Is this a sub-genre of Rock 'n Roll?
I’m asking because of a specific Led Zeppelin song, Achille’s Last Stand. The combination of Robert Plant’s high, strong voice, his mythic lyrics, Bonham’s steady, yet quick, drum beat, and of course one of Page’s best guitar solos…I just can’t put my finger on what kind of rock this is.
Every time the solo comes up when I’m listening to this song, I can’t help but think one word…“epic”. So, is this actually a genre? Or am I just misinterpreting the song?
It’s not here, but this is a start.
If I understand you correctly, “epic” would apply more to individual songs, hence the list, rather than a style of rock. Any band could put out an epic song, but no band would be an epic rock band.
I sense a MikeFule dissertation in the works.
Rock and roll is mainly about three minutes of more or less blues-based music that is played to make you feel good.
It doesn’t matter if that’s the Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Ramones, Danny and the Juniors, The Sex Pistols, The Meteors, AC/DC, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Buzzcocks, Anti-Flag, Duane Eddy, Motörhead or Stray Cats.
Or Elvis, who sold his soul for bacon roll.
The more it deviates from the simple formula, the less it’s rock and roll.
When it seeks to impress instead of entertain, it becomes something else.
We could argue all day about the dividing lines between genres. I know, it’s only semantics but I like it. 
I don’t think epics intend to do either of those…they are more seeking to express something specific, a feeling or a message.
Dragonforce.
Yes, it becomes progressive rock. 
Epic to me is a song or album that tells a story and does it in epic style. It should be a long song with musical substance.
There are epic songs and epic albums. An epic song does not make an epic album and an epic album doesn’t necessarily need an epic song.
An epic album would be an album where the album as a whole has a story or a theme. Examples being Pink Floyd’s The Wall or Animals, Helloween’s Keeper Of The Seven Keys, or Blue Öyster Cult’s Imaginos. You could also call them concept albums.
I meant “impress” in a fairly wide sense, not just “impressing with virtuosity”.
But it is only semantics. We can all draw the line in a different place.
Choose a classic early rock and roll song such as C’mon Everybody, Be Bop a Lula, Blue Suede Shoes, Johnny B Goode or Hound Dog. If the artist/band you have in mind could perform the song in the style you have in mind and make people want to dance, then they are probably rock and roll. If their style would make the song sound forced, pretentious, strained, or (worst) boring, then they are probably not rock and roll.
I think it’s more to do with attitude than details like chord structure and the mechanics of the music.
El Capitan is an epic rock. It’s 2/3rds of a mile tall… it takes most climbers 3 to 5 days to scale its vertical face. Wanna hike around the back side to get to the top? That’ll be 4-5 hours unless you sprint.
Dude! Matt, when I first heard Presence I thought the exact same thing. Except I call it Adventure Rock…
Funnily enough, on that page Raphael linked to three of the songs are from Animals.
blows.
Chase
If i could recommend one album it would be this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lift-Skinny-Fists-Antennas-Heaven/dp/B00004ZD69
and have a look at some of these bands:
Oddly enough, StH is the only Zeppelin song on that list…that’s kind of disappointing.
Well said.
You got me to check if my local library had any of their albums. They did. Made the short trip to the library and I’m giving it a listen right now. I’ve not listened to anything that was considered Post-Rock so this is new to me.
The library had Yanqui U.X.O. on the shelf. Lift Your Skinny Fists… is checked out.
The first track of Yanqui U.X.O. is interesting. So far I like it. I’ll have to see how it all gels with me at the end of the album.
…are kings of their genre: caricature metal.
Here’s some rock and roll:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=77xKcOb-huc&NR=1
Look at that guitar line up. It’s like a Napoleonic infantry formation. There’s a young Brian Setzer in there, when he was built for speed, not for comfort.
Any well done tune with a great didge player is epic.
Do you mean they sleep on the side of the rock, suspended with ropes?
How do they relieve the excess substances from their body? Just go? Wouldn’t it be unpleasant for someone on the first day of the climb to get it from someone on their second or third day?