FREE HAND

It's ironic that this album is my favorite GENTLE GIANT album, seeing as it was the most popular in the US due to it's accessibility upon release (and I'm from the US.) That is not why I like this album so much, however.

After listening to all of GENTLE GIANT's albums, I had to pick this and IN A GLASS HOUSE as my two favorites. Seeing as this is GENTLE GIANT and not some other bands I like, I don't care about the heaviness in the music. Instead, I care about composition and it's value. This album has perfect of both.

Instead of having an even mix of softer and harder rock tracks, this album has songs that mix those two sounds. So instead of this sound being split between songs, it is now combined in the composition of the tracks.

'Free Hand' and 'Time To Kill' are jazzy and just awesome to listen to while doing anything. Other songs such as 'Just The Same', 'His Last Voyage', and 'Mobile' all deserve this spot too, but I honestly like the first two the best. 'Talybont' and 'On Reflection' are great, happier tunes.

My only problem that has been recurring throughout my listenings of GENTLE GIANT is that it is hard for them to change from their bouncy, happy feel. This gets degrading after awhile while waiting for some darker change for a little bit of variety. Not lackluster, just slightly annoying sometimes.

I recommend for anyone starting out with GENTLE GIANT to pick this one up right away.