THREE FRIENDS

If there's a band that has always given me problems is GENTLE GIANT, unlike most cases when I simply avoid the bands I dislike, I tried repeatedly to appreciate this band, but when I listen the voice of Derek Schulman creating such dissonances that seem like singing a different track, I just can't take it.

As any normal Prog fanatic, I like complex music with coherence and melodic base, if this wasn't the case, I would be listening any other genre, but when I listen albums like "Octopus" or "In a Glass House", I feel that this guys avoid any logic or coherence and just want to be the most complex band over the face of the earth, and that really turns me off.

But, a few weeks ago while watching DVD's with a couple of pals, they told me to listen "Three Friends", insisting hat that this album would probably make me change my opinion. I didn't believed them, but this guys started to send me mails and even call me to ask if I had already bought the album, so in order to stop this friendly harassment, went to the store and got a copy, and must say that even when my opinion hasn't changed about the band in general terms, I found "Three Friends" a good and coherent release, in which the complexity goes hand to hand with musicality, and it's a pleasure to listen it.

It was enough to listen the first noted of "Prologue" to discover this album had something different, incredibly the music is so catchy that I found myself humming the central melody after the album ended. Even when the band builds dissonant passages, they never cross the limits of rationality an believe it or not I found Derek's vocals absolutely interesting, mostly because the multi-layered voices enhance the listening experience......Excellent opening.

Not in the level of the previous track, but "Schooldays" didn't disappointed, it's true that the long vibraphone intro is not my cup of tea, but the excellent vocals by Derek save that section because he creates a haunting atmosphere when he fuses his voice with the instrument, when the rest of the band starts to join the song gains more coherence, and even the contradictory piano passage helps to maintain the interest of the listener.

"Working All Day" was another surprise, the magnificent lead vocal and choirs caught me from the beginning, but when the Sax blends with the Hammond organ I was really fascinated, sounds like some sort of Psychedelic nightmare blended with VAN DER GRAFF GENERATOR, another high point.

The first couple of minutes of "Peel the Paint", made me believe that the previous tracks were only a mirage and that GENTLE GIANT had returned to the futile complexity I dislike, but as soon as Ray Schulman joins with the violin, it was like magic.

As the song advances, it keeps getting more and more interesting, the dissonant passages morph into Jazzy sections in such a way that even a non fan like me has to surrender before the skills of the musicians, and the frenetic finale in the vein of Hendrix meets KING CRIMSON is the point when I decided to give the band a new chance.

"Mister Class and Quality" is a elaborate mixture of Prog, Jazz, Celtic Folk and Blues , with amazing organ and violin performances, not a single moment to rest, the guitar and Hammond solos are out of this world.

The album ends with the short but exciting "Three Friends", the pompous choirs at the beginning are fantastic and the way in which they combine with the organ made me forget that I'm before a band I never liked, again delightful.

I'm sure I will never be a hardcore fan of GENTLE GIANT, because albums like "Octopus" will not captivate me, but I would be absolutely dishonest if I don't accept that "Three Friends" didn't made me want o destroy the stereo..............Four solid stars for a great album, no matter what I think about the band.