ET CETERA

All of the classic Gentle Giant stylistic elements are here in abundance: layered vocal harmonies with occasional hocketing, abundant polyphony, counterpoint and syncopation...There are some key differences however:

1) In contrast to Gentle Giant's urgently throaty vocalist Derek Shulman, Etcetera's vocals float breezily, sometimes even feeling lighter than air...

2) Listening to GG, I usually get the feeling that their keyboardist Kerry Minnear was not only the primary composer, but also the main arranger and conductor for the band. Remove his singular musical thread from the fabric of Gentle Giant and I suspect the entire tapestry unravels. Et Cetera, on the other hand, feels more evenly matched from member to member. This enables them to exude a calm, almost effortless effervescence as they perform their own unique, calmer and more ethereal brand of Gentle Giant's progressive rock style.

It is worth remembering, however, that although they accomplish astounding heights of complexity and beauty that rival and at times even surpass much of Gentle Giant's discography, without the seminal and inspirational styling of Kerry Minnear, the fabric of this band's music wouldn't simply falter, it is hard to imagine it ever having even existed in the first place.

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