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Thread: What are the best Gentle Giant albums IYO?

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    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    What are the best Gentle Giant albums IYO?

    As any of you who know me realize, I'm not a huge fan of the Popular Symph Rock style Prog acts from Britain (not into Genesis, VDGG, YES, Tull) except for Crimso and Camel which are generally excellent. But recently I was asked privately to do a remaster on GG's Glass House album and I find it to be quite a nice Symph album. I tried to get into GG back in the day but they didn't really grab me. About a decade ago I tried again by remastering their first 3 albums and once again they left me cold. Is IAGH their best album? Because, IMO there really isn't a dud tune on it, as opposed to Octopus where I wouldn't cry if I never heard Dog's Life or Think Of Me With Kindness again.

    How do you rank GG's albums and which tunes would you not miss if you never heard them again?
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  2. #2
    In A Glass House is special . I can do without the ballad . I don't recall it's title. Power and The Glory, like the entire album minus "No God's A Man"...that bores the crap out of me. Free Hand with the exception of "On Reflection" which is brutally annoying to me and rattles my chain. Interview is fine minus the title track. Aquiring The Taste has a song I admire titled "On The Edge Of Twilight" I dislike "The Wreck" ...I think it is corny. Octopus minus the two tracks you mentioned. Three Friends.....I could have done without Gary Green's guitar solo excursion into echo delay mania with distortion on "Peel The Paint". Most of the songs are hauntingly good. Their first album is weak in sections such as a phased drum solo and the song "Why Not".


    Some of my distaste was based on how they combined Blues with Prog. When Procol Harum wrote a couple of Blues songs ...but they way they did it was outstanding because Keith Reid was being himself in the lyricism . They were taking on a style that was unusually connected to their albums ...but was fitting between their Folk type material and the Classically oriented epic songs influenced sometimes by J.S. Bach....where Gentle Giant were just jamming on Blues when they felt it was appropriate and that was less appealing to me.

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    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    As any of you who know me realize, I'm not a huge fan of the Popular Symph Rock style Prog acts from Britain (not into Genesis, VDGG, YES, Tull) except for Crimso and Camel which are generally excellent. But recently I was asked privately to do a remaster on GG's Glass House album and I find it to be quite a nice Symph album. I tried to get into GG back in the day but they didn't really grab me. About a decade ago I tried again by remastering their first 3 albums and once again they left me cold. Is IAGH their best album? Because, IMO there really isn't a dud tune on it, as opposed to Octopus where I wouldn't cry if I never heard Dog's Life or Think Of Me With Kindness again.

    How do you rank GG's albums and which tunes would you not miss if you never heard them again?
    This comes up about once a year on PE, it seems. But here's my top 5, sort of in order:

    In A Glass House
    The Power and the Glory
    Free Hand
    Three Friends
    Acquiring the Taste

    Honorable mention for the live album Playing The Fool. It sort of serves the same function as Yessongs or Seconds Out.

    As for songs I could stand not hearing ever again, "Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It" was a serious mistake, as is about half of Giant for a Day.

    But I have to take you to task for dissing "Think of Me with Kindness". IMO that's the kind of song that sort of redeems the really out there experimental stuff. It's a palette cleanser, if you will, and just utterly sweet.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

  4. #4
    Free Hand, Three Friends, In A Glass House, Octopus and The Power and the Glory. In no particular order.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    As any of you who know me realize, I'm not a huge fan of the Popular Symph Rock style Prog acts from Britain (not into Genesis, VDGG, YES, Tull) except for Crimso and Camel which are generally excellent. But recently I was asked privately to do a remaster on GG's Glass House album and I find it to be quite a nice Symph album. I tried to get into GG back in the day but they didn't really grab me. About a decade ago I tried again by remastering their first 3 albums and once again they left me cold. Is IAGH their best album? Because, IMO there really isn't a dud tune on it, as opposed to Octopus where I wouldn't cry if I never heard Dog's Life or Think Of Me With Kindness again.

    How do you rank GG's albums and which tunes would you not miss if you never heard them again?
    Here's my favorite GG albums (in order)-
    Free Hand
    Octopus
    The Power And The Glory
    Playing The Fool: Live
    Acquiring The Taste
    And the songs by them that I could live without hearing again are-
    "The Queen"
    "Plain Truth"
    "Design"
    "The Power And The Glory"

  6. #6
    I'm not sure they ever recorded a completely flawless album, but the closest, imo, is The Power and the Glory. Three Friends, Octopus, and In a Glass House are my other favorites, with Free Hand, Interview, and Acquiring the Taste ever so slightly below.

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    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulrus View Post
    I have to take you to task for dissing "Think of Me with Kindness". IMO that's the kind of song that sort of redeems the really out there experimental stuff. It's a palette cleanser, if you will, and just utterly sweet.
    mainly it's the ridiculous quote of the Bonanza (or whatever Western they lifted it from) theme song. The song could have been good, but I cant listen to it without a MAJOR cringe when that line is played
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  8. #8
    power and the glory is my favorite. though playing the fool might be ideal for a newcomer sort of a best of.

    I like em all to varying degrees though definitely save giant for a day until you are a fan.

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    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post

    How do you rank GG's albums
    Acquiring The Taste
    Three Friends
    The Power And The Glory

    In A Glass House
    Octopus
    Free Hand

    Gentle Giant
    Interview
    The Missing Piece



    Civilian


    Giant For A Day


    BTW I've never considered GG to be a 'symph' band.
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

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    FREE HAND
    POWER AND THE GLORY
    OCTOPUS
    IN A GLASS HOUSE
    The Prog Corner

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    Quote Originally Posted by miamiscot View Post
    FREE HAND
    POWER AND THE GLORY
    OCTOPUS
    IN A GLASS HOUSE
    That's my favorites there, but most of them I find something to enjoy from them. I still can't believe knots was a very popular tune on the local philly radio station when octopus came out.

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    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    It is a group that get different results from fans in ranking. For me, the first 3 are my "go-to" albums. Using zravkapt's spacing method, I would go this way...

    Three Friends
    Acquiring the Taste
    Gentle Giant

    In A Glass House
    Freehand

    The Power and the Glory
    Octopus

    Interview
    Civilian

    The Missing Piece
    Giant for a Day
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  13. #13
    Member TheH's Avatar
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    Simply all albums up to (and including) Interview are awesome and must haves. The beginning and the end album of that period maybe the weaker ones.

    The Missing Piece I would still consider as a good album.

    If I had to live with only one GG album it would be without any doubt Playing the Fool Live, one of the best live albums ever.

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    The self-titled first album, "Interview", "Missing Piece": good. "Acquiring the Taste" through "Free Hand": great. "Giant for a Day" and "Civilian": okay. Non-studio albums "Playing the Fool", "King Biscuit", BBC releases "Out of the Woods" and "Out of the Fire", and both of the DVD's: great. Other live albums and box sets: I understand that most have sound quality issues, so ask somebody else.

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    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    well, it seems that my latest foray into GG has some legs left as I have only done my remastering work on the first 5 and many of you seem to be suggesting that Freehand and TP&TG are 2 of their very best albums. I'll be giving them the remastering treatment next.

    I do find it very interesting to hear which tunes people favor and dislike.
    Of the first 5 albums I have recently tried to get into, each one has 1-3 tunes that just do not work for me. So far though, IAGH doesn't have any unlistenable stuff. I could cut the ballad, but it's so short there's really no reason to
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  16. #16
    In a Glass House
    Octopus
    "And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."

    Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/

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    Free hand could maybe use a remaster if it's done well.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Everything up to Interview. I don't see them as a symph band though.

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    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    well, it really doesn't matter what anyone classifies them as
    I put them in the same category with Camel, Genesis, YES, early Crimso, PFM, Banco...
    it's composed Rock with little improv, so I call it Symphonic Rock. They sure aren't Jazz Rock or Avant Rock or Space Rock/Kosmische. Label them however you like AFAIC. Make up an entirely new Prog style, I dont care. They seem like Symph to me but it matters not to this thread
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

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    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    I put them in the same category with Camel, Genesis, YES, early Crimso, PFM, Banco...
    Me too! I call that "Progressive Rock."

    Here's how I order them, but really I think everything from Acquiring the Taste through Interview are "must haves":

    Power & the Glory
    Freehand
    Three Friends
    Acquiring the Taste
    Octopus
    Interview
    In a Glass House (yeah, it's my least favorite of their great albums, but I still dig it)

    <big gap>

    Civilian
    S/T
    Missing Piece

    <another big gap>

    Giant for a Day

    Bill

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    I'll have a different opinion tomorrow but at the moment.

    The Power and the Glory
    In A Glass House
    Three Friends
    Octopus
    Freehand
    Interview - Enid I love the title track esp. the crashing piano chords!
    Acquiring the Taste
    Gentle Giant
    The Missing Piece
    Civilian
    .
    .
    .
    Giant for a Day (dog shit sell-out attempt).

  22. #22
    Estimated Prophet notallwhowander's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Free Hand, Three Friends, In A Glass House, Octopus and The Power and the Glory. In no particular order.
    Yeah, this is a good rec.

    I've found IAGH kind of a dividing line with their sound. Stuff before it live Three Friends and Octopus are more pastoral, whereas The Power and the Glory and Free Hand are more rock. However, Gentle Giant is hard to pin down, being seriously idiosyncratic, so YMMV.
    Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.

  23. #23
    1st place tie:

    Three Friends
    In A Glass House
    The Power and the Glory

  24. #24
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Me too! I call that "Progressive Rock."
    but of course Symph is Progressive Rock Bill. I dont think anyone doubts that... yet Symph is but one of many styles of Progressive Rock

    back on the topic of the thread though
    I'm really eager to re-hear Freehand again with fresh ears all these decades later since so many rate it so highly
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

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    Octopus is their best album IMO.

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