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Gentle Giant fans, any Recommendations |
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omphaloskepsis 
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Joined: October 19 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 168 |
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 Topic: Gentle Giant fans, any RecommendationsPosted: February 21 2012 at 13:35 |
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I wish to replenish my Gentle Giant albums with CD's. Being of sane mind and body, I don't plan on tossing my albums out. Could the Gentile Giant faithful recommend the best sounding CD remasters, and surround sound versions of Gentle Giant major albums. I would really appreciate any and all imput. There are so many choices. Help me out, Please!
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dennismoore
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Joined: April 19 2011 Location: America Online Status: Offline Posts: 775 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 14:28 |
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No problem dude.
I purchaed all the recent remasters. They were taken from fresher studio masters and supervised by a band member.
They are by far the ones to get.
I was suckered into buying Free Hand 3 times on CD! The last remasters are the best.
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"Yeah, people are unhappy about that - but you know what, it's still Yes." - Chris Squire
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spknoevl
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Joined: December 14 2011 Location: Dallas, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 296 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 14:28 |
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I'd get everything from Three Friends to Free Hand, including the live album. I actually still have the entire collection on vinyl but I've only replaced those ones. I'm not sure which remasters or surround sound versions are best since I"ve never compared them.
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The notes are just an interesting way to get from one silence to the next - Mick Gooderick |
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darkshade
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Jazz Rock/Fusion Team Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 10342 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 14:39 |
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Are you guys talking about the 35th Anniversary editions? Those are the ones I have and all sound great to me.
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My Last.fm
Jazz-rock conspiracy? Zappa and Miles played at the same festivals in the summer of '69 right BEFORE Hot Rats AND Bitches Brew were recorded. |
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Triceratopsoil
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Joined: April 03 2010 Location: Deadmonton Online Status: Offline Posts: 16310 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 14:55 |
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[QUOTE=Vompatti]I wouldn't put a Warr guitar in my vagina.[/QUOTE] |
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omphaloskepsis
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Joined: October 19 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 168 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 15:10 |
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Good question Triceratopsoil and darkshade. DennisMoore are the the 35th Anniversary Editions GG Cd's the same remasters you have? Thank you all for the info and imput. You guys are a big help.
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BarryGlibb
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Joined: August 28 2010 Location: Melbourne, Oz Online Status: Offline Posts: 426 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 17:14 |
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OK. Just to make things more confusing AND expensive for everyone....I don't know whether this has been mentioned on the site yet but both Free Hand and Interview are being released next week with yet another remastered CD but wait for it PLUS a DVD audio Quad mix for each album. See the AmazonUK website here:
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TheGazzardian
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Eclectic Prog Team Joined: August 11 2009 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 7286 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 18:21 |
I think there was a recent run of re-masters for the last 4 more recently than that, in 2010 Alucard records released I think the last 4 again. And I seem to recall Octopus was re-released recently in a deluxe version...but I don't know the details about that, I already own Octopus and did not want to buy it again so I pretty much ignored that when I heard about it. I *think*, though, it was part of a series of remastering the first 4 albums, which hasn't been done in a long time due to rights or something.
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Coming Soon |
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dennismoore
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Joined: April 19 2011 Location: America Online Status: Offline Posts: 775 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 20:06 |
Yes, I bought all the 35th anniv. CDs. They come in standard plastic jewel cases in a nice paper box with more art. BarryGlibb has posted a real interesting link. You may want to wait and see what that sounds like. But the quad mix sounds less then exciting. Quad mixes were done 40 years ago. Everything now is done in 5.1 after a thorough scrubbing and cleaning of the individual tracks via a nifty conversion to digital. THEN mixed in 5.1. If they dug up some 40 year old quad mix, that would not be as good.... But a quad mix does sound better than no multichannel mix at all.  What Gentle Giant music have you heard so far? Edited by dennismoore - February 21 2012 at 20:11 |
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"Yeah, people are unhappy about that - but you know what, it's still Yes." - Chris Squire
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Zombywoof
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Joined: November 26 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1217 |
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Posted: February 21 2012 at 20:43 |
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I suggest springing for the Repertoire releases of the early albums. I haven't heard the new remasters of "Octopus" or "Three Friends", but Repertoire is really special. Very clean, very warm, but perhaps mastered too loudly. I'm happy with the Alucard remasters that came out a year or so ago of "Power and the Glory" and "Interview", however I have "Playing the Fool", "Free Hand", and "In a Glass House" on the 35th Anniversary series and I was extremely disappointed. Murky, flat, and compressed when compared to the original vinyl, which is what you know and love. My vote is for Repertoire or any of the recent remasters.
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Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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omphaloskepsis
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Joined: October 19 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 168 |
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Posted: February 22 2012 at 10:41 |
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Everything you guys have said so far, has been quite enlighting. I took a chance and pre-purchased 2012 Remastered Free Hand from UK Amazon last night. This is what Gentle Giant's home page had to say about the 2012 "Free Hand" remastered.
In addition to listening to what you good people have to say, I did a little research. A name that keeps popping up is Eroc. Does anybody out there have any of the Eroc remastered GG albums? How do they compare? He remastered "Octopus", "Three Friends", and "Acquiring the Taste." These are the only three Gentle Giant albums Eroc remastered, as far as know. I cut and paste, a typical comment from an Amazon review on an Eroc remastered "Acquiring the Taste". Here it is.... (Gentle Giant's third album was receives a terrific remaster by Eroc (who also
did the remasters for "Octopus" and "Acquiring the Taste"). By tweaking the
album during the remaster process Eroc has managed to keep the dynamic range
intact and give more depth, warmth and greater detail to an already exceptional
album.) If you have heard Eroc's work, do you concur with the comment above? Any, and all opinions are welcome. Please feel free to weigh in with your insights. |
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Zombywoof
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Joined: November 26 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1217 |
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Posted: February 22 2012 at 11:06 |
He remastered the Repertoire releases ... http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-217522.html |
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Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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Zombywoof
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Joined: November 26 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1217 |
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Posted: February 22 2012 at 11:09 |
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Also, check this out: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=52912
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Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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dennismoore
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Joined: April 19 2011 Location: America Online Status: Offline Posts: 775 |
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Posted: February 22 2012 at 11:17 |
 Thanks for the info. on the 2012 remaster. I found nothing on the GG Alucard site which actually sells the CDs... No I don't know who Eroc is. I just know I have spent hundres of dollars trying to get a good sounding set of GG CDs.. grrr
I hope this new 2012 Free Hand remaster is quality and they actually cleaned up the 4.0 mix from the original tapes.
I don't have a preference for 4.0 or 5.1 as long as it has been restored. Tapes do not age well, and a 40 year old
tape from anybody is not a good thing. Check out the RUSH 5.1 remixes or Tull - Aqualung 5.1 remix. The trick is converting all the individual tracks from the original multitrack into digital, then process each track in the digital domain
to correct the various age related issues. It can be a miracle technology when done right. Like I said check out the RUSH & Aqualung 5.1 stuff and it will rock your world!
If GG just did a quick remaster of the quad tape to digital, then that would be far less then ideal.
Yet, still a multi-channel mix of Free Hand is wonderful news!!!
By the way...I asked you which Gentle Giant you have heard because there are really two different GG bands:
Kerry Minear the brilliant keyboard player took over arranging all their songs on Octopus I believe, that is why
there is a world of difference on the 1st 3 GG records and then Octopus, Free Hand, Power & Glory, etc...
I am not judging, just pointing out a stark difference in the music:
Pre-Minmear arranging: a bit dissonant, chaotic, more free form, harsh vocals
Post Minnear arranging: still all that crazy unpredictable stuff but within a more classical or organized framework,
much more attention to harmony & structure.
If you haven't bought any you may wanna check this out. I bought all GG records & CDs but I really can't listen to the first three as all that free form chaos and lack of harmony doesn't appeal to me. From Octopus on, I will BLAST
that stuff to the sufferance of my wife, child and neighborhood!
Maybe you will love it all???
 Hail Gentle Giant!     Edited by dennismoore - February 22 2012 at 11:18 |
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"Yeah, people are unhappy about that - but you know what, it's still Yes." - Chris Squire
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Capt Fongsby
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Joined: February 07 2012 Location: Norway Online Status: Offline Posts: 403 |
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Posted: February 22 2012 at 20:01 |
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I haven't heard the remasters, but I actually think the early cd releases of the first four GGs sound great. I have the old Vertigo editions of S/T and Acquiring (cat#s: 842 624-2 and 842 917-2), the old Columbia edition of Three Friends (CK 31649), and for Octopus I have both (842 694-2 and CK 32022). They are warm, full and pleasant sounding IMO, without the fatiguing dynamic compression that is so typical for modern cd releases.
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rogerthat
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Posted: February 23 2012 at 00:34 |
Thanks for this insight, didn't know about this. Not that , personally, it made much of a difference; the pre Minnear approach worked beautifully on Acquiring The Taste for me. Would have to say that one is their most adventurous album though, yes, Octopus is sort of more well rounded. Also, Pre Minnear, there was a lot more rock in the mix. I don't know if this was because of Minnear or because of Phil Shulman leaving the band, but the funk began to dominate more in the mix from In A Glass House onwards. Edited by rogerthat - February 23 2012 at 00:36 |
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Slartibartfast
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Online Status: Offline Posts: 26083 |
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Posted: February 23 2012 at 06:47 |
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What the funk?
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 8935 |
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Posted: March 02 2012 at 01:40 |
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Just got the remaster of Interview (which also includes the quad mix on a bonus DVD)
The title track and Give It Back are killers. Need to get used to the rest which is always the case with GG. I now have pretty much everything up to Interview. Time to call a halt?
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