OCTOPUS

Gentle Giant, seriously catchy band. That sounds weird, but it's true once you get used to the music. At first it might seem like the most overly-complex music ever conceived, but (and the cliche works for this band) after repeated listens, the brilliance of it is revealed. Every noise that seemed abrasive at first becomes a necessary part of the whole. Octopus is probably the finest example of GG's music, and also the hardest to get into. The Advent of Panurge is one of the most twisted (musically and lyrically) songs ever recorded. The instrumentation goes from noodling acoustic guitar to heavy piano riffage and the lyrics are some of the weirdest ever. A Cry for Everyone is a great catchy metal track with an epic riff and some good keyboardage too. The Boys in the Band is an instrumental with great melodies. River, possibly my favorite track on the album, has a mellow keyboard melody and some very relaxing vocal melodies and lyrics. One of the greatest classic prog albums, highly recomended.