What are the best Gentle Giant albums IYO?

[moecurlythanu]

Fwiw, I think you placed it correctly, LP.

[Facelift]

1. In A Glass House
2. Free Hand
3. Octopus
4. Acquiring The Taste
5. Interview

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Fwiw, I think you placed it correctly, LP.

you also feel IAGH is their best?

cool!

I'm still highly eager to hear TP&TG and Freehand again after all these years... prolly Monday

[Sputnik]

but of course Symph is Progressive Rock Bill. I dont think anyone doubts that...

Given what often gets lumped under "Symph," I frequently have doubts. But whatever, it's not worth getting into.

Definitely explore more GG. I'm surprised you don't like them given your tastes. I think they're well worth a fresh listen, and hopefully they'll click for you this time, like IaGH already has.

Bill

[Scrotum Scissor]

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...

Gentle Giant are wicked firemetal. It's been thoroughly confirmed by Ray Shulman himself. Want proof, you've got it - see the the following source!

"Gentle Giant were always wicked firemetal, right from the start. Someone tried to pin us down as evil firemetal, but we instantly recanted and corrected them. So, in other words, Scrotum Scissor is right on claiming this at Progressive Ears (which I read page-to-page each and every day, often some eleven times in a row); wicked firemetal it is. With a slant of bossanova. We weren't particularly influenced by Drama Teater either. Not until later." - Ray Shulman

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

love yer sense of humor Scrotey

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Definitely explore more GG. I'm surprised you don't like them given your tastes. I think they're well worth a fresh listen, and hopefully they'll click for you this time, like IaGH already has.

Bill

well... you may have heard that I am VERY critical of vocalists... especially when they don't know when to shut up and let the band cut loose. That's why I cant take much of Genesis, VDGG and YES. But GG do more with vocals than just let the frontman smother the music. The harmonies and counterpoint are excellent. I only hate it when Derek gets screamy like on IAGH Experience when he delivers "master inner voiCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES". He screams a lot on the first 3 albums and it irks me to no end.

but GG is WAY better than Genesis and YES for my money. If I'm gonna listen to Brit Symph it is Camel, Crimso and GG. But really I prefer Italian Symph.

[Svetonio]

well... you may have heard that I am VERY critical of vocalists... especially when they don't know when to shut up and let the band cut loose. That's why I cant take much of Genesis, VDGG and YES. But GG do more with vocals than just let the frontman smother the music. The harmonies and counterpoint are excellent. I only hate it when Derek gets screamy like on IAGH Experience when he delivers "master inner voiCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES". He screams a lot on the first 3 albums and it irks me to no end.

but GG is WAY better than Genesis and YES for my money. If I'm gonna listen to Brit Symph it is Camel, Crimso and GG. But really I prefer Italian Symph.

I disagree. GG had great vocals, nobody deny that, but British singers were probably the most significant ingredient of the 70s English symphonic rock and progressive rock, as aswell of the rock music in general..

[mx20]

I'm among the few that places Interview very highly, so:

Interview
Acquiring The Taste
The Power & The Glory

Three Friends
In a Glass House
Free Hand

Playing The Fool
debut
The Missing Piece

Octopus
Civilian
Giant For A Day

Notes: I don't like the sound on Playing The Fool, but it's a great set and it was my (very difficult) intro to the band. King Biscuit and that BBC 1978 disc are probably better, at least sound-wise.

I can't put my finger on why Octopus doesn't resonate with me. I really don't like Advent of Panurge, so starting with that one always annoyed me. And I prefer the live medley arrangement of that material.

GG's debut is perhaps the strongest of the Big 5 (you know the ones) UK proggers, IMO.

The good stuff on Missing Piece is great! The other stuff is unlistenable.


Songs I never want to hear again:
Mountain Time, Betcha, I'm Turning Around (coulda been a hit! Might've change the band's fortunes!), all of Giant For A Day, most of Civilian.

Usually gets skipped: Why Not, Advent of Panurge, R.Troubadour, Way Of Life.

[Vic2012]

My Top 3:

Glass House
Acquiring
Octopus

I have eveything up to Interview. All good, but those are my top three.

[JKL2000]

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

Symph Rock is a silly genre name, IMO, but I certainly put them in the same company as you do.

[No Pride]

Favorite studio album: The Power and the Glory with Free Hand in second place. But I dig everything from AtT through Interview (and about half of The Missing Piece is quite good too).

The live (double) album Playing the Fool is great, but I'll admit I haven't heard the King Biscuit live one, which some say is better. Unlike most prog bands of the '70s, GG drastically rearranged their material for their live show, rather than trying to duplicate the studio albums. And they rocked live in a way that isn't evident on the studio albums, especially (drummer) John Weathers, who smacked the shit out of his drums, so I'd highly recommend PtF or the King Biscuit one if you can find it.

I love Yes, Genesis and ELP, but to me, GG was the best of The Big Whatever; they had a lot of things going that made them truly unique. Their music was more adventurous harmonically, they were all multi-instrumentalists who could sing, making them able to have a broader range of textures and they simply grooved, sometimes in a swingy, funky way that you didn't often hear from '70s prog. And the contrapuntal arrangements; everybody playing different lines that fit together like pieces of a puzzle. In fact, they didn't often play chords, the harmonic content was more implied by those counterpoint lines than spelled out for you with block chords.

Though it was love at first listen for me, a lot of folks have said it took them a long time to "get" GG. So I'd say keep listening!

[UnephenStephen]

the 'middle era' with John Weathers i liked the best (PatG, FH, Interview). just never got into their earlier stuff. found it too experimental. and i never liked Kerry's voice at all.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

L:

I think their strongest album, by far, is the live "Playing the Fool." The only studio albums I can listen to straight through are The Power and the Glory and Octopus ... and while I respect your attitudes about two of the songs on the latter, I love the whole thing and think they break up the flow nicely; indeed, I think it the best sequenced non-concept album I know.

[moecurlythanu]

you also feel IAGH is their best?

cool!

I'm still highly eager to hear TP&TG and Freehand again after all these years... prolly Monday

No, I'm not sure I have a favorite. I was saying they probably fall into the Symphonic realm by default, as they fit better there than other subgenres. Still not squarely there, and as Richard has noted again, what does it matter anyway. Angels dancing on the head of a pin.

[mozo-pg]

I love Yes, Genesis and ELP, but to me, GG was the best of The Big Whatever; they had a lot of things going that made them truly unique. Their music was more adventurous harmonically, they were all multi-instrumentalists who could sing, making them able to have a broader range of textures and they simply grooved, sometimes in a swingy, funky way that you didn't often hear from '70s prog. And the contrapuntal arrangements; everybody playing different lines that fit together like pieces of a puzzle. In fact, they didn't often play chords, the harmonic content was more implied by those counterpoint lines than spelled out for you with block chords.

Though it was love at first listen for me, a lot of folks have said it took them a long time to "get" GG. So I'd say keep listening!

Nice description - I really like the way musicians describe music.

[yamishogun]

L:

I think their strongest album, by far, is the live "Playing the Fool." The only studio albums I can listen to straight through are The Power and the Glory and Octopus ... and while I respect your attitudes about two of the songs on the latter, I love the whole thing and think they break up the flow nicely; indeed, I think it the best sequenced non-concept album I know.

I listened to them live on youtube last year and whatever song they played, I respected the talent but couldn't get into. An hour ago, I listened to The Power and The Glory
and liked most of it on the first listen. A 40 minutes well spent, and I'll listen again tomorrow. Thanks for this annual thread!

[Buddhabreath]

...

...to me, GG was the best of The Big Whatever; they had a lot of things going that made them truly unique.

...
Though it was love at first listen for me, a lot of folks have said it took them a long time to "get" GG. So I'd say keep listening!

I quite agree except it was love at first listen to me. But I had the advantage of seeing them open for Jethro Tull in 1975 or 1976 and they just blew me away - I had never heard of them before.

They don't have the individual musicianship of Yes, but I prefer their arrangements and their playing as a band.

[gojikranz]

is there anybody out there that ranks giant for a day higher than any other album? I remember reading a weird review of their whole catalogue by someone who was not a fan of theirs once and it put giant for a day as the best I think...

taken as it is I can enjoy GFAD I like the title track and spooky boogie allright and some other songs are fine but really is lacking most of what makes gentle giant special.

[Poisoned Youth]

is there anybody out there that ranks giant for a day higher than any other album?

Good question. I think the general consensus is that GfaD would pretty much never rank higher than anything Interview or before. So at that point, you're only talking the last 3 albums. I think most GG fans find something to "grab on to" for Missing Piece and, at least in my case, find Civilian rather quaint as a pop/rock album. GfaD doesn't seem to rise above either of those for me. It's been a while since I have heard it, but I feel confident that I wouldn't have to sit through it again to come to the same conclusion.

[Levgan]

I'm generally in the "try all of them up to and including Interview" camp. However, my rankings within this run of studio albums are a little different from most folks, mainly because I feel they really lost something important with Phil Shulman's departure. With possible exception of the 1st album, which had a magnificent side A and a bit of a letdown on the flip side, I put all of the albums with Phil on board higher than anything they did after his departure. Coincidence or not, the reduction of the band to a quintet led to a certain streamlining of the sound and of the instrumentation (but not necessarily of the songs themselves, I hasten to add). What I mean is Kerry started relying too much on the same kind of wonky clavinet-alike synths and there were gradually less and less strings or winds employed on the subsequent albums. I kinda miss the instrumental diversity of the early stuff, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, my list is:

Acquiring the Taste
Octopus
Three Friends

IAGH / Gentle Giant
Free Hand
Interview / PATG

everything else

[yesstiles]

I'm generally in the "try all of them up to and including Interview" camp. However, my rankings within this run of studio albums are a little different from most folks, mainly because I feel they really lost something important with Phil Shulman's departure. With possible exception of the 1st album, which had a magnificent side A and a bit of a letdown on the flip side, I put all of the albums with Phil on board higher than anything they did after his departure. Coincidence or not, the reduction of the band to a quintet led to a certain streamlining of the sound and of the instrumentation (but not necessarily of the songs themselves, I hasten to add). What I mean is Kerry started relying too much on the same kind of wonky clavinet-alike synths and there were gradually less and less strings or winds employed on the subsequent albums. I kinda miss the instrumental diversity of the early stuff, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, my list is:

I really liked Phil's horn playing and his singing voice. It was a real bummer when he departed.

[bill g]

Everything from 'Acquiring The Taste' to 'Interview' I think are all great. Depending on my mood, but currently I'd rate 'Octopus' and 'Power & The Glory' as my favorites, the latter seeming to maybe have the strongest underlying mood of all their albums. Something unique in there I haven't heard on any other album, by anyone. Strongest in 'Playing The Game', 'No God's A Man' and 'The Face', but then I never warmed much to 'Valedictory'. 'Three Friends' is another great one, always loved the title track, and the first 2 tracks. 'Glass House' has 'The Runaway', which was always one of my all time favorites. The title track starts off great, but then turns into something more ordinary and loses the feel for me. On certain days, 'Acquiring The Taste' is a near favorite, with the killer opening track, and 'The Moon is Down', another all time favorite for me.

[Trane]

I may have a different stance than most:

I'd say my faves are Glass House and Interview
Then I'd say the debut and Octopus
Taste and Fool come in next (yes, I'm one who doesn't think PTF is a seminal live album)

and this may come as a shock to most of you, but I'm defintely not big on Three Friends (something's wrong about that album, IMHO, but I can't put my finger on it) TP&TG and Free Hand

much lower, Missing Piece and Civilian have a couple of OK tracks each (Memories of Old Days is really good , IMHO), and I can't find anything I'd want to keep on a CD-r compilation of their weaker albums from GfaD

[grego]

Octopus
Free Hand
The Power & Thw Glory