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Topic ClosedGentle Giant: with or without Phil Shulman?
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Poll Question: Which Gentle Giant era do you rather prefer?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
32 [55.17%]
26 [44.83%]
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Gandalff View Drop Down
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Points: 4214 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gentle Giant: with or without Phil Shulman?
    Posted: February 25 2012 at 10:58

Gentle Giant albums with Phil Shulman:
  • Acquiring the Taste (1971)
  • Three Friends (1972)
  • Octopus (1972)

    - without him:

  • In a Glass House (1973)
  • The Power and the Glory (1974)
  • Free Hand (1975)
  • Interview (1976)
  • The Missing Piece (1977)
  • Giant for a Day (1978)
  • Civilian (1980)

    First era has an average PA rating 4,09 (rounded). Second era has 3,52 (rounded).

    Nevertheless, these numbers may not be decisive.


    • Edited by Gandalff - February 25 2012 at 14:12
    A Elbereth Gilthoniel
    silivren penna míriel
    o menel aglar elenath!
    Na-chaered palan-díriel
    o galadhremmin ennorath,
    Fanuilos, le linnathon
    nef aear, sí nef aearon!
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    PabstRibbon View Drop Down
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    Points: 925     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 11:23
    Three Friends that's it
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    Points: 16952     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 11:33
    The only album i like without him is Free Hand. 
    Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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    Fox On The Rocks View Drop Down
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    Points: 5012     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 11:52
    My favourite GG albums are without Phil - In A Glass House, The Power And The Glory and Free Hand. He sure was a great loss, but those three albums are light years ahead from the earlier albums.
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    friso View Drop Down
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    Points: 2506     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 12:16
    The first four albums are more diverse, I voted for that.
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    DisgruntledPorcupine View Drop Down
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    Points: 4395     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 12:17
    Originally posted by Fox On The Rocks Fox On The Rocks wrote:

    My favourite GG albums are without Phil - In A Glass House, The Power And The Glory and Free Hand. He sure was a great loss, but those three albums are light years ahead from the earlier albums.

    This. Not to say their earlier ones aren't great, but all three of the albums that came after are masterpieces for me.
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    Gandalff View Drop Down
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    Points: 4214     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 12:33
    Originally posted by Fox On The Rocks Fox On The Rocks wrote:

    My favourite GG albums are without Phil - In A Glass House, The Power And The Glory and Free Hand. He sure was a great loss, but those three albums are light years ahead from the earlier albums.
    Well, it is indeed nice, but then they ruin it with trashes like Giant For A Day or Civilian. Therefore, I prefer their first four records, since they are more consistent and we can see that Phil was really an equivalent part of the band, including his considerable author contribution. Without him, it's somehow not the same. I accept without reservation from this period actually Free Hand only.
    A Elbereth Gilthoniel
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    o menel aglar elenath!
    Na-chaered palan-díriel
    o galadhremmin ennorath,
    Fanuilos, le linnathon
    nef aear, sí nef aearon!
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    Capt Fongsby View Drop Down
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    Points: 403     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 13:46


    Woohoo! Post #40, and voting rights!


    I vote With Phil Shulman. Purely subjective; I just enjoy the earlier period more    .



    Edited by Capt Fongsby - February 25 2012 at 13:47
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    Wanorak View Drop Down
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    Points: 4574     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 14:04
    Same as Fox on the Rocks, without Shulman.
    A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!!
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    Points: 166183     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 15:47
    With Phil.
    Dig me...But don't...Bury me
    I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
    Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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    Hober Mallow View Drop Down
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    Points: 178     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 17:46
    Originally posted by Fox On The Rocks Fox On The Rocks wrote:

    My favourite GG albums are without Phil - In A Glass House, The Power And The Glory and Free Hand. He sure was a great loss, but those three albums are light years ahead from the earlier albums.
    “When Fortuna spins you downward, go out to a movie and get more out of life.” John Kennedy Toole
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    Points: 1217     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 21:51
    The albums without the elder Shulman seemed a lot less proggy and with a gradual drift towards going entirely mainstream. Sure, "Glass House", "Power and the Glory" and "Free Hand" are great records, but they don't spark my imagination like those first four, particularly "Acquiring the Taste". My vote goes for 'with Shulman', as the latter albums don't impress me as much as the first four.
    Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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    rupert View Drop Down
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    Points: 610     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2012 at 21:55
    Originally posted by PabstRibbon PabstRibbon wrote:

    Three Friends that's it


    Quite agree here, it's my favourite as well.
    ...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock !
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    richardh View Drop Down
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    Points: 29474     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2012 at 02:54
    Octopus and Power And The Glory are my favourites so this is quite difficult! I think I marginally prefer the heavier version of GG which actually started with Octopus.
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    Points: 29630     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2012 at 09:04
    GG fan that I am I wasn't really aware of when Phil left.  Despite the Giant For A Day turkey, I went for post Phil.  
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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    MonsterMagnet View Drop Down
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    Points: 561     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2012 at 14:35
    With, I managed to choose just because the Phil era has 4 excellents albums, whereas the period without him has only 3 albums of this quality (Interview is only half-good and the last three don't do much for me) 
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    Slaughternalia View Drop Down
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    Points: 901     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2012 at 14:51
    I think their best albums are just before AND just after his departure. I guess if I had to choose, after
    I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't
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    Points: 29630     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2012 at 07:27
    I'll always have a soft spot for Civilian because they came to Atlanta on what I think was the last of five more appearances live before they hung it up. Big smile

    More importantly, I got into a venue I was too young to be in to see them and they broadcast the show on radio.



    Edited by Slartibartfast - February 27 2012 at 07:30
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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    spknoevl View Drop Down
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    Points: 296     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2012 at 07:50
    I think Phil's leaving helped the band focus a little more on the arrangements and a little less on multi-instrumentation.  In a Glass House, Free Hand and Power and the Glory are more streamlined efforts instrumently with, arguably, better songs yet the arrangements are still as interesting as the earlier releases.
    http://martinwebb.bandcamp.com

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    Points: 10616     		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2012 at 08:02
    With Phil, no doubt.
    I prefer the older albums much more, even though they have done some fine things post-Phil.
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