ACQUIRING THE TASTE

"Acquiring the Taste" is my favourite Gentle Giant album. Here they reach their creative peak with surreal soundscapes, extreme dynamics and excellent song writing, but the gold is in the arrangements. It leaves behind the unprofessionalism of the first album but without the pretentiousness or simpler sound of the coming albums.

Everybody's playing on this album is top notch, Kerry is incredible with the keyboard sensibility and odd timings, placements and arrangements. But it works great here. Gary Green is screaming on "The House, the Street, the Room" when he pulls of an excellent distorted solo. Grandpa Phil Shulman is featured to great effect in his vocal harmony and wind instruments, he is a big part of what made Gentle Giant's earlier records so much better in the progressive and musical sense, the later albums like "The Power and the Glory" or "In a Glass House" can sometimes feel cold without his unmistakable presence.

Aside from this album containing some of the best songs of their discography, it also has a real "Concept album" feel to it, even though as far as I know it isn't. There is a large dark atmosphere to the sound, ominous but not negative or evil. "Plain Truth" is one of the best Giant tunes, and every song on this album is excellent besides the sub par "Wreck".

Great album, the cream of the GG crop and a perfect example of their signature quirky and experimental progressive rock.