ACQUIRING THE TASTE

Historic album from Gentle Giant! The compositions are really adventurous and fascinating, both equilibrated and extreme.

I was initially captured by the allusive cover.just turn it back too see the Gentle Giant's humour! The arrangements are all conducted by the well known master hands of this unrepeatable band! Only have to say this is not the most accessible of their albums, being "darker" than the masterpieces Octopus and In A Glass House. I don't know if it depends on something then happened to the band or on a particular difficult period. anyway there's a lot of imagination and excellent ideas!

Pantagruel's Nativity is one of my favourite GG songs ever, with that stunning weaving of electric guitar, keyboards, trumpet and good viber. "Gargantua and Pantagruel" is the title of the famous book (four books really) written by François Rabelais between 1535 and 1550. Great masterpiece of satire and comicality! The first LIBER is about the adventures of the giant Gargantua, from his infancy and education. The second tells the story of his son Pantagruel during his studies at the Paris University with the friend Panurge (remember Octopus ?). In the third these two giants debate on the marriage advisability. The fourth Liber is about the sea-expedition of the two friends to the land of Paperfigues and Papimanes (Protestants and Catholics ?). A fifth book was published posthumous in 1562-64 and there's doubt on its authenticity.

To all who loves this literature I can recommend Baldus, written by Theofilus Folengus alias Merlin Cocai in 1520. It's a masterpiece for all the lovers of (comic) macaronic latin ("dog" latin) and tells the story of giants Baldus, Cingar, Margutte, Morgante, all friends who passed the time stuffing theirselves in the taverns, scuffling, seducing women.

Edge Of Twilight is a somehow darker composition with some misterious feeling while The House, The Street, The Room is one of the best here with catchy bass guitar and sudden hard guitar work! Acquiring The Taste is a sort of experimental short instrumental song preceding the second highlight of the album: the energizing Wreck! (one of the best GG tracks ever!). The Moon Is Down is good particularly in its second part. Black Cat features remarkable violin and absolutely no boring slow rhythm! Plain Truth is the third memorable contribution from this excellent 1971 album.

What could I say more? Not a masterpiece at the level of Octopus and In A Glass House but surely one of the best Gentle Giant's recordings! Not for GG novices though!

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