THREE FRIENDS

For me, this is where the classic Gentle Giant sound started to take shape. Herky jerky ryhthms, and their one-of-a-kind vocalizations crop up in almost every song. Sure, on 'Schooldays' you'll hear some of their earlier experimentation with song structure, but overall the angular sound is almost there. What makes it a tad weak is what most reviewers will mention, the very ticky tack drumming of Malcolm Mortimore and the very soft, thin sound. It's not until you get towards the end does the sound fill the room. Even Green's wailing guitar solo, (which, btw the hair band Krokus ripped off on one of their songs back in the 80's...can't remember the title, though...) seems muted on 'Peel The Paint'. Speaking of the last track, 'Three Friends', it has one of my absolute favorite Mellotron passages coupled with the boys incredible choir-like singing. It's is pure heaven on disc. All complaints aside, this album is probably the easiest to get into, especially for fans of Symphonic prog. It's not usually high up on lists of GG favs, but it is nevertheless a must have if you are at all interested in Gentle Giant. It's got their sound, but in a subtle way. And it began their obsession with gearing songs around one concept, in this case three friends and how they get along from schooldays to working days. A classy 4 stars album!