The best work of Gentle Giant.

[Toccata]

Naturally, every group has best works like others without expression, I not prefer specifically one album, but the prolific golden phase of the Gentle Giant which was between 1971 to 1975 and were their masterpieces.
-Aquiring the Taste
-Three Friends
-Octopus
-In A Glass House
-The Power and The Glory
-Free Hand
G.Giant ever was a prog. group many years after their proper time, playing a fusion of vanguard music changing suddenly to a kind of calm Renaissance music, some moments reminding an chorus into a gothic chapel or minstrel's songs!!
Ever mixing other sounds and rhythms. Many people was thinking at that time, was a incoemprensible sound.
Imagine a music like that at seventies!!!

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by Toccata

-Aquiring the Taste
-Three Friends
-In A Glass House
-The Power and The Glory
-Free Hand

You pretty much have listed their discography. There is of course the debut.

Forgot Octopus (my favorite)...that's right after Three Friends. And Interview, after Free Hand is up there with the other works.

After that there's Missing Piece. A bit less prog but a lot of fun!

And of course two more...

[carlos77]

Hey Toc...Forgot Octopus...not my favorite, but a seminal one... In A Glass House and Aquiring the Taste for me and a special mention to Free Hand...

[Toccata]

Hey Toc...Forgot Octopus...not my favorite, but a seminal one... In A Glass House and Aquiring the Taste for me and a special mention to Free Hand... [/quote]

Hi Carlos, really at the moment when I did the Thread I forgot to include in, and is my favourite, but now I repair.
Embrace brother.

[Toccata]

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

You pretty much have listed their discography. There is of course the debut.

Forgot Octopus (my favorite)...that's right after Three Friends. And Interview, after Free Hand is up there with the other works.

After that there's Missing Piece. A bit less prog but a lot of fun!

And of course two more...

Really Rick, when I did the Thread I forgot to include in and it's my favourite too, but are in gold G. Giant phase, 1971 to 1975.
Embrace, sorry.

[InvisibleTattoo]

G.G. in the years 1971-1975 were very popular here in Italy, and not only for music expert listeners, but for true different kind of young people. The creative magic moment of the Shulmans and Minnear faded-out after the album "Interview", in part for market motivations and in part, i think, for a real loss of creativity from the members.

[Yesspaz]

Three Friends, easily.

[Toccata]

Really friend, market and the loss of creativity are normaly the causes that
faded-out a group, as well as internal contrariety!!
Unfortunely!

[Toccata]

Really friend, a masterpiece too.
I like very much a part in the song Schooldays, when begin the piano of Minnear and after a voice begin to sing a melodius theme:
"Remember.... Remember when we together, Went to the sea....Was it real or did we dream. The days of children
gone.
Seagull's scream............."
Who of us don't remember the good moments of our childhood...and the big impression that the sea in us cause

[Rick and Roll]

John Galgano from Izz did a really nice piano and voice version of "Think of Me With Kindness" last night

[Toccata]

Nice song right, are in Octopus my work Fav.
"Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my daydream......"
Do you have this last version? Where I can to listen.. the Radio has?
I like very much of "The Boys in the Band" it's so well essayed.....
The guitar solo of Green with voice together in the song River it's nice...
Bye Rick.

[rawol]

A agree with Rick, that Missing Piece should not be excluded from the GG masterpieces. And actually, I like Civilian as well. It's quite different from the earlier work - less classical and more rock. But still great melody lines and arrangements. And "Shadows On The Street" would fit perfectly on any 70's GG album.

The only one record I really don't like is Giant For A Day, which is somehow stuck in between and sounds like the band searching for a new style, but not really succeeding.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by rawol

A agree with Rick, that Missing Piece should not be excluded from the GG masterpieces. And actually, I like Civilian as well. It's quite different from the earlier work - less classical and more rock. But still great melody lines and arrangements. And "Shadows On The Street" would fit perfectly on any 70's GG album.

The only one record I really don't like is Giant For A Day, which is somehow stuck in between and sounds like the band searching for a new style, but not really succeeding.

Interesting take on the last two records. I prefer GFAD, but I like the argument made for Civilian. I'll rretry it sometime.

The test of an enduring band is the ability to meld so many facets into its work. Giant is the standard for this.

[Toccata]

In every G.G work, there are a G.G signature, which are good sense, good taste, parts well instrumented in the music, with their respectives players.
High performances of everyone, telling about it:
I have a DVD named Giant in the Box, very good, the performance of the players are bombastic!!!

[Toccata]

Hi Rawol !!
Really "Shadows on the Street", remind a little bit the seventies G.G Phase, but obviusly the G.G melodies are present in every work! Like I was telling to Rick,the G.G signature wich are good sense, good taste, music well instrumented, etc.Are a constant presense in every G.G work!!
I have a DVD named "Giant On The Box" which are an special of German TV 1974, and other of the US TV Concert, it's very good.
Do you are from Bavaria?
Ich liebe in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil und habe Deutsche abstammung, aber meinen grosseltern haben aus Westphalen gekommen !
Auf Wiedersehen!

[Toccata]

Obviouly Rick, "The Missing Piece" are enchanted too, less Prog. than the others, but very good, I like the songs: Winning, Memories of Old Days and For Nobody:
There are a part of Winning which Shulman's voice and Minnear's keyboard enters together unissonant : " No returning... no looking back...on with this way... ( Transmiting energy, power, fiber..) ,excellent!

[rawol]

Actually, For Nobody is one of my favorite GG tracks!

[Andyyyy]

Back in the day, I remember seeing GG on their final tour in Chicago. When they played "Betcha Thought". some in the audience even booed. At that time, I was so disappointed in them that I didn't even give Missing Piece a fair chance. As Time Drifts by, and as I got more desperate for their music, much of that album has grown on me. Civilian has too. It would be very difficult to name any favorites as at different times, they're all my favorites! I do love On Reflection, Playing the Game, 3 Friends...I love em all!

Another DVD to get is GG at the GG. Not only to see this incredible band live, but to hear just a little bit of Kerry's newly composed music for the DVD (the intro and menu music). Just that justifies getting the DVD for me.

Are any of you on the GG list, On-Reflection? Info here: http://www.blazemonger.com/GG/

Some of you here know that I am involved with a few CD projects of music inspired by GG fans, and we do have a little bit of GG in the music besides the inspiration. On "Let Truth Reveal the Beast" by Dan Bornemark & Helena Josefsson, John Weathers (Pugwash), the GG drummer on everything after Three Friends, sings a bit of backup there. It's in the playlist here on AM. We also have a new CD due very soon where John programmed the drum track for a song by John Eyre (John can no longer play drums for medical reasons). I would hope that someday I could say there is a bit more participation from other band members, but that remains to be seen.

[Toccata]

Hi Andy!
Nice to corresponding with you , a good musician and a person who many important things are did to the GG's fan world.
I didn't know about the John's health problem, sadly I received the notice ! Let's to pray to the John's health begin to bettering. I hope that soon others giants will begin to participate too of the activities.
Telling about GG.Songs. A song which there are a force very descriptive are in the album Aquiring the taste, is Black Cat. If you begin to listen and close your eyes, easily a Black Cat appears walking with his proper charming and elegancy.....

[kaltsu]

I totally agree. You haven't included their first album and the weirdest of them all "Interview" on your list. They went a bit commercial after that. Shorter songs and Genesis like production. The magic was gone.