Are Gentle Giant Really That Good?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Are Gentle Really That Good? It's a good question and one I had to answer. They are not seen by some people as part of the upper echelon of prog, but that's not the way many Gentle Giant fans see it. What about you?
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They are my all time favorite band. I’m 23 years old, discovered them about 3 years ago. I listen to them literally everyday, still doesn’t get old. Ever since I got into prog in general but especially Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, my life has felt much more significant somehow. This music not only achieves such complexity, sophistication, beauty, and balance, but the lyrics combined with that takes you in, shows you the secrets of the world, comforting and entertaining you, showing you what it means to be alive, showing you that it loves you. Gentle Giant is almost it’s own sort of entity, as if I have a deep relationship and mutual understanding with the giant himself. I hope to find more bands that provide such depth going forward, and hope to make my own music incorporating some of the musical themes and theoretical concepts that gentle giant helped cultivate for me.
Have fun exploring the prog rock universe
Great comments Johnathan, if you want to listen some more prog, maybe some you may not have heard before, take a listen to some of my radio shows, especially the best of the 70's shows www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/ enjoy
Brilliantly written! GG will stay with you for life... if you haven't yet, listen to Focus 😁
I'm 67 and equally crazy about GG. Saw them at Leeds Uni in early 70s and have every album. From their original release.
@eEgotisticalObserver - Listen also to Jethro Tull - Triunvirat also
They are/were the greatest most epic, legendary, genius, unique and most criminally underated band ever.
100% agree..
Agree
100% also - I love Genesis (my all time favourite band) & Yes etc, but Gentle Giant are absolute geniuses, in a league of their own technically & musically 👍
@@nelsonporter7702 totally agree.
I couldn't have said it better. They were one of a kind and Wow! what a brilliant band to see live.
I’m a die hard Genesis fan (with a healthy sense of humor), but GG are way beyond their contemporaries for virtuosity and imaginative writing. We did Just the Same in a prog tribute band I was in, it was a beast to play, the polyrhythms were insane and singing that hoppy skippy melody left me with raw vocal chords.
That sounds incredible Sam.. what was the tribute act and do you have any video, would love to take a look 😎
I thought that I was a hard Pink Floyd fan, but now I'm not that sure, I just bought the new Steven Wilson's mixes from Gentle Giant instead of the 50th TDSOM anniversary and I'm enjoying them with fresh ears, they were ahead of their time, pure genius.
I still think Zappa tops them all but GG tops Genesis. Was never a large Genesis fan myself.
It's not that hard
I love how they can go from chamber music to Black Sabbath hardness in one song. The true meaning of prog music.
Exactly. And it's funny that you compare them to Black Sabbath. In my opinion, Gentle Giant wrote some of the heaviest riffs of the 70s, but this rarely seems to get recognized.
@@gringochucha Ironically, they were booed when they opened for Black Sabbath.
@@gringochucha yes just listen to "Boys in the Band," "Cry for Everyone," and "River",,, and that's just off of Octopus
@@gringochucha they opened for Black Sabbath with Alucard.
bauertime
That shouldn’t surprise anyone. BS fans are, by nature, not discerning with their taste in music. I actually find it a little unsettling to see the two bands mentioned in the same comment.
”If you’ve not listened to Gentle Giant…..do yourself a favour and start.” I think that sums it up! I’ve been a thrash metal fan for about 35 years and recently I’ve given the likes of Tull and Gentle Giant a chance. Talk about a genuine musical awakening in my 40s. Gentle Giant are the cream of the crop. Unbelievable. They could actually be the greatest band in the world.
Absolutely!!!! And I’m a big Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant fan as well.
👍👍
A great metal cover of ''A cry for everyone'' was done by Swedish band Witherscape. A very good heavier rendition, but faithful to the original. Not many people cover GG so this was a pleasant surprise.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
I'm with you 100%. Gentle Giant, in my view, is part of what I hold to be the Big 5 of the original Progressive Rock bands: YES; ELP; King Crimson; Genesis; and Gentle Giant. I think, even for some Prog fans, their music is perhaps too complex for them. And as you say, their stuff just may be the most complex of all those classic bands. It's utterly astonishing. And I love it!
Thanks for the comment Kevin, glad you enjoyed the video, you sound like a guy who knows his prog 😎
I never thought of their music as complex. Highly original , but nothing there thats not approachable by any prog fan.
Are you equating "complex" with "approachable"? If so, why? The music of Gentle Giant is unquestionably the most complex of any band in Rock history. I appreciate that you began your comment with "I never thought", which is an opinion. As a modestly talented musician and composer myself, who has spent years around extremely talented musicians and composers, I can attest, as can my superiors, that the extreme complexity of the music of GG is, indeed, inarguable.
Kerry Minnear was trained in the Royal Academy of Music in England, and his compositional approach, in conjunction with the Schulman brothers, borders on the level of sophistication and complexity of the Master composers in the world of Classical music. Giant extensively use counterpoint, fugue, and other approaches found in the Classical world. They make use of hocketing wherein a larger musical line is divided up into smaller parts and assigned to each of several instruments and performed as if being one single instrument by the band. By the time of Octopus, they had pretty much abandoned traditional block chord writing, and almost exclusively wrote/performed single lines by several instruments (i.e. keyboards, guitar, bass, violin perhaps, etc.) all of which would come together to be the foundation of the piece, with vocals sung over that foundation. And, in many cases, they would take that same approach, but perform it with the vocals primarily. It takes tremendous musical ability to write and perform music of this depth. Thus, it is extremely complex.
I could go on with many other examples, but I won't. I've said enough. Again, the music of Gentle Giant is, without doubt, the most complex in Rock history. Veteran Prog listeners might find it approachable listening, but that doesn't mean it's not complex. That approachability stems from us having listened to a whole lot of complex music, whether Prog Rock, or Classical, or Jazz, etc., and developed a sophisticated enough ear to comprehend it. This is in part because music like this is often appreciated and enjoyed by musicians, though not exclusively so. But for the majority of the listening public, much of the music of GG is inscrutable.
So, the music of Gentle Giant IS complex, indeed.
@@Dirgnimai7 Agreed, Ive been listening to 'complex' music all my life, so GG doesn't jar in that respect. Certainly, compared to what most people listen to on a daily basis . GG is off the charts in complexity . Not sure about the MOST complex, but would have to think hard about it to find a another contender.
And they pulled that music off live...flawlessly and even better than the recordings; a mark of true virtuosos.
Bought Octopus when it first was released. As a drummer "The River" blew my mind. I became an instant fan. John Weathers became one of my favourite drummers.
exceptional drummer and best face machinations while playing!
same here....Amen
John Weathers. A true genius of relative simplicity in a very complex enviroment. A criminally underrated drummer.
Weathers is amazing.. look, I've just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Yes, not only is Gentle Giant really that good, but the more familiar with their material one becomes, the smarter they get! And, those who do, must surely agree, their music is nothing short of inspired, and brings one to not only celebrate, but to pursue the creative power of collaborative brilliance in their own endeavors. Such an outstanding example in human achievement, should rightly be ushered along to future generations, as an example of the potential found when a group of dedicated artist focus as one in their creative efforts.
Well stated Kirby.
In complete agreement.
This generation need to be listening to Gentle Giant and groups of the same musical caliber to wash their minds free of the unmusical bilge they listen to now.
Got all the studio albums plus the live double, bought them as they were released, so Gentle Giant 1970 through to Civilian 1980, that makes me very old. Also have some Dvds bought from Alucard Music. run by Kerry Minnear GG,s keyboardist extraordinare
They are unique, and I agree that all up and coming musicians should listen to GG, in fact it should be compulsory in any music course.
What a perfectly accurate summation of GG. They are one of the very best examples of human potential in music. Every kind into music should hear their music.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Saw them live 3 times. Their skill of switching instruments was amazing to watch.
I never got to see them live and in person.
However on the live concert videos they were jaw dropping and astounding.
Ian Anderson said any time Gentle Giant opened for Tull we had to be at the top of our game....a tough act to follow.
@@davidporshia5081 The only time Giant got booed was when they opened for Black Sabbath.
Me to. Twice as headliner, and once as the middle in 3 band concert. All indoor arena shows. They had the best sound to boot. They blew us away all three times.
I saw Todd Rundgren's Utopia many times and they did similar instrument changes, but GG was on a whole other level. They were unique and the Baroque sounds and styles are almost lost. Btw, Rundgren also did many baroque themed things. See: th-cam.com/video/eVxnnyvpqr0/w-d-xo.html
My fav of all! I was fortunate enough to see them live 4 different times. Those boys burned live! Yes is symphonic, early Genesis had Gabriel's stories, but Giant, playing those complex inter locking patterns, gave prog a groove! This question has been raised before, but I believe the main reason they weren't as popular was because of the vocals. I personally thought they were awesome, and Derek had some real pipes on him. But earlier vocal harmonies like "Knots" , sound more mid evil than anything currently, and it causes my wife to eye roll every time she hears it
A massive Gentle Giant fan since their first tour dates, they were bottom of the bill to 'Ten years after' and 'Groundhogs', I remember nothing of either of the headliners, GG had started the gig on such an extraordinary level. I was three rows from the front and the Shulman brothers seemed exactly like giants to me, they were powerful, stocky, and they even dressed with wide belts and long boots. Their strange music was totally mesmerising, and the variety of instruments they got through, in even a single song, was something I had never seen with any band before or since. I drove friends and relatives mad playing their albums, but no one else got it at all, in fact they actually found it irritating. At art college it was the same, I only ever met one other person that had one of their albums and he wasn't that much of a fan. I guess I felt I was part of some exclusive club, but I deeply wished for more recognition for the band themselves, and I really couldn't understand why other people couldn't get into them. They were pretty unique, but surely if you were open to Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, it wasn't a huge leap. The only time I met any other fans was at GG concerts. Desperate to get to see them live again on their next tour the nearest gig was too far for me to get there without a lift. I finally persuaded a couple of fellow students to come along too, they weren't keen but they knew what a big fan I was, so they were willing to see them live. It had clicked, the next day both of them went out and bought every album that was available.
Great comment... Like I said in the video, they seem to have gone under the prog fan radar. Most of my close friends are prog fans. They all love Genesis, Yes, ELP, Tull and Crimson, but I'm about the only one that's a real, love them to bits, fan.. It's always puzzled me how more prog fans don't love them too 😎
GG lacked the requisite super-charismatic front man--no Ian Anderson, Jon Anderson, Peter Gabriel, or Greg Lake. And no theatrical stabbing of keyboards. Just musicians having a lot of fun.@@ProgAxia
I first saw Gentle Giant in NYC in 1975 at the old Academy of Music. Already a fan, I had previously traced back to Acquiring the Taste, an album in a 4 track recording world working with snippets of tape they did not know if they had an album at all until the end playing amongst the 6 members at the time 32 instruments. That statement alone took guts and the intensity of their pon stage Free Hand show blew me away. Recently they were mentioned on our local classical music station as the inspiration for a young classical pianist. Their influence not fully recognized at the time is recognized now. Their contribution to counterpoint is almost unsurpassed.
I was at that show
That was the first time I saw them, too. I'd bought all their US-issued albums in high school, and as soon as I got to NYC for college, I picked up the 2 imports, I probably got the 2 bootlegs a little later, and I bought Free Hand the moment it came out. While that concert had to have been the best of the 3 I saw, I have very little recollection, beyond the hapless opening act pleading with the crowd to let them finish their set: "We want to hear Giant, too, but we have to play first ..."
My strongest memory of the 2nd time I saw them (must have been for Interview) is my disappointment at the sound quality -- especially since they were playing at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.
The 3rd time (for Missing Piece) was at a less auspicious venue (perhaps the Beacon), and my complaint was not the quality of the sound but the quality of the music. I remember Derek introducing "For Nobody" by saying it was what Phil had said when he left the band. I also remember Derek introducing himself (although that could have been the 2nd concert) as Simon Dupree and looking stunned when he got a big cheer from the audience. Not that any of us had ever heard Simon Dupree, but we knew it was their previous band.
RIP RAY SHULMAN 🙁 I played bass in the 70's and saw him with GIANT LIVE 74 & 76, close to the stage at smaller venues and he was often the main focus of my attention, admiration and LOVE when performing. I loved his style and incredible fun stage presence and diverse amazing talent!!!!!! RAY WAS 2nd to Chris Squire as bass player but Ray WAS the key writer & composer with Kerry on most of GG GREATEST MUSIC! This is TRULY SAD for me to hear. I TRULY SAW HIM as one of the BEST in PROG even though based on Social Prog Media he was TOO often overlooked and underappreciated as a MAJOR TALENT in MUSIC!! MUCH LOVE for the GIFT he brought to us in his LIFE!!!!! tears tears
Hear, here... great bass player and songwriter. he will be sadly missed
It blew me away to find out.
What a creative force !
We were all blessed by him and his art.
My first GG album was Three Friends released in the States on Columbia Records using their first album cover as a cover. The song Three Friends itself is so haunting it can give one chills. The most nostalgic album they ever made. I was hooked then.
Three Friends is one of my favourites too 😎
My favourite by GG as well.
Same here.
Three Friends was my intro to Gentle Giant.
School Days still gives me chills....love the vibe solo.
And the closer Three Friends is one of the greatest closing pieces of ANY album.....epic!!!
One of my very favorite recordings
First time I saw that album was at a friends place, hanging fully open on the wall, so you could see the whole giant standing there.
I asked what's that. Then they played it, and the world stopped.
I'm a musician of over 50 years.
A multi-instrumentalist.
YEH...they ARE that good.
In fact...they were the best.
The only band that ever came close was Zappa's.
Same hear. (Except I wouldn't say Zappa's band was less than GG. Outstanding musicians.)
Me: Multi-instrumentalist, played in an art rock band, initially classically trained.
(Not a deep "rock'n'roll" lover. I do have my moments though. Iggy - yes, Dylan - not so much.)
And Zappa. ZAPPA 💥
T H E most unique composer/musician using pop/rock/blues elements. [Maybe tied with GG for uniqueness.]
I wouldn't be surprised if he's remembered longer than most.
But, I don't listen to him very much.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
The "Pretentious" album was my gateway into GG too! Didn't like it initially, but next I got Free Hand. A friend and I played it and we were blown away, mostly because we at 17 found it really funny and quirky. And then their music just grew and grew on me and they are now the only one the classic prog band I play regularly.
Wow... your journey into GG looks like was exactly the same as mine 😎
Love how your enthusiasm for the band nearly makes you speechless… in my case I discovered them while poking around in the big record collection of my older sisters friend - the cover of Octopus makes me curious about what sound may hide behind this beautiful artwork… and as I put this record on…oh my… I still remember my whole body shivering while the first chords and this line „there… coming over Charaton Bridge…“ came to my ears. From that moment on I was lost in their musical universe… now for over 45 years. A perfect match: Me and the music of Gentle Giant !
As you said, their Music polarises very strongly, and in my whole life I could share my enthusiasm for them with only one person, that was my oldest friend… mostly earning shaking heads when trying to introduce them to other music lovers
Same here. People mostly just don't get em it seems.
I could not agree more.
I got Octopus(with the American release cover....diver and octopus in a jar) shortly after Three Friends.
It kick my butt!
A high school buddy used to check out a possible girlfriend on how she responded to “Knots”.
If she shock her head no and didn’t like it....he dumped her.
If she dug “Knots” she was a keeper. 🤣😂
Octopus is one my favorite albums of all time.
@@davidporshia5081 🤣😂🤣👍🏻
Easily my favourite prog band. They bring in influences from early music (Renaissance and baroque polyphony) and from 20th-century atonal music (and jazz, and rock and blues, like many others). And, of course, they do it in their own way. So yes, it's challenging, you have to let your brain get used to it, but once it does, the reward is incredible.
Amen!!!
hence "Acquiring the Taste"!
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
If one acknowledges that one of the important attributes of Prog is complexity, then Gentle Giant is the apex of Prog. No other Prog band came close to the level of complexity or sophistication that Gentle Giant had.
I agree.
Keyboardist/cellist/percussionist/vocalist/composer Kerry Minnear is a genius.
His use of tension in chords and harmony was very jazz and neo-classically influenced.
The Shulman Brothers, Phil, Ray and Derek were astounding musicians as is guitarist Gary Green and drummer John Weathers.
Each member played at least 4 or 5 instruments and sang on every album and live.
And those vocals!!!!!.....WOW! Best in Prog. The counter point and chord structures were just the best!
The great thing about GG is that even with all that complexity they still had that awesome groove. There are a lot of bands that do incredibly complex music but when you listen to it it gives you nothing because it's all just so 'technical'. Personally, I think Genesis is like that in some cases even though I love them too.
@@MLennholm Well yeah, with Genesis, any groove was all down to Phil's drumming because Mike Rutherford sure wasn't contributing any groove with his "bass playing". (As a bassist myself, I put Rutherford's bass playing in quotation marks). Phil was out on an island in that band in terms of groove. (Full disclosure: Genesis is my favorite band).
Amen!
Their music largely achieves nothing emotionally
Rip Ray Shulman... Sem sombras de dúvidas a maior banda Prog de todos os tempos.... (Vitória-Brasil)
An underrated musical genius.
They are the top Progressive band of all time. Nobody better. Saw them live many times.
Unless you have ever heard Area. That's Progressive at it's absolute best.
@@joecrowaz Wow, someone mentioned Area. Their vocalist was something special.
@@synthonaplinth5980 Demetrio Srtados was a genuine vocal God!
@@joecrowaz Agreed. He was the first one to experiment with duophonic vocals.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Pretentious was also my first Gentle Giant album but it was Playing the Fool that made me a fan. Saw them at the Paradise Theater in Boston for The Missing Piece. People who think GG are somehow a lesser band need only watch any of their live videos. I'm still awestruck when I view them today.
Yes, some may think their albums are all studio trickery, until you see them faithfully reproduce it - and even enhance it further - live on stage.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
My entry to GG was Free Hand. When I first listened to it, Genesis an Peter Gabriel were about to split after The Lamb in 1975, and they left a big hole. Both Genesis and Peter Gabriel lost my passion. So I looked for alternatives. And here it was! Simply mind-blowing! I had to have all the other albums, and I was never disappointed. Every time I listened to it I noticed something new. I loved the duelling between Gary and Kerry. Shulman/Shulman/Minnear as composers stand for a spirit of music, that has never been reached since then. Besides that, Kerry and Ray were absolutely great musicians on a multitude of instruments and Gary, being an autodidact on the e-guitar (to my knowlwdge), was absolutely capable to reach their level of music. I never managed to see them in a live concert, but in the meantime I watche most of their videos. Unfortunately they never performed those tracks with Kerry as singer in their live-concerts; he had a wonderful voice, too.
Are GG really that good? Definitely YES (at least they were...)! The fact, that we are exchanging about the after ~50 years proves it as a matter of fact.
Yes it certainly does.
Gentle Giant stands the test of time.
I’d love to see some these “bands”nowadays who auto tune their bad vocals, cut and paste and use “Pro tools” attempt ANY Gentle Giant composition.
They may have “Pro tools” nowadays but in Gentle Giant’s day we had PROS!
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
I saw Gentle Giant live and it was like no live show I've seen before or since. You had to be there to really appreciate just how friggin great they were. I've also seen Genesis live and they were outstanding also but, it's like comparing apples to oranges.
I’m 100% Gentle Giant fan but I went to see Van Der Graf Generator live thinking they were pretty good and was blown away at their performance live. Still prefer Giant though!
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
I had the pleasure' of seeing G Giant 3 times, including their final tour (Philadelphia, Pa). Nobody ever amazed and thrilled me musically like them. They performed like ten hands following one brain... They were a JAWDROPPING live band!
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Appreciate your thoughts. I am 63 and got into Giant about two years ago. They are individually so talented. I often wonder how a super group like this forms. The stars must just align. Every time I listen to them I hear something new.
Having three brothers to start with helps. 11:46
I've listened to every album time and time again, their music is truly some of the best prog of its time 🙌
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
My favorite band since '75 when I found Octopus in a funky little student run college record/head shop. I followed that with the double compilation album Giant Steps and never looked back. By the time I got Aquiring the Taste, I already had. I spent many evenings playing those records for friends over the years. Saw them twice on back to back nights in very different venues which confirmed my awe of their musicianship and justified my obsession with the music. I will say Derek's voice was hard to get used to - his sharp-flat tone was not always kind to the ear yet somehow worked in the tune discordantly if not harmonically. I think Kerry and Ray - even GG had better voices, just not the range of DS or his front man presence. Kerry M was a genius I believe as was Ray S and together they created musical magic. I remember thinking even back then, how can they keep going if they use 5-7 song/ melody ideas in every tune? My fear were realized by 1977 when creative fatigue seemed to set in and we got The Missing Piece, which at least gave us the beautifully haunting and sadly appropriate Memories of Old Days. Too many great tunes to pick a fave but I suggest The Boys in the Band as one of them that is often forgotten. Thanks for the GG Love video!
Octopus blew my mind when I was 17 and also my 10 year old son's mind too
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Just read the track listing on discogs.
I like how Proclamation and Valedictory bookend side 4.
Als Advent of Panurge and Pantagruel's Nativity as those songs are inspired by the same author (or so I've read somewhere).
I love how GG had VERY complex music that still sounds funny and whimsical.
GG is the very best. I first heard their music in the background while I was playing D&D in my teens in the late 1970s at my older brother's home, and I asked if it was Yes. He had previously gotten me into ELP, Genesis, and Tull and he loaned me Free Hand which I then purchased and next was Octopus. All of the good prog music has taken me at least a couple of full listenings before really enjoying it, truly an "acquired taste" for me, and I remember just sitting in my room listening, not enjoying, but feeling pretty confident that second or third listen would become magical for me. And now dozens of years later my enjoyment of this music hasn't waned from maximum, and keeps increasing if that's possible.
Unfortunately, I think that it has spoiled other music for me. I'm sure current music is fine (everyone has their own personal preferences) but since 1990 or so I have only heard a handful of songs which I enjoy anywhere close to as much as any of the good prog rock music from the 1970s.
I agree.
Not always....of course there are exceptions....but music that is very accessible I can grow tired of after a time.
However those albums that took a listen...two or three to sort of “crack their code” are the albums that have stuck with me through the decades.
And Gentle Giant is one of those bands.
I think with bands like GG upon a first listen there is so much sonic information that it takes a few listens to absorb the music and follow the musical journey.
After you’ve taken the musical journey a time or two you recognize the map and road signs and can sit back and enjoy the ride.
Then years later it’s like taking a vacation to your favorite place every time you listen to it.
A band like Gentle Giant is NOT a flavor of the week....rather a fine gourmet dinner.
@@davidporshia5081 Yes, I like the way you put that.
I like the looks on the faces of those few I've been able to introduce to GG the first time they hear it. It's either amazement at experiencing something wondrous and difficult to grasp, or more often what the heck is this lol. Either way, at first listen for most people I think GG is not anything close to typical music.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
@@ProgAxia Good list. As long as it has their last 2 albums as the 2 least good, that's a good list.
@@NFLed yeah, Giant for a day at 11 and Civilian at 10... 😎
Accidentally was introduced to GG at the Cow Palace in 1975, had gone to see Alvin Lee. When they broke out the 4 recorders, ... 😲Bought all of their albums the next day.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
What a great pleasure to hear you talk abou Gentle Giant with that passion. Without wanting to bore you too much, here's a little story:
We are exactly the same age and, when I was 13 or 14, I listened essentially Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and all bands from that genre. In October 1975, due to the civil war in Angola (where I was born), I moved to Portugal, where I lived in a ward with young people aged 19, 20 and probably more. One of them, named Sergio, was a great admirer of Gentle Giant and couldn't stop listening Free Hand. That was my first contact with the band and also became my favorite band of all times. I don't have any compilation but I have all the albums up to the "Interview". Cheers, all the best!!
Great memories, it's amazing how we get into bands and the music in such similar ways even though we have such different lives and upbringings. Shows the power of the music and how it transcends everything.. Thanks for the comment and letting us know your experience.. 😎
I discovered GG as a teenager in the early 80’s. So I had the luxury of listening to all their albums pretty quickly. I haven’t stop listening to the regularly ever since. One of the top groups of musicians ever.
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
John Weathers. A true genius of relative simplicity in a very complex enviroment. A criminally underrated drummer in, except for the initiated, a criminally underrated band.
You're right Weathers give them the groove and drive, great drummer 😎
Thank you for the video - I can certainly identify with some of your comments. Around 1978, I borrowed a cassette tape recording of part of a televised live GG concert. I was especially blown away by the live version of "On Reflection", with it's complex vocal arrangement and mixture of medieval, folk, classical and hard rock sounds. This music actually led me to my all-time favourites, Jethro Tull!
I didn't hear much more GG music until the early eighties, when I borrowed an album out of the library. I can't remember whether or not it was a compilation, but I too had difficulty getting into the music and appreciating its complex brilliance.
In 1984, I was so taken by excerpts I heard of "Octopus" that I bought the album - I also purchased more GG (& VDGG/Peter Hammill) albums in no particular order, falling more in love with the music and especially admiring Derek Shulman's vocal style (as well as Peter Hammill's!).
Around 2004, I purchased a double cd compilation album of the Shulmans previous band, "Simon Dupree And The Big Sound", which included their album "Without Reservations" in mono. It may not be regarded as progressive rock, but there are some great songs on the cds, which portray an integral part of the Shulman Brothers' musical journey.
The last GG item I acquired was another compilation album of the BBC Sessions, "Out Of The Woods". I still continue to enjoy Gentle Giant, and other prog bands (amongst other music) - especially including Jethro Tull, VDGG, King Crimson, Yes, more recent bands like Big Big Train, and many more.....
Thanks for the comment David, they do grow on you don't they 😎
There's a reason the second album is called Acquiring The Taste. It takes time to cultivate a mature appreciation for their work because it is so subtle and complex. Brilliant band. The more I listen, the better it gets. I started in the early 70's with Octopus when it came out.
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I saw them many times, but in San Francisco I was able to give them a ride to the Castro in the back of my 1950 beat up Chevy truck. Great guys. Always my favorites.
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Thanks, great comments. I've been watching a lot of GG interviews, and Ray Shulman tributes, as the Steven Wilson Atmos remix of 'Interview' just came out. I'm a big GG fan and now have all of the surround remixes, which are brilliant. If you want to hear GG in its full glory, hear it in surround. Their complex compositions and instrumentation are perfect in 3D audio - you will hear things you never noticed before. And RIP Ray Shulman, a true genius, alongside the rest of his GG mates.
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My love affair with music began when I was five years old, and living temporarily with my grandparents, along with my mother. (My Dad was in the Air Force and remotely stationed.) My grandma introduced me to The Music Man soundtrack, which remains my favorite Broadway musical--because it's a musical ABOUT music, and throughout the show TOYS with music itself. I have continued to love music, but especially rock music--and I've come to the realization that what I enjoy most is listening to musicians who likewise toy with the music itself--a phenomenon I call "Musicians At Play." That is precisely why Gentle Giant was my favorite band in college, and remains one of my all time favorites.
However, I didn't come to realize this about myself until recently, when my son introduced me to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who have a similarly playful musical philosophy, if not at all the same sound. Even when Gentle Giant is at their most solemn, you can hear them having Fun With Music--and can share that feeling with them.
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Great show. You got me to subscribe. My first prog bands were ELP and Yes. I was playing in a prog band in the early 70s. We were all teenagers. was the keyboardist and also played electric violin through a wah fuzz pedal. My band mates turned me onto first Genesis and then Gentle Giant. I'm not sure what teh first GG album I heard was but the first one I bought was In a Glass House. To me, that's the quintessential Gentle Giant record.I have never seen that compilation record but I'm seriously considering getting the Steven Wilson remixes. He's an audio genius so I know these remixes will sound perfect.
Great comments, In a glass house is a great GG record.. 😎
Hi, just watched this; my trajectory into Gentle Giant almost exactly matched yours. Free Hand was the first of their albums I actually bought and though, like you, I had to “acquire the taste,” once I did I was hooked. So much so I had to special order an import copy of 1973’s “In a Glass House,” which I could not find in the U.S. It was pricey for a college student like me but worth every penny.
Love it... thanks for the comment 😎
New to your channel.
It was the Gentle Giant tab that caused my eye.
My following of GG started in 1970 with the release of the first album Gentle Giant, heard the opening track on the radio, probably John Peels Saturday afternoon show, and that was it.
I was 18 then, still love them, play something of theirs at least once a week. I could go on for hours about them, suffice to say no other band comes close.
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I had the privilege of seeing them live, at the Palace Theater in Albany NY.
It was a double bill with Renaissance.
Wow... what a show. I'm a big fan of Renaissance as well 😎
The best (in my mind) Quality, innovation, composition. The way that they mix their music. Complex, as you say.
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I first heard Gentle Giant on FM radio on a Pittsburgh station. As I recall, "Acquiring the Taste" and "Tarkus" were played most frequently, and I was hooked. The first time that I saw them live was Halloween '74 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The show opened with John Martyn (first of a dozen times that I saw him) and closed with Focus. Giant was the middle act and easily the star of the show. I saw them every year after that either in Boston and/or NYC (where they played Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall once in '77. Much as I loved Giant's albums, seeing them live was even better. I bought a few live bootlegs (like Amongst the Darkers) before "Playing the Fool" came out, and that supposedly came out because the bootlegs sold well.
But "Giant for a Day" seemed really weak to me (and their shortest album?). But, unlike the critics, I thought "Civilian" was excellent and a possible new path. Alas, no. Seems like I spent the seventies trying to track down Gentle Giant (and Horslips) shows. No internet back then. But I could always get a few friends to check the brilliant gentle Giant live.
Great memories and thanks for sharing 😎 Horslips were a big favorite of mine too, haven't listened to them for years. I'm now going into my vinyl collection to see what Horslips albums I have and spend an evening listening to them, thanks for the mind jog..
I have been a fan since 76-77?? I always felt they were underrate... Still love them to this day!! Great Video!! Tom L Buffalo, NY
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I knew Gentle Giant from the album Octopus on, but the first Gentle Giant album I bought was Pretentious.
During the last weeks I found my way back to Gentle Giant and realized I still love their music.
I did a playlist on spotify with the tracks from Pretentious.
They are great!
Playlist:
Gentle Giant - Pretentious: For The Sake Of It
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Hello there...or, as Scot Lade would say (well, shout), greetings and salutations! I've just watched the 1 hour 50 minute live stream on Gentle Giant partly because I'm a recent subscriber to Scot's channel but mainly because the subject is my favourite rock group. Thus I discovered your channel, Spinning Prog, Prisms Of Prog and that splendid Swedish chap, Pontus. I'll subscribe to your channel now because chaps like you deserve our support.
Although I am old enough to have been aware of the original progressive groups of the 1970s, I only discovered them in 2002. Prior to that I only listened to classical music, mainly baroque and 20th century. As an inveterate snob, I assumed 'pop music' was far too shallow and insubstantial for me to waste my valuable time upon. However, our group (UNIT) had Cheung Yiu Munn in it, an 18 year old Hong Kong Chinese lad who was our flute and guitar player from 2002 to 2011. He found my musical snobbery deplorable and insisted I take notice of these ancient groups he loved (primarily Jethro Tull, ELP, Yes, Genesis and Dream Theatre). To cut a long story short, while I found some of that music interesting, even inspiring (especially Tull), I investigated further and managed to discover Colosseum, The Family, Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Gentle Giant by myself. The Family and Gentle Giant are, to date, the only groups for which I have in my collection every studio tracks they ever recorded. There are few tracks from Bandstand that only barely make the grade and most (but not all) of the tracks from the final 3 Giant albums are definitely below par yet still good enough (but only just) for me to retain in my collection.
The advantage for me here is that my introduction to this music is devoid of any hint of nostalgia so it was all totally new to me. (As an aside, it's faintly ironic it took a Chinese teenager to introduce me to music from my own culture. I wonder though...how did an 18 year old Chinese lad become acquainted with numerous progressive rock groups from the 1970s?) Anyway, when I heard Octopus and Glass House for the first time (in 2003), I could not believe what I heard. I spent 3 or days listening to those 2 albums in order to try to comprehend all the different, disparate musical strands. Like The Family they utilised all manner of varied instruments but unlike The Family they mastered harmony, counterpoint and rhythmic complexity that forced me to admit not only classical musicians know how to compose and perform music that merited my attention - groovy! The progressive rock influence is apparent on a fair number of our own pieces although we do not possess the astonishing technical proficiency of any of these groups, especially not Gentle Giant, but I don't want this to appear as a thinkly disguised attempt to advertise our own group, so I'll stop here.
I hope your channel increases in popularity and introduces more young people (and maybe not so young people) to progressive rock, especially the groups who are not so famous. Rock on!
Thank you so much for your comment. It's not unusual for lovers of progressive rock to also be into many other forms of music. I personally love some classical, some I find too cheesy, but there's such great depth in the pieces I love. I also like areas of jazz. In fact anything that has depth and meaning. The music that moves me could actually come from any genre. I think the fascinating thing for me is the diversity of progressive rock., it fishes in many pools. Tull come from a totally different place to Emerson Lake and Palmer, who are nothing like Genesis, and Yes again are come from somewhere else. Progressive rock music is eclectic, and experimental. It uses classical, baroque, jazz, blues, funk, ethnic, folk etc.
I post some of my radio shows on Mixcloud and did a series which looked at every year or the 70's and included what I considered the best progressive rock from each year. Whilst I was creating the playlists for these show I really noticed that progressive rock does not sound like one type of music, it had a freedom within the genre that no other modern form of music had. The bands were not constrained, they were free to take influences from anywhere and try anything. If you listen to each of the shows in sequence, you can hear the progression throughout the decade. If you have time have a listen, it will introduce you to some incredibly influential bands and maybe some that you may not have come across. www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/
Thanks for subscribing, I don't monetize the channel, I just do it because I love prog., and please feel free to drop a link to your band here so we can all have a listen... Also drop in your first name, I'm Andy and again thanks for the comment 😎
Gentle Giant wrote the most technically advanced progressive "rock" music employing:
Counterpoint in styles from medieval through baroque.
Instrumentation and virtuoso technique.
Simultaneous thematic coherence and variation with both melody and time signature including classical, rock, folk and jazz elements.
Bringing all of this to an audience accustomed to more digestible fare was a bit like bringing a Magritte exhibition to Disneyland - and thus the commercial limitations.
But maybe that's what Gentle Giant wanted - an audience that was prepared to invest the time to think about the music. Considering this, the title of their album "Acquiring the Taste" seems apt.
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My introduction was Three Friends and from the first listen they have been my favourite band. Nothing compares, like King Crimson, ELP, early Yes, Gabriel Genesis.
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My uncle briefly showed me Gentle Giant when I was a teenager. It didn't totally resonate with me at the time, but I remember really appreciating the musical creativity and uniqueness on display. I just simply didn't go out of my way to listen to them much again. Until I started listening to Haken. If there ever could be a modern reincarnation of GG, its those guys. Super sophisticated, yet so catchy, but super unappreciated in the modern music world. They wear the GG inspirations on their sleeves, and I thank them for re-acquainting me and so many other younger prog-heads with GG and what they did for music.
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Gentle Giant was a league on its own
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Gentle Giant along with Miles Davis and Mahavishnu Orchestra opened my ears to musical landscapes that I didn’t know existed. They could write beautiful toe-tappable tunes all day long, but they continuously pushed the envelope. I love Yes and Genesis but GG was far beyond either band. FAR beyond.
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I've been listening to them for the past couple of months, and similarly to the experiences I've had with other prog bands, i couldn't fully grasp them at first listen, but I would constantly find myself wanting to try listening again, and then at one point I realised i was totally hooked. So far, I havent heard even 30% of their stuff but I have thoroughly enjoyed 'The Power and The Glory' album and some of the cuts from earlier records. Fantastic band, thanks for sharing your experience!
Saw them many times live. Unforgettable.
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There is little debate here even with the provocative title. GG’s only set-back in my opinion is that their music goes/went over the average listeners head. One might tightly sum them up as a band that stretched the limits of pop music to, possibly, it’s furthest extent. Great content, you have a new subscriber! Thank you.
Much appreciated Bubba 😎
I am 70 years old with a continued love of Prog, from the beginning. I have seen them all. Gentle Giant was the best, musically. Perhaps they lacked in the stage theatrics. But no one could match their musicianship or creativity!
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Saw GG live 3 times. They were amazing live! I enjoyed them in a better way than I did bands like King Crimson, or Yes for example. Seeing their musical versatility, changes of instruments, luckily being close enough to See on their faces that they were totally enjoying themselves. I remember once seeing Yes where Steve Howe played so sloppy..., I never saw issues like that with GG. Very sad at the news that Ray passed away on 3/30/23😢. He and Gary were hysterical to watch. I'm so happy to see live video ..takes me back and leaves me feeling the same after a concert - with my cheeks hurting from smiling. GG in concert in one word for me - Joy.😊
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Hell Yes !!!!! 👍🎼🎶
They are right there with all of Classic Prog's Top Bands ....
Yes/ King Crimson/ Genesis 1970-77'/ Jethro Tull (who Loved GG)/ Pink Floyd/
Gentle Giant/ ELP/Nektar and more ....
I saw them in 1974, 75, 76 twice & 77' Always a Great & fun show as an opening act for Tull or Headlining !! Great songs, concepts and amazing multi-instrumentalist !! 🎼🎸🎹🎺🥁🎻🎷🎤🎶
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@@ProgAxia I will do that this week 👍🎶
@@ronniefarnsworth6465 thanks, I really appreciate the opinions of the ProgAxia community... 😎
Love your video man. !! Great stuff thank you also we’re the same age . GG were always my favorite. Very complex music . Bought all of the albums and they were just an important to me . Like you said Genesis / Yes / ELP it was a great time growing up and that music was outrageously good . Over the top . Can’t wait to see more of your videos. Cheers! x
Wow, thanks Bill. Really appreciate the comment, and yep the music was insanely good back then. Every week another great band discovered, another great album or another great show!! 😎
Unlike Rick Wakeman on Close To The Edge, Kerry Minear did not have to play a church pipe organ to produce absolute euphoria. That statement refers to the title track of Three Friends which features Mr. Kinear organ sounds which someone once said," The organ sounds change the air around you". Thank you Gentle Giant & ProgAxia, I have a case of you.
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Yes! Not always an easy listen but I totally agree with your opinion. We are about the same age but I didn't discover them until the early 80's after they had called it a day. I'm very envious that you saw them live!
Thanks... yep I feel very lucky sometimes.. Right place at the right time 😎
Cheers! Great video! Thanks for sharing with all of us!
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Yes they were.
GG is a lot of fun to listen to: so many instruments appear at unusual times during these songs. Tasteful listening every time!
GG HAS PRODUCED 7 EXCELLENT ALBUMS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. It's rather rare!
Most bands produce 5 or 6 excellent albums only to be disappointing before/after. GG gets 7 great albums!
Here is my observation (ordered by group/album rating):
GENTLE GIANT (7):
1. Octopuses
2. In the glass house
3. Three friends
4. Acquiring the taste
5. Free hand
6. (First) Gentle Giant
7. The power & the glory
PINK FLOYD (6):
1. Dark side...
2. Animals
3. Wish you...
4. Meddle
5. Atom...
6. The wall
LED ZEPPELIN (6):
1. 4
2. 2
3. Houses...
4. Physical...
5. 1
6. 3
GENESIS (5):
1. Selling...
2. Foxtrot
3. The lamb...
4. Nursery cryme
5. A trick...
YES (5):
1.Close...
2. Relay
3. Tales...
4. Fragile
5. Yes album
KING CRIMSON (5):
1. In the court...
2.Red
3. Discipline
4. Lark's...
5. Starless...
VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR (3):
1. Pawn hearts
2. Still life
3. Godbluff
JETHRO TULL (3):
1.Thick...
2. Aqualung
3. Passion play
SUPERTRAMP (3):
1. Crime...
2. Even...
3.Breakfast...
RUSH (3):
1. Moving pictures
2. Permanent waves
3. 2112
What do you think of this list or the comment preceding it?
A man after my own heart.
I agree with you Andy. You have to really listen to appreciate them and once you do your hooked for life. Great band. Kerry Minnear's daughter is passing the torch with her beautiful voice with Dave Bainbridge, John Holden & many other great musicians.
Hi David.. I'll make a point of listening to the stuff from Kerry Minnear's daughter.. Thanks😎
That’s great to know Kerry’s daughter and others are passing the baton.👍👍
Huge gentle giant fan! I can still remember hearing them for the first time. It was in the friends bedroom in the high school in the late 70s, I believe the song was just the same. I remember my friend saying check this one out and smiling. Such a fabulous band and so unique
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For the vast majority of rock music, you hear it once and you either like it or not. You listen to it again but you don't hear anything differently. With depth of content and mastery by GG, many times I found myself not liking a song of theirs initially, but after hearing it several times, I would start to hear all of the different time signatures and the depth of their musicianship. One of the reasons their music is so timeless is that every time you listen to a song of theirs you uncover something new. I often thought that they should be scoring film. Their music is story telling. They are the GOAT!
I feel the same Keith.. great comment 😎
The thing with GG is - it might not be easily accessible at first listen. And how do we react to music that doesn´t really speak to us from the beginning? We put it away, right?
I´ve only read their band name once in a while and saw weird looking pics of live performances in pop magazines - five guys dressed up like Robin Hood and playing what seemed to be odd instruments. Had no idea what to expect from them. Then one day a friend recorded the whole Free Hand-LP from a radio-broadcast and the first song was and still is - Just the same. All I can say is - that song left me mouth-open and couldn´t be further away then what I thought of the band until that day. I admit I had to "work" through the other songs. As I said - no easy listening, but in the end I was hooked.
"Acquiring the taste" is the perfect expression for handling their music. To me GG music is absolutely top-notch. Not only progwise. One, amongst others, thing that stands out is their rythmical prowess. No coincidence that Kerry Minnear introduced the funky harpsichord into prog-rock so heavily.
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Yes, what a group of musicians! Their vocals were amazing also! I saw them live in Central Park in New York.
They were an amazing prog band. It took me ages to get into them, but once the penny dropped they became my favourite prog band. As you said they can be hard to get into but anyone who hasn't heard them or just heard a little then go and enjoy the experience of exploring their discography.
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Yes I enjoyed that. You can see how passionate you are about them. They are one of the most underrated bands of all time. Great video. You're so good at it.
@@CloseToTheEdge-Prog I'd love you opinion on my ranking, I bet it's a little different 😎
Best band ever. First heard 3 Friends in 72, then got all their previous and subsequent albuns. They raised the bar so much that I couldn't help but compare every other band to them. Never found a match, despite loving many other greats, such as Genesis, VDGG, King Crimson and others. They are that high up in my list. A privilege really to have had their music in my life for such a long time.
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Totally agree - Gentle Giant ARE class
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I heard Three Friends first at a party, and I didn't need to "get into it."
I was instantly sold, and bought up all their records before and after.
It is appalling how underrated they are! And I went to many shows.
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They did groove.
At a time when no other prog band did.
My first concert! In my top 5 of all time!
Im new to your channel but I thought you were Ian Anderson for a second. 😎
New subscriber. 👍
Welcome Jeff.. 😎
The first compilation, double album i bought was Giant Steps, 1975. There's a tune " Power and the Glory" that never made it onto the namesake album. Always, to this day actually, found it intriguing.
Hi Tom, yeah they originally released that track as a single.. They didn't like it, they said it was a terrible single, but I think it's a great track. If all singles released was at that level of musicianship the word would be a better place. Thanks for the comment 😎
It's now available as a bonus track on the remastered version of the album. It has what I think might be the shortest guitar solo I've ever heard.
Growing up and in my teens from 68 on, my favourite bands were Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, Led Zeppelin and, of course, Gentle Giant who I discovered listening to John Peel when he put on Alucard, hooked in 1970 and still am. 🎉
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Just stumbled upon your channel looking for live videos of them! I was born in 1978 in Canada and my father was a HUGE fan.
He always told me that they were very underestimated for their sheer talent.
My father, before starting a family, had a little band to make a few dollars to pay for school and actually opened for 'The Ventures' when they came to town. (I'm not sure but I think they are famously known for "walk, don't run") and their rendition of 'House of the Rising Sun'
I'm so glad I was introduced to them at a young age, and can say that they are #1 on my list for road trips.
Absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for your video!
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I got into Gentle Giant in the beginning of my college days. My friend turned me onto their music with "Proclamation," and from there it was a fascinating journey into weird Prog music like I'd never heard. At this point, I was familiar with a little Yes and I'd heard Abacab from Genesis (which, I know now is not a solid proggy example of Genesis's work), but nothing - not even Coltrane or Sun Ra - could prepare me for the music of Gentle Giant. Thirteen years later, I still listen to their music and continue to discover new insights and notice instruments or sounds I hadn't noticed previously. Like the Beatles, GG often makes me wish I had been born in this generation. Music was explosive during the 1960s and 70s with bands like the Grateful Dead doing things no one had done before. To me, GG accomplishes this and more. They pushed musical creativity to new heights. While some of my favorite artists stand on mountains, GG was always in the clouds - one step ahead, always transcending the boundaries of traditional music composing. Regardless of your favorite tracks, I think they remain one of my favorite bands because my favorite songs of theirs are just so rich with emotion in addition to their brilliant instrumental techniques and odd time signatures. It's bands that can pull off this constant battle between the mind and the body so seamlessly that are most dear to me.
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In college, I discovered Gentle Giant in 1977 i think, and I saw them live twice - they were so much FUN to watch live, and I was always blown away by their musicianship. I once said said that if there is such a thing as Cubism in music, that would be Gentle Giant. I love this band. Yes, ELP, Genesis (up to 1978), Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant have always been my top 5 prog bands. (Renaissance is #6.) "Free Hand" is my favorite album. "Octopus" (and the live album) were my introduction to the band
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If they're often passed over in histories of prog it's because they don't conform to the "long suitelike songs" stereotype. I personally don't see any common ground between them and VDGG. In a way they're more like one of those "musicianly" pop-rock bands of the '70s (naming no names, you know the sort) - they have concept-albums but they're nonlinear, they have classical influences and they're noticeable but not exactly central, and, most of all, the majority of their songs are short, yet full of vocal/instrumental detail (and that's before you start noticing the way they actually write, obsessing over themelets being shifted around, hocketed and twisted out of shape etc). What sets the seal on their progressive reputation is that increased fondness for dissonance in the '73-'76 period, combined with the literary referencing of the Phil's-lyrics period, the amount of jamming they did onstage (pre '77), and Kerry's tendency to sound like an ex-King's-Singer. A reference book once called them a "workingman's prog band".
When I was either four or five years old I discovered Gentle Giant via their two tracks on the MFP Rock Heroes compilation - which I instantly loved. But though I was an early discoverer of Genesis, Yes and even King Crimson, for no real valid reason, it took another 16 or 17 years for me to get around to studying the GG back-catalogue - cue several "what have I been doing/where has this been all my life" moments.
Great comment Grithron2.. 😎
They have remained one of my Top 3 favorite bands of all time!!
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Absolutely, they are! First picked up Octopus (probably for the cover art, it must be said!) and I was hooked. I was interested to learn that they came out of the ashes of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound (remember "Kites"?)! Never saw them live but Free Hand, Interview, Missing Piece still give lots of pleasure and new things to discover. I used to call in to Rare Records in Manchester and there was a guy there who was also a GG fan. Every time a new album came out we'd say "this is the one that will really convince people how good they are!".
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
My first experience with GG was when they opened for Jethro Tull in 1972. I had no clue who they were and thought the name was rather odd. They came on and opened with ALUCARD and my mind was completely blown apart! Ever since that day, they are, were, and will always be my FOAT (Favorite of All Time). BTW, you didn't mention the first album, which is brilliant!
yeah, I didn't mention the first album, which is a great album. Weirdly, I didn't get that one until about 1980. Somehow wasn't on my GG radar back then. It's now a big favourite of mine. I think Nothing At All is one of the most beautiful tracks they have ever done.. Rest assured it still has pride of place in my vinyl collection.. Thanks for the comment, it's great to see other peoples experience of these great bands.
Gentile giant is by far my favorite, not only Prague band but rock ‘n’ roll band.! They put me in a daze You hit the nail on the head when you said there was some thing about them that was better than yes, and all of them as far as their music, being complicated, but something about it it had rhythm you could grasp what they were doing. It had melody, and it was magnetic. When I smoked weed, I would listen to the album and sit back and stare at that baldheaded man on all the covers. Boy what an experience! As a matter of fact, there is one more album you might need to look into them. It’s called in a glass house.a masterpiece!
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Have seen them many times.
Yes, sort of in the same classification as Van Der Graaf Generator. Got to see them perform only one time. They played at the Beacon Theater in NYC 1970s
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I'm a similar age,my main loves were Purple, Sabbath,Zeppelin and Yes/Floyd/Genesis
Giant were the most interesting of all of these great bands IMO.
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RIP Ray Shulman 3/30/23.😢 Others here who were able to see GG live know how Fortunate they are. Were were truly lucky. I saw them 3 times in 73/74 and saw all the other big bands like Yes, ELP, King Crimson, etc etc at the time ..but none made the impression on me that GG did. I'd leave the concert, my cheeks hurting from smiling at their insanely.unique performance. Thank God there is footage on TH-cam to take me back. I hope even more video gets uploaded. I never tire......😊
What a sad loss. Ray was an incredibly inventive bassist, but seeing him on the guitar duel with Gary Green on ''Octopus Excerpts'' truly shows the depth of his talent.
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I remember my brother taped three friends one day when it came out. It was such a surprise and great new experience, so I bought the first two albums and now a have the first 7 albums still. I saw them live in Breda, The Netherlands in 1974, I was in trance the whole concert. GG is stil one of my top fav bands!
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Top 5 fav bands to me. I started my Prog journey with Pendragon (Neo-prog), Nektar, Gentle giant I think were already third I was checking out, and I'll never forget I'd put their first or second LP over me playing one simple SNES Rpg game Lufia 2 (I think). Was pretty much hooked from the start. Funny ways already grabbed me hard, and I immediately recognised something very unique about them once Alucard came on. Once I heard Pantagruel's Nativity (Maybe my fav GG song), it was game over! :)
Freehand was the first studio album I got into, then went back and released that I'd heard tracks from other albums through the taster album. 'Pretentious For The Sake Of It;' Incredible music! 😎
Gentle Giant is the pinnacle of excellence. I dont think they cared about making hits. That has my respect
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Your experience with GG parallels mine almost exactly.
I was pretty early in my prog exploration stage, when someone told me I had to listen to GG.
So of course I rushed out and bought Octopus. I got it home, and thought, what the hell was this?
Put it on the shelf for probably close to a year.
In the meantime, I was discovering more and more prog, with more experimentation (especially Italian prog, lets not forget how great the Italians are).
So, I pulled Octopus off the shelf, and it hit me right away!
What the hell was I thinking?
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The first four albums and The Power and the Glory are amazing. I've never been able to get into In a Glass House or Free Hand though. I've always found them too technical and cold, devoid of that feeling of wonder and fantasy that made the other albums so special.
That said, Gentle Giant at their peak were possibly the greatest band in the history of progressive rock.
It's a matter of taste with no rules but imo In the glass house is marvelous
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Bridge over the river kwai for the thousandth time - best description of a 70s Uk Xmas ever. Love gg
Yeah, you can almost guarantee it 😎
They are more than good. They will change your musical perspective. 👊🏼
They did 😎
Somebody, here, said Gentle Giant was one of the Big Five Progressive groups. He's right, but.... he's wrong, because GG is one of the Big Five Groups who made the music we love, on the same level of Beatles, Stones, Queen or any Top Of The World group you want to name. Not less
Just done a ranking of all 11 albums, I'd love to get your feedback.. th-cam.com/video/WdRV0X2A72A/w-d-xo.html
Mountain Time was the first song i ever heard, '76 - loved them since
I'm young (50) and so whenever I've met a Gentle Giant fan, it's almost always been someone much older than me. But the rare times I met a fan my age, it was always someone who couldn't listen to their music without going crazy: moving, screaming and being downright in a trance. I think that reveals a lot.
of all groups to question, someone would have to be off their meds to question GG . Get that friend of yours help ,soon !