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Gentle Giant: Gentle Giant

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Vertigo Records
Released: 1972
Time:
 36:26
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Tony Visconti
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.blazemonger.com/GG
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2009.02.27
Price in €: 13,99





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Giant (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 6:25
[2] Funny Ways (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 4:23
[3] Alucard (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 6:04
[4] Isn't It Quiet and Cold? (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 3:47
[5] Nothing at All (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 9:07
[6] Why Not? (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 5:31
[7] The Queen (K.Minnear/P.Shulman/D.Shulman/R.Shulman) - 1:41

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Kerry Minnear - Bass, Percussion, Arranger, Cello, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals
Derek Shulman - Bass, Guitar, Arranger, Vocals, Background Vocals
Phil Shulman - Trumpet, Recorder, Saxophone, Vocals, Background Vocals
Ray Shulman - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Violin, Arranger, Vocals, Background Vocals
Gary Green - Guitar, Vocals, 12 String Guitar
Martin Smith - Percussion, Drums

Paul Cosh - Tenor Horn
Claire Deniz - Cello

Tony Visconti - Producer, Liner Notes
Ron Baker - Recording Engineer
George Underwood - Cover Artist Extraordinaire
Hamilton K. Wilson - Artwork

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1970 LP  Vertigo 6360020
1990 CD Mercury 842624
1994 CD Terapin Trucking 009
1994 CD Polydor 842624-2
2001 CD Polygram International 9028
2007 CD Universal
2008 Repertoire REPUK 1035


Astonishingly daring debut album, not as focused or overpowering as King Crimson's first but still crashing down barriers and steamrolling expectations. The mix of medieval harmonies and electric rock got stronger on subsequent albums, but the music here is still pretty jarring. Kerry Minnear was probably the only prog rock keyboard player of the era who allowed his synthesizers to sound like themselves and not mimic orchestras; Gary Green's guitars are alternately loud and brittle or soft and lyrical, and always surprising; and the presence of saxes and trumpets (courtesy of Phil Shulman) was unusual in any rock band of the era -- all of which explains how Gentle Giant managed to attract a cult following but hadn't a prayer of moving up from that level of recognition. "Funny Ways" was the softest prog rock song this side of Crimson's "I Talk to the Wind," but a lot of the rest is pretty intense in volume and tempo changes. "Nothing at All" by itself is worth the price of purchase.

Bruce Eder - All Music Guide



Gentle Giant sind der ewige Geheimtipp unter den Progrock-Bands der 70er. Während Genesis, Yes oder Pink Floyd heutzutage jedem halbwegs gebildeten Musikliebhaber ein Begriff sind, fristen die sechs hochbegabten Gentle Giants um das Schulman-Brüder-Trio ein Schattendasein und sind nur ausgewiesenen Prog-Freaks und Jazzrock-Fetischisten geläufig. Der Sound der technisch äußerst beschlagenen Herren ist allerdings auch deutlich schwerer zugänglich als der der o.g. Vorzeigeproggies. Auf seinem Debütalbum Gentle Giant ('70) verdichtet das Sextett Progrock, King-Crimson-würdige Dissonanz-Ausbrüche, barocke Klassik, Avantgarde-Jazz, vierstimmigen Satzgesang und verschrobene Text- und Songkonstruktionen à la Jethro Tulls A Passion Play zu einem hochanspruchsvollen Klangkonzentrat, das keinen gängigen Schemata entspricht und erst nach einigen Durchläufen seine wahre Klasse entfaltet. Wer immer noch glaubt, "Sound Chaser" von Yes sei im Prog-Bereich das Höchste der Gefühle, sollte hier mal reinschnuppern.

Michael Rensen - Amazon.de



Live startete das britische Quintett 1970 am passenden Ort: an einer Kunstakademie. Denn Gentle Giant zählten zur damals expandierenden Genre-Gattung Art-Rock.Sie irritierten und beeindruckten auf dem Studio-Debüt anfangs mehr als etwa King Crimson oder Genesis - weil sie ihre klassizistisch-rockjazzige Kreuzung aus Emerson, Lake & Palmer und Blood, Sweat & Tears als elitäre Könner ohne Rücksicht auf Hit- oder Hörgewohnheiten inszenierten. Exakt dieser Umstand ist's, der Gentle Giant, weil zeitlos gigantisch gut, heute noch voll und ganz genießen läßt.

© Audio
 

 L y r i c s


Giant

The birth of a realisation;
The rise of a high expectation;
Emerging successful, defiant;
Together the parts make a Giant.
See the world in the palm of his hand,
Striding steps that will cover the land.
He is coming;
Hear him coming;
Are you ready
For his being?
See the Giant
Feel the Giant
Touch the Giant
Hear the Giant.
The birth of a realisation;
The rise of a high expectation;
Emerging successful, defiant;
Together the parts make a Giant.


Funny Ways

I'm sorry to have been so much of a bore
But in my own funny way I find I learn much more.
I realise what you think from your eyes,
But in your own funny way I find I learn much more.
My ways are strange
They'll never change
They stay, strange ways
I'm sorry to have been so close from the start,
But for all that I cared we could be miles apart.
I understood that you never would
Understand a way of life that I never could.
My ways are strange
They'll never change
They stay, strange ways
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
And so you see what happened to me
Since the time when I judged my life in nights and days
I realised that my life was lies
So you see what I mean with all my funny ways.
I'm sorry to have been so much of a bore
But in my own funny way I find I learn much more
Funny ways, Funny ways, Funny ways, Funny ways.


Alucard

Lying still;
Am I dreaming
Feel the chill
Breath of fear
Evil fingers
Hover, linger
Someone help me
Terror fills my soul.
Living dead;
Am I breathing
Sightless, blind
Heart stopped beating
Hear the crying
Of the dying
Someone help me
Ogres of the night.


Isn't It Quiet And Cold?

Isn't it quiet and cold walking all alone, alone? 
Happened I missed the bus and found I had to walk, alone. 
What was that? 
Only me. 
Hear the echo of my feet 
Footsteps 
Are they mine? 
Hear the echo of the street. 
Wished I lived near at hand although I live alone, alone 
At least I'll find company, so why should I moan, alone. 
Movement 
By my feet 
Paper wind across the street 
Curtains closed 
Sleepy heads 
Wrapped together in their beds 
I used to walk with someone else 
I didn't seem to notice sights and sounds of the lonely street 
I used to talk with someone else 
Now the only answers are the calls of the night 
Look at that alley cat, it's winding home to rest, alone 
Half-past four and daylight shows itself once more 
Walking all alone
Walking all alone


Nothing At All

Now she sits by the riverside
Watching the waters glide by,
With a sigh
And the things she put faith in
Are ripples just waving her by
With a sigh
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
Ah this - little girl who had everything finds
she's nothing at all
Now the wind seems so cold
Seems all old as it laughs at her fears
And her tears
And as ducks swim away from her
Visions of past love appear
In her tears
She sees love in his face as she tells him to go,
And so - here's a girl who had everything now
she's Nothing at all
What could she do if she saw him now;
Now that he's gone she's losing
If she could see what she's seeing now
For sure she's more than just choosing
Now she sits by the riverside
Watching the waters glide by,
With a sigh
And the things she put faith in
Are ripples just waving her by,
With a sigh
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
Ah this - little girl who had everything finds
She's nothing at all


Why Not?

Don't sing a tune to yourself
You might believe this one.
Try not to sew it yourself
The threading won't stretch none.
Don't give me none of that line.
Why not?
Got to sing something.
Love's song there's nothing to find
Why not?
Dead before playing.
Don't sing a tune to yourself
You might believe this one
Try not to sew it yourself
The threading won't stretch none
Who says the things that go in
The song is only saying.
Dead thought can kill a good thing
The band is only playing.
Why not climb a hill
With someone that hates you
Why not hate someone
Who climbs a hill with you
And as time passes by
Your feet start slipping
You are wondering why
There is no forgetting
Don't sing a tune to yourself,
You might believe this one
Try not to sew it yourself
The threading don't stretch none
Who says the things that go in
The song is only saying
Dead thought can kill a good thing
The band is only playing
Don't give me none of that line
Why not?
Got to sing something
Love's song there's nothing to find
Why not?
Dead before playing
Dead before playing.


The Queen

Instrumental.
 

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