Gentle Giant - 35th Anniversary Collection [2005 Remaster] (7 Albums) (1973-1978)

Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band, one of the most experimental of the 1970s. Textually inspired by philosophy, personal events and the works of François Rabelais, the group was noted for their collective multi-instrumental virtuosity and the particular complexity and sophistication of their musical material (even by progressive rock standards). Their onetime stated aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular," although this stance was to alter significantly with time. The band is also notable for the diverse instrumental skills of its members (all of whom bar the first two drummers were accomplished multi-instrumentalists). One Gentle Giant album listed a total of forty-six instruments in the musician credits, all of which had been played by group members.



Track List:
1. "The Runaway" – 7:16
2. "An Inmate's Lullaby" – 4:40
3. "Way of Life" – 8:04
4. "Experience" – 7:50
5. "A Reunion" – 2:12
6. "In a Glass House" – 8:09
7. "The Runaway/Experience (Live)" – 9:44 (Bonus Track)

* Gary Green - 6 & 12 string guitars, mandolin, percussion, alto recorder
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, tuned percussion, recorder, vocals
* Derek Shulman - lead vocals, alto sax, soprano sax, recorder
* Ray Shulman - bass guitar, violin, trumpet, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals
* John Weathers - drums, percussion

“

Gentle Giant was reduced to a quintet on In a Glass House with the departure of elder brother Phil Shulman, but its sound is unchanged, and the group may actually be tighter without the presence of his saxophones. The time signatures are still really strange, and the tempo changes are sometimes jarring, as is the wide range of dynamics, but this is also one of the group's most pleasing records -- they rock out in various places, and elsewhere perform all kinds of little experiments with percussion instruments ("An Inmate's Lullaby"), or create a strange, otherworldly sort of modern medieval-style music ("Way of Life"). None of it except possibly "A Reunion" is light listening, but the challenge does yield some rewarding sounds. - by Bruce Eder, Allmusic

”

Track List:
1. "Proclamation" – 6:48
2. "So Sincere" – 3:52
3. "Aspirations" – 4:41
4. "Playing the Game" – 6:46
5. "Cogs in Cogs" – 3:08
6. "No God's a Man" – 4:28
7. "The Face" – 4:12
8. "Valedictory" – 3:21
9. "Proclamation (Live)" - 4:54 (Bonus Track)
10. "The Power and the Glory" – 2:53 (Bonus Track)

* Derek Shulman - Shulberry, vocals, saxophones
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, vocals, cello
* Ray Shulman - bass, violin, vocals
* Gary Green - guitars
* John Weathers - drums, percussion, vocals

“

The group's first U.S. release in two years featured ornate playing from Kerry Minnear on keyboards and Gary Green's loudest guitar work up to that time. Power and the Glory is also a fairly dissonant album, yet it made the charts, albeit pretty low. There seems to be a unifying theme having to do with one's place in the social order, but it's very vague in contrast to Pink Floyd's re-creations of the post-'60s drug experience, Yes' sweeping album-length suites, and ELP's sci-fi epics. "No God's a Man" is an infinitely more challenging piece of music than anything on Jethro Tull's Aqualung, but that wasn't a commercial virtue; nor could the electric violin break on "The Face" or the rippling electric guitar passages throughout cover the effort involved in absorbing these songs. Power and the Glory vaguely resembled Genesis' early art-rock albums, but without any presence as charismatic as Peter Gabriel. "Playing the Game" and "So Sincere" were the most accessible tracks and ended up as key parts of their concert set. The CD's sound is more than decent. - by Bruce Eder, Allmusic

”

Track List:
1. "Just The Same" – 5:34
2. "On Reflection" – 5:41
3. "Free Hand" – 6:14
4. "Time To Kill" – 5:08
5. "His Last Voyage" – 6:27
6. "Talybont" – 2:43
7. "Mobile" – 5:05
8. "Just The Same (Live)" - 4:50 (Bonus Track)

* Gary Green - Guitar
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, Synthesizer
* Derek Shulman - vocals
* Ray Shulman - Bass
* John Weathers - drums

“

Free Hand is perhaps Gentle Giant's most realized effort. After the excellent In a Glass House, the group further developed its Renaissance-medieval approach, producing one of the most creative and complex recordings in progressive rock history. Their vocal approach to the four-part fugue "On Reflection" was revolutionary for its time and is looked upon as one of the genre's defining moments. Despite the complexity of the arrangements, the music never sounds academic and in fact is very accessible thanks to several melodic hooks. The combination of superb musicianship, dry wit, and creative compositions make this an essential and historical recording. - by Robert Taylor, Allmusic

”

Track List:
1. "Interview" – 6:54
2. "Give It Back" – 5:08
3. "Design" – 4:59
4. "Another Show" – 3:29
5. "Empty City" – 4:24
6. "Timing" – 4:50
7. "I Lost My Head" – 6:58
8. "Interview (Live)" – 6:31 (Bonus Track)

* Gary Green – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar
* Kerry Minnear – keyboards
* Derek Shulman – vocals, alto sax
* Ray Shulman – bass, violin
* John Weathers – drums
* Phil Sutcliffe – interviewer

“

Generally considered to be the last must-have recording from these progressive rock giants. Recorded at a frenetic pace, the band had the impossible task of topping their classic, Free Hand. While they didn't surpass the success of previous efforts, they did continue to propel their unique brand of complex music into surprising new directions. Interview is actually a concept album centering on a fictitious interview based upon the music business. There are the typical complex harmonies and intricate musical passages, but the real progress is in the group's expanded sound, thanks in large part to Kerry Minnear's stellar keyboard innovations. Although the songs are not as memorable as those on Free Hand, there isn't a weak one in the bunch, with the reggae-styled "Give It Back" being a standout. Unfortunately progressive rock was nearing its initial run as a popular form of music, forcing most prog bands to either adapt to the changing times or simply fade away. Unfortunately, Gentle Giant tried their hand at pop for a short and embarrassing time before disbanding. Gentle Giant's legacy began with their eponymously titled debut and ended with this one. - by Robert Taylor, Allmusic

”

Track List:
Disc 1
1. "Just The Same" - 05:57
2. "Proclamation" - 05:18
3. "On Reflection" - 06:20
4. "Excerpts From Octopus" - 15:39
5. "Funny Ways" - 08:30
o "Proclamation" [Video]

Disc 2
1. "The Runaway" - 03:56
2. "Experience" - 05:36
3. "So Sincere" - 10:20
4. "Free Hand" - 07:40
5. "Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown In Brussels)" - 01:21
6. "Peel The Paint / I Lost My Head" - 07:32

* Gary Green - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, alto recorder, descant recorder, vocals, percussion
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, cello, vibes, tenor recorder, vocals, percussion
* Derek Shulman - vocals, alto sax, descant recorder, bass, percussion
* Ray Shulman - bass, violin, acoustic guitar, descant recorder, trumpet, vocals, percussion
* John Weathers - drums, vibes, tambourine, vocals, percussion

“

This live album (originally a double LP but put onto one CD) was released in the wake of a single-disc bootleg of the same name taken off of an FM radio concert. The repertory includes lots of stuff off of their early albums, including the never-released-in-the-U.S. In a Glass House. The sound is very vivid and close, whether the band is rocking to "Just the Same" or recreating the medieval-style a cappella vocals to "On Reflection." One Way has done an unusually good job with the sound on this album, and the original art has also been nicely recreated. This disc will obviously appeal to serious fans most of all, but even neophytes might consider this as an early acquisition. - by Bruce Eder, Allmusic

”

Track List:
1. "Two Weeks In Spain" – 3:00
2. "I'm Turning Around" – 3:54
3. "Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It" – 2:20
4. "Who Do You Think You Are?" – 3:33
5. "Mountain Time" – 3:19
6. "As Old As You're Young" – 4:19
7. "Memories Of Old Days" – 7:45
8. "Winning" – 4:12
9. "For Nobody" – 4:00
10. "For Nobody (Live)" - 4:32 (Bonus Track)

* Gary Green - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, alto recorder, descant recorder, vocals, percussion
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, cello, vibes, tenor recorder, vocals, percussion
* Derek Shulman - vocals, alto sax, descant recorder, bass, percussion
* Ray Shulman - bass, violin, acoustic guitar, descant recorder, trumpet, vocals, percussion
* John Weathers - drums, vibes, tambourine, vocals, percussion

“

The Missing Piece was Gentle Giant's last album to chart in the U.S. Until 1977 the band's complicated music won them fans all over the world, but as market tastes changed, their fan base ceased to grow. In an attempt to attract a wider audience, the band decided to streamline their sound with simpler styles and a more "live" sound. There were always distinctions between their complex studio work and their concert arrangements, so the band now brought the two together by testing material on the road which might work well both live and in the studio. Next to previous albums, The Missing Piece is an imbalanced effort. New styles from the band included the unconvincing "Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It." . . "proof" that they could pump out power chords like anyone else; the cute "Two Weeks In Spain," a feel-good ode to working-class vacationing; and "I'm Turning Around," an effective and poignant power ballad. The rest of the album is more in line with the band's classic topsy-turvy, contrapuntal arrangements. "Winning" sounds like a leftover from the previous album, while "For Nobody" delivers a nice blend of punk aggression and prog dexterity. Apparently the band thought the pop experiment required a second album, the more consistent but oft-flogged Giant for a Day. - by Patrick Little, Allmusic

”

Track List:
1. "Words From The Wise" – 4:11
2. "Thank You" – 4:45
3. "Giant For A Day" – 3:48
4. "Spooky Boogie" – 2:52
5. "Take Me" – 3:34
6. "Little Brown Bag" – 3:24
7. "Friends" – 1:58
8. "No Stranger" – 2:28
9. "It's Only Goodbye" – 4:15
10. "Rock Climber" – 3:52

* Gary Green - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar
* Kerry Minnear - keyboards, bass
* Derek Shulman - vocals, alto sax
* Ray Shulman - bass
* John Weathers - drums, percussion, vocals on "Friends"

“

When one considers the musical achievements of Gentle Giant. . . the composition and execution of some of the best progressive rock from 1971-1976. . . one wonders why this talented band would lower themselves to 4/4 rockers and five-minute ballads? The fairy-tale "rise of punk/fall of prog" of the '70s led to The Missing Piece (1977), which found the band testing waters with more "normal" songs and a diluted complexity. Outside pressure for sales and a dwindling market forced the band to reconsider their future, and Gentle Giant took nearly a year off. They played only one show in 1978 (filmed and recorded by the BBC) and delivered Giant for a Day! by the year's end. With the cartoon-cutout album cover, the band trumpets their new makeover from the get-go. Its playfulness matches the straightforward, bright sounds of the music found inside. Although Gentle Giant was shooting for mainstream, fans can grab on to occasional moments of delight, such as the ensemble singing of "Words From the Wise," a cute instrumental (the almost too-cute "Spooky Boogie"), and the mature pop complexity of "No Stranger," where you'd think the band were listening to too much Steely Dan the day they wrote it. Two rockers on the album, "Rock Climber" and "Little Brown Bag," are probably the most effective cuts, with lean arrangements, tasty edges and Derek Shulman's powerful lead vocals. So did it work? Of course not. The album failed in the charts and is now the laughing stock of the Gentle Giant discography. It only proved that the few souls who actually bought the band's albums should never have been given this. But this band is too good to laugh this one off completely. - by Patrick Little, Allmusic

”

Please don't post links or password in your comments!