The time at home has led me to dig through the CD collection to listen to some things I've not heard lately or just never listened to hard enough. Gentle Giant is one of those bands. While I like prog, they were just a bit too much for me at first, but the more I listen, the more I get it. They craft very complex arrangements, and are very British - definitely some of the "escapees from a Renaissance Faire" vibe at times. One of the comments on this youtube video says "They are Mahavishnu Orchestra for weird people," and that is about right. Check it out:
I think that some of their labyrinthine arrangements and harmonies sound a little like an early Phish, honestly. Great headphone music!!!!!!!!
Saw them a few times, great show
Thanks for turning me on to these guys. I was not aware of them.
Phenomenal musicians!
^ Octopus is a great record , also find In a Glass House , also Free Hand. Some or the best neoclassical prog ever recorded
Nice Roger Dean art on the cover of Octopus
[Edited on 6/5/2020 by BrerRabbit]
Gentle Giant. Never heard of them. They are extremely gifted musicians.
The only time a saw a musician play one of those Xylophones was when I went with my dad to a jazz show in the 1950's and saw Lionel Hampton. My dad was so impressed he bought a Lionel Hampton record album.
Be sure to stay with it long enough to see Hampton switch to drums and do his circus style drumming.
I lasted 2-1/2 minutes. Certainly incredible musicians, but to me that doesn't equate to enjoyable. It sounds like they are trying play as many notes as they possibly can. If that's your thing, then fine, go with it. They remind me a lot of Yes but I guess that's not surprising, two early 70's English prog rock bands. But Yes wrote some more listenable stuff as well. Did Gentle Giant ever have one single hit?
I actually saw them in 1972 when I was in high school. They were part of a triple bill at The Hollywood Bowl: Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant, Captain Beyond. Giant had NO business being on that bill between a Metal band and a hard rock band...........but really, how else could you have put GG on a bill? They didn't really fit in with anyone else, and for that I at least give them credit for originality.
They sure didn't go over that night. The Sabbath freaks were entirely disrespectful, yelling loudly during more subtle moments in GG's set, even lighting firecrackers. I didn't like GG's music but even at 17 I had enough respect to sit there and listen. I felt very badly for GG and at one point one of them even berated the audience. I couldn't blame him.
yeah Robslob, I definitely have to be in the mood to listen to prog or fusion. It is often cerebral rather than soulful.
That being said, once you wrap your head around it, it can be very enjoyable.
I have found that some songs that are simple and melodic get old quick for me, while some music that takes me a while to get into then becomes something that stays in my rotation longer.
Gentle Giant had a small but enthusiastic cult following in the 70s, they were most definitely not for everyone. Among inner circle progrockers they were recognized as prog-lords, with Octopus qualifying as contender for being the quintessential defining work of the genre.
Saw them three times in the 70s, headlining at small venues - they were tight, complex, brilliant, an absolute blast every time. They were having a great time, and pulled you right along.
Yeah, there is a "second layer" of prog that I know a lot less about.
Everyone knows these bands: Yes, Genesis, ELP, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Pink Floyd.
I'm far less knowledgeable on the likes of Gentle Giant, Nektar, PFM, Caravan, Mike Oldfield, Soft Machine, and others. I like what I have gotten to hear so far!
. . . far less knowledgeable on the likes of Gentle Giant, Nektar, PFM, Caravan, Mike Oldfield, Soft Machine, and others. I like what I have gotten to hear so far!
Saw Nektar a couple times . . . 
. . . fantastic multimedia blitz. I love their "Remember The Future" record, one of those whole album concept things . Soft Machine, it bounced off, I never got it.
Not so much prog as "acid jazz" been on a Gong bender lately.(btw the founder of Gong was from Soft Machine)
All their early Virgin releases have been remastered recently, a huge box with some complete live shows, or just separate CDs, the first three are excellent for starters, - "Flying Teapot" - "Angel's Egg" - "You" . Very listenable, not insanely complex or manic.
If I had to recommend just one I would say go with "Angel's Egg". Or maybe rather "You" , I dont know, it is all pretty far out there - here's a bit from "You" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Up_t-7DX0qw&list=PL-dBL38p1AR96uF_6NeI-soQW6qPERGL2&index=5&t=0s
go to Planet Gong https://www.planetgong.co.uk/news/current.shtml
[Edited on 6/11/2020 by BrerRabbit]
