THE POWER AND THE GLORY

Many have written about this album and this band before me so I am not breaking new land, but for me Gentle Giant isn't directly new but still unexplored. Gentle Giant has been one of these bands I recognize as important even if I have been more into other bands. That is perhaps changing now. I decided to begin review records from the magical year of 1974, now celebrating their fortieth birthday.

In ten years this English band released eleven studio albums of which the most are worth hearing. "The Power and the Glory" was their sixth album and followed "In a glass house". GG's music is essential for prog listeners because their music explains without words exactly what prog is. They defined it(together with others) and they got successors. On "The Power and the Glory" the band had refined their sound and become a bit more straight. To be honest I think some earlier records are more interesting with a bigger variety of instruments. Though is it too much to say Gentle Giant had compromised with their sound. That began with "The missing piece". Still cello, saxes and violins were in use together with crazy guitars and keyboards.

An extraordinary cover hides extraordinary music, nine songs of huge interesting. "Proclamation" is a typical Gentle Giant fanfare which shows the beginners a fantastic world but my favourites here are "Aspirations", calm and harmonic and "No God's a Man" which is more crazy. Listen to the record carefully and enjoy every note, it is worth that. Let the music make you believe you are the king on the front page. As so many others have said this is a very good record!