OCTOPUS

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If some person were to ask you, "hey, what is this prog rock stuff?" you could start telling them about this rock music that's adventurous, ambitious, beautiful, challenging, complex, etc. etc... or you could just throw on "Knots" from this album. I'm glad to exist in this universe where the creatures join together and cook up something as wildly genius as "Knots". Positively the most intricate, head-spinning, disorienting vocal arrangement ever (revered and imitated by such bands as Spock's Beard), rivalled in complexity only by a few of Gentle Giant's other compositions; as well as one of the most magical and timeless endings I've ever heard (with the multiple vocal layers, and frenetic drums...) -- this is far beyond songwriting, this is "musical architecture". Beyond "Knots," the entire album consists of masterful music making, and is a perfect place to get acquainted with GG's delightfully skewed sense of musical logic -- actually, not everyone likes this stuff the first time they hear it. Actually, more typically, most everyone DOESN'T like this stuff the first time they hear it. But what good things in life come without effort and appreciation? One of the best albums ever made (...followed by even "better" best albums ever made).

At the time of re-writing my GG review (they paled in comparison with newer reviews from my dear collabs) and after re-reading those, I decided not to spend too much time talking of the music itself, what happens and who they remind me off (no-one but themselves in this album), I have opted for a side route, explaining the background for this album.

By the end of the US tours for the Three Friends album (their first released there), most of the group were at each other's throats, with Phil Shulman (older by a few years than all of the other members-he was in his mid-30's then and was the only one married with kids) had grown particularly concerned about the band's lack of success and seeing his age, it was his one and only (last?) chance to the big times. This made him rather uptight and made him more authoritarian and enforcing rules of conduct and "chaperoning" the others, which of course did not sit well with the others. Funnily enough, Phil was caught at his own rules after a fling with a young groupie, and this weakened him as the central or leader stance, so much that his two younger brothers even wished him to leave, as he was undefendable and he would soon. The new drummer Mortimore being quite younger, (19 in fact and not virtuosi enough) was badly injured in a motorbike accident and replaced with a more permanent member Welshman John Weathers who actually was ideally suited for the band and he was no rookie either having played in Eye Of Blue, which metamorphosed into Big Sleep then Ancient Grease recording four albums along the way (all vaguely progressive) and also playing a stint for beat poet extraordinaire Pete Brown's Piblokto. The man also had played for Graham Bond, the Grease Band and had a stint with Wild Turkey (with ex-Tull Glen Cornick as leader), so he was a seasoned veteran. So by the time this quintessentially "English" album came out, the group consisted of three Scots (the Shulmans), one Welsh and two Angles. And IMHO, it is the crazy Welsh's arrival that helped GG to really go on to the next gear, his powerful playing really allowing much more options for Minnear and the Shulman bros to expand their playing. From the opening Rabelaisian Panurge to the medievalesque Troubadour to the incredible almost/mostly a cappella Knots (where each verse is sung by a different band member taking turns) and the more standard (for GG) Cry For Everyone, the first side is absolutely awesome in execution and inventiveness. The second side pales a bit in comparison with the middle two tracks being noticeably weaker, but nothing bothersome. The record ending with a fitting résumé of the themes developed in the album.

Despite Phil Shulman's great contributions to this album his subsequent departure did not cause much problems the sextet being reduced to a quintet where four members were multi-instrumentalists. This fourth album is certainly a peak for them , both artistically and commercially as it was their first (and almost only) record to sell decently.

Oh yes! This album also came out in the US with a much different but same themed artwork sleeve (the one you see above) with a slight cut-out around the cap of the bottle. Progheads tend to denounce this artwork but I find it at least as interesting as the Roger Dean artwork reserved for the rest of the planet

GENTLE GIANT have been responsible for so many great albums, but I feel that "Octopus" rises to the top of them all. "Octopus" delivers their unmistakeable GG sound with strong vocal harmonies throughout orchestrated with some of their best song writing ever. Musicanship is high here and vocals and instruments seem to blend-in perfectly giving the listener a stong feeling of cohesion and not necessarily the precision from other albums.

Discovering Gentle Giant was for me, a huge step. I moved from symphonic grandeur (Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd) to a more underground progressive rock. Lucky for me, the first GG album I purchased was this one. I was strucked immediatly by the 'mathematical' sound . I also discovered in me a fondness for 'medieval' sound (which brought me to Gryphon and then further to Amazing Blondel). Raconteur Troubadour explores the middle age stuff and so is The Advents of Panurge, based on the french litteracy of Rabelais. Gentle Giant is like listening to maths in music (Knots is definitely a good example). It takes a while to like it, but after, you find bands like Yes pompous (and perhaps pretentious?). I mean, when you hear violin or flutes, it's actually them. It's not your basic guitar-bass-keys-drums. Also, humor is very present in their music. Yeah, I like the HUMBLE side of this band. Never we get the feeling that they say :"Hey dudes, preach peace and I love every one of you!" (sorry Jon Anderson but you do sound like Cheech & Chong in 'Up in Smoke'). Great album, but try Glass House and Acquiring The Taste also. Wonderful threesome that is!

This is the most accessible one, among the best albums by GENTLE GIANT, without any excess of virtuosity, except on "Knots", one of the best vocal performances ever (listen also to "On Reflection" from the album "Free Hands"). Besides it's one of the best recordings in the course of the early seventies!! I like indeed this balanced use of Mellotron keyboards and other typical "jazz" instruments! "The Advent of Panurge" is an immortal classic, a fantastic imprinting of their own, often played live... moreover the strange mix of hard rock with some unplugged wood instruments (without regarding of a strange flare, reminding me of such "troubadours era") could represent the best example regarding their style... Recommended!!

This is a very folky cd. Actually, it has sort of a medieval kind of feel to it in my opinion. I like the first three tracks but the whole cd feels a little slow. You reallu have to be in the right mood to listen to this one, a chill kind of mood because I like the faster paced cds (Genesis/Colesseum) and the darker ones (Van Der Graaf/King Crimson). Still, this is good considering what these guys were trying to do. If you like Tull, pick this cd up.

"Octopus" is a fitting title, since the band is playing here like they've got extra arms. I have yet to hear any GG album so skillfully wrought as "Octopus"; if you're approaching the band from the outside, this is definitely the right appetizer. When describing the band's music, words like "medieval", "madrigal", "complex" and "counterpoint" usually find their way into the text, and all of them would apply here. But the album's real achievement is delivering all of these qualities in a remarkably soft sell. They're not out to dazzle you, their genius is simply a natural outcropping of the individuals involved. "The Advent of Panurge" sets the stage for this, introducing all manner of music in as natural and organic a setting as possible so that listeners don't gag on the amount of substance crammed into a single song. Elsewhere, the humorously bleak "A Cry For Everyone" (which seems to poke a little fun at brooding acts like BLACK SABBATH and JETHRO TULL) and playful experiments like "Knots" and "Dog's Life" reveal a band maintaining a sense of humor in a genre (progressive rock) known for being self-consciously serious. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention how good Derek SHULMAN's voice sounds on this record; Derek can sometimes come across as an acquired taste, but he's as smooth as butter on "Octopus". New drummer John WEATHERS also adds some wonderful touches, like the xylophone solo on "Knots."

Coming on the heels of having listened to GENESIS' Trespass, I'm reminded of how the word "sublime" is overused in musical criticism. To call "Octopus" "sublime" is perhaps to miss the point, since the band works hard to keep their heavenly arrangements earthbound.

This is quintessential GENTLE GIANT, inspired at every turn, their sticky genius on display from any angle.

[ANALYTICAL REVIEW] Gentle Giant's unique and crafty approach to making music guarantees one thing: that this band will always have a following. Their 1972 disc, "Octopus," features a wide variety of pieces, from ballads to experimental electroacoustic riff-raff to comments on other styles of music and poetry. Their willingness to have a lot of simultaneous musical events give a layered effect to their music: the listener has some choice what to listen to at any given time, and to hear something new each time they lay the recording. Cheesy instrumental solos occasionally make their way into the otherwise unique sound of the band, particularly in "The Boys in the Band" and "River," but are only a small percentage of the music on the disc and serve in any case to set off the more interesting moments.

The first track, "The Advent of Panurge" falls into the ballad category, but with a lot of twists. The first is one that permeates all of their songs: an innovative use of stereo for musical effect. Here, two singers singing at different times are accompanied each by a guitar, one at the far left, and one at the far right. We get the idea of a conversation here, even though both singers share the same text. Other twists that will come back include the alternation of time signatures, here between 4/4 and the jarring 11/8. The last twist is the virtuosic use of electronic devices from the time. Here, signal processing to change the sound of the singing voices give them a surreal quality, while different types of distortion at the same time give the listener many options what to listen to. As with most tracks on this CD, the end is not very satisfying, here not because of any musical deficiency, but because of a reticence to put enough silence between the tracks to clear the palate. The end of this song and the beginning of the next suffer both from this.

Raconteur Troubadour does a great job echoing different types of music, then blows it by announcing in their notes "we have tried to capture something of the medieval English troubadour..." The fiddle, while effective, is not a medieval instrument in the least, while the music after the second verse, the English processional, sounds like Edward Elgar, the late 19th-Century English composer, and not medieval in the least. I enjoyed this track for its tongue-in-cheek references, but when I got to the end and Gentle Giant's tongue came out of their cheek, I gagged. In terms of the actual playing, the trumpet playing on this track is very good indeed, though the fiddle can get thin sounding at times. I am not sure if this is the playing or the recording (or amplification?), as the string playing on all the tracks have a similar, bodiless sound. A rounder sound might have brought out better the clever mix of two main themes towards the end. I felt it a pity that with so many acoustic instruments and references to the troubadour's lute, that Gentle Giant didn't experiment with a more acoustic guitar sound. On the other hand perhaps the slightly distorted guitar was instead an effort to marry the old and the new into one song. I would give them this benefit of the doubt if only it weren't for those silly liner notes...

A Cry for Everyone is the first instance of text that is hard to make out - the balance is a little off on this track, with the instruments a little louder than the singer. The strongest part of this tune is the call-and-answer musical interludes where again we are treated to clever stereo effects. While there is a lot of rhythmic diversity, I felt that a bit more fooling around with unexpectable rhythms would have been appropriate. As it is, A Cry for Everyone is slightly overshadowed by the more sophisticated The Advent of Panurge, which uses similar techniques.

Many composers experimenting with new sounds on synthesizers fall into the trap of thinking that the sound is interesting enough in itself to center the piece around. Not so with Gentle Giant, who weaves their electroacoustic experiments into working musical lines, and provides enough variety of sounds that we can appreciate them in contrast to one another.

Knots is described by the notes as "something of a musical jigsaw." It works! Little segments of music and text repeated over and over again create a kaleidoscope of different events, highly distinguishable by their rhythms, different instruments and ranges.

What is especially neat is that this jigsaw puzzle idea not only involves the tiny little segments, but the sections of the piece. In fact the very same music from the little contrasting bits are expanded to become sections in their own right: the xylophone that punctuates the opening finally takes off for a solo that moves back and forth through the speakers, while the longer lines become large intense blocks. These sections are most often marked by striking changes of time and rhythm, echoing a little the jazz "half-time" idiom used by artists like Dave Brubeck not long before.

Knots shows also that Gentle Giant is willing to play around with dynamics more than other bands - the extreme quietness and loudness serve to provide even more musical interest. I only wish they would have done more in their other pieces.

Normally I like instrumental tracks a lot, and even skip over the vocals to get to them, but The Boys in the Band, the only instrumental number here, unfortunately disappoints. The rapidly changing characters of the piece don't really compare to Knots, and the solos border on cheesy. The ensemble is tight, but I would have sacrificed it for a bit more improvisation. The electronics would have been interesting here, but for once in the whole CD, Gentle Giant loses control and there's so much stuff going on its hard to pick out even when we try.

Dog's Life, on the other hand, revels in its own musical simplicity - a very poetic link to the lyrics. The instrumentation here is very appropriate: the extremely out-of-tune regal (like a cross between bagpipes and organ) also has semantic value: the dog doesn't care for little flaws, and why should we? The xylophone and regal in the middle is very creative, but again the strings sound a little bit too much like hired extras who normally play in some second-class orchestra somewhere. While the music enjoys its simplicity, its no reason not to have a little bit of soul.

My favorite track on Octopus is Think of me with Kindness, though perhaps I am biased since I've heard its beautiful tune so many times before as the later Star Trek: Voyager opening theme music. Again, this pieces loves simplicity (as it redundantly points out in its notes!) The singing is honest, with not a lot of technique (he runs out of breath in places), but a lot of sincerity and overall good musicianship.

As a trombone player, I can only laud the trombone solo half-way through, trombone solo, though I would have kept the energy down a little to keep the beautiful simplicity that opens the work. For the first time on this CD, we have an effective ending, with the words "Think of me" echoing past an unfinished musical phrase.

River came across as more of a collage than a piece of music, a lot of experimentation in electronic sounds, the most interesting of which was the flanging "wind" noises that moved from speaker to speaker creating the illusion of space. The music for the lyrics is extremely drab in contrast to the poetry, however, and the purely instrumental section falls back into standard-issue rock now and again with a not-varied-enough drumbeat and drum and guitar solos that are not particularly special. The ensemble lacks a little bit between the guitars on occasion, bits of feedback left in distract from the more purposeful electroacoustics, and everything has a veil of distortion that, while looking into the future, reminds us how bleak the music of the 80s really was!

While the quality shifts from track to track, overall Octopus makes for an excellent listen, one step up from the 1971 album Acquiring the taste, which also experiments with electroacoustics, simultaneous musical events, and interesting orchestrations, but to less of a degree. I sometimes feel that Octopus' tracks would be better served as miniatures - breaking into something a little more upbeat/standard-issue in the middle of most pieces risk taking away from the uniqueness of each work. Overall, however, Gentle Giant excels at never losing our interest by providing constant variety of sounds, effects, lyric style, texture and dynamics both within and between pieces.

But do ditch some of the liner notes - they take what was clever and make it redundant...

Catherine Motuz M.Mus (McGill)

This album reminds me to the early period when I first knew a kind of music which was later be called as progressive music. I still remember that I got this album about the same period I was listening to PINK FLOYD "The Dark ..", JETHRO TUL "Minstrel In The Gallery", "Thick As a Brick", YES "Tales .." "Relayer" "Fragile" dated bak in 70s. Each band has their own identity. and most importantly almost all of them are enjoyable. "Octopus" was probably the only exception as I sensed at that time that their music was harder to digest and had diverse beats and tempos. This albums was the first that I knew about GENTLE GIANT.

This album then generated my attention when parts of "A Cry for Everyone" were (intentionally?) used by our local band GOD BLESS in their song called "SETAN TERTAWA" (The Laughing Ghosts). At that time I loved SETAN TERTAWA very much but when I found a kind of plagiarism (?), my appreciation to GB had lowered a little bit. But my appreciation to "Octopus" had increased as I thought that this album must be powerful. Indeed, it is.

"The Advent Of Panurge" is a track with varieties of melodies, full of energy, and diverse singing styles. All instruments seem like being played in different directions, heavily influenced by jazz improvisations, but at the end it results in an excellent harmony. The piano is explored in a unique way. "Raconteur Troubadour" is a ballad song performed unconventionally by the band. The violins / cellos are used intensively in this track and they guide the overall music composition. It has great violin solo at interlude and excellent vibraphone / piano. "A Cry For Everyone" is an energetic song with excellent melody, stunning vocal. This track I consider as a legendary track. (When our local classic rock FM radio station aired a GENTLE GIANT special in its program, this song was used as a tagline for the program). This track is very enjoyable. It has interesting interlude, organ solo, lead guitar fills. The part that GOD BLESS used in SETAN TERTAWA is located exactly at minute 2:30 - 3:00 of this track. It's a dynamic part.

"Knots" is a repertoire with an acapella vocal style at intro part; it has an avant-garde component in its composition where it can be seen on how vibraphone / percussion are played. The music flow is "discrete" or at least it's not as continuous like other tracks. "The Boys In The Band" is relatively a complex composition with great organ style; violin is used to accentuate the melody. The music suddenly shifts to slower tempo with a controlled melody using a soft keyboard sound and come back again to complex one.

"Dog's Life" is an explorative composition (violin and cello) that you should enjoy seriously as this is not the kind of music you listen to at background. "Think Of Me With Kindness" is a composition that is more easy listening than previous track. It's a nice mellow track with good melody. "River" is a melodic and fascinating track with a double lead guitar at intro, followed by excellent vocal with organ at background. The lead guitar solo at the interlude is really stunning. It's a brilliant decision by the band that this track is positioned to conclude the album.

To conclude, this album is a masterpiece as it has strong songwriting, great composition, musicianship and overall performance. The production quality is excellent. It's a classic and. it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Gatot Widayanto, Indonesia.

If you're the kind of person who considers prog rock to be nothing more than pretentious 20 minute songs saturated with extended soloing and lyrics that make no sense, you'll be quite surprised listening to Gentle Giant. Despite extremely complex songs and fantastic musicianship, as well as a good deal of ambition, GG manage to never get excessive with their material. The Shulman brothers are three of the best vocalists in prog, and it's not hard to tell that they're an extremely tight band. This site classifies them as symphonic prog, but they're really in a style all their own, as they have a good deal of folk prog influence as well as even a hint of Canterbury occasionally. On this album, they have a medival flavor that you'll probably never hear from any other band in this genre.

Octopus is the seminal GG album. If you don't like this record, stay away from the band. The above mentioned medival aspect will probably surprise some people not so familliar with prog, as will the tight compositions and fantastic melodies. Right off the bat, "The Advent of Panurge" is an accessible track with some nice hooks, but there's also a subtle inclusion of some fantastic vocal interplay during the quieter parts. "Raconteur Troubadour" further explores the medieval aspect, featuring a catchy vocal part and some very interesting instrumental parts which never drag on at all. "A Cry For Everyone" shows both that these guys can rock, as well as that they're not bad at buckling down and just jamming, with the section in the middle probably being as "pretentious" as this album gets. This leads into the most popular Gentle Giant track, and without question the best of this album, the incredible "Knots". At first listen, it may just sound like a sprawling mess of voices and minimalistic instrumentation. However, the fact of the matter is that the vocal interplay on here is absolutely amazing, and the acapella parts sound surprisingly complete. There's almost no instrumentation in the first half, but even during this part the band manages to get the subtleties down, with an outstanding xylophone solo (yes, you read that correctly) being thrown in. When more instrumentation does come in (though it only does so for short periods at a time), it fits in perfectly, boosting the momentum. For a 4 minute song, it's incredible how much ambition and talent they were able to cram in without making it sound overblown in the least.

Unfortunately, things only have downhill to go from here, and downhill they do go. "The Boys in the Band" is somewhat the opposite of "Knots", providing a frenzied instrumental which at times lacks cohesion. But it's still an impressive display of musicianship, and a worthwhile track. Plus, when the track gets focused, it really shows what these guys can do as musicians. "Dog's Life" has a nice melody, but the fact of the matter is that it's an overly simplistic throwaway, lost in the sea of intricate complexity that is Octopus. "Think of Me With Kindness" is another simplistic track, but it sounds more like the band actually put some effort into it, the result being a beautiful but somewhat forgettable piano ballad. "River" closes things out, and is really just a strange, fractured, somewhat disorganized piece of music. That said, it contains the finest guitar solo to appear on the album, making it worthwhile in the end.

If it were a 5 song EP, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to hail Octopus a classic. Unfortunately, it trails off towards the end, and that's what keeps it at 4 stars. Still, it's a highly enjoyable, surprisingly accessible album that I would heartily suggest to anyone who appreciates good music. It's also the best starting point with Gentle Giant.

There is no doubt that this is the best Gentle Giant album. Well, "The Power & The Glory" comes close, but this one still wins with a nose ahead of it. This is another jarringly complex album from them though a bit more matur than their three first releases, but it still carries elements from the past, notably from "Acquiring The Taste". They got a new drummer for this one, John Weathers, and he is perhaps their best drummer they had. His contributions to the album are excellent, without any ex-aggerations in any way as some other Prog-Rock drummers can do. Musically, this album is really entangled. Sometimes, it's like "Hey, let's see how many notes we can put into a song!", but it works extremely well, notably on "The Boys In The Band" which is their technically best instrumental. The songs are well written, original and ecletic, showing a mix of folk and jazz influences too. The five first tracks are the best and the rest is incredible too, making this album an even and totally perfect record. It's not to be missed by any prog-rock fan, IMO. I'll give it a 5 for sure, it's about as good as Genesis - Foxtrot!

"Octopus" is the first album on which GENTLE GIANT really found their sound and style: less hard rock, extremely rhythm changing, very progressive and rather nervous, full of pauses. You also have many pleasant & unbelievably charming melodic & dissonant moods. Everything is perfectly synchronized and VERY structured. There is a perfect balance between the NUMEROUS instruments involved: electric & acoustic guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, vibraphone, cello, saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, bass violin and xylophone among others: no one wants to steal the show. All the tracks are at least excellent, and you do not feel the tracks are redundant, given their originality and variety! "The boys in the band" is VERY nervous, fast and loaded; this track sets the pace for the next album orientation. "Think of me with kindness" is the relaxing moment of this album: a beautiful, catchy & tender song, rather sentimental; the horns arrangements are really poignant! Finally, "River" is the more hard rock one, having the style of the earlier albums.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

100 minutes of pure genius crammed into one 35 minute disc. There aren't any long songs here, each being around the 4 minutes mark, but these short songs might as well be, given the amount of material in them. GENTLE GIANT has been drooled over by many a prog fan, and not for nothing. They have to be one of the most innovative bands in history, mixing medieval vocals with pre-metal, symphonic rock, and any number of other styles.

"The Advent of Panurge" begins with a very spacey but intricate and medieval vocal part, leading into a funky, complex main groove. Then there's a short horn section and softer, weaving vocal part followed by a reprise of the main groove with some echoed, gibberish vocal parts, then the intro again then the main part, all in the space of 4 minutes. The story is fairly inconsequential, about a giant meeting a creature from hell and becoming friends with it.

Most of the medievalness of the album comes from "Raconteur Troubadour," which actually doesn't sound that much like a medieval troubadour. Instead, it uses some violin for a vaguely medieval 11/8 main part and some stranger instrumental parts which occaisionally become reminescent of a big band because of their use of a horn. Again, excellent, and absolutely wonderful stuff.

The proto-metal aspect of GENTLE GIANT comes from "A Cry for Everyone," which is on the surface simpler than the other songs, but if you really listen you'll hear just as much complexity as "The Advent of Panurge." It goes through many sections and moods, but keeps within the range of being dark. The lyrics are almost humorously bleak, but you really can't tell if they mean it or not.

"Knots" is every bit as complex and woven as it sounds. This is by far the least accessible song here, and must be listened to many times before it can be appreciated. It is sung almost acapella, with all four vocalists complimenting each other to create an impossibly intricate vocal arrangement. The instruments are present as well, and generally the whole thing builds as instruments are added. The lyrics are just as confusing as the song.

The instrumental "Boys in the Band" consists of an arranged theme and some excellent solos by the keyboards, guitars, then saxophone. Again, magnificent.

You can hear a slight drop in the quality of material in "Dog's Life," which is basically a snide tribute to their roadies, and coincidentally to stray dogs. They use a weird honking instrument here, I'm not really sure what it is, but it's unique to say the least.

Many people accuse "Think of Me with Kindness" of being out of place or too simple, but really it isn't. The theme is beautiful, and it features mainly keyboards against a darker atmosphere than the rest of the album. If you listen closely you'll hear a quick theme in 7/8 dart by, but overall it is a bit less complex than the others and somewhat more pop- ish, but not at all bad.

"River" is the longest song, at around 5 minutes, and is a general sum up of the album, twisting its way through different themes. They use a lot of studio effects here, giving it a strange and experimental quality, especially with the drums.

Absolutely essential. It goes beyond symphonic prog, but not quite as far as RIO. The band is as tight as everyone says they are, which I think is a byproduct of half of them being brothers. Sooner or later you have to buy this. If you don't like, stay away from GENTLE GIANT, but if you do, by all means get the other albums by them, which are great in their own right.

Gentle Giant's followup to Three Friends, this album lets down the hard rock sound and goes into more complex territories. The songs aren't that long, but all the more appealing in the way they are constructed. The mood are incredibly well made, starting with ''The Advent of Panurge'', constructed around the great bass work from Ray Shulman and the guitar of Derek Shulman. The album is influenced by the medieval period, as the rest of Gentle Giant's music, but this is no fairy music. Jazzy at times, this album is also probably the band's most accessible. Highlights count ''Knots'' a vocalistic tour de force, and The Boys in the Band, a song about, well, the boys in the band. You can listen to every insturment alone here, and it will still make great music. This is probably Gentle Giant's album that stood the test of time in the most untouched way. Still today, the melodies are fresh, the moods inspiring, and the playwork magnificent. An quasi-masterpiece. 4.5/5

All the five stars are well justified! This album is inspired by Rabelais and reminds me of Teofilo Folengo's "Baldus", a great poem in false-latin language that tells the story and the adventures of giant friends. They spend the time togheter eating in the pubs, wasting the same pubs, and receiving all the pleasure that life can give us. This is the vein of "Octopus". In particular I love "The advent of Panurge" and "Think of me with kindness", but the others are of a so highest level that it's impossible to find anything wrong. Only greatness from Gentle Giant!!!

An Album I fail to understand. The melodies are strange and don't captivate me, instrumentally, it is very strange and The album is painfully short.

1. The Advent Of Panurge 6/10 : A solid weird track that doesn't irritate me. The musicianship can't be described ... it is extremely unique and strange.

2. Raconteur Troubadour 5/10 : An ok track with nice melodies, and is probably the most normal track of the album. 3. A Cry For Everyone 4.5/10 : A gentle Giant Style rocker, and unfortunately it is not very good.

4. Knots 2/10 : It is an experiment, but it sounds horrible, silly, and irritating at the same time.

5. The Boys In The Band 5.5/10 : A jam with a great riff, but unfortunately the music is poor if that riff is excluded.

6. Dog's Life 2.5/10 : A weak simple track with a terrible clavichord driven section.

7. Think Of Me With Kindness 5.5/10 : A pretty good track that sounds very positive. Mellow, and easy to like it.

8. River 4.5/10 : A track with a great riff, but unfortunately drags for 6 minutes and it is strange, and somewhat confusing.

This is a very experimental medieval-folk like music in which you have to have the right mood to listen to it. It is still my least favourite gentle giant album of the ones I have, and I do not understand it at all. (I listened to it about 10 times)

My Grade : D

It's somehow painful to choose one Gentle Giant album of their early period ('70-'76) to call their best, because any single record between these years was and still is something special on it's own way. My personal favourite Gentle Giant album is "Three Friends", which was my introduction to them and still is the one to beat in my personal point of view out from the whole work of GG, even I consider "In A Glass House" as their overall best, followed by "The Power And The Glory" as their "peak" and "Free Hand" as their "zenith" ("Interview" was also very good, but doesn't count in this matter). I simply fell in love with that record, specially the melodic attitude (remember "School Days" or "Three Friends") was more foundable than on every other GG record.

The album before these mentioned records, "Octopus", shows at the first time ever the perfection of the typical & unique Gentle Giant prog-rock, for what they became famous for and they really found their own niche after the more accesible, blues/hardrock (mostly on the debut) influenced first three albums. This album is nothing short of a perfect Gentle Giant observation, but sometimes seems closely sterile, specially the sound quality in comparison with their previous efforts is so much better and with one perfect clear sound. This record is the most loved GG release by many fans and progressive rock listeners, who adore the band and their unforgettable classic-period material. "Octopus" seems flawless, and IMO it's perfect for what it is - a essential masterpiece of progressive music, even it may be hard to understand the attitude of complexity on here, so if you're new to the world of Gentle Giant, I recommend to start up from the beginning - so you understand the maturity-process the band went through at best. It's useless to review or rate the single tracks on "Octopus", all would receive the high score from my side, I still can't find one misplacement on here, all fits perfectly together, which is a big statement, specially on the look of complexity. The great Roger Dean cover is the i on the cake, what more is left to say about the perfect job of the Gentle Giants? Short: One of the best and unique progressive rock albums ever recorded - a total prog-masterpiece!

10/10 points = 100 % on MPV scale = 5/5 stars

point-system: 0 - 3 points = 1 star / 3.5 - 5.5 points = 2 stars / 6 - 7 points = 3 stars / 7.5 - 8.5 points = 4 stars / 9 - 10 points = 5/5 stars

Essential: a masterpiece of progressive music

Feels strange to be reviewing a Gentle Giant album as a relative newcomer to them. I can say that I have no preconceptions or bias. I claim no knowledge of when they were at their best or what led to their demise. I have to say that one track on this album makes it worth buying alone. The opening track 'The Advent of Panurge' is,to my mind,a CLASSIC. Excellent lyrics, and superb musicianship, and the kind of timing that reminded me of how I felt when I heard 'Dance on a Volcano' many years ago. Its up there now amongst my prog favourites. 'Raconteur Troubadour' seems typically English to me, the type of thing morris dancers listen to whilst watching cricket on ye olde village green. I'm unsure whether its really my thing though. 'A cry for everyone' reminds me a little of Jethro Tull,but I feel Anderson is the better singer of the two. Its a great track all the same, but not the best on the album. 'Knots' is pretty different by any standards. I know it inspires lots of people on the PA,and I have to agree that it is appealing in an eccentric way. The middle section of the song borders on Zappa/early Yes. 'The boys in the band' starts with the sound of someone tossing or spinning a coin on a table and then gets down to business. Its a nice instrumental,but seems to be missing something. 'Dog's Life' is a musical ode to mans best friend. Pink Floyd's 'Seamus' was also,I believe,an ode to a dog, however Gentle Giants canine-tribute is simpler and more to the point,and humorous to boot. The penultimate track 'Think of me with kindness', is pleasant enough without really DOING very much. The album closer 'River' is pretty bluesy and a grower. The whole album pays you back the more you listen to it. Its certainly not an immediate gratification that Gentle Giant offer. I'd say this album is well worth having.

I like this album; not a lot, but I like it, to coin a phrase. It is the first fully developed GG effort, full of quirky rhythm changes, complex vocal harmonies and a huge variety of instruments. It was the last to feature the third of the Shulman brothers, Philip, and though his contributions are worthwhile, his loss was not terminal. GG are never easy listening and this album is challenging in the extreme. There are many great moments but a few lows as well, which is typical of the band and these can occur within the same track. Catherine Motuz's review hits the nail on the head except for the rating in my opinion. I prefer Free Hand overall, so this is a 4* effort.

I might say this is my favourite album from them. Everything is good music. And the others are good, beetween '71 and '75 the best period. A true prog band. Try to listen to the beautiful Think to me with kindness, superb, like the instrumental one. A must for every prog lover.

An old school friend of mine back in the 70s was a huge Gentle Giant fan but at the time I couldn't get into them at all. Since discovering this site last year, I've "matured" and seen the light. Of the various Giant albums I have listened to so far, this is the best, although I know that some people will disagree. Opinion on the best Giant album does seem to be divided.

Although very short, this album has four prog classics - The Advent Of Panurge, Raconteur Troubadour, Knots and Think Of Me With Kindness.

The Advent Of Panurge tells of the meeting of the Rabelais giants Panurge and Pantagruel and is a fairly rocky, even a bit funky, track. Raconteur Troubadour is my favourite Giant track so far. A great vocal and the backing track is superb. Listen to the way the violin plays a variation on the verse melody underneath the chorus. The verse melody also features again on the stately instrumental section before it all breaks down and a hand running down the piano keys takes us back into the last verse. Wonderful stuff.

Knots is a much-discussed track, featuring stunning 4 part vocal harmonies and a great xylophone solo. Think Of Me With Kindness is a gentle and thoughtful number, featuring a fantastic piano "riff", nice vocal and a very effective brass solo.

Of the other numbers, A Cry For Everyone is another rocky number, The Boys In The Band is a clever instrumental, Dog's Life is dedicated to their roadies and River has some interesting effects. All good songs but it is the other 4 that, for me, make this album a prog classic. This is the sort of album that you really have to listen to in order to appreciate how skilful the arrangements and the musicianship is.

Reviewing Gentle Giant isn´t easy, as their style is completely unique and I´ve never listened to anything close to their arrangements and instruments use. One song can contain more than ten different themes in less than 5 minutes! But I´ll try to describe what is fantastic about Gentle Giant music.

First song is The Advent Of Panurge, with complex vocal and instrumental arrangements. The highlights are the keyboards, sometimes a jazzy piano, then organ, everything integrated with the other several instruments (brass, xylophone, bass, guitar, etc.) A very interesting piece, overlapping instruments and vocals.

Then comes Raconteur Troubadour, a fantastic song, based on a very rich piano arrangement combined with violin, cello during the first two verses and then a stunning instrumental medieval-like passage featuring beautiful piano, organ, strings and brass arrangement, with good drums and various variations.

A Cry for Everyone is a good rocker song, though with the complex arrangements, it is more "conventional" (if it is possible to use this word to describe Gentle Giant song). The main riff features a distorted electric guitar and there is a free jamming of keyboards (different organ tones), very fast (reminds Emerson) along with guitar and good drumming too. A wisely placed Moog solo and more good guitar and keyboards passage.

Then Knots is very different (as they say, a poetic jigsaw) with very complex vocal arrangements and unusual instrumentation (xylophone and other instruments) in a rather funny way with some passages with common instrumentation (bass, guitar, piano). Then a rather curious xylophone solo followed by a strong keyboard, guitar and moog passage. Very aesthetic passages, like a tremendous collage, due the different time signatures and instruments that follow till the end of the song.

The Boys in the Band is an excellent instrumental song where they (specially Minnear) shows their versatility, combining different rhythms and melodies in the song. There are great organ, synthesizer, guitar, piano passages. The drums are perfect, always in the right rhythm despite of the various changes. The combination of sounds and melodies is simply great.

The next is the excellent Dog´s Life, with fantastic guitars (in fact some ancient acoustic guitar) plus the wondeful reed organ and strings, along with beautiful vocals and some variations including assorted percussion combined with some organ and string lines separated. The main theme with the reed organ and strings is simply gorgeous. Something that only Gentle Giant could provide.

Think of me with Kindness is a rather simple song (of course, if we consider it is Gentle Giant). It is piano driven, with very beautiful vocals, organ, trumpet. There are not so much variations, but the complexity is still here, with different melodies, time signatures, the perfect integration of the voice and instrumental part. Kerry´s voice is very, very beautiful. It is a pitty that he is not the main singer.

The last, The River, features, along with the guitar, bass, cello, organ in many different rhythms and mellodies, many sound effects (provided by moog, of course). The song is a bit experimental, to explore tthe electronic devices they had at the studio, as they say. There is good guitar solo among this and different passages with the electronics, organ, saxes, guitars and so on.

I confess the first time I listened to this album, I didn´t get all the greatness. One day I decided to listen to it and started to realize the greatness of this album (starting with the cover of the original vinyl, with the shape of the bottle where the octopus is inside) and it became my Gentle Giant favourite. I can´t give less than 5 stars to this terrific effort.

My second favorite Gentle Giant album, (Freehand is my fav, btw) it's also probably their most medival. The first side of the album is out-and-out classic Gentle Giant with "Raconteur Troubadour" and "The Advent Of Panurge" a firm base of medival prog. Nobody can match their muscianship, but when it comes to singing acapella, "Knots" proves it. Just flat out awesome! The brother Phil's horn work gets little play on this album, but when it does as in "The Boys In The Band" it gives the music that extra little kick of color and besides, it's a showcase for the band whenever they played it live. "A Dog'e Life" gets little respect, but if you listen carefully, the boys try alittle electronic music with a game show tick tock beat, (if you grew up watching game shows in the US, you'll understand) Kerry uses a weird synth sound that's very sparse, but it enhances the song brillantly. "Think Of Me With Kindness" is the pretty ballad. The band usally have one on every release and it's as good as all the others. The only song that falls a tad below excellent is "River". It just seems a little out of sync, especially Ray's singing. It's almost like he's trying to catch up with the band. What saves it is Gary's bluesy guitar solo in the center. You don't get to hear him wail like this too often. All in all, a masterpiece of prog from a band that pretty much is all alone when it comes to originality. You absolutely can't go wrong with this album. Just plain stunning!!

A good album, but I don't see what the big deal is. Gentle Giant are a band that redefined the term complex. They don't have sprawling side long epics, instead they make up for it by having complex, challenging, and quirky shorter songs. The musicianship and creativity in this album is unsurpassed, but they main problem I have is that this album is on the shorter side and some of the pieces just lack that cutting edge. From the great groove of The Advent of Panurge, to the gentle fugues of Knots, this album is varied, it has substance, and it has some great grooves. The musicianship is quirky, complex, and catchy, the vocals range from searing to hypnotic, to even, regrettably a bit contrived, but there still is a lot to like about this album.

The Advent of Panurge opens with album with a great bass/organ riff that goes through many different ideas. It may just be one of Gentle Giant's catchiest/grooviest riffs, and it's one of my favorite pieces on the album. Superb playing on Minnear's part on this track. Raconteur Troubadour has more of a medieval feel to it with an interesting violin line and some mystic vocals from Shulman. Great percussion and keyboard can also be heard on this album as well as some interesting vibes from John Weathers. A Cry For Everyone has pounding chords from Green as well as some interesting bass riffing from Ray Shulman. My main problem with this song (and the album in general) is the drum sound, the hi hat sounds awful, even though the drumming is spectacular.

Knots is one of the group's first uses of the multi-layered vocal style known as the fugue (and it's their most popular song using it). It has some interesting riffs as well as some interesting percussion and violins in between the vocal laden sections. Another one of my favorite songs on the album. The Boys in the Band begins with the dropping and spinning of a coin or something to that extent on the ground. It then breaks out into a strong organ based riff with some interesting saxophone and precise drumming behind it. An interesting guitar solo is featured but it goes by too quickly to be really enjoyed. Dog's Life is probably my least favorite track on the album, I just can't get into it as much as the other tracks, maybe it's because of the bland main motif.

Think of Me with Kindness features a passionate vocal from Philip Shulman as well as an uplifting horn arrangement during the instrumental breaks. Another one of the better tracks on the album. River ends the album with some catchy riffing, but Derek Shulman's vocal line doesn't really fit with the riff. Generally I really like his voice, but here it just doesn't fit. Besides that, though, it's a good closer to the album.

In the end, I think Octopus is a good album, just not as good as everyone cracks it up to be. My main gripe lies in the drum sound, it's just too in the mix and the hi-hats sound awful (that's only my opinion, though). And there are some songs that could have been better written and refined. But other than that, there isn't much to dislike about this album. If you're a fan of Gentle Giant, this is a must have, but I don't know if someone who is just getting into the group will enjoy this album much, they may like later albums like The Power and the Glory and Free Hand more. 3.5/5.

Octopus is an album I have trouble rating, sometimes I can listen to it back to back and enjoy every second of it, and, other times I cannot stand it. It's strange but this circumstance occurs regularly with me with many albums. There is one song I can always enjoy on Octopus and that song is, A Do's Life, it brings me fond memories of my little Scottish terrier who fits the description perfectly. This is quite a strange song and the harmonies of the violin and synthesizer (I think it's a synthesizer) clash. It amazes me that these clashes still sound good, probably due to the fact that Gentle Giant are very igneous.

I suppose they got this inspiration from early 20th century composers who experimented with clashing dissonances and such. I also identify that the band went back to the Middle Ages and picked up church modes. Something which 20th centaury composers also did, they experimented with the Lydian, mixolydian, Dorian ( there are several more modes I cannon remember) and most of all the pentatonic scales. These experimentations changed the course of modern music in my opinion. Gentle Giant also use these modes.

Even some of the instrumentation is similar to that of the Middle Ages, but when comparing to actual instrumentals from the Middle ages the difference is huge. That my seem like a big contradiction but I understand it, haha. Certainly there were Troubadours around back then, so there are influences from said times. Anyway back to the album.

Octopus is a fantastic album and borders on the masterpiece level, but as I said earlier it is more enjoyable at certain times. This depends greatly on what type of prog fan you and what mood you are in. There are some subtly beautiful sections on Octopus, particularly Think of me With Kindness which is a short, but effective song. There is a wonderful horn solo at the climax of the song. Knots is a masterpiece of Gentle Giant music, the vocals on this song are of an almost inhuman quality. If you listen to closely to all the part then you will wonder how difficult it would have been to record, and to perform live. The Piano theme on Knots is very jazzy and cool, while the glockenspiel solo in the middle of the song is freakishly fast.

One thing I am certain of in this album is that the instrumentation is at the highest level in all prog. Very few bands/artists could compare to the skill of Gentle Giant, and Octopus is a very real example of how good they are. I like the fact that Gentle Giant isn't as guitar dominated as many other bands are. The guitar solo on River reminds me greatly of the song Statbrough blues by The Allman Brothers, just a thought. I have to comment on the cover picture which is very cool in my opinion; I mean an octopus in a Jar, you couldn't ask for anything more.

1. The Advent Of Panurge (4/5) 2. Raconteur Troubadour (4/5) 3. A Cry For Everyone (4/5) 4. Knots (5/5) 5. The Boys In The Band (4/5) 6. Dog's Life (5/5) 7. Think Of Me With Kindness (4/5) 8. River (5/5) Total = 35 divided by 8 (number of songs) = 4.375 = 4 stars Excellent addition to any prog music collection

Octopus is a tiny bit off being a five star album as I have already stated, it isn't quite there. To be correct it is exactly 0.625 off being a masterpiece according to my method of rating. Gentle Giant isn't everyone's cup of tea but if you were to start anywhere with them, I'd recommend Octopus first. It is the easiest album to listen to by the band, for me anyway. I hope this review has made sense to the readers as I have sort. droned on about nothing for a while.

Octopus manages to captivate us without going overboard with a concept, and trust me, that's a good thing. Gentle Giant have created a very fine album here, incorporating quirky antics with some smooth melodies, taking advantage of their instrumental talents to give them a broad symphony like sound.

All the tracks manage to resist that tendency of wanting to write a 20 minute epic, giving us some very fun and whimsical tracks. More competent as songwriters than most of their peers, GG allows us to relax and just enjoy the music on Octpus. Highlights are 'Raconteur Troubadour,' an instantly memorable song that is perhaps the star of the album for many. My personal favorite is 'The Boys in the Band', with a killer opening that many musicians themselves would enjoy.

Overall, an awesome record from a very capable and under appreciated band. Not quite up their with some of my favorites, as it lacks some of the redeeming qualities I find in those albums. Nevertheless, this album is essential for understanding and appreciating the band Gentle Giant.

This album is yet my only encounter with this popular band, and it didn't impress me very much. I bought an used copy of the vinyl just on basis of the neat Dean gatefold cover, but I believe that the feelings which this group create aren't dramatic and powerful enough to match my too demanding and limited taste. The melodic ballad "Think of Me With Kindness" was the most pleasing track here for me. The vocal harmonies and arrangements are technically great, so the appreciation here is probably just a question of preferred style.

I was very surprised that i didn't love this album,i mean look how highly rated it is.Of their first four albums this is the one i like the least."Acquiring the Taste" and "Three Friends" are amazing,and their debut is one i enjoyed a lot.I just found the sound to be really dense on this one,with little in the way of emotion or power. "The Advent of Panurge" opens with fast paced,reserved vocals and keys.The song does get heavier and more complex.Some great piano, and the dual vocals are a nice touch."Raconteur Troubadour" features some violin and vocals to begin with.The electric piano and trumpet melodies are quite amazing."A Cry for Everyone" is an uptempo rocker.I like the guitar,organ melody half way through the song."Knots" has some unique,robotic style vocals to open,followed by some complex vocal arrangements.A xylophone solo works well.Pounding piano trades off with the vocal melodies.The drumming is fantastic!"The Boys in the Band" is my favourite song on this album.It's an instrumental that opens with the sound of a guy laughing, followed by the sound of a coin hitting the floor.The instrumental work to follow is incredible."Dog's Life" is apparently a tribute to their roadies.It's a silly song with funny lyrics,but the instrumental parts of the song i don't really like."Think of me with Kindness" is sung by Minnear and has some good piano passages.This song is ok,nothing special."River" is a bit of a mixed bag.I like the violin and guitar though. Overall i feel let down by this recording,but i'm in the minority.Did they call it "Octopus" because there are 8 tracks?I've never been a fan of the octopus.

As hard as it is to find something neuralgic in their little condiment of craft-cruise or something hasty in the accurately closed-in-itself impulse, so it is difficult to not consider the Gentle Giant music, in at least seven or six albums (up from there you yourself can handle the fan in you, giving the derange of bland towards regressive music), as very good and very equal in being wonderful - somehow each reflects for itself, in a small measure, the splendid effects, to convince in the rest, as interesting and genius, the splendid genre. Somehow simple, but also healthy, is the sensation that a classic from their music sound equivocal to each savant picked, interpreted and framed breath, along all the special years and all the joiced or rejoiced events (once there is an echo to it). The Gentle Giant music is the music of a progressive shattering soul, a symbolist fritter, but also the long resounding talent of complete artistry.

Yet as from all the distinguished (or preferably so) great and aesthetically tempered music, something has to be the superlative (or has to create the orientated such music effect), I believe Octopus is notably the first perfect and strongly eclectic creation, giving the chronology of the suspense story, and even more notably an album of hallucinating-homogenous nature, for the most centric of all aggressions and digressions put in simple art and in sophisticated band spirit - with eulogies or without, it is an album secant to a heavy renown and a clear terrific character. Moreover, though I'm not the big words type of appreciator, nor do I gasp after a crucial unexplainable magic, this album actually feels good and radically notch as (and for) an impact of progressive rock; much like it would be to give a tough example to great phantasms and time eloquences or to indicated the inexistence of other (clear) introverted classic masterpieces. This if the progressive greatness is at least admired by suffocating voices (and doesn't stay obscure and pale), which Gentle Giant is all the way, and if we don't think of too much abstract (despite being abstract) in the intensive place of art rockin' genuine gentleness. Never loosening, the simple impressions or hardens, the course-correcting of small unessential adventures drives instead the sensational album, which to be recommended, and the flawless dazzle merit, which comes from the experience. Maybe from the delice too.

So Octopus impacts progressive rock, meaning many and signifying (instead or accordingly) that drop of creative quality, memorable memory and, perhaps, of a plenitude's trick which needs no waste of delicate or pondered effort. The albums isn't heavy (not even hard-pronounced), though the colors are cold, when the master-look has tact and sound profoundness, or is abundantly evasive, or festives a lightning tone and a rummaging vibration. Indeed, Gentle Giant put only "eight new pieces" in a total contrast of artistic radiance (and this is an expressive art); but it comes up more than good, the confidential "GG" style pulsating in a more exact passion and more feisty latencies. It isn't quite a quiet concept, because the inspiration brings the sole pleasure of broadening the product into originality. And when speaking of the original, it is comfortable to feel a "past" undeveloped time in the sound quality or in the piece's wholesome; it is an attract sense, though maybe to apart, handling febrile music, or finishing the caballed finesse; Octopus is fleered only in the initial craft and the most inspired take. Interesting, at least. The pieces that are much reflected in this album (six out of eight!) are of the best sorts too, having the "GG" air into a magnificent (or almost) way of expression. Cry For Everyone and Dog's Life (the left two pieces) remain good, but have a subtle wipe, endearing the fire of the expansive artifices. Craft artifices, that is, of a stable lucid spirit, of a weak-fitting experimental instrumental-motive, of (generally) an "troubadour" sway in the song charm or the art-vise, in the pastel of sound or the phobia of character. For, towards the end, to install the chimera.

Not necessarily a masterpiece, yet a strong-made classic music sharp-point, imposed by the classic creation Gentle Giant, towards being the prog and lounge rock phenomena. I can almost feel the 70s' air, by this influential motive of trying out art syrups. With a similar possible effect today, or this very day, would a dust of scrape. It fits well any eclectic listen, is towards the impeccable, it's worthy of anything good and joyful.

As someone who was introduced to the prog phenomenon through yes in the 1970s I was a late comer to Gentle Giant. My loss. In some ways it's odd reviewing albums you've known for over 25 years (for some people they'll have listend to this album 35 years ago!!)

Prepare for a mix a tight harmonies, an impressive display of musicianship across a broad range of instruments.

Side one has a dramatic and memorable opening: the advent of panurge and the raconteur troubador present a medieval vocal theme which is captivating.

Knots is marvellous but I find it a bit too difficult at times: if I'm in the modd it's fantastic but not a song for all seasons.

Dog's Life is charming, beautifully paced, complex: irresistible. Think of me with kindness is just about the perfect balance between sentimentality and charm.

I find Gentle Giant the most accomplished interesting and articulate prog band I have had the pleasure of listening to. I enjoy this album more than any other.

River is another complex number: at times quirky, then sublime, it moves around from theme to theme, mood to mood. Glorious. A love the guitar sound: sounds cliched but it's so 70s.

It's not just 5 stars it's a desert island disk.

Octopus was released in 1972, against prog staples like Foxtrot, Thick as a Brick, and Close to the Edge. It holds its own against those masterpieces, but in its own way. Whereas Yes, Tull, and Genesis released albums fll of grandeur and epic tracks, GG opted for shorter, more personal sounds. The result is one of those rare prog classics that is defined by its restraint, not its technical display. That is not to say that the music is simple. Quite the contrary, it has some of the most complex arrangements you'll ever hear. However, the complexity works in a way that makes the songs sound simple.

The music flows beautifully fro song to song. Every mood that music can convey is thrown together to make moments of soft whimsy to dark heaviness. The Advent of Panurge features great dual vocals that are spaced to sound more like a duel than a duet. Raconteur Troubador has a great brass section. A Cry For Everyone is a rocker that adds some power to the mix. Knots is my favorite song on the album, as it perfectly condenses the band's vocal, instrumental, and lyrical powers into one four minute song that feels like a jorney through music itself. The drums in particular are incredible.

The Boys in the Band has a killer organ riff plus the best rock sax playing I've heard on a non VDGG album. Dog's Life shows the band's capacity for humor as they compare roadies to pets. It's probably the weakest instrumentally, but the lyrics are great. Think of Me With Kindness is another ballad that is much more emotional than the opening track. The album closes with River, another rocker that has a great guitar solo that is trumped by a better xylophone solo. River is kind of like the slightly less complex and accomplished version of Knots.

All in all, GG craft music of incredible complexity, but they don't rub your nose in it like many prog bands do. In fact, this is the most pleasant complex album I think I've ever heard. Lyrically, the album isn't great by normal standards, but it is the apex of GG's writing. The music is just so wonderful, and it takes several listens to fully appreciate just how deep the arrangements really are. I cannot recommend this album enough and even non-proggies could easily fall in love with the beauty of this album.

Grade: A

Quirky the best word I can use to describe this album, which features interesting rhythms, vocal patterns, instrumental usage, and a genuine sonic inventiveness which is worth listening to... a few times. Gentle Giant did not capture my attention with any seriousness because, creative though they may be, their sound is boring. The vocals are soft, usually emotionless whispers (or are just loud and goofy) and I the smart instrumental moments (such as in mostly good "Boys in the Band" and the bluesy "River") are over very quickly, and just don't muster enough memorable enthusiasm to warrant more than the occasional spin. However, after several good listens I do respect what Gentle Giant is expressing, as well as their influence to prog-rock in general. Of course, that doesn't mean I have to become a fan. 3 stars for historical significance and a fun play from time to time.

Strange at first, but ultimately rewarding

I keep being strangely reminded of this album lately. A friend of mine was interested in hearing it (via his dad) and a guy I work with mentioned it again today. So, I felt compelled to listen to it again. After all, it's a very interesting piece of work.

At first listen, one might describe this music as "strange". I thought it was bizarre the first time I heard it too. It's pretty normal to feel that way though, the music is quite dissonant. However, I urge you, listen to this album carefully over and over again and eventually you will "get" it. Once understood, this album stands out as a work of genius in the world of music. If you want to achieve this understanding, however, there are a couple things you need to know about Gentle Giant!

Their style includes significant use of counterpoint. For anyone who doesn't know, counterpoint is basically the use of multiple voices that are completely independent in rhythm and harmony. To pull this off successfully is quite a feat, and Gentle Giant does it better than most artists out there. It's really impressive.

Their music is always polyphonic and uses a significant amount of rhythm and chord changes. The chord structures end up falling much closer to those used in classical music than rock music. The complexity of the harmonies, and sudden twists in chord and key changes are a couple of reasons the music can come off sounding so strange to an untrained ear =P

Another reason everything can sound so strange is due to the complexity of their timing. Half the time their song lines feel in the wrong place as they do not start at the beginning of a measure and sometimes go for longer or shorter than what feels normal. The vocals sometimes go one simple note behind a down beat playing quarter notes while the bass plays the same note, but starting at the downbeat. This makes it very hard to follow along with. A lot of the time, the vocals alternate between different singers as well, two singing different syllables of the same line, with a third singer doing a different syllable in a different beat. Just listen to "Knots".

All this can be absolutely fascinating to a musician and completely boring to an average person. Personally I find myself wondering how the [%*!#] they think of this stuff, and it makes me very jealous haha. So, if you're up for something with unbelievable musicianship and an extremely unique sound I URGE YOU LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM.

This is a masterpiece of technical prog rock that will do your head in.

I'd never really gotten into GENTLE GIANT the music never appealed to my tastes and appeared overly bombastic and it just felt like it would require too much effort to get into and I didn't really have the time or inclination to let it all sink in. I recently gave Octopus another chance and everything just seemed to click, the super tight vocal harmonies, the complicated and often dense instrumentation, the cheeky intelligent sense of humour, it all seemed to form this cohesive mass of amazing prog and it made me sad that it had taken this long for me to realise how good this album really was.

Pretty much every song on this album is absolute gem but there are one or 2 songs that stick out from the pack. 'Knots' is schizophrenic with it's flowing complex vocal harmonies and crazy timings it's a real pleasure to listen to time and again for it's unique approach to progressive music. 'Knots' is followed by my favourite song on the album the instrumental 'Boys in the yard' with some amazing melody and frenetic pace, it's amazingly written and executed even better.

The instrumentation on this album is top notch, very technical and virtuosic as a collective, this is one of those albums where every member just slots in perfectly and interplays with one another to create a kind of unified musical consciousness with no one member in particular standing out. I'm particularly partial to the bass and the organs though if it has to be said and the sax on 'Boys in the yard' is amazingly melodic.

Octopus is an amazingly rich and complex work of progressive rock that is essential for any fan of 70's prog.

A progressive rock masterpiece? Well that depends on your criteria. Many reviewers have expressed difficulty in assessing this album, and rightly so. My personal take is that this music is unquestionably progressive, but only half of this album would qualify under the strict definition of progressive ROCK. Roughly half of this album (at least to me) is rock, and the other half really doesn't come close. Take a guess as to which half that I enjoy...

The Advent of Panurge, A Cry for Everyone, The Boys in the Band, River. These four are the musical equivalent of crack, and they all rock. Why is that? It's because the Giant manage to cram an absolutely incredible amount of variability (instrumentation, time signatures, melodies, etc) into such a short space. If you like concise, constantly shifting music, you can't get much better than this. Prog rock for those with attention deficit disorder, if you like! I have to respect the creativity, songwriting and musicianship, and I also flat-out love the music, because it is undeniably good. There's plenty to be found, from the herky-jerky groove of The Advent of Panurge, to the heavy breakdown that is A Cry for Everyone, to the varitable free-for-all that is The Boys in the Band, to the spacey, guitar-driven River. This is the Giant that I love.

Raconteur Troubadour, Knots, Dog's Life, Think of Me with Kindness. This is the Giant that I prefer to avoid. Here we have a medieval, folksy track, a hopelessly complicated mess (not necessarily in a bad way though!), a relatively worthless ditty, and a quite listenable ballad, respectively. It's all very creative and diverse, but it doesn't rock, and contains nothing to bring me back to the album.

I have to admit that I was properly warned from the ProgArchives experts, and now you have been too! When Gentle Giant set to rocking out, their style is tough to beat and impossible to imitate. When they focus more on being creative and playful, I lose interest. Others obviously don't feel the same, but my personal opinion is that Octopus is half of a great progressive rock album, and nothing more.

The fourth album from Gentle Giant is another masterpiece album from the masters. Octopus has all the ingredients that make every Gentle Giant album so exceptional. Great intriguing melodies, polyrythmic structures, time signature and tempo changes and outstanding musicianship. And on top of that some of the best composed songs ever in prog rock. What makes Gentle Giant so great in my eyes is that they are their own. They make use of influences from several genres including hard rock, classical chamber music, mideavel music, avant garde and jazz. They mix them all and out comes the progressive wonderchild Gentle Giant.

The music has changed a bit since their previous album Three Friends. Their style is the same though it´s just minor changes that makes it exciting to listen to a new Gentle Giant album every time. You can feel that they have challenged themselves and that is exactly what I like to do myself with music.

The Advent of Panurge starts the album with a very powerful rythm, a bit funky really, it´s just such a great song.

My favorite is Raconteur Troubadour where the classical and mideavel sounds really emerge. It only last for 4 minutes but try and listen to how many different parts and moods that are in that song. Just amazing is what I say.

A Cry for Everyone is the only hard rocker on Octopus, but Derek Shulman really gets his rocks off here.

Knots is a pretty avant garde like song with another of Gentle Giant´s trademarks the multilayered polyrythmic vocal harmonies.

The Boys in the Band is a jazz/ rock instrumental. Very powerful.

Dog´s Life is a great intricate mellow song, with some twist that makes this a very progressive song.

The most commercial song on Octopus is definitely Think of Me with Kindness as it is kind of a ballad. Don´t worry though it is very beautiful and not pop at all.

River is the last song here and it starts with Ray Shulman´s folky violin playing and becomes pretty psychadelic in the mid section. This is a very progressive song and it takes a couple of listens before it reveals it´s beauties. Just like a fine wine. A clear favorite of mine. The song also spouts a bluesy Gary Green guitar solo.

The sound quality is very good. Clearly the best production Gentle Giant had up til then.

The musicianship is outstanding as I mentioned. The Shulman brothers and Kerry Minnear are some of the best musicians I have ever encountered. Gary Green and John Weathers are absolutely fantastic too. There are no weak links in this band. I´m alway speechless when I have to explain how fantastic Gentle Giant are as musicians, you´ll have to listen for yourself. Their compositional skills are beyond my comprehension too, how did they make this music ?

This is another prog rock classic from maybe the best band in the genre and it will be my fourth consecutive 5 star rating of a Gentle Giant album. This is beyond highly recommendable, this is a must if your into progressive rock.

Octopus really didn't surprise me much. After listening to Acquiring The Taste and really enjoying it, it feels like this album is a repetition of that, but with a lot of emotion and fun moved out of the way. Gentle Giant seem to be polarising in that you either love them to pieces or acknowledge them for their amazing musical talent, but can't force yourself to be emotionally attached to their music. With this album I must join the latter group.

It's full of wild experimentation, a great number of instruments, strange vocal arrangements and a bunch of guys who obviously know how to handle their gear. It's in other words all that a prog lover should like, at least on the technical side of things. On the other hand it just feels cold and almost contrived at times. Overdone xylophone parts, abundant counterpoint melodies and pure strangeness seem to loose me as I listen to the album as a whole. I try to like Knots, but I still prefer Gibberish by Spock's Beard when it comes to the use of fugues and as Gibberish can be seen as a tribute, it's hardly a good thing.

Gentle Giant has a way of creating heaviness in an odd way, and they do it successfully here as well. The same goes for their way of creating some kind of medieval feeling to many of their songs. All well and good and one of their greatest strengths according to me, even if I miss the more obvious blues-rock influences found on Acquiring The Taste. This is hardcore progressive rock with the sole exception that there isn't a single epic to be found. Instead we're served a palette of assorted goodies filled with quirkiness and elaborated arrangements. I guess this is one of the reasons that the album feels very compact, like a really dark piece of chocolate it's not always easy to stomach. But I miss the elaboration of ATT once more, where atmosphere found its way into the music in a better way, smoothing out and highlighting the complexity in a much more enjoyable way than on Octopus. Funny uses of the keys with sounds that border on funny (or silly) from time to time lighten up the otherwise mathematical music.

Varied to say the least, some favourites do emerge from the mix with the first one being Raconteur, Troubadour. A great showcasing of the up-tempo classical/medieval feeling the band creates with a fantastic violin over the rest of the music. Now that's counterpoint for you! Cheerful and even an atmospheric part in there somewhere. Dog's Life is number two, an interesting, shifting instrumental with a touch of Kansas (seriously!) to it and finishing the trio is Think Of Me With Kindness. This last one really sticks out as it's a surprisingly mellow, piano-laid track for being Gentle Giant, soaring at times with a triumphant brass pseudo-crescendo. A little like a slightly happier VdGG song.

If a more mathematical approach to your classic prog makes the interest alarm go off, this is an essential listen. No doubt. But for those of you who demands a little more emotion there really is no point getting the album for its 'essential' status. An interesting and demanding listen from beginning to end, but for me it leaves something to be desired.

3 stars.

//LinusW

Troubadours of rock and roll

Octopus is often seen as the pinnacle of the Shulman Brother's careers with Gentle Giant, and while the band certainly came into a niche with this album it really doesn't make it quite to the top of every list. Interestingly enough, this album is heralded as one of the masterpieces of progressive rock, even if it doesn't have any very signature pieces on it. Still, the album flows well, even as a collection of short songs, and each song is structured so well that this is one of the rare examples of when a prog album made up of short rock tunes actually works well, and an even rarer case of when that album is widely accepted by then the most 'elite' prog head. This is a very good album, but is it the one essential album from this band? No, not really.

The short songs on the album really work for and against it at the same time. On the one hand you have the brothers attacking some very unconventional song writing techniques, especially on the very skillful Knots with its crazy use of vocal harmonies and instrumentation, but you also have more simple rock songs like the heavy A Cry For Everyone with it's heavily distorted guitar. While the songs do move into one another very seamlessly the album still has a feel to it like they could have spent more time on any one particular track and developed it over a longer period of time. There's an itching the back of the mind when The Advent Of Panurge comes to an end that says, 'no, don't end! More! More!" However, that's also a great thing to have on the album since it always has you coming back for more, so it's kind of a love/hate thing.

Of the two sides the first is the stronger with the song being consistently strong and very rock oriented. The second side is good as well but a little more inconsistent. The Boys in the Band is an excellent instrumental (one of the better in the prog universe, in fact), and probably the biggest standout on the album, but then all the seriousness of the album gets shot away as Dog's Life starts in it's quirky manner. A good song that's somewhat out of place this one leads into the somewhat obligatory slow song, Think of Me With Kindness which has a certain amount of beauty to it, and is well introduced (speed wise) with the preceding track. Following that is River which codas the album strongly as the most typically 'progressive' song on the album (and the longest too). This song takes all the elements of the other songs on the album and mixes them (including a touch of quirk in the keyboards) to make for a very fun and unique track.

This is a very good and enjoyable album, but not completely essential. Gentle Giant has better moments in them, but this is still quite good. 3.5 stars out of 5, recommended, but other albums by this band may quench the progressive thirst more than this one.

Possibly the best album by Gentle Giant, which is possibly the greatest band of what is possibly the greatest era of prog music. So, this is possibly the greatest album of all time. Hard call to make, but it is undeniably one that should not be ignored.

With this album, we have a wonderful mix of the weird and the wild, the crazy and the calm. I suppose that's why the name Gentle Giant is supposed to induce such a paradox. Because here, the band plays whatever they want to, and they create some of the most oddly energetic tracks right next to some of the most beautiful songs to be found on a record. This the first true taste of the rock side of the band, drawing casually away from the bluesy leanings of previous releases by the band. Terrifyingly intense vocal harmonies drive a bunch of songs, with seemingly impossible rounds and other sorts of vocal interplays that I have no clue what the names are. And even still, the music is not lost. This is not some terribly complex album that will take you years to digest. Many dig straight in on their first listen, while others might take a couple of tries. Even still, considering what it takes to be rated really highly on this site, I think this is one of the more accessible and yet still deep albums to garner such a consistent and high rating. After this album, the band focuses less on avant-garde sounds and samples, but here we have a band of nerds in full techno-glory when they want to be.

The album opens with The Advent of Panurge, a song that right away showcases the band's complex style of composition. However, above the complicated nature of the instruments, there rises a catchy vocal melody. The album moves on with the mostly acoustic minstrel-feel Raconteur Troubadour (a wicked title to type, let me tell you). This might be the weakest track on the album, though that's still not very much of a detraction from it. The music then segues into the energetic rock tune, A Song for Everyone. This is a particularly catchy song, somewhat less complicated and proggy compared to the first two, but still is a wonderful track to rock out to if that's your thing. It might not really be a song for everyone, exactly, but it's certainly a song that more people would be able to enjoy were they not so into prog. And then, the first side ends with the mind-bending track Knots, featuring some of the most complicated vocal parts short of classical opera. The point and counterpoint in the vocals here are truly inspiring, and when the band pulls together for the chorus, it sounds truly remarkable. Also, the drums in the finale blow my mind every time. The drummer's got fast hands, let me tell you.

The second side kicks off with the peppy instrumental The Boys in the Band. Very much a fun and semi-complex song from the band, it moves the album forward fairly effectively. Coming off the tails of that, though, is the only contender with Raconteur Troubadour (I didn't want to have to type it twice, but oh well) for the weakest album here. It's a heartwarming sort of tune about a dog (surprise), and the music is pretty average by Gentle Giant standards. Oh well, a perfect album has yet to be found, as far as I'm concerned, though Octopus is rather close. The next track more than makes up for this lack, as Think of Me with Kindness brings out a heartwrenching melody with a single vocal that has never seemed stronger. This is a softer song, the softest on this album, and it really moves in a different way from the rest of the music. Finally, comes the violin and guitar rocker River, reminding me somewhat to something like Kansas, though it is in truth nothing at all like a Kansas song. There is a wild drum solo in the middle jam session, showcasing more of those impossibly fast hands, before segueing into a strong guitar solo. The album closes with a bang.

If you like prog at all, buy this. It's a wonderful place to start with this band. The complicated nature is sure to impress and probably entice almost anyone, from a fan of Zappa to one of Yes to one of Cynic to one of Dream Theater. As strong of a recommendation as I can give goes here.

Probably Gentle Giant's best all around album. Their creativeness and energy was at their peak. The clashes between Phil Shulman (who saw himself as the leader fo the pack) and the rest of the band would eventually end with him leaving the group and thus finishing this first phase in Gentle giant's career. But what a closer! It combines the best of their early career and hints what GG would became later (i.e. a little more accessible). This was also the first album to feature permanent drummer John Weathers. Wheaters, a fine and seasoned musician, had a more heavy style and would ensure the band a more prog rock sound than its precedors.

The musical parts are as complex and elaborated as anything they have done before, and yet they seem less dense and darker than, say, Acquiring The Taste. The vocal parts are really strong and the center piece of this album is the unbelievable Knots: this great piece of canon and counterpoint vocals, with some real clever lyrics (anyone who thinks rock is dumb should listen to some prog's works and specilly GG's). The album has no fillers and the variety of styles and moods is proof of their great combination of musical expertise and fine songwriting. Those guys could easily fall in the long jams/endless nooding trap, but they escaped all that concentrating in making good, strong, not very long compositions that few artists could match, even in 20 minute suites. GG members were maybe the most accomplished musicans ever to grace a 'rock' band, but they didn't have to prove it at the songs expenses. They were a rare case of complexity meets good melodies. A delicate, difficult formula they masatered.

The production here is an improvement over previous effords. Octopus has excleent tracks and no fillers. This is surely one of the most representative of what would enter rock history as progressive music. Therefore, highly recommended. 4,5 stars.

I've been in and around music all of my nearly six decades of existence. I used to love to spend my free time casually thumbing through the rows and racks of LPs in record stores and even found desperation-fueled, short-term employment in a few of those lovely establishments back in the 70s. So how I missed hearing even a solitary note from a band as interesting as Gentle Giant for so long is a mystery to me. But sometimes if a group or a particular album isn't recommended to me by someone whose taste I trust, I can easily remain oblivious to them or it. There's just too much music out there to get around to it all and, in this case, radio was no help. Even the most liberal of FM stations in the southwestern US were hesitant to go near this kind of material. Thanks to this website, however, I can happily say better late than never. I have finally discovered GG.

It is indeed a rare occurrence when I must confess that words are failing me, but as I was jotting down notes during a recent spin of "Octopus" I realized that I was being confronted with sound manipulations that are darn near indescribable. This music is so unique, so novel that I'm afraid my review will be irritatingly circumlocutory instead of direct. For that I apologize in advance. I can only say I'll do my best to convince prog explorers that this is music for those of you who love to experience something wholly different from the norm. Who admire aural art that comes straight out of left field. Who appreciate challenging compositions and arrangements loaded with substance and forethought, not just weirdness for weirdness' sake. If that's you then this album is right up your alley and you'll be glad you found it.

Nothing could have prepared me for "The Advent of Panurge" so all I can do is relate my reactions. It starts with some kind of a medieval madrigal chorale singing over electric piano, then the band blows in like some abstract Dali sandstorm filling up the sky. Soon trumpets blare briefly and a semi- psychedelic moment flies across before they return to the madrigal vocals, followed by what I can only describe as a sort of powerful, crawling musical reptilian force taking over until the end. (I tried to warn you.) The lyrics aren't as obtuse as the music but they aren't your regular moon-in-June flavor, either. It's about Pantagruel discovering a lifelong companion in someone who goes by the name of Panurge. Or something along those lines.

Here's another revelation. "Octopus" is reminiscent of the first time I heard Frank Zappa. That was akin to being introduced to gas music from Mars except that it somehow made sense to me and it was a wonderful, exhilarating feeling. And hearing "Raconteur Troubadour" for the first time was similar in that it was a totally unique listening experience with its rapid-fire musical episodes causing my head to swim in an effort to keep up. Just when I think I've got my hands on this slippery fish a grandiose processional-style melody comes parading into the room to my delight. It seems there's a surprise lurking around every twisting turn and soon they reprise the bizarre melodic theme, ending with an electric piano riff retarding like a wind-up toy coming to rest. The tune's words describe the life of a traveling minstrel but who has time to pay close attention to the lyrics when the music is making your mind swirl like a carnival ride?

"A Cry for Everyone" is yet another fun brain-stretcher. It's a forceful rocker (these boys have backbone aplenty) that features a marvelous kaleidoscope of musical instrumentation including some arresting synthesizer settings (especially for 1972). One of the many admirable traits this group possesses is their ability to never let the gourmet fare get overdone. However, when exciting movements like the conga-led sonic tour-de-force that rises up towards the end of this song come along I selfishly want them to go on and on. They're that cool. The words are somewhat deep and philosophical but they have no sobering effect on the unbridled enthusiasm of the band's performance here.

"Knots" sounds like an experiment but it's a successful one nonetheless. It is indeed strange and alien to my ears but the complex counterpoint they indulge in is captivating. About the time I think I've heard it all John Weathers comes out of nowhere and turns in a blistering solo on the xylophone that leaves me shaking my head. Speaking of John, don't overlook the incredible drum work he provides throughout this album because there's nothing about it that could be called easy. And no, I don't have a clue what the subliminal phrases they're singing mean so don't ask me. I'm just enjoying the ride. Leave my tender psyche out of this.

After a clever coin-toss introduction, the instrumental that is "The Boys in the Band" ensues and it's a high-spirited conglomeration of fast-moving, ever-changing musical ideas that are very Zappa-like in their intricate intensity without ever sounding like a rip-off of that genius' magic. On this track everything compliments everything else in a way that I never thought possible.

"Dog's Life," a humorous tribute to their road crew, is a drumless exposition of folk instrumentation mixed up with modern eclectic jazz influences that works brilliantly. (Yikes. I'm running out of complimentary adjectives already.) All I can say is that I hear something new every time I spin this ditty. This is music for the mind.

The quieter "Think of Me With Kindness" is absolutely beautiful in its relative simplicity yet it isn't a simple song at all. Confused? What I mean is that it goes places I don't expect it to go to but once I'm there it makes all the sense in the world. Having said that, it ends in a classic, grand symphonic prog way that melts my heart almost as much as the emotional, heartbreaking words about lost love do.

"River" is the closer and it's a return to more of a hard rock stance for the "verse" (the standard verse/chorus patterns don't really apply to these guys, though), then a floating-on-a-cloud sequence drifts through before a barrage of tasteful drum breaks intervene. All this leads up to an unbelievably authentic British blues guitar solo that Clapton would be proud of. Not what I was expecting to hear at this juncture but true to the unpredictable nature of this group's offerings, for sure. A reprise of the initial odd vocal melody is next, followed by a definitive ending. The lyrics comparing music to a flowing stream of water are poetic and meaningful.

Looking back on this vague review I can report that I merely failed to describe the indescribable and I reckon there's no shame in that. The bottom line is that this music involves me, intrigues me and makes me smile and that's all I dare ask for. I don't know if their other albums are as amazing as this one but I plan to collect a few more and find out before they go out of print. I can't say enough about the astounding vocal and performing abilities of the brothers Shulman (Raymond, Derek and Philip). There are so many varied instruments darting in and out of these tracks that I can't keep up. The keyboard work of Kerry Minnear is nothing short of phenomenal and Gary Green's guitar playing is impressive, to say the least. I can see where this sort of musical collage that sometimes borders on dissonance and abstraction-by-design might not be everyone's cup o' tea but that's what sets these guys apart from the herd. I, for one, am hooked on this album and I know without a doubt that it will continue to entertain and amuse my insatiable desire for adventure for many years to come. I also now know why the fans of Gentle Giant are so loyal. This is greatness.

The fourth album from Gentle Giant has eight legs, I mean, "opuses." Each song shows a different side of the band, which is quite a testament to how versatile they are. This is one no progressive rock fan should be without, particularly someone interested in Gentle Giant.

"The Advent of Panurge" Full of intricate music, this Rabelais-inspired song begins immediately with narrative vocals from Kerry Minnear. Vocal counterpoint is a strong suit of Gentle Giant, and they engage in it in fine style. Derek Shulman's loud voice speaks for the troublemaking Panurge. Before the interlude, Phil Shulman gives a soft vocal performance. The final part of the song is the same as the beginning, serving to conclude the narrative. All in all, it's an important Gentle Giant song, and one of their best.

"Raconteur Troubadour" There is no mistaking the mediaeval feel to this song; there is jingling and violin throughout. The instrumental section is well-crafted, with strings and later, brass.

"A Cry for Everyone" Here we might have a more straightforward rock song, except that feeling only lasts thirty sections into the song. More elaborate music immediately follows the first verse like an extended interlude leading up to the second. After a slightly funky section, there is a brief synthesizer solo.

"Knots" More than anything else, this one is an exercise in sanity. The layered a capella vocals are difficult to wrap one's ears around, frankly, and the whole piece may induce headaches. What little music is involved in this piece is some of the zaniest Gentle Giant has ever produced. It's probably the definition of a hit-or-miss song, but among Gentle Giant fans, this off-the-wall song is a great moment. I sometimes enjoy it, but I have to be in the mood for it.

"The Boys in the Band" Beginning with the sound of a coin spinning, this is not only one of Gentle Giant's best instrumentals, it's one of my favorite instrumentals. It's rampant and yet tightly orchestrated, like a runaway train on the set of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. In less than five minutes, Gentle Giant demonstrates their insane ability to work together as a group and yet produce the most disparate sounds ever heard in one piece. They move through a variety of segments, including quieter moments and hard-rocking ones.

"Dog's Life" With acoustic guitar and strings that sound like a broken accordion, this one sounds a little more cabaret than anything else they've done. While not terrible, it isn't a great song, and it's only three minutes in length, so it's an easily overlooked flaw.

"Think of Me with Kindness" Showing the softer side of Gentle Giant, this one is their best sentimental piece. Minnear has a great singing performance. There are no grand instrumental sections, but this song truly doesn't require any.

"River" Using electric guitar and violin, the band sets up the final song for the album. The drums are especially powerful. Sometimes I feel the piece should have been another instrumental, as Derek Shulman's vocals are not quite as strong here, but then I hear Phil Shulman's vocals, which are at their very best, and it makes me sad that he left the band after this impressive album.

This is the first Gentle Giant album I ever listened to. I can see the skilled musicianship, but the music just didn't grab me. The music is much different than Yes or Genesis, and is much more medival and like chamber music. Now, not that that's a bad thing, but it didn't grab me. I also didn't like how this was a lot like opera. While I don't mind it in Symphony X or Queen, it sticks out like a sore thumb right here. Now, In general I just don't like Gentle Giant's style. If you're going to listen to any of their music, listen to this or the next album first. If you're already a fan, this is probably their best album. Now, this is all just preference. I don't like Gentle Giant's style, and if you don't, pass it by. But if you do, this is a great album. And if there's a place to determine if you like them or not, it's right here.

First love always seems sweeter.

This was my first Gentle Giant album but was part of a rush that eventually spanned the first five albums. Despite numerous very strong tracks, none of the albums have matched this one top to bottom. This album features John Weathers on drums, a wiry burst of energy that added fire to the mix, and is the last featuring the eldest Shulman. Perhaps it is his presence that provide the quirkiness and emphasis on medieval flavor that is less prominent on the follow-up In a Glass House. The songs here are all quite distinct, though as you explore GG's catalog, all reflect the band's sound quite well.

1. The Advent Of Panurge (4:45) (10/10) This one has it all, the remarkable vocal interplay, the staccato keyboard work, the medieval flavor. And the overall sense of wierdness that brands GG like no other band. A great intro to the band.

2. Raconteur Troubadour (4:03) (8.5/10) Continues the medieval flavor, but is a little mellower. The odd rhythm feel remains and the song feels like it is tripping over itself. It takes a few listens to enjoy, but is an excellent continuation and shift from the opener.

3. A Cry For Everyone (4:06) (6/10) My least favorite track on the album. GG's heavy guitar riffs almost never do alot for me and this is no exception. I'm also not a fan of vocals following a rhythm guitar (I dislike the verse of Iron Man for this reason.) But the song contains several other elements that are quite good.

4. Knots (4:11) (15/10) - the crown of the GG catalog, and of the classic prog era in general. Like the tentacles of the title creature, the vocals weave in and out in odd rhythm showcasing the utter brilliance of these guys. At first listen, the opening seems a little calculated, which it no doubtedly was, but by the time the weaving hits the end with the chorus I'm afraid the emotion and energy are at a high.

5. The Boys In The Band (4:34) (9/10) - A great instrumental that covers alot of territory and until I read reviews here, I actually hadn't realized there were no vocals. It was just part of the cohesive whole that is this album.

6. Dog's Life (3:13) - (6/10) an attempt at humor that wears thin lyrically after a couple of listens that the rest of the album requires, but the acoustic guitar theme is great and the lightheartedness sets a nice contrast within the album as a whole.

7. Think Of Me With Kindness (3:31) - (9/10) though much more simple in structure than most of the rest of the songs, this is a beautiful ballad that does not seem out of place at all. One of my favorite prog ballads.

8. River (5:52) - (9/10) another good prototypical GG song with some heavier elements but overall just showcases the breadth of the band's sound to close the album.

One of the amazing things about this band is how much they pack into relatively short songs. There is so much going on here I have never looked back and said wow that was too short. Despite a few small dips, the level of interest remains at almost a max level for most of the album, something I can't say for the higher rated Glass House. The dips are also not as distracting as on the first two albums. Perhaps if Three Friends or Power and the Glory had been my introduction to GG, my opinion would differ, as they are both faves of mine, but as it is Octopus is one of my desert island albums.

The fact that this is the album with Knots makes it a prog classic. But there is much more here than that. Among the top ten or even top 5 prog albums of all time.

A giant octopus?

The music of Gentle Giant is often extremely complex, but I feel that it lacks real depth here. The complexity is often of a naïve and simple kind, if that makes any sense. It is also a type of complexity that jumps right out at you, and not a type of complexity that it takes several listens to reveal. It no doubt might take several listens before you fully can enjoy the music, if at all, but the fact that it is complex is very apparent right from the start. You could say, if you want to be blunt, that all the complexity of their music is on the surface and none underneath. I often also get the feeling while listening to this album, that they are making complex music just for the sake of the complexity itself. But there is no denying their immense talent as multi-instrumentalists and arrangers, and the naivety of the music is often even a bit charming. But great music? I wouldn't call it that.

Octopus is the band's fourth album and it is probably one of their most well known ones. But it is not one of their best ones. The two best songs here, in my opinion, are River and A Cry For Everyone. Together with the jazzy instrumental The Boys In The Band, these songs are also the ones that contain the most instrumental work out and they also rock a bit harder, much in the vein of the bands debut album, which I think is one of their best. The rest of the songs here are primarily vocal driven, and even if they often involve many different instruments, there is very little soloing.

Some of these songs contain very complex vocal harmonies that are quite fun to listen to. But this is also the problem with them. They are too much fun! Frankly, I find some of these songs more than a bit silly and even goofy. Almost as if they are (very complex and sophisticated) children's music, or even comedy music or cartoon theme music or something similar! I just cannot fully take them seriously on Knots, for example. It's ok to have a bit of fun, but for almost half an album it becomes too much for my taste.

Queen, one of my all time favourite bands, really mastered the craft of successfully incorporating some silly moments on their albums. For example, on A Night At The Opera (which I consider a masterpiece) there are Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon, Seaside Rendezvous and Good Company. The only reason these numbers work at all on that album is that they are put side by side with hard rockers like Death On Two Legs, I'm In Love With My Car and Sweet Lady and ballads like Love Of My Life. It doesn't quite work that way for Gentle Giant, I'm afraid. At least not on Octopus.

Think Of Me With Kindness is an attempt to become a bit more serious and making a ballad, and it works surprisingly well. This is also one of the better songs here, and one of the few numbers that doesn't feel cheerful and jolly! I definitely feel that too much of this album is too cheerful.

I understand that this was not a very gentle review of the Prog rock giant's supposed masterpiece. But even if it is a bit charming and has a couple of good songs I cannot elevate this giant octopus even to a three start rating. They made some better albums later on (and also before this one).

It's really strange album by Gentle Giant. It proves, that GG is very strange band and this band have produced albums for all tastes. Gentle Giant is like an ocean, exactly because of that. They approach to every next album so different, so it's almost imposible to be a fan of all of their albums. I prove it to myself. This album truly is not for me. After Three Friends, I adore, I haven't the senses to understand this one. It's completely unclear and strange for me. I think it's too folky and that's the main reason for me not to understand it good. The members show their musical abilities in very precise manner. This is not rock exactly in it's full meaning. I feel it's not something bad and that's all. It's not something good for me, too! I know it's an album I'll never choose to listen to, between it and something else by the band. This let me believe, I have to vote here exactly by the definition of the stars and this means - Collectors/fans only (respectively 2 stars)!