Monday, March 6, 2017

Epic Songs: The Best Songs Over 7 Minutes Long - Part 5 of 5

Back in 2011, I published a 4-part series of The Best Songs Over 7 Minutes Long. That series has proved to be the most popular post on the blog. Six years have passed and it's high time that we present you with a new installment - adding 24 more songs to the list! We've also collected all of the songs from all of the parts to a massive Spotify playlist (check it out at the bottom of this page). If you happened to miss Parts 1-4, you can start at the beginning here.



Arcade Fire - Reflektor (7:34)
From the album Reflektor (2013)
Guest appearance by David Bowie; Co-produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem

Belle & Sebastian - Play for Today (7:33)
From the album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (2015)
Duet with Dee Dee Penny aka Kristin Welchez of Dum Dum Girls & Kristin Kontrol

Bill Fay - Cosmic Concerto (Life is People) (7:56)
From the album Life is People (2012)
"In the space of a human face, there's infinite variation. It's a cosmic concerto and it stirs my soul. Like my old Dad said, life is people."



Blur - Tender (7:40)
From the album 13 (1999)
Produced by William Orbit, 13 was a more experimental album, unlike its predecessors. Emotional times brought out the best in Blur. Backing vocal assistance was provided by the London Community Gospel Choir

Dead Can Dance - Children of the Sun (7:33)
From the album Anastasis (2012)
DCD returned with the stunning Anastasis - after a 16-year recording gap

Erasure - Rock Me Gently (10:01)
From the album Erasure (1995)
Accompanied by the popular London Community Gospel Choir; also features a free-form interlude by Diamanda Galas



Kraftwerk - Neon Lights (9:03)
From the album The Man-Machine (1978)
A condensed version (cut down by nearly one-third) was released as a single

Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle - Gustavo (7:11)
From the album Perils from the Sea (2013)
Emotional storytelling on this collaboration between Kozelek of Red House Painters / Sun Kil Moon and LaValle of The Album Leaf

Muse - Citizen Erased (7:21)
From the album Origin of Symmetry (2001)
Always a fan favorite - must be the powerful drop A tuning



New Order - 5 8 6 (7:31)
From the album Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
Starting off as an experimental instrumental used at the opening of the Hacienda club in Manchester, the title refers to the song Ecstacy's 5-bar, 8-bar, 6-bar structure; contains bits we;hear more of later in 'Blue Monday'

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) - Metroland (7:33)
From the album English Electric (2013)
33 years after their debut, OMD released this album which ranks among their best work

Pet Shop Boys - Always on My Mind / In My House (9:05)
From the album Introspective (1988)
A commemorative performance on a UK Elvis TV special lead to the recording of this single, which immediately topped the charts in the US & UK



Peter Murphy - The Sound of Water (8:45)
From the compilation Remixes from Lion (2015)
How can a leftover song from the sessions of 2014's Lion rival the best work in PM's catalog? Goosebumps

Preoccupations - Memory (11:27)
From the album Preoccupations (2016)
Memory has three distinct movements - the middle section features vocals by Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade / Handsome Furs / Operators

Psychic TV - I.C. Water (8:43)
From the album Towards Thee Infinite Beat (1990)
A tribute to Ian Curtis (I.C.) of Joy Division who was a friend of PTV's Genesis P-Orridge; the voice in the beginning is a recording of Curtis



Pulp - Seductive Barry (8:31)
From the album This is Hardcore (1998)
Additional sensual vocals provided by Neneh Cherry

R.E.M. - Leave (7:18)
From the album New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
That siren...

Radiohead - Supercollider (7:02)
Released as Supercollider / The Butcher single (2011)
Extras from The King of Limbs sessions released for Record Store Day



Ride - OX4 (7:07)
From the album Going Blank Again (1992)
OX4 is the postal code for Oxford (England), where the band is from

Sigur Ros - Untitled 4 (7:33)
From the album ( ) (2002)
All songs on this record were left untitled, but this one is known as 'The Nothing Song'

Strand of Oaks - JM (7:23)
From the album HEAL (2014)
An intense musical eulogy for the late Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia & Magnolia Electric Co.



Talk Talk - Time it's Time (8:14)
From the album The Colour of Spring (1986)
At the 5:34 mark, singer Mark Hollis begins a short, heartbreaking musical motif on the melodica that continues through the song's faded-out conclusion. I wait for that part every time

The Verve - She's a Superstar (8:56)
Released as She's a Superstar / Feel single (1992)
A beautiful, cosmic dreamscape recorded in a swimming pool

The Wake - Melancholy Man (7:27)
From the album Here Comes Everybody (1985)
Released on the legendary Manchester label, Factory. Bobby Gillespie was an early member of The Wake before heading off to The Jesus & Mary Chain and later, Primal Scream

- Compiled by Bret & Sarah



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