ELP - Trilogy vs. Gentle Giant - Octopus?
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Printed Date: June 19 2025 at 17:56
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Topic: ELP - Trilogy vs. Gentle Giant - Octopus?
Posted By: TexasKing
Subject: ELP - Trilogy vs. Gentle Giant - Octopus?
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 10:45
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Which prog classic from 1972 will get your vote here and why? |
Replies:
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 10:57
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Trilogy. Because it's awesome ! What else do you need to know? ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 10:58
| I like Octopus but Trilogy has been one of my favourite albums since it came out. |
Posted By: Boojieboy
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:09
| I think both are a bit overrated within the catalog of each group. But love GG way over ELP, so had to go with them. |
Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:16
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ELP gets the nod. My ears just like it better. ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:20
| Much prefer GG to ELP. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:26
tough choice, I enjoy both, but Trilogy gets the vote in the end. 
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Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:37
Both albums represent these two bands at their best. Vote goes to Trilogy.  ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:39
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Octopus by a narrow margin. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:40
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Trilogy, ol' friend. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 11:57
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Gentle Giant - Octopus ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: Gentle and Giant
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 14:05
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I prefer Gentle Giant over ELP and for me Octopus is an absolute classic. ------------- Oh, for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen |
Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 14:06
| GG |
Posted By: jamesbaldwin
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 14:11
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The songs included in Octopus are simple but very inspired, with some good peak. Trilogy, in my opinin, it's not so good, no real peaks, too forced: the sophistication is not synonymous of beauty. ------------- Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 14:23
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GG ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: zwordser
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 14:35
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I can't really say; been too long since I heard them in full. Both great albums. Maybe need to listen to them again. Curious, was this recent SOT video what prompted your poll?
------------- Z |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 15:37
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Rather tough, but Octopus gets the nod. ------------- 
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 16:07
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The Trio. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 16:20
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Trilogy ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 17:02
| I cannot choose. |
Posted By: Progmind
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 18:17
| Gentle Giant - Octopus |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 18:49
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Interesting choice that has me a bit conflicted. I think the Gentle Giant album a lot more original and ground breaking than ELP's but seem to enjoy the latter a tad more. Maybe the familiarity of Trilogy's musical reference points (Copland, saloon bar piano, Miles Davis, Ravel, Bach, folk music) makes it more accessible than Octopus? (the disparity in sales figures would support this view) ------------- 
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 19:16
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If you asked me in the 70s, it would probably be Trilogy. Nowadays? I prefer Octopus. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 19:18
Me neither. No vote. I suppose I could toss a coin though.
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Manuel wrote:Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: February 25 2022 at 23:24
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I just enjoy Gentle Giant's approach to progressive rock so much more than ELP. |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 12:19
There we go! JD.  ------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 12:20
good to hear even you suprise me here, Rednight.Trilogy, my very first Prog Rock album, and not so little of love the rest of my life.
------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: A Crimson Mellotron
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 12:47
| Trilogy |
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 14:07
^ this (I assume I'm not the Octopus you like  )------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 14:07
 ------------- 
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: February 26 2022 at 21:29
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GG. Not my fave of theirs though. ELP just got weaker by the album ------------- 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. |
Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 03:16
| GG without hesitation |
Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 05:50
| GG |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 13:11
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Emerson had annoying synth sounds. Poooooo lol ------------- 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. |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 13:26
This ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 13:35
| Octopus. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 13:50
 ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 15:41
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Trilogy, my favorite album from one of my favorite bands. Love Emersons synth work. ------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |
Posted By: HeyItsJustJP
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 16:59
| I gotta go with Trilogy! My favorite ELP album! |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 27 2022 at 23:49
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ELP and GG's best albums. ELP get's my vote. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 01:37
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Voting for my fave Gentle Giant album (alongside Acquiring The Taste). I was listening to it here the other night actually. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Rick1
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 02:22
| Very surprised by this. As a teenager discovering prog in the mid-70s I remember that ELP were considered exciting, Gentle Giant considered boring. Oh well. |
Posted By: Ronstein
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 04:10
| Gentle Giant, also my favorite GG Album. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 09:49
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Good match up as both are showing that both bands were struggling with a lack of direction and so seem to be firing off in all directions at times aimlessly. Both bands were also about a year away from their masterpiece. Sometimes it goes like that , explore the boundaries and see where it goes. As an ELP fan , Trilogy is special because its the only album they did where I feel they are totally together as an ensemble. Yep it veers off at times but they are playing so tight that its never anything other than right on the money. ELP could anything (within the prog sphere) but being focused was not their thing. Gentle Giant on the other hand are actually having a bit more fun and rocking out almost. It's a bit weird really and almost the prog equivalent of Dad dancing. I like it though and it's one of my favourite albums by them. Overall both are 4 star albums but ELP need the votes so I go for Trilogy.
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 10:49
| Went with Gentle Giant here. Another ELP album may have gotten my vote. |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: February 28 2022 at 13:20
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Octopus. Trilogy is the strongest ELP studio album, but I prefer Gentle Giant. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: VianaProghead
Date Posted: March 01 2022 at 10:35
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Gentle Giant - Octopus. ------------- "PROG IS MY FERRARI". Jem Godfrey (Frost*) |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 04 2022 at 13:33
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Trilogy....more accessible to my ears.... ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Hiram
Date Posted: March 06 2022 at 02:22
| Octopus. Solid and flawless. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 07 2022 at 01:45
| ^ Both albums could be described that way tbh. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: March 07 2022 at 03:21
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Posted By: Rottenprogger
Date Posted: March 07 2022 at 04:02
Speaking as a former teenager I can confirm this. I love both albums a lot but I went with ELP here. No slight against GG, they're amazing in their own right.
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Posted By: Rick1
Date Posted: March 07 2022 at 04:17
ooooh, hope you don't have teenage kids!
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Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: March 08 2022 at 00:55
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Octopus hands down. ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Cactus Choir
Date Posted: March 08 2022 at 07:44
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ELP for me, I just like them better as a band. ------------- "And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!" "He's up the pub" |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: July 10 2022 at 00:23
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ELP ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |