Gentle Giant Catalog Review

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 11-10-2013, 10:30 AM

I had all of Giant's releases on vinyl. I thought their most underrated was "Acquiring the Taste" but you can make a good case for "Three Friends." "In a Glass House" was another. But then let's face it, this was a horribly underrated band. Ignored by rockers, not fully embraced by the proggers, dismissed by the folkies who went for more "pure" stuff like Steeleye Span. I got to see them open once for Renaissance at Ford Auditorium in Detroit like back in '79 or so. They were phenomenal to say the least. There are very few bands that have that kind of superior writing, musicianship and singing all at the same time. Certainly nothing like it could ever have come out of America.

I also agree that 1972 was an excellent year for rock. Really the period from '70-'73 was great. After that, Kiss showed up and everything began a slow but inexorable decline.

Deep Purple - Machine Head
Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album (IMO one unbelievably overplayed overblown song from being one of the greatest albums ever made)
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Yes - Close To The Edge
Wishbone Ash - Argus
Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
ELP - Trilogy
Genesis - Foxtrot
Neil Young - Harvest

I had all of those except for the Wishbone Ash. In addition, I had:

Elton John - Honky Chateau
Black Sabbath - Volume 4
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Blue Oyster Cult - Blue Oyster Cult
ZZ Topp - Rio Grande Mud
Lou Reed - Transformer
T. Rex - The Slider
Stephen Stills - Manassas
Captain Beyond (just found it on CD)
Zeit - Tangerine Dream
Gentle Giant - Octopus
King Crimson - Earthbound
Steeleye Span - Below the Salt
Pentangle - Solomon's Seal

That's going through my vinyl collection, which I still have. I bought the Pentangle after seeing them at the Grande Ballroom the year before. I really liked them but the crowd started to boo. Russ Gibb, the owner, stormed out onstage and told everybody to shut up and to show some respect, that these guys came all the way from England to play for us and anyone who didn't like it could leave right now and get their money back but anyone who doesn't leave needs to shut up. Some did leave but most stayed and acted a little more civilized after that. Russ Gibb also owned KEENER radio which started the "Paul is dead" broadcasts that went viral before there was any such thing as going viral. He said it was just a joke inspired by some stoned out kid who called the station and he couldn't believe that it took off the way it did.

11-10-2013, 10:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	I had all of Giant's releases on vinyl. I thought their most underrated was "Acquiring the Taste" but you can make a good case for "Three Friends." "In a Glass House" was another. But then let's face it, this was a horribly underrated band. Ignored by rockers, not fully embraced by the proggers, dismissed by the folkies who went for more "pure" stuff like Steeleye Span. I got to see them open once for Renaissance at Ford Auditorium in Detroit like back in '79 or so. They were phenomenal to say the least. There are very few bands that have that kind of superior writing, musicianship and singing all at the same time. Certainly nothing like it could ever have come out of America. I also agree that 1972 was an excellent year for rock. Really the period from '70-'73 was great. After that, Kiss showed up and everything began a slow but inexorable decline. Deep Purple - Machine Head Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album (IMO one unbelievably overplayed overblown song from being one of the greatest albums ever made) Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick Yes - Close To The Edge Wishbone Ash - Argus Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street ELP - Trilogy Genesis - Foxtrot Neil Young - Harvest I had all of those except for the Wishbone Ash. In addition, I had: Elton John - Honky Chateau Black Sabbath - Volume 4 David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust Blue Oyster Cult - Blue Oyster Cult ZZ Topp - Rio Grande Mud Lou Reed - Transformer T. Rex - The Slider Stephen Stills - Manassas Captain Beyond (just found it on CD) Zeit - Tangerine Dream Gentle Giant - Octopus King Crimson - Earthbound Steeleye Span - Below the Salt Pentangle - Solomon's Seal That's going through my vinyl collection, which I still have. I bought the Pentangle after seeing them at the Grande Ballroom the year before. I really liked them but the crowd started to boo. Russ Gibb, the owner, stormed out onstage and told everybody to shut up and to show some respect, that these guys came all the way from England to play for us and anyone who didn't like it could leave right now and get their money back but anyone who doesn't leave needs to shut up. Some did leave but most stayed and acted a little more civilized after that. Russ Gibb also owned KEENER radio which started the "Paul is dead" broadcasts that went viral before there was any such thing as going viral. He said it was just a joke inspired by some stoned out kid who called the station and he couldn't believe that it took off the way it did.