THREE FRIENDS

This album was apart of their debut my favourite one already at a time when I wasn't a big fan of GENTLE GIANT's unique style yet. Meanwhile I just love all their earlier albums starting from the first one until "Freehand". Maybe I liked it immediately since it's containing like the first one still quite a few more rocking parts. Already the opener "Prologue" is very captivating and though dominated by keyboards there is still a rather obvious electric guitar which doesn't happen that often especially on their following albums. "Schooldays" is certainly the most intricate track on here and it needed a couple of spins until I liked it. But their typical multi-layered vocals are just fantastic on this one and they're fitting nicely to the staccato rhythms used. Highlight of this song is of course the marimba solo! "Working All Day" is a bit like the "little brother" of "Wreck" on "Acquiring The Taste". Although not that intricate it works in a similar way somehow. Great Hammond and sax parts! "Peel The Paint" is together with the title track for me the highlight of the album. Very nice string arrangement followed by an aggressive part reminiscent of VDGG. Great blues rocking guitar & drums part in the second part, very rare to be heard by them. "Mister Class And Quality" has great organ and violin play and is actually a quite catchy song despite its complexity. Again lots of great guitar playing in this one. The closing title track is probably the most lush one they've done ever. Really wonderful the combination of guitar, pastoral organ and choral singing. Absolute highlight!

Though admittedly 5 stars seams over-rated for this album since it's less complex than its predecessor and the following ones, I still like to insist to give it the full score and IMO all their albums from "Taste" to "Power" deserve this rating!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a starting point for this great band!

(Edited 10/11/2005)