An Update on an Earlier Question. . .

Probably one of the stupidest titles above, but anyway.

Anyway, two years back I wrote this post,”What to call this stuff? They ain’t ballads.” involving several favorite songs of mine, several Youtube clips. They included the following:

Rainbow’s “Gates of Babylon“

Rainbow’s “Eyes of the World“

Bernie Torme’s “Presences“

David Lee Roth’s “Skyscraper“

Bernie Torme’s “Dark Horizons“

Bernie Torme’s “Stoneship“

Bernie Torme’s “Janus Part 1 & 2“

My point in listing them was to ask what they have in common. I still cannot answer that. They do share certain features but considering how musically illiterate I am, it just is not happening. That said, I was on iTunes today and looking at Rainbow’s albums and ended up listening to their “Long Live Rock n Roll” album, which features “Gates of Babylon”.

They provided a little history at the top of the page as that album does play a significant role in the history of hard rock and metal music. And it was right there. They pointed to Gates of Babylon” and described it as basically the first “Metal Epic”.

“Metal Epic” That is perhaps the proper term for the above. I did not have a term before tonight.

I guess I have heard various Iron Maiden songs described as such, but just have not put it together. The term is for the time, likewise the best term for these. The above share something, and whatever that is, the term “Epic” seems appropriate. Regarding Maiden, and tunes such as the “Flight of Icarus”, I am not adding such to the list. Epic it seems has two meanings, two definitions.

I tripped across this “discovery” this evening. Some discovery. I post this here largely as a note to self.

I still need to unpack what they share, unless some kind musical soul is able to do explain what it is I am hearing and why I am categorizing this bunch together. And in the process save me the many nights I will some day spend. And ideally in the process confirm or disconfirm the status of the Maiden tunes in the same category.

Projects.