Are Gentle Giant Really That Good?
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2022
- Are Gentle Really That Good? It's a good question and one I had to answer. They are not seen by some people as part of the upper echelon of prog, but that's not the way many Gentle Giant fans see it. What about you?
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They are my all time favorite band. I’m 23 years old, discovered them about 3 years ago. I listen to them literally everyday, still doesn’t get old. Ever since I got into prog in general but especially Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, my life has felt much more significant somehow. This music not only achieves such complexity, sophistication, beauty, and balance, but the lyrics combined with that takes you in, shows you the secrets of the world, comforting and entertaining you, showing you what it means to be alive, showing you that it loves you. Gentle Giant is almost it’s own sort of entity, as if I have a deep relationship and mutual understanding with the giant himself. I hope to find more bands that provide such depth going forward, and hope to make my own music incorporating some of the musical themes and theoretical concepts that gentle giant helped cultivate for me.
They are/were the greatest most epic, legendary, genius, unique and most criminally underated band ever.
I love how they can go from chamber music to Black Sabbath hardness in one song. The true meaning of prog music.
”If you’ve not listened to Gentle Giant…..do yourself a favour and start.” I think that sums it up! I’ve been a thrash metal fan for about 35 years and recently I’ve given the likes of Tull and Gentle Giant a chance. Talk about a genuine musical awakening in my 40s. Gentle Giant are the cream of the crop. Unbelievable. They could actually be the greatest band in the world.
I’m a die hard Genesis fan (with a healthy sense of humor), but GG are way beyond their contemporaries for virtuosity and imaginative writing. We did Just the Same in a prog tribute band I was in, it was a beast to play, the polyrhythms were insane and singing that hoppy skippy melody left me with raw vocal chords.
Yes, not only is Gentle Giant really that good, but the more familiar with their material one becomes, the smarter they get! And, those who do, must surely agree, their music is nothing short of inspired, and brings one to not only celebrate, but to pursue the creative power of collaborative brilliance in their own endeavors. Such an outstanding example in human achievement, should rightly be ushered along to future generations, as an example of the potential found when a group of dedicated artist focus as one in their creative efforts.
Bought Octopus when it first was released. As a drummer "The River" blew my mind. I became an instant fan. John Weathers became one of my favourite drummers.
I'm with you 100%. Gentle Giant, in my view, is part of what I hold to be the Big 5 of the original Progressive Rock bands: YES; ELP; King Crimson; Genesis; and Gentle Giant. I think, even for some Prog fans, their music is perhaps too complex for them. And as you say, their stuff just may be the most complex of all those classic bands. It's utterly astonishing. And I love it!
Saw them live 3 times. Their skill of switching instruments was amazing to watch.
I'm a musician of over 50 years.
If one acknowledges that one of the important attributes of Prog is complexity, then Gentle Giant is the apex of Prog. No other Prog band came close to the level of complexity or sophistication that Gentle Giant had.
A massive Gentle Giant fan since their first tour dates, they were bottom of the bill to 'Ten years after' and 'Groundhogs', I remember nothing of either of the headliners, GG had started the gig on such an extraordinary level. I was three rows from the front and the Shulman brothers seemed exactly like giants to me, they were powerful, stocky, and they even dressed with wide belts and long boots. Their strange music was totally mesmerising, and the variety of instruments they got through, in even a single song, was something I had never seen with any band before or since. I drove friends and relatives mad playing their albums, but no one else got it at all, in fact they actually found it irritating. At art college it was the same, I only ever met one other person that had one of their albums and he wasn't that much of a fan. I guess I felt I was part of some exclusive club, but I deeply wished for more recognition for the band themselves, and I really couldn't understand why other people couldn't get into them. They were pretty unique, but surely if you were open to Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, it wasn't a huge leap. The only time I met any other fans was at GG concerts. Desperate to get to see them live again on their next tour the nearest gig was too far for me to get there without a lift. I finally persuaded a couple of fellow students to come along too, they weren't keen but they knew what a big fan I was, so they were willing to see them live. It had clicked, the next day both of them went out and bought every album that was available.
I first saw Gentle Giant in NYC in 1975 at the old Academy of Music. Already a fan, I had previously traced back to Acquiring the Taste, an album in a 4 track recording world working with snippets of tape they did not know if they had an album at all until the end playing amongst the 6 members at the time 32 instruments. That statement alone took guts and the intensity of their pon stage Free Hand show blew me away. Recently they were mentioned on our local classical music station as the inspiration for a young classical pianist. Their influence not fully recognized at the time is recognized now. Their contribution to counterpoint is almost unsurpassed.
RIP RAY SHULMAN 🙁 I played bass in the 70's and saw him with GIANT LIVE 74 & 76, close to the stage at smaller venues and he was often the main focus of my attention, admiration and LOVE when performing. I loved his style and incredible fun stage presence and diverse amazing talent!!!!!! RAY WAS 2nd to Chris Squire as bass player but Ray WAS the key writer & composer with Kerry on most of GG GREATEST MUSIC! This is TRULY SAD for me to hear. I TRULY SAW HIM as one of the BEST in PROG even though based on Social Prog Media he was TOO often overlooked and underappreciated as a MAJOR TALENT in MUSIC!! MUCH LOVE for the GIFT he brought to us in his LIFE!!!!! tears tears
My first GG album was Three Friends released in the States on Columbia Records using their first album cover as a cover. The song Three Friends itself is so haunting it can give one chills. The most nostalgic album they ever made. I was hooked then.
They are the top Progressive band of all time. Nobody better. Saw them live many times.
The "Pretentious" album was my gateway into GG too! Didn't like it initially, but next I got Free Hand. A friend and I played it and we were blown away, mostly because we at 17 found it really funny and quirky. And then their music just grew and grew on me and they are now the only one the classic prog band I play regularly.
Easily my favourite prog band. They bring in influences from early music (Renaissance and baroque polyphony) and from 20th-century atonal music (and jazz, and rock and blues, like many others). And, of course, they do it in their own way. So yes, it's challenging, you have to let your brain get used to it, but once it does, the reward is incredible.
Love how your enthusiasm for the band nearly makes you speechless… in my case I discovered them while poking around in the big record collection of my older sisters friend - the cover of Octopus makes me curious about what sound may hide behind this beautiful artwork… and as I put this record on…oh my… I still remember my whole body shivering while the first chords and this line „there… coming over Charaton Bridge…“ came to my ears. From that moment on I was lost in their musical universe… now for over 45 years. A perfect match: Me and the music of Gentle Giant !
Rip Ray Shulman... Sem sombras de dúvidas a maior banda Prog de todos os tempos.... (Vitória-Brasil)