Acquiring The Taste

**cannygoodlike** · 11-22-2012

I have a bit of an odd relationship with Gentle Giant. I enjoy some of their stuff (e.g. In a Glass House is great) and yet some of their other highly rated albums leave me cold (e.g. Power and the Glory).

So they are neither a band that has clicked with me (thus inspiring me to buy up all of their albums in a short time) nor one that I have decided I just don't like and am not going to bother with further. Consequently, I have been picking their albums up very, very slowly over the last 10 years or more(!).

My latest purchase is Acquiring the Taste and I have to say that I am absolutely loving it. It's the first GG album that I have enjoyed the whole way through on first listen, and I have had it on constant repeat in the car this week to accompany my commute.

To be honest, it's a while since I last listened to the other albums that I have and I think I will now have to do something about that. Maybe my tastes have changed since I last listened to GG (probably about 2 years ago, in which time I have listened to quite a lot of new things). But I thought it would be interesting to ask fans how ATT is perceived in relation to the other albums. Is it just that this album is generally a bit more accessible? My main impression is that it is more melodic, and more is going on in the way of vocal harmonies than in other GG albums I have heard.

Given that this and In a Glass House are two GG albums I really like, are there any opinions as to what order I should (re)visit the other albums? I already have Octopus, Free Hand, Interview and Power and the Glory, but am happy to try others that I don't have. I feel like this is a band I ought to like more than I do and I just need to find a way to navigate their catalogue!

**mogrooves** · 11-22-2012

You'll probably find that Three Friends is accessible in the way you describe...

**TheH** · 11-22-2012

Based on the fact that you are only missing the debut and Three Friends from the classic albums, these would be the ones to recommend.

Personally it's the live one Playing the Fool that I would state as my favourite (as they are really cutting loose here)

**JKL2000** · 11-22-2012

What's supposed to be happening on the cover of Acquiring the Taste?

**cannygoodlike** · 11-22-2012

I believe the front is supposed to make you think it is a tongue licking a bottom. Though when you turn the cover over - the picture wraps round onto the back cover - you see that the 'bottom' is really a peach.

**lovecraft** · 11-22-2012

Great album, after Octopus probaby my favourite. Phil Shulman is the man!

**zombywoof** · 11-22-2012

This is my favorite GG album ... I prefer it to the other albums and this is NOT a popular opinion, I've found.

**polmico** · 11-22-2012

My fav, too. In fact one of my all time favorite albums.

**Vic2012** · 11-22-2012

Acquiring The Taste has been my favorite GG album for many years. But nowadays it could be Octopus or In A Glass House. Well, those are my favorite GG albums. When I discovered them it was like finding lost treasure. Awesome, awsome band.

**Progatron** · 11-22-2012

Love the album, and I believe it is most of the band members' favourite as well, from various interviews I've read. As much as I love (almost all of) their catalogue, I think Acquiring The Taste/Three Friends/Octopus was their peak period.

**Vic2012** · 11-22-2012

Originally Posted by Progatron

I think Acquiring The Taste/Three Friends/Octopus was their peak period.

I think that too. I didn't even know about GG until maybe 1998. I love all the GG albums I have but that period, ATT to In A Glass House was their peak period.

**cannygoodlike** · 11-22-2012

Actually I do quite like Octopus but I probably haven't given it the attention it deserves. That's the one i'll go back to next. Also it's sounding like I might like Three Friends, so maybe I'm going to end up agreeing with you about that run of albums.

**bill g** · 11-22-2012

'The Moon is Down' is one of my favorite GG songs of all time. That instrumental section is absolutely .... what's the word? Charming? No not quite... Well I really love it anyway. Also really enjoy 'Pantagruel's Nativity', 'Edge of Twilight', and 'Wreck' is pretty cool too. The only weak song to me is 'Plain Truth' of course. A song I always skip.

**no.nine** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by bill g

The only weak song to me is 'Plain Truth' of course.

And ironically, it's the only song from the album which they ever performed live. If I'm not mistaken, it was a leftover from the period of the debut.

I don't necessarily think it's a weak song, but I've always felt it doesn't really fit in well. It shatters the album's mood.

**Vic2012** · 11-23-2012

To each their own, but I absolutely love "Plain Truth." One of the best tracks on the album, imo. It's funky and groovy with odd meters and all. Killer.

**zravkapt** · 11-23-2012

My fav GG as well. I prefer the Phil-era (not that Phil) to the post-Phil era. AtT is a very unique sounding album for an already unique sounding band.

**mogrooves** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by bill g

The only weak song to me is 'Plain Truth' of course. A song I always skip.

+1

**No Pride** · 11-23-2012

Yeah, you should probably get "Three Friends" next since it's the one that came after "Acquiring the Taste." I think they were a bit quirkier and more experimental during that period, though my favorite studio albums are still "The Power and the Glory" and "Free Hand."

**ProgArtist** · 11-23-2012

AtT is sometimes my favorite, but usually that place is held by The Power and the Glory. Do give Three Friends a try since you don't have it and it comes right after AtT, but don't expect an AtT part 2. In some ways it's a lot more straight forward, but your friends would still think it's crazy.

**ProgArtist** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by bill g

'The Moon is Down' is one of my favorite GG songs of all time. That instrumental section is absolutely .... what's the word? Charming? No not quite... Well I really love it anyway. Also really enjoy 'Pantagruel's Nativity', 'Edge of Twilight', and 'Wreck' is pretty cool too. The only weak song to me is 'Plain Truth' of course. A song I always skip.

Yep. I skip it too, and have for so long that I hardly even think of it as part of the album.

**Mister Triscuits** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by no.nine

And ironically, it's the only song from the album which they ever performed live.

Not exactly. The title track was incorporated into the "Octopus" medley, as part of Ray & Gary's guitar duet.

**No Pride** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits

Not exactly. The title track was incorporated into the "Octopus" medley, as part of Ray & Gary's guitar duet.

Beautiful version of it at that! I also love the guitar duet version of "Raconteur Troubadour" from that medley! I didn't even recognize it the first time I heard it.

**no.nine** · 11-23-2012

Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits

Not exactly. The title track was incorporated into the "Octopus" medley, as part of Ray & Gary's guitar duet.

Well, technically that's true. But I don't consider that to truly be a performance of the song. Even for such a short song, they don't even really play the whole thing. IMO, it's more of a cute little "did you spot that?" kind of thing. Outside of being quoted in that medley, it was never a proper part of any set.

**cannygoodlike** · 12-07-2012

A small update: I now have Three Friends and am loving that too.

As with AtT, I got hold of the Repertoire release. Which version of which GG album to get is something of a minefield it seems, but the Repertoires (as far as I can tell) seem to get fairly consistent thumbs up. I have nothing to compare them against, but they sound pretty good to me. So, even though I have had Octopus for years, I have thrown caution to the wind and ordered the Repertoire version of that too.

As I type I am listening to The Power And the Glory and supping on a pint of beer (Bath Ales Barnsey). Both are going down very nicely.