Comus says: Be a Gentle Giant for Seven Days!

Queen Boo · 01-02-2023, 08:25 AM

My ranking of the big seven.

1. Octopus: Basic bitch pick for number one I know but this one really is unbeatable, every single track here is a certified banger, though Think of Me With Kindness took me a long time to appreciate. Shame this is their only album with both Phil Shulman and John Weathers.

2. Acquiring the Taste: Some days I may even prefer it to Octopus, it may not be quite as tight or consistent but the vibe is really what makes this one special, it has a very melancholy feel to it that none of their other albums have, perfect night time album.

3. Free Hand: The beginning of the band's shift into a slicker, poppier direction but the prog is definitely still here and damn if this isn't their most fun album, their knack for catchy melodies has reached it's zenith here, just a total blast to listen to.

4. Gentle Giant: This one will always have a special place in my heart, it was their first album I listened to in full and that opening track was what made me fell in love with this band at first listen, bold of them to kick things off with what sounds like it could be their own theme song. As a whole this is a bit rough around the edges compared to what followed, the second half does kinda drag a bit, that first side is perfect though.

5. Three Friends: Probably the most slept on of their early albums which is a damn shame, I guess being followed up with Octopus didn't help. It's their most bittersweet album, the first two tracks really capture this feeling of childhood and nostalgia, the following three tracks are about the alienation of adulthood and the last track (which was accidentally combined with the outro of the previous track on my CD version due to a time marker error) is a beautiful lament for that lost friendship.

6. In a Glass House: There was a time when this was damn near my favorite but it has fallen off for me a bit, it still has a lot of beautiful moments but it feels a little disjointed compared to their other classics, it's hard to say why, I think they were struggling to find a new direction when Phil left and it sounds a little more sparse than it should.

7. The Power and the Glory: Tbh this has always been my least favorite of the big ones and it still is but it has grown on me, John Weathers drumming is probably at it's best here, but I dunno compared to the rest it feels like it's missing something, I think there's too much lead vocals from Derek on this one and some songs (especially The Face) he's really singing outside of his range and it gets grating. The first side is great but the second side dosen't do it for me as much.

All in all they're all pretty f*cking great though.