Compositional rock songs...

I love good compositional rock songs..A lot of people complain when a song goes over five minutes, but what makes these songs boring is that they are missing the right components. The thing is, for any musician, its hard to write a long song, with several different parts, (and to still have everything tie together rather nicely.) Its difficult. So for a lot of bands, they would rather stick to three minute ditties here and here, because its much easier..

But take Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody for example, this song is filled with so many different emotions, and the arrangements are yet unpredictable, but very soothing. I'm not a hge fan of Queen, but the first time I heard this song it blew me away, its such an amazing experiemnce listening to a song like this for the first time. Perhaps there are some compositional songs that have given you more than something to think about, (where these songs have not only brought back your past memories but have created new ones for you as well?)

As a songwriter, we never really know what would work, that is until we try it.

-Joseph

A good song is "Call of the Ktulu" by Metallica. Duh!

Kirk Hammett is God!!!

Most of my band's songs are between 4-6 minutes long. Our most popular song is over 9 mintues long. I think the trick is to keep making variations on parts, and to tell a good story with the lyrics. Play something people can relate to. I think the biggest problem with making long songs is that radio stations are hesitant to play them, especially full length versions.

What about Styx's come sail away? Awesomeness. And Meatloaf another great composition band. Combined rock,opera,heavy metal, just a lot of different stuff.

I think the two heavy weights of epic rock are Guns N' Roses, and without a doubt, Zeppelin.

Guns N' Roses makes epics that give me chills. November Rain, Civil War, Estranged... etc.

Listen to Neil Young's Weld album,
the average length is about 8 minutes and some songs last 15 minutes,

Blues Shredder

The first single to get number one on a pop chart that was over 5 minutes was Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" at 6:11 (Don't you think it is sad I can qoute the time off the top of my head? I do). Dylan has done a lot of good songs over 5 minutes that tell amazing stories. The great thing about his tunes is the way in which they don't develop, as odd as that sounds. An amazing feeling is built up by the unending verse-chorus repeat, that gets you into a kind of trance, like "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands", or "Idiot Wind".
Of course, this kind of thing happens in jazz all the time. There is a great Australian Jazz band called The Necks, who are a Piano, Bass, Drums trio, who tend to only perform one piece at each gig they do. I have a couple of their albums, that have pieces that go for up to 63:29 and the shortes is 53.24. The way the pieces progress is amazing, sometimes they change a lot, and in the longes one called "Black, the pianist and bassist each play their own motiff that repeats for the whole tune, it is the kind of music you shouldn't listen to at midnight (or rather, you really should, just don't expect to come through the night sane). I know this is off the topic a bit, but hey, it struck me while I was thinking of great long songs.

Some mad long songs:

Manowar, "achillies, agony and ecstacy" (28 mins)
Gamma Ray, Heading for Tomorrow (15 mins)
Helloween, Halloween (approx 13 mins)
Helloween, we got the right (about 9 mins)

scratcha.

[Edited by biosmaster on 05-16-2001 at 08:03 PM]

Originally posted by Raskolnikov
I think the trick is to keep making variations on parts, and to tell a good story with the lyrics. Play something people can relate to. I think the biggest problem with making long songs is that radio stations are hesitant to play them, especially full length versions.

With creating "a compositional song", a lot of bands get lazy toward the end, where they think that the rest of the parts will tie everything together, but to some extent the beginning is just as important as the end. I think some of the best compositional songs are written straight through, (very impulsive), Jimmy Page is a great example of someone who plays from the heart, and Ive always admired how he was able to belt out such a classic solo for "Stairway To Heaven" in a matter of minutes. Sometimes when writing music you just have to be willing to let yourself go, and trust your instincts, otherwise your project just might take a turn for the worst. The hardest thing with writing a compositional song is sticking to the original idea, (through the process of perfection we tend to shy away from what we originally had in store. Its almost like baking a cake, without the right ingrediants, its just not going to taste as good.

I was very happy that the radio stations supported "November Rain," because its such a gr4eat soing and the worlkd was meant to hear it. I think this song open up the doors for a brand new audience for Guns N Roses...

-Joseph

Right on. The epics that GNR put out definatly got them some new fans who maybe weren't totally into their hard, aggressive "Appetite for Destruction" style. Not that songs like November Rain and Civil War and Estranged don't have an aggressive edge, but they're powerfull by means of composition and lyrics moreso then wailing, grinding guitar matched with Axl yelling.

the best songs are at least four minutes long, led zeppelin's new greatest hits has only about three songs under that mark. there is so much more to do with the time. gnr has great epics and hendrix's machine and the door's light my fire are very long, but are considered the best

Joseph is right, there is so much more emotion in these epic songs. today however, in this world of pop, rap, and over commericialization, these songs are almost non-existent

Its not so much that I'm stuck on the past, where I'm constantly looking for it to repeat itself. But with music today what it lacks is originality, and their songs are suffering as a result. Instead of worrying about whether or not their compositions will provoke a strong re-action with the majority of listeners, the musicians of today should stop and listen, and try to figure out whether or not their music provokes a re-action within themselves. Someones needs to make some sort of statement, because a lot of the rock music today just isn't that interesting..

-Joseph