OCTOPUS

Octopus is the album that got me into Gentle Giant, ever since then I acquired all other albums by GG, with the exception of The Missing Piece, Giant for a Day, and Civilian. Unlike many others, I was completely fascinated with it the first time I listened to this gem. All songs fit perfectly into this album. The name Octopus actually means "Octo Opus," being there are 8 songs on the album. Octopus starts off with The Advent of Panurge, a "sequel" to Pantagruel's Nativity on Acquiring the Taste. It has awesome vocal harmonies from Kerry, Phil, and Derek. The next song, Raconteur Troubadour, has a nice Medieval feeling to it because of the musical style. (This is what really got me interested in GG's music, their ability to combine true classical-era music into their own.) A Cry for Everyone is a little heavier than the first two, and it is about a person that reflects life and the virtues of it. It has some great keyboard work from Mr. Minnear, who is extremely underrated IMO. Knots is the 4th track of the album, and the standout song. Knots has perfect vocal harmonies from all the members except John Weathers. The lyrics don't come across straightforward for me, but it seems to be about some kind of relationship gone bad. It conveys the tension that the group were going through. The Boys in the Band is an excellent instrumental by the group, a nice and complex one at that, with changing rythyms all over the place. Dog's Life is the shortest song on the album, but it's a good one, being about man's best friend. It is actually an indirect lyrical reference to the roadies of Gentle Giant. Think of Me with Kindness is a good song about a close relationship. River is the last song on the album, and is about a metaphorical relationship between a River and music.

Two words two describe this: Amazing and Complex. A Must have 5/5