Gentle Giant's Self Titled Debut Turns 50!

[starless and bible black]

Gentle Giant's first LP was released on this date (Nov. 27, 1970) Fifty Years ago. Here's a look back on the set-

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/gent...nt-ease-debut/

Trivia: GG's First wouldn't be released in USA until 1988.

[moecurlythanu]

Only a hint of what was to come.

[starless and bible black]

Only a hint of what was to come.

I agree! Still a good LP with some of my favorites from the band (like "Funny Ways", "Alucard", "Giant" & "Isn't It Quiet And Cold?"). The best from GG was yet to come.

[Dok]

[Vic2012]

I have it. Need to revisit it.

[starless and bible black]

Wow; Great Video Clip! Thanks so much for sharing, Dok.

[Scrotum Scissor]

The first GG-album I heard was the 1982 Italian compilation Gentle Giant on a label called Armando Curcio Editore, who apparently specialized in collections and/or anthologies by foreign acts with some standing in Italy. I remember the opening track being "Funny Ways", which caught me instantly. There was just something altogether far more successfully "highbrow" in artistic aspirations here than what I'd come to expect from other 70s progressive bands, some of which I partly changed opinions on as a direct result. I'd already had a similar experience on discovering VdGG and Soft Machine, and I would go on to have more of these pseudo-epiphanies on making further discoveries later, of course.

I think the debut is a heap of interesting but ultimately merely charming babysteps. I really enjoy "Quiet and Cold" and even the soft vocal harmonies of the highly uncharacteristically straight-forward "Nothing At All", but this is an unfinished work allround. And I even find a lot to yawn about on Aquiring the Taste as well, probably because the contrast is severe between the markedly avant-garde triumphs of something like "Edge of Twilight" or "Pantagruel" against the pedestrian nature of other songs. Consequently, Three Friends was, to me, where their amazing run of fabulous records started.

One of the greatest runs ever.

[Steve F.]

I think the debut is .....ultimately merely charming babysteps.

The above - with my excision - is exactly how I feel about it.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Just out of interest, Steve - what's your fave GG-record?

[Steve F.]

^ Just out of interest, Steve - what's your fave GG-record?

Probably Glass House with Octopus very close behind.

an aside:
When I was quite young (15-16), I was utterly taken with Acquiring The Taste. Talk about 'charming'; when else other than the late 60s or very early 70s was it actually a selling point to say:

"It is our goal to expand the frontiers of popular music at the risk of being very unpopular."

and suddenly I knew my goals as a label owner!



I subsequently realized that the actual material involved wasn't as good as what they did later, but ATT was a big deal album for me at the time. And maybe I liked it specifically BECAUSE of those liner notes! Take THAT tastemakers!!

Funny that you mention Three Friends; of all the 'classic' period albums [Acquiring - Interview], that's probably my least favorite although I certainly do like it a lot. And "Prologue" is one of my very favorite themes by GG.

[timehat]

It's amazing how much they "progressed" from here to the next album! And even as expansive and adventurous as Acquiring the Taste is, they *still* had lots of room to grow

[aith01]

Probably Glass House with Octopus very close behind.

an aside:
When I was quite young (15-16), I was utterly taken with Acquiring The Taste. Talk about 'charming'; when else other than the late 60s or very early 70s was it actually a selling point to say:

"It is our goal to expand the frontiers of popular music at the risk of being very unpopular."

and suddenly I knew my goals as a label owner!



I subsequently realized that the actual material involved wasn't as good as what they did later, but ATT was a big deal album for me at the time. And maybe I liked it specifically BECAUSE of those liner notes! Take THAT tastemakers!!

Funny that you mention Three Friends; of all the 'classic' period albums [Acquiring - Interview], that's probably my least favorite although I certainly do like it a lot. And "Prologue" is one of my very favorite themes by GG.

Interesting anecdote, Steve. Thanks for sharing!

I think I agree that Acquiring The Taste probably wasn't as good as what came later, but it is my favorite GG release for reasons I probably couldn't define if I tried. Octopus is a close 2nd though. I love Glass House too -- "The Runaway" is a killer opening track.

[Jones the Jug]

Zaragon profiled two tracks on it months ago as part of his #50YearsSince1970 series:

[yesstiles]

Their debut indeed has an alluring charm, and ultimately I enjoy it much more than the follow-up. But Three Friends I love, especially Side 2.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ I personally think "Prologue" and "Schooldays" were the finest things they ever did, and the "Mister Class & Quality/Three Friends" finish isn't far behind either. However, I'm less convinced by the solo guitar freakout of "Peel the Paint" etc.

[Zeuhlmate]

My favorit GG-songs are scattered all over the albums.

Experience is in the top 10.

[Zappathustra]

I love all of the first 5 LPs equally, despite of them not being equal to value. And which parent would chose between their 5 because they aren't that good? The only thing that mars somehow the debut is the silly percussion section in Nothing at All. Apart from that, it's complete uniqueness and originality, music which cannot be compared to anything that precedes it. And that's the deal with Gentle Giant: they were unique and original in the utmost sense of the words.

My favorites are Octopus and In A Glass House, but it really doesn't matter with them.

[Zappathustra]

I was listening to my Funny Ways so often when I was 19, that one day that my mom was watering the plants just outside my room I heard her humming the bloody thing at her own volition. Scary but reassuring.

[aith01]

I was listening to my Funny Ways so often when I was 19, that one day that my mom was watering the plants just outside my room I heard her humming the bloody thing at her own volition. Scary but reassuring.

Great anecdote.

[starless and bible black]

While Gentle Giant's debut isn't my favorite album by them, I'd still like to see the 5.1 remix by SW of it (that came out as part of last year's Box Set) released as a stand-alone Blu-Ray.

[Polypet]

I always think of Three Friends as the first true and truly great Gentle Giant album. Fully fledged and perfect.

That said, my first was Acquiring The Taste which is also magnificent, if also baby steps by comparison. They stated a mission and inspired me from that point on, GG being *huge* in my world. I knew right then that they were something special.

The first one, having heard the others, was very enlightening and cool with obvious genius. But by the time they got to Three Friends, things had reached a whole new level, imo. They had accomplished exactly that goal expressed in Acquiring The Taste. They achieved a whole new level both in terms of the maturity and brilliance of the writing and ensemble playing and in terms of record production - innovative use of the studio - and album conception. The sequencing on that record always blows me away. What a beautiful album, from the opening through the amazing title track to the reprise at the end. My first of many subsequent heart stopping favourites in a stream.

My favourite hands down is In A Glass House. Man i love that record.

But as Steve says earlier, Octopus, Free Hand, the highly underrated Interview and pretty much everything from that point on are pure excellence. Having seen In A Glass House material performed at a show right before its actual release makes that one truly special. I also highly recommend that live show in Stockholm in 1975 - kick ass versions, raw and on fire. It was much like that in the show i saw. Cogs and Cogs and the rest just smoking hot and very much rock music. Everything they did from Acquiring on, imho, was inventive and sparkling. I remember waiting with insane glee for the next things.

Thanks for the reminder. Now i must put on some GGG

[Polypet]

I would add that The Missing Piece is also highly underrated. The best song when i saw them live, in terms of the spirit and playing, was I Betcha Thought (which served as a humourous but really fiery interlude between the fabulous Two Weeks and Rock Climber, which came out later on GFAD). The whole show was just amazing, as expected. I remember getting Civiliian and not caring much for it but then i also knew they were done touring. Live was always especially fun and i rarely missed a chance to see them. Gary Green was just astounding on I Betcha Thought. It was always just a *hard* rock out live. They all got way into it especially Weathers, Ray and Mr. Green (the very best rock soloist?) - so good

[Dok]

I would add that The Missing Piece is also highly underrated.

A mastering engineer out of Toulouse, France that helps Steven Wilson with his remixes had this to say on the Hoffman forum.

"The Missing Piece has been transformed. It's taking its rightful place in the GG canon for me after years of being undervalued."

As far as Three Friends, to me it was a bit of a step down from Acquiring. Funny how folks see things differently. I think AtT was one of the finest things GG ever produced. The atmosphere and mood was one of a kind and never quite equaled with their later productions. Those were beasts of a different nature. Even Ray himself when pressed said that it was probably his favorite. Some of you may remember Michael Piper (RIP) and his Wild Places catalog. I remember talking to him at length about GG and his very favorite Giant recordings were the first two. I think it has to do with that era of time, the very early 70's and how things were developing. Sorry, that's probably not a definitive take but I'm at a loss of how to explain the feeling of those years and how the music was evolving. It didn't last and as implied upstream it really 'matured' from there.

[aith01]

I would add that The Missing Piece is also highly underrated. The best song when i saw them live, in terms of the spirit and playing, was I Betcha Thought (which served as a humourous but really fiery interlude between the fabulous Two Weeks and Rock Climber, which came out later on GFAD). The whole show was just amazing, as expected. I remember getting Civiliian and not caring much for it but then i also knew they were done touring. Live was always especially fun and i rarely missed a chance to see them. Gary Green was just astounding on I Betcha Thought. It was always just a *hard* rock out live. They all got way into it especially Weathers, Ray and Mr. Green (the very best rock soloist?) - so good

I'm really glad to see some affection here for The Missing Piece, as I think it's underrated too. Tracks like "I Betcha Thought", "Two Weeks in Spain", and "As Old As You're Young" are among my favorites by them. Even a tune like "Mountain Time" is a lot of fun, even if not as technically impressive as others in their catalog.

Lots of good memories associated with that album for me. And Gary Green is the man!

[Scrotum Scissor]

Sometimes I tend to think that the unknown and fictional yet potentially fully competent remixes of Stumpy McDick or Donald Doodoe would perhaps have had as much to contribute as SW.

Stickin' to my ol' vinyls - yup, even Giant For a Day with the damn balloon.