GIANT FOR A DAY

First released in the UK on Chrysalis Records on September 11, 1978. Perhaps an ode of regretful reflection upon the circumstances surrounding the departure of co-founding bandmate and, for the Shulmans, brother Phil five years before. Derek and company may also be acknowledging the wisdom of Phil's choice as they prepare for their own exodus. (It would seem that the writing was on the wall.)

1. "Words from the Wise" (4:10) opens with some surprisingly poorly-produced music that sounds more like a bootleg of XTC, KANSAS, or even YES demo music. It does, however, benefit from a somewhat memorable earworm of a melody and lyric. Too bad about that sound! (8.666667/10)

2. "Thank You" (4:45) as if the band had suddenly taken to covering American Country-Rock songs (Both "Rhinestone Cowboy" and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils come to mind.) Weird to hear such straightforward music and rhythms coming from these guys. Also weird to hear George Harrison-like guitar and music dominate the second half. (8.375/10)

3. "Giant for a Day" (3:45) so weird to hear GG doing BILLY JOEL-like "Rock and Roll" with a little Ska injection. Just not right! (8.375/10)

4. "Spooky Boogie" (3:31) the band here seems to reverting once again STEELY DAN style--here very much like a slightly more sophisticated (with the tuned percussion) variation of the "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" style. (8.75/10)

5. "Take Me" (2:45) a percursor to GENESIS' "Is That All?"? (8.666667/10)

6. "Little Brown Bag" (3:32) slashing away at 70s Rolling Stones and future 1980s heavy metal, almost Rockabilly. Again, it is so surprising to hear the great rhtyhm section of John Weathers, Ray Shulman, and Kerry Minnear resorting to straighttime simple rock forms! (8.666667/10)

7. "Friends" (1:58) Wow! Pure XTC--of the Colin Moulding form and persuasion. John Weathers in the lead vocal department sound so much like Colin! (4.5/5)

8. "No Stranger" (2:27) Derek is back fronting a Steely Dan-like song like the Donald (Fagen) or Old McDonald (Michael). Well put together, Andrew Gold is just not the direction I ever expected of these musicians. (4.25/5)

9. "It's Only Goodbye" (4:16) a song that sticks out for me due to the incluision of so many familiar lines and phrases from the band's entire back catalogue: it's as if Derek and crew are thinking nostalgiacally of their elder brother and former co-founder Phil Shulman and the conditions of his lamentable and, perhaps (if the lyrics of this song are to be interpreted correctly), misinterpreted departure in 1973 from the band after the production of the Octopus album. Still so weird to hear such mainstream rock music accompanying a GG song. (8.75/10)

10. "Rock Climber" (3:50) though I am well aware that the classically-trained musicians that formed Gentle Giant had emerged from a cauldron of blues and rock, it still shocks me to hear such music that represents such a blatant descent into the idioms of T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Billy Joel. (8.5/10)

Total Time 34:59

C+/3.5 stars; a collection of good songs that would be acceptable from many other bands but not from Gentle Giant. A sign that the end is nigh.