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Topic ClosedGentle Giant: Free Hand or Octopus
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Poll Question: Free Hand or Octopus?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
36 [41.38%]
51 [58.62%]
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UndercoverBoy View Drop Down
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Points: 5148 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 13:42
Octopus, but both are great.
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Points: 15745 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 13:43
Originally posted by gottagetintogetout gottagetintogetout wrote:

Octopus, but both are great.
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Points: 32703 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 14:05
Both I like considerably, but I prefer Free Hand.
Just a fanboy passin' through.
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Points: 1319 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 16:49
Free Hand is my favourite GG album, while Octopus is probably 3rd or 4th. Either way if you like one, you'll probably like the other and have to get both anyway! (and eventually the remainder of their first 8 albums Tongue)
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Points: 46828 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 19:33
gotta go with Octopus...   far more into their first 4 albums then the last 4...
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Points: 32482 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 19:37
Originally posted by micky micky wrote:

gotta go with Octopus...   far more into their first 4 albums then the last 4...


I believe that's most folks.  Wink
3.82 | 106 ratings
Interview
1976
2.86 | 74 ratings
The Missing Piece
1977
2.40 | 67 ratings
Giant For A Day
1978

3.06 | 49 ratings
Civilian
1980
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
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micky View Drop Down
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Points: 46828 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 19:42
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Originally posted by micky micky wrote:

gotta go with Octopus...   far more into their first 4 albums then the next 4...  which in turn.. I actually prefer the last three.. to the middle four... 


I believe that's most folks.  Wink
3.82 | 106 ratings
Interview
1976
2.86 | 74 ratings
The Missing Piece
1977
2.40 | 67 ratings
Giant For A Day
1978

3.06 | 49 ratings
Civilian
1980




ClapLOL
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Calculate900 View Drop Down
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Points: 87 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 20:19
Okay, thanks for all the contributions.

I've decided to go with Octopus for the time being, since I like the style on that album slightly more than that of Free Hand.  However, when I get more money, I will purchase the latter, no doubt about that.

Thanks again.
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Points: 46828 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 20:23
Originally posted by Calculate900 Calculate900 wrote:

Okay, thanks for all the contributions.

I've decided to go with Octopus for the time being, since I like the style on that album slightly more than that of Free Hand.  However, when I get more money, I will purchase the latter, no doubt about that.

Thanks again.


the latter 4 (prog albums Robert LOL) are good.. no doubt... but think the first four have something special to them.   A bit more atmosphere.. actually a HELL of a lot more...and for me are simply more interesting to listen to. 
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Points: 28772 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 20:28
Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

Both I like considerably, but I prefer Free Hand.

This, though if I had to pick between the first four and the next four I'd go with the first four since that includes Three Friends and Acquiring the Taste.
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Points: 284 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2010 at 23:40
Maybe Octopus is suit better for start, nevertheless I vote for Free Hand.
 
I would recommend that for a Gentle Giant start, try a compilation first. You could get an easier start for their 'greatest hits', learn more about their two periods, and than go for what you like the most.
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Points: 28 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 00:10
Wow... for me, there is absolutely no contest here.  I think Free Hand is not only GG's best work, it is also one of the best albums anywhere.
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Points: 13032 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 01:08
Octopus

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Points: 4707 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 07:52
both are amazing
no vote!
Prog On!
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Points: 2505 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 08:22
I never understood the Octopus appreciation. It has some weaker tracks, Free Hand is very consistent.
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Points: 10616 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 14:15
Octopus in my ears has much more variety. I personally don't feel it has any weak tracks. Nor does Free Hand, but Octopus... well, I don't know, in my perception it has more adventure. Octopus sounds as if they were still reaching for something. Free Hand sounds more like they have reached it already. Does that make sense?
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Points: 1217 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 14:20
Originally posted by Moogtron III Moogtron III wrote:

Octopus in my ears has much more variety. I personally don't feel it has any weak tracks. Nor does Free Hand, but Octopus... well, I don't know, in my perception it has more adventure. Octopus sounds as if they were still reaching for something. Free Hand sounds more like they have reached it already. Does that make sense?


Perfect sense. I've thought that of Free Hand since the time I first heard it: they seemed a bit too comfortable.
Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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Points: 444 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 05 2010 at 15:35
Originally posted by TheGazzardian TheGazzardian wrote:

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.
 
Precisely!
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Points: 688 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2010 at 06:35
Octopus is the best of the early Shulman-Shulman-Shulman albums, no doubt, but Free Hand gets the edge (despite the inferior cover art), for a couple of reasons: far better production, and a more representative collection of the classic GG sound (Talybont, anyone?)
 
The band itself acknowledged that their best period was after Octopus, in the lyrics for the title track to Interview ("...after the fourth one [i.e. Octopus], realization, finding our road the same as if today...")
 
By the way, isn't a one-on-one comparison poll like this somewhat redundant? Seems like a glance at the album ratings on the GG page would answer the same question well enough...(but without the discussions, so I guess I just answered my own question...)
"we can change the world without anyone noticing the difference" - Franco Falsini
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Points: 4202 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2010 at 06:51
Originally posted by micky micky wrote:


the latter 4 (prog albums Robert LOL) are good.. no doubt... but think the first four have something special to them.   A bit more atmosphere.. actually a HELL of a lot more...and for me are simply more interesting to listen to. 


Precisely.

The four first GG-albums are simply my four favorite GG albums.
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
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