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The sixth to join was drummer Martin Smith, and with the production of Tony Visconti they made for the company Vertigo their first album simply titled "Gentle Giant". | The sixth to join was drummer Martin Smith, and with the production of Tony Visconti they made for the company Vertigo their first album simply titled "Gentle Giant". | ||
1970. The English scene had already witnessed the mighty establishing of King Crimson and the powerful rise of Yes. "We were on the same path. The album was not a great success sales-wise, but it made our name known". | 1970. The English scene had already witnessed the mighty establishing of King Crimson and the powerful rise of Yes. "We were on the same path. The album was not a great success sales-wise, but it made our name known". | ||
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Gentle Giant can be summed up as representative of what their live performances were. "Nothing At All" is a soft theme that highlights Minnear in cello and tuned percussion. "Isn't It Quiet And Cold?" does have a bouncing rhythm. "Why Not?" is a strong rocker with an excellent vocal performance. Those who listen to this first work today, after a nine year distance, will still find something new in it. It is a record that is not lost in time and always sounds fresh and different. | Gentle Giant can be summed up as representative of what their live performances were. "Nothing At All" is a soft theme that highlights Minnear in cello and tuned percussion. "Isn't It Quiet And Cold?" does have a bouncing rhythm. "Why Not?" is a strong rocker with an excellent vocal performance. Those who listen to this first work today, after a nine year distance, will still find something new in it. It is a record that is not lost in time and always sounds fresh and different. | ||
=== Acquiring the taste === | |||
"Acquiring the taste" beats the first album. Released in 1971 it shows a greater level of experimentation. It begins with "Pantagruel's Nativity", a powerful rock that continues the theme of the mythical and folkloric giant. More comfort is found in "The House, The Street, The Room". There are 20 instruments that accompany these words: "My time is spent in chains and confusions of my people / I don't tell nobody / I keep my sorrows and swallow the bitter tears that I shed / I don't tell anyone, go to the reverie / together ... ". | "Acquiring the taste" beats the first album. Released in 1971 it shows a greater level of experimentation. It begins with "Pantagruel's Nativity", a powerful rock that continues the theme of the mythical and folkloric giant. More comfort is found in "The House, The Street, The Room". There are 20 instruments that accompany these words: "My time is spent in chains and confusions of my people / I don't tell nobody / I keep my sorrows and swallow the bitter tears that I shed / I don't tell anyone, go to the reverie / together ... ". | ||
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After signing the contract with the English label "Chrysalis", there appeared "Free Hand", one of the most shocking discs in the decade. | After signing the contract with the English label "Chrysalis", there appeared "Free Hand", one of the most shocking discs in the decade. | ||
:''The text written above the photo in the second scanned page:'' | |||
:The followers of Gentle Giant are like a cult that always stays true to the group. They feel a kind of addiction to the band's music. In the same way they can be ignored, because despite having more than ten albums they are still "the most unknown English band that has released ten albums". | |||
=== New contract, new life === | |||
It is a fresh album, vital, with humor. The issues remain complex, the arrangements higher. "On Reflection" is a vocal canon to which a piano is then added, and then vibraphone and drums. The poetry and harmonic beauty run throughout the theme. The voice is nothing more than another instrument that relies rhythmically on the construction of the words. There are no weak points in an album that ranges from songs with Renaissance touches to the purest rock and roll. The first track "Just The Same" begins with the finger chatter that rhythmically introduces the subject, and that accent remains at the beginning of side 2, where it is given by the sound of an electronic tennis (video game) of a pub. "His last voyage" is another pearl with rhythmic changes, pauses; a plane that goes from classical music to rock braiding in an amazing dialogue with the guitar and drums. "Talybont" immerses us in the medieval music, again. It is criminal that this album has not yet been published in our country! | It is a fresh album, vital, with humor. The issues remain complex, the arrangements higher. "On Reflection" is a vocal canon to which a piano is then added, and then vibraphone and drums. The poetry and harmonic beauty run throughout the theme. The voice is nothing more than another instrument that relies rhythmically on the construction of the words. There are no weak points in an album that ranges from songs with Renaissance touches to the purest rock and roll. The first track "Just The Same" begins with the finger chatter that rhythmically introduces the subject, and that accent remains at the beginning of side 2, where it is given by the sound of an electronic tennis (video game) of a pub. "His last voyage" is another pearl with rhythmic changes, pauses; a plane that goes from classical music to rock braiding in an amazing dialogue with the guitar and drums. "Talybont" immerses us in the medieval music, again. It is criminal that this album has not yet been published in our country! | ||
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However, the market did not understand... After nine Gentle Giant albums it seemed that they did not want to insist more with the English public and their sights were set on the North American market. | However, the market did not understand... After nine Gentle Giant albums it seemed that they did not want to insist more with the English public and their sights were set on the North American market. | ||
=== G.G. Today === | |||
The melodic approach to the songs have changed, the arrangements have changed, too. There was more rock and roll now. Although the group maintains the same staff; as was the compositional seal (so far, absolutely all material was signed by Shulman-Shulman-Minnear), despite everything, the sound was no longer the same. | The melodic approach to the songs have changed, the arrangements have changed, too. There was more rock and roll now. Although the group maintains the same staff; as was the compositional seal (so far, absolutely all material was signed by Shulman-Shulman-Minnear), despite everything, the sound was no longer the same. | ||
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[end of that 'confusing' paragraph] | [end of that 'confusing' paragraph] | ||
The rock | The rock business they abandoned, when they dissolved "Simon Dupree", returns to the Shulmans. Derek's phrase: "Expanding the frontiers of popular contemporary music at the risk of being unpopular" ultimately implies a revision of the concept of music for minor numbers of listeners. What does these terms above ultimately mean? What is the balance between popularity and quality? | ||
Ralph Rothschild | — Ralph Rothschild | ||
[[Category:Articles about Gentle Giant]] | [[Category:Articles about Gentle Giant]] | ||