Gentle Giant: Free Hand or Octopus

Hey there.

I have some extra money, so I'm putting it towards a Gentle Giant album.  The material I've heard from them is excellent so far, but I'm caught between these two albums in particular.

So, my question is, which album do you prefer?

Choose my picture avatar 

I much prefer Octopus, though it will take some time to get into. It gives you a much broader overview of what they are capable of and is a very heavy, complex album musically. Still, Free Hand is a fine album, I would just wait to get that one for later. I do suggest that if you get Octopus, pick up the Repertoire version with the Dean artwork; the sound is an incredible improvement over the US release.

http://www.amazon.com/Octopus-Gentle-Giant/dp/B0011NT4FC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1270391641&sr=8-3

Here's what you can expect from Octopus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FLZXEN4H1E

Free Hand is superior.

I like both, but Free Hand gets my vote.

You can't go wrong with either, really, but it depends (to an extant) on which period of GG's music you enjoy the most. Octopus marks the peak of GG's first period, consolidating everything they did up until that point and building on it some more. Despite being an obviously experimental and technical album the sound is warm and affectionate. Lyrically speaking it's a charming, if somewhat twee affair.

Free Hand, meanwhile, is even more technically adventurous to the point of being almost clinical and scientific in its approach. Mind-blowing compositions, no doubt, but it's a colder album overall. This is also borne out in the lyrics, which are rather cynical and bitter (not that that's necessarily a bad thing).

Really, I just can't choose between them. I love them both equally for slightly different reasons. If you dig GG you'll wind up getting both eventually as they're both pretty much essential. Flip a coin, I say.

Originally posted by Slartibartfast Oh come on, get them both, you know you wanna.  Also get In A Glass House while you are at it.

I vote Octopus. Each of the albums have some excellent songs (On Reflection and Free Hand vs. Knots and Advent of Panurge), but I find that the second-tier tracks in Octopus (The Boys In The Band, Raconteour Troubadour, Think of Me With Kindness, Cry for Everyone) are stronger than the second-tier(Mobile, Talybont, Just The Same) in Free Hand.

Octopus 

Thanks for the votes thus far, everyone!

I've been looking into both albums so far, and I've even taken a look at In A Glass House.  Right now, I'm leaning towards Free Hand, but I'll let the poll continue.