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ProgIta View Drop Down
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Points: 9 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gentle Giant
    Posted: March 30 2014 at 11:54
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

My personal favorite is Three Friends, a rather unpopular choice.
also my,
i think that the GG are the most great progressive band, despite some passages very little digestible! (IMHO).
No, cosa sono adesso non lo so
sono come, un uomo in cerca di se stesso
no, cosa sono adesso non lo so
sono solo, solo il suono del mio passo...
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Points: 733 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2014 at 09:07
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Funny Ways was probably the first GG track I really liked. Alucard was also close and The Moon Is Down. That compilation covers their early albums extremely well. Pretty much all of the first two albums and Octopus are on it so it will leave you with a dilemma about whether to get  those albums seperately and then end up duplicating most of what you have already.
Yes sir you are correct here i have a delimma in the making.I could get lucky someday & score every GG LP at a yard sale for $1.00 each.
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Points: 26171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2014 at 04:18
Funny Ways was probably the first GG track I really liked. Alucard was also close and The Moon Is Down. That compilation covers their early albums extremely well. Pretty much all of the first two albums and Octopus are on it so it will leave you with a dilemma about whether to get  those albums seperately and then end up duplicating most of what you have already.
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Points: 733 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 15:27
Good News-I got the 2 CD Gentle Giant Edge Of Twilight In todays mail.I've listened to Wreck so far which i really like.I'm skimming around giving a listen to other tracks.I grew up on Black Sabbath,Blue Oyster Cult,Deep Purple,etc so this music might have to grow on me.I'm really liking what i'm hearing now though,don't know what track it is.Wish me luck i shall report back!
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Points: 25 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2014 at 18:47
I'll never forget that I TRULY appreciated what Gentle Giant did when I saw a tribute band (Gary Green was in attendance as well) do them.

Sure, I had all their albums, but actually seeing what it took to execute what they had written was a revelation to me.

They got lost in the shuffle for me back in the 70s.  I liked them, but their was so much cutting edge prog back then!  AND they were ahead of their time.
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Points: 26171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2014 at 14:33
^ So was Leave It , Yes returning the 'favour'?
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Points: 3126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 04 2014 at 12:28
There is more usage of the mellotron on the first 3 albums. The sound of their vocal harmonies is reminiscent of the style and approach discovered in early church music. They came up with the idea to fuse that with Rock and as an addition they mastered counterpoint and creatively composed interplays between players in the band to exist within the composition. To a degree...(and in the early days), they sometimes... intentionally or unintentionally..sounded or reminded one of King Crimson. After Octopus they lost Phil Shulman and the band didn't feel confident over the end product of In A Glass House. On Power and the Glory...the band seemed to take on the influence of YES. It was even more evident on Free Hand and on The Missing Piece there is an indication that they might be influenced by Genesis of 79'. The darker sound/side to the band existed early on and they gradually sacrificed a percentage of it when they began to emulate a subtle YES sound.
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Points: 26171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2014 at 01:22
Originally posted by Kentucky_Hawkwindage Kentucky_Hawkwindage wrote:

Ok-Here's what i just did.I bought the 2 CD Compilation GG Edge Of Twilight.This should give me a good overall impression of what Gentle Giant is all about.If i feel the need then i'll start getting each album.

that what I did and I came to the conclusion that it was a mistake. Its a lot of GG to take in one go. My feeble little brain couldn't  'process' it all. When I started listening to the albums as released then I started to make some sense of it all.
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Points: 20477 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2014 at 11:47
Really like the first and Acquiring the Taste  but also enjoy Free Hand and Power and the Glory.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Points: 16165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2014 at 11:03
Originally posted by Dr. Occulator Dr. Occulator wrote:

Get every album chronologically and listen to how one of the most incredible bands ever evolved. Even at the end when they tried to conform a bit with the new wave & punk revolution they were far and beyond better songwriters than their contemporaries. I wish I was back at the beginning learning & listening to the genius that is Gentle Giant!
 
This was even more impressive at the time!
 
Today, it gets lost in the laundry water, and you can't tell the difference any more and most people don't care.
 
At the time, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that tore up music, like they did, and listening to it was an insane pleasure. You just stood there, and wonder ... did they just do that?
 
Also, on the show I did, they did musical chairs for the encore, and every one played every instrument. Funny one was when one of them sat on the drummer stool picked up the drum stix, looked at them and threw them away and played all these drums with his hands! Nutz!
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Points: 16165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2014 at 11:00
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

Originally posted by geekfreak geekfreak wrote:

I've never listened too Gentle Giant. So which album should i start listening to first
Isn't that the OP's question? Read the replies.
 
He had too much to drink, and dope, and thus, is not suited to listening to any Gentle Giant album.
 
We should lock him up with some Third Ear Band for 5 hours. That ought to get him set straight!
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Points: 1474 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2014 at 21:15
Gentle Giant are very, very well known in all prog circles I have encountered except this site. MOst on here seem obsessed with PT and DT. Tongue I'd say after KC they are probably the most well known prog band(not counting the other obvious bands).Anyway, my favorite is probably Octopus but any of their 70-75 albums are great and true classics imo.


Edited by Prog_Traveller - March 01 2014 at 21:17
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2014 at 16:11
^ Sounds very reasonable.
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Points: 733 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2014 at 14:46
Ok-Here's what i just did.I bought the 2 CD Compilation GG Edge Of Twilight.This should give me a good overall impression of what Gentle Giant is all about.If i feel the need then i'll start getting each album.
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Points: 8856 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2014 at 11:23
Originally posted by Kentucky_Hawkwindage Kentucky_Hawkwindage wrote:

Well still can't make my mind up with which Gentle Giant LP to start with.I see a Best Of on Ebay called Gentle Giant Giant Steps The First Five Years 2 CD compilation.It has the cool song Wreck on it which i like.Maybe i should start with this? But my god i hate the cover of it,couldn't anyone come up with a better cover than that?
Any thought or suggestions appreciated. Any other best of or anthologys out there i don't know about?
Thanks Jeff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle_Giant#Compilations
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Kentucky_Hawkwindage View Drop Down
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Points: 733 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2014 at 11:08
Well still can't make my mind up with which Gentle Giant LP to start with.I see a Best Of on Ebay called Gentle Giant Giant Steps The First Five Years 2 CD compilation.It has the cool song Wreck on it which i like.Maybe i should start with this? But my god i hate the cover of it,couldn't anyone come up with a better cover than that?
Any thought or suggestions appreciated. Any other best of or anthologys out there i don't know about?
Thanks Jeff
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Points: 8856 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2014 at 21:35
Octopus was the one I got into first, but, oddly enough, it's my least favorite of the GG 8.
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Points: 2447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2014 at 19:39
Originally posted by presdoug presdoug wrote:

Try The Missing Piece, not their best, but not their worst, either. Great album.
 
Has 2 of my fave GG songs. As old as you're young and Winning
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
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Points: 26171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2014 at 03:20
For Nobody is a great track. I love GG in that mode.
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Points: 2720 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2014 at 03:14
@BarryGlib: Yes, I have to agree, I was a bit hasty with my dismissal of Missing Piece, the tracks you mention are very good indeed.
I suppose I was and am disappointed with the direction GG was partially taking with this album. As you say, there are excellent tracks, but then there are also quite disappointing ones, which was new for any GG release.
Giant for a Day seemed a desperate misstep in search of a new identity, whereas Civillian was a second change of direction which could have lead to tremendous things. Sadly, not to be.




Edited by npjnpj - February 28 2014 at 03:15
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