THE POWER AND THE GLORY

"The band's most irritating, least listenable record." So wrote Alan Niester in the second edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide. Remembering for the moment the antipathy toward progressive rock at the time (1983), it's no wonder only "Free Hand" was deemed a record of "average worth" from the GG catalog.

Of course, The "Power And The Glory" is no "average" album; louder and heavier than previous GIANT productions, this is a concept about a man coming to power (probably written with some prime minister or past politico in mind). I used to have this one on cassette, but tapes being transitory things, I'm now left only with the cassette cover. I always enjoyed it, maybe not as much as softer works like "Octopus" and Three Friends, but moreso than any of the GG albums that followed (i.e., "Free Hand", "Interview"). "In A Glass House" is by all accounts a "difficult" album, so it may be the closest cousin to "The Power And The Glory". I have seen "Power" get low marks from some reviewers, so maybe there are GG fans who really shy away from the band's more abrasive arrangements.

I enjoy the band at both ends of the spectrum (light and dark), so it's never been a stumbling block to my enjoying this record. If you enjoy the band for their deft arrangements, they're here in spades, so enjoy.