This thread got me to thinking about long tracks that no one really needs. Which are your “favorites”? They can be live or studio.
My top two are “Feedback” from Live Dead, and the long “See What Happens” track from Satanic Majesties. I suspect Revolution #9 will be high on the list, but I’ve actually grown to almost like it. Which others do you skip over?
Lots of early Pink Floyd does nothing for the albums they are on and some actively take away from the albums by disruption. Then again, I wouldn’t exactly call Interstellar Overdrive or Powr-toc-H indulgence exactly, but most of the instrumental pieces on Ummagumma are. (Of the originals on that album I only pretty much like The Narrow Way, and the last part with the lyrics from SSoSFAGTiaCaGwaP…the musical intro is pretty indulgent.)
I love CCR’s version of “Heard it Through the Grapevine”, but it seriously could have been shortened by about 5 minutes.
“In-a-Gadda-da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly is annoying for one minute, which means that it’s therefore at least 17 times more annoying if you listen to the whole thing.
Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes.
All of it.
What’s more, the title doesn’t make any sense. A map can be topographic. You can have a map of an ocean. Even a topographic map of an ocean. But it doesn’t really make sense to describe an ocean as topographic. That having been said, the title makes more sense than just about any of tracks on the (double) album.
I predict that every song mentioned in this thread will be something I love. (Certainly true so far.) But then I’ve always argued that when it comes to art, “self indulgent” should not be considered a negative.
Modest Mouse’s “Trucker Atlas” is self indulgent, but not in a bad way. There’s what, 5 tracks that are 6 minutes or longer on Lonesome Crowded West? An 11 minute one isn’t all that out of place.
Absolutely! Unless ones aesthetics only embrace the ascetic (damned puritans), then what harm in unrestrained gratification? 
Meatloaf, I Would Do Anything For Love. 12 minutes, though I swear I’ve heard a longer version.
Some Moody Blues stuff.
Credence Clearwater Revival’s version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine…
Stretched a 3 minute song to 11, and didn’t do anything particularly interesting with the extra 8 minutes.
Almost forgot…Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort from Wagner’s Gotterdammerung. (Also called Brunnhilde’s Immolation scene) 20 damn minutes, for one freaking aria.
No one’s mentioned “Free Bird” yet? If they cut off the awful guitar soloing at the end, it would be a pretty good song.
Overall, though I like when musicians do long versions of songs. It gives them a chance to show their musicianship. The Allman Brothers doing the “Mountain Jam” for 30 minutes works just fine, for instance.
I do think that Pink Floyd’s best work were all over eight minutes (and up).
Which is why one of my favorite instrumentals is Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato”, which has the appropriate sub-title…
“An exercise in Self-Indulgence”
Got that right. I mean:
I pretty much wore out my dad’s ancient LP of that one. And:
The times I had in high school with just that song on repeat and several hits of acid, I, uh, I’d better shut up now.
Not everyone’s cuppa tea but Monster Magnet’s 25…Tab checks in at 32:14. They’re rank amateurs compared to Mars Volta though, they’ve mastered self-indulgent music (in a good way IMO).
Todd Rundgren has a couple of candidates from his Utopia days:
“The Ikon” from the debut LP clocks in at 30:26, and
“Singring and the Glass Guitar”, on Ra runs 18:24.
Less Than You Think by Wilco. Two minutes 55 seconds of music—12 minutes 09 seconds of feedback.
Cream’s 16 minute version of Toad from Wheels of Fire with its 13 minute drum solo.
Number 9?
An awful lot by Dream Theater is annoyingly indulgent. Still love them though.