I agree with Bad Dog U completely. Maybe because it was 1972 man! The US version of the cover was probably a record company proposal, but even at that it was die cut so differently that it was totally "out of the box." Though as soon as I saw the European version with the Roger Dean cover, I immediately ran out and bought that. I remember showing my completely unplayed 1972 LP to Gary Green at Nearfest one year, and he couldn't get over it- calling it a "Virgin Octopus!"
I love all the early GG albums and maybe because I saw them some 5 or 6 times it sways my love for them. Live.. they ran around the stage playing different instruments, sang like choir boys, and all played with extreme dexterity with Pugwash keeping the steady but totally driving beat. I cant even pick a favorite. PatG was my first introduction, but I bought everything I could after that. I also thought Jethro Tull took much of the GG sound into albums Songs from the Woods, and Minstrel. Actually the first time I ever saw GG was opening for Tull. My buddies in Happy the Man were huge fans and many of them would travel the entire east coast to see them on every single US tour at multiple venues...They were a great influence to their music, and Gary is still good friends with Stan and Frank.
To me GG was one of the top Prog bands of all times and Octopus is a desert island classic. I get so tired of people on this site ranking each song, nitpicking, and criticizing... when in the day were all amazing. And maybe that's the point, you had to be there. IMO
I do totally agree as the later albums emerged, they were more and more attempts to gain radio notoriety, that were total failures...but even those albums have a few gems. But as they watched the commercial success of Yes, ELP, and Genesis...you really can't blame them- one has to eat! They were always just a little too odd sounding, no matter what they did to get any significant radio airplay- PatG probably got the most on College radio stations and WHFS.
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