catchy, and the orchestration is lush and beautiful, and the vocals are tender. There is a nice cinematic instrumental section in the middle, with some nods to Burt Bacharach. I don't get the impression this is the most coherent song ever, but there are poignant moments lyrically, such as 'You know that when we met, there were fireworks in the sky...sparkling like dragonflies', set against the moody chorus. It feels kind of nice to be really enjoying a new, 2001 song for once. The new album is really quite good. There are some duff songs, but overall I'd say it deserved better reviews than it received.

Update, ok, I've now figured out this is about the Clinton/Lewinsky furore. I guess I'm just not primarily a lyrics person...

One of the finest songs to come from o'rourke's bacharachisation. Lovely changes, brilliant lyrics and an epic ending which is as depressing as it is funny.

This song is one of the best songs I have ever heard...actually the whole album is great! Its Ben and his keys and a background orchestra in this song. Anyways, I believe the song is about how he knows he is the luckiest because he knows how perfect him and his wife belong together.

A 10 minute progressive rock epic, that builds from an atmospheric beginning before climaxing in a flurry of death metal brilliance and winding back down again.

this is a unique piece that comes from the depths of iceland, 4 piece dark electronic group Mum have there shining moment with this gem. Smell memory is a 9 minute epic of errie substance, it has grown on me since the day i bought the album - yesterday was dramatic, today is ok - to really absorb this you must be the a mood where you really want to lose yourself and see where you are at the end of it.

If you are looking for an epic, detailed, scriptured text, infused with the basal roots of death metal, this song is it. Standing at a whopping 11:43 (minutes and seconds), this is one of the longest songs I've ever heard, apart from Dream Theater. Listen to the lyrics here, we don't have a bunch of nihilistic meatheads preaching about death and lost love, it rather contains text from the Pyramid of Unas (known as the Pyramid Texts). These texts are dated in Unas's reign, who was the last ruler of the 5th dynasty- most agree he was alive from 2375 to 2345 B.C., but as is seen on elyrics.net, some date him back to 5330 B.C. This date, combined with it's deific juggernaut of sound (perpetrated in the beginning with an echoed 'vena' intro compimented by an all mighty gong, and again in the bridge which sounds like the intro to the Dark Army from LOTR: Return of the King, with it's French horns and marcato kettle drum foundation), make for a truly musical masterpiece. This is the first death metal band I encountered whose lyrics had real meaning, origin, and context (much like DJ Cheb i Sabah's portrayal of texts from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita). Listen to this the whole way through, the instrumentation is incredible, with a massive orchestrated sound about as subtle as a tidal wave. The bass drums constantly set up the rhythm for the entire work (hold the beginning, and about 8:20 through, as well as the conclusion), and the instinctive deep-throat, albeit gut lyrics add for the dark yet impressive overtone of this piece. I believe I can hear sitar, vena, and even 12-string guitar in this piece. Also, it is critical to acknowledge the chorus in the background- this really highlights the sovereign, godly quality of the song's tone. The arrangement is tight, constantly in rhythm, never behind, and well meshed together, indicating well thought-out composing. Great to listen to before a game of hockey, going to the gym, or if you are feeling weak and helpless- this piece will give you power. Enjoy it for what it is- a new, comforting taste in death metal. Listen to this piece, buy the album, and do research on Unas himself- you'll find a quite interesting history behind this ancient Egyptian ruler, which is the embodiment of Nile- their obsession with the ancient kingdom. 5 out of 5 starts for its genre.

It encompases many of the different sounds that Gojira employ to blow your mind.

"as political a song as I got" - says Ben Folds.
a quieter bouncy jazzy song where Ben sings to his son about how fucked up the world is. they point and laugh at the ignorance and consumption of most of the world. two verses and a solo or two, a short song comes together for his EP, Sunny 16. here's hoping he'll revisit it and flesh it out with another verse for the promised album...

Symphonic Metal. Wonderful piano intro and Simone Simons' voice is excellent as always.

One of the most modern, epic, rocking track ever in history.

Symphonic metal. The violins in the background are just great, and the lyrics is (if it can be) even better that the voice of the lead singer.

This song is labeled "Indie Rock". It always cheers me up. No matter what happens, we'll make it through.

This song is labeled "Indie Rock". It always cheers me up. No matter what goes wrong, we'll make it through.

This song starts with lush orchestration and a pretty melody, followed by Ben Folds' sweet and wonderful voice, and then the bouncy piano line kicks in and the whole effect is sublime. I really like this song, and I'm not usually much of a Ben Folds fan, even.

A glorious and beautiful epic of a song, that swoops and soars from verse to chorus, sung in Boo's trademark bittersweet voice. If the world was a fair place, this song should have been a massive hit single and brought Boo the mass recognition that he deserves but that has always just elluded him.

Chill and cozy. Kind of epic. I love it

Recommended to congratulate them on winning the Mercury prize this year. Irrelevant I know, but you can't help feeling pleased for them - nice guys sometimes win!

This is the opening track from the winning album, and whilst it ticks the "epic" and "melancholy" boxes often associated with Elbow, it is also a startling track, with it's hypnotic, careworn sound punctuated by jagged blasts of brass. Then there's Garvey's bruised but beautiful voice. A cracking start to a cracking album.

Well done lads!

The song is a remake of one of Vai's most famous pieces. The first part of the song is solo oboe (or maybe soprano sax) with harp accompaniment followed by a louder section where the guitar (played by Steve himself) takes over.

Epic instrumental with an awesome pounding drum track. Like The Beta Band but with a heavy dose of caffeine. It moves from shoegaze intro to full on Chemical Brothers style brain-shaking drums. This soars.

An epic cockney travelogue that contains all the essential elements of classic Madness,from their new album just 30 years after their debut,this ten minute epic takes you through the London of their past and present and changes tempo at least every two minutes without ever losing your attention .
This is being acknowledged as a bona fide classic by a group who have been together pretty much since 1978 ,that is a victory for persistance and talent .

The 9:52 long track immediately blasts you off your feet with a ethereally heavy series of riffs and Aaron Turner's rough vocals. Keeping it interesting, the structure continues to evolve, and drifts downward into a more dreamy movement which stays dense and builds the tension for the following verses. About halfway in, the song reaches the first climax that (I think) embodies the "Threshold" in the song title. After which, it moves into a more contemplative section, smoothing out the turmoil and tension brought on by the first half, while building its own. Beautifully, it succeeds in building yet another crescendo, only to end in free fall, with guitar and bass fantastically accenting the mood. The bass in this song is truly something to behold, wavering and powerful in its tone.

What I like about this song reflects on why I like Isis' music in general: it's complex, atmospheric, emotional, intricate, and smart. It truly is "thinking man's metal." Isis is all about themes and atmospheres, emotions and vibes, rather than clear ideas and lyrics. It's visceral, raw, and transcendent. And in some ways, I think this song embodies everything that makes them great.

Symphonic Metal. Epic intro, prominent backing orchestra, and excellent lyrics and singing.

The word that first comes to mind when I try to describe this band and this song is "epic." These guys have a huge sound and incorporate so much emotion and big, ambient instrumentation. Definitely worth a listen.