Where to start with Gentle Giant?

[Sputnik]

!!

Seconded!! Welcome aboard, great to see young people discovering this kind of music!

And don't let Scrotum Scratcher scare you away, his bark is worse than his bite.

Bill

[Scrotum Scissor]

your site name scares me a little bit.

Ah, but don't worry 'bout it; disclosing that age of yours has also revealed you to be somewhat of a hero now.

[grego]

Debut album must be quite a nice start. Debut and next Acquiring the Taste.

[ProgArtist]

Thanks for the Support! But I have to say that your site name scares me a little bit.

He posts on here a lot, which may explain why I'm usually crossing my legs while browsing the site.

And welcome to a wonderful musical world! Enjoy the journey.

[ProgArtist]

And as predicted, ALL of their albums (other than the last three where they tried to go more "commercial") have been suggested as a starting point!

[zombywoof]

I'd grab Octopus, that's the one that hooked me.

[aplodon]

start with the debut ...

Debut album must be quite a nice start. Debut and next Acquiring the Taste.

I think this is a very good advice. You will be able to follow the development of their music. And you will want to have all of them (at least the first six or seven), so no reason not to take them in chronological order.
The first six studio albums are very good. After that it starts going downwards, IMO.

[aplodon]

Actually, I just turned 15 ...

Wow, for an old dude like me who listened to Gentle Giant in the 70s, and actually bought most of their albums as they were released, it's amazing if someone your age listen to and like this band that was my favorite band at the time.

I kind of found prog by accident. I thought it was best thing ever!

You care to tell us how this happened, and which prog bands you've listened to and like (or don't like)?

Would be nice to know where you're from, also (at least which country), since this board is quite international. (Actually, I would urge all PE members to put their home country in their profile.)

[RapidRefresh]

Wow, for an old dude like me who listened to Gentle Giant in the 70s, and actually bought most of their albums as they were released, it's amazing if someone your age listen to and like this band that was my favorite band at the time.



You care to tell us how this happened, and which prog bands you've listened to and like (or don't like)?

Would be nice to know where you're from, also (at least which country), since this board is quite international. (Actually, I would urge all PE members to put their home country in their profile.)

Oh, ok. My Mom had a boarder who took off years ago and left his cassettes and cassette player in our basement. I plugged in this old 'boom box' and put in cassettes by groups and people that I'd never heard of before like King Crimson's Starless and Bible Black album. At first, I thought the music was just weird, but over time it started to grow on me. Especially the song Fractured. I tried to get my friends into listening to it but they thought I was nuts.

But I just went on the internet and started checking out prog sites and I started buying and down loading albums like Red from KC and In The Court Of the Crimson King. After that, I was hooked and I just started checking out this site and finally worked up the nerve to join up.

Oh, I live in the USA.

[Digital_Man]

I think this is a very good advice. You will be able to follow the development of their music. And you will want to have all of them (at least the first six or seven), so no reason not to take them in chronological order.
The first six studio albums are very good. After that it starts going downwards, IMO.

Good advice. Interview was their eighth album. I think it's safe to stop with that one or the one before it "free hand." Only the more adventurous will want to explore further. Ironic how that works huh?

[Digital_Man]

Actually, I just turned 15, but people my age are into hip hop and dance stuff. I kind of found prog by accident. I thought it was best thing ever!

It still is the best thing ever! Congratulations on being 15 and getting into prog for the first time. That's about how old I was when I first started to discover this music and back then it was mostly either hair bands or new wave or other uninteresting stuff. I suppose you have discovered YES, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Porcupine Tree by now?

[RapidRefresh]

It still is the best thing ever! Congratulations on being 15 and getting into prog for the first time. That's about how old I was when I first started to discover this music and back then it was mostly either hair bands or new wave or other uninteresting stuff. I suppose you have discovered YES, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Porcupine Tree by now?

Yeah! I've listened to the "classics' like Close to The Edge by Yes and A Trick of the Tail by Genesis. Awesome.

I never heard anything by Porcupine Tree. Do they sound like these older bands?

[aplodon]

My Mom had a boarder who took off years ago and left his cassettes and cassette player in our basement. I plugged in this old 'boom box' and put in cassettes by groups and people that I'd never heard of before like King Crimson's Starless and Bible Black album.

That's a great story! Life's coincidences, huh.

At first, I thought the music was just weird, but over time it started to grow on me.

I remember that feeling from when I was young and started listening to prog. Hearing something for the first time, not really getting it but still knowing there's something there. And the great feeling when I eventually got it!

Doesn't happen nowadays. Don't know why, but I miss it.

[Steve F.]

I was going to be in a band named Gentile Giant. We didn't think we'd get away with Genital Giant.

You were too late. There was a mid 80s, arty band from L.A. called 'Genital Giant'...

[Vic2012]

Start with Octopus. If you don't like that album try In A Glass House. If neither of those work for you then don't bother with GG.

[Steve F.]

P.S. To Rapid Refesh

When I was 16-17, my very favorite piece of music was 'Fracture'. And less than two weeks before that band broke up, I saw them play it! So, right on!

[aplodon]

I never heard anything by Porcupine Tree. Do they sound like these older bands?

Just pale, contemporary copy-cats, leaning more towards mainstream rock, if you ask me. There are such a lot of more exciting music out there to explore.

[The Dark Elf]

Start with Octopus. If you don't like that album try In A Glass House. If neither of those work for you then don't bother with GG.

I would agree. Octopus is probably their most accessible album.

[Digital_Man]

Yeah! I've listened to the "classics' like Close to The Edge by Yes and A Trick of the Tail by Genesis. Awesome.

I never heard anything by Porcupine Tree. Do they sound like these older bands?

If you like early Pink Floyd I would say check out their earlier (mid to late 90's)stuff. At some point they turned into a semi metal band. How you feel about the later stuff would depend on how you feel about heavier stuff and metal. Maybe they weren't really pure metal but some of the later stuff leaned in that direction. I wouldn't disregard them. If you like modern stuff like Muse or Radiohead I would definitely give them a try or the aforementioned Pink Floyd. "Lightbulb sun" and "Stupid Dream" in particular are favorites of mine but they have alternative elements as well as prog so don't expect to hear classic prog in the usual stuff. Both are must haves imo though.

A couple of other great older bands to eventually check out are Van der Graaf Generator and Camel.

Anyway, I didn't mean to get off topic here. Back to Gentle Giant. As others have said the albums up to and including Free Hand are essential. The live album "playing the fool" is great too.

[mx20]

I'd recommend Power & The Glory or Three Friends for your first GG purchase. Interestingly (I hope), neither is my favorite GG album, but both are stellar. I discovered GG at age 16 or so. You won't find a more fun "classic Prog" band out there!

[chalkpie]

Welcome to the site, dude. This place could change your life (mostly for the better) .

GG is flat out amazing. Their first 6 or 7 albums are all pretty great-to-stellar and all are worth owning if you like their "sound". Make sure you get on board with the Cardiacs thread that is on here. The band once again is called Cardiacs. That's Cardiacs with a 'C'.

[chalkpie]

Welcome to the site, dude. This place could change your life (mostly for the better) .

GG is flat out amazing. Their first 6 or 7 albums are all pretty great-to-stellar and all are worth owning if you like their "sound". Make sure you get on board with the Cardiacs thread that is on here. The band once again is called Cardiacs. That's Cardiacs with a 'C'.

PS - Porcupine Tree is cool too. Pretty diverse band overall - I'd say definitely worth exploring.

[Paulrus]

In the case you ment Gentle Giant I would go for:

Playing the Fool (live) (they are a very different Monster live)
and
In the Glass House

than move on from there (apart from the last two all their Albums are great)

I second this approach.

[Vic2012]

I would agree. Octopus is probably their most accessible album.

I agree. It's GG madness in bite size chunks. Knots sums them up.

[Vic2012]

If you put a gun to my head (that's what it would take because I love all their albums ).and I had to pick one GG album, it would be Octopus. It's their "Fragile."