ACQUIRING THE TASTE

This is a difficult album to review for me, since it is hard to really explain why I like it so much. It is (not counting Playing The Fool, the live album) my favorite Gentle Giant album. But it took quite a while to reach that status. Oddly enough, some of their more praised albums (Free Hand, Octopus) are actually far more accessable. There is a strangeness to this album that I have not encountered anywhere else before. I think that is probably what makes it stand out for me. The fact that is it unique in their discography.........and they are a pretty unique band in general. The first track is really the best for me, especially the multi-part vocal section in the middle of the song which is far more eerie and forboding than any other times they use this technique. Plus, there is an excellent guitar solo by Green, notable for being one of his best so early in his and the bands career. Edge of Twilight took a while to get a handle on, as it does seem to meander a bit. But repeat listens will reveal an interesting structure and form to this song. The moon is Down is a similar example of this, which still having its own identity as a song. Black Cat is a quite interesting, almost jazzy number. The title track will come across much better on the live album when played by two acoustic guitars. The House.... and Wreck are more typical GG numbers, but still quite interesting. The final track is something of a reminder of the more forceful and immideate first album, while still have some oddities to help it fit in with this album. An excellent number that came off well live (if you have heard the bootlegs that it is found on and can get past their poor sound).

All in all, I can only award this 5 stars, as it is my favorite album amoung albums that all push up on the 5 star mark. A truely innovative and unique band who's like I have never encountered before or since. And the same is true of this album.