Gentle Giant - Live - King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents
	Released: 1998 Label: King Biscuit Flower Hour Records Cat. No.: Total Time:
	Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, September 2001 Believe it or not, this was the first time I had ever heard Gentle Giant's music. I had seen their name appear many times in articles and magazine ads advertising their releases, but I never pursued their music. Well, my curiosity finally got the best of me, and I requested this CD for review. I am glad that I did. What I found while listening was a group with a very unique and complex sound. This live recording in 1975 represents a group that was able to use thirty different instruments successfully and make it all sound feasible. It is, admittedly, off the beaten path at times, and the lead singer has a tough go keeping up with the intricacies and odd time signatures, yet they pulled it off. In most instances it came out sounding good. Gentle Giant never the got the attention afforded the more famous progressive rockers such as ELP, Pink Floyd, Yes, and the like, although they could easily be considered on the same level as those that resided in the upper echelon of music, all the while defying categorization. Their music was light years beyond being genre specific, nor could it be sited as being any one particular style. As noted by a member of the group in the liner notes -- "We just did what we did." I think there were more people than they could have possibly imagined that really got off on their music. They broke up in 1980, and here we are, more than twenty years later, exploring their history and adoring their archive of recorded past. This recording is a solid piece of history showing how important and valid the musical statement that this group was making. Were they far ahead of their time? Without hesitation, I give a resounding yes. The sound is typically excellent, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable and palatable. I am glad that I have discovered one of the lost gems of the seventies. It only reaffirms and validates my belief that the seventies was a very important time period for music. More about Live - King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Track Listing: Proclamation / Funny Ways / Runaway, The / Experience / So Sincere / Knots / The Advent Of Panurge Musicians: Line-up 1973: Derek Shulman - vocals, bass, saxophone, recorder Kerry Minnear - keyboards, cello, vocals, vibraphone, wind organ, recorder Gary Green - guitars, vocals, recorder John Weathers - drums, vocals, percussion Ray Shulman - bass, violin, vocals, acoustic guitars Contact: Website: www.blazemonger.com/GG/ Note: will open new browser window Discography Gentle Giant (1970) Acquiring the Taste (1971) Three Friends (1972) Octopus (1973) In a Glass House (1973) The Power And The Glory (1974/1990) Freehand (1975) Interview (1976) The Official Live Gentle Giant: Playing the Fool (1977) Pretentious (1977) Civilian (1980) Missing Piece (1977) Giant for a Day (1978) In Concert (1994) The Last Steps (1996) Out of the Woods (1996) Under Construction (1997) King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents... (1998) Out Of The Fire (1998) Live (Playing The Fool)/Civilian (1999) Totally Out of the Woods (2000) Live in Rome 1974 (2000) Interview In Concert (2001)  In a Palesport House [live] (2001)  Experience [live] (2002)  Endless Life [live] (2003)  Artistically Cryme [live] (2003) The Missing Face [live] (2003)  Way of Life (2003)  Playing the Cleveland [live] (2004)  Prologue (2004) Part Of Their Past (2004) Scraping The Barrel (4CD) (2004) Giant On The Box (DVD) (2004) GG At The GG - Gentle Giant Sight & Sound In Concert & Other Antiquities (DVD) (2006)
	[Review Index]  [Home]  [Top] © Copyright 2001 ProgressiveWorld.net/Keith Hannaleck