THE ORIGINAL STUDIO GENTLE GIANT - VOL. 1

"The Original Studio Gentle Giant - Vol. 1", is, as its name indicates, the first part of two compilation albums released by the band in 1974. The other is "The Original Studio Gentle Giant - Vol. 2", released in the same year. It's a compilation album that comprises tracks from three albums of them, their eponymous debut studio album "Gentle Giant" released in 1970, their second studio album "Acquiring The Taste" released in 1971 and their third studio album "Three Friends" released in 1972. All these three albums are great albums, mainly "Acquiring The Taste", which is considered by many as Gentle Giant's best work. "Acquiring The Taste" is also considered in general as the most experimental and creative album made by the band. It represents a departure from the blues and soul styles found on their self-titled debut album.

So, "The Original Studio Gentle Giant - Vol. 1" was released in 1974 and has nine tracks. The first track "Nothing At All" is from "Gentle Giant". It's the lengthiest track on that album and is truly a surprising track. This is another typical track of Gentle Giant and it has practically everything that we can expect of this great band. The track begins as a soft and nice acoustic ballad with some melancholic harmonies. In the middle, it grows as a hard and heavy rock song, and then it comes the curious drum solo by Martin Smith, so typical on the albums of those times. Curiously, the piano of Kerry Minnear adds some really nice melodies on the background. Finally, the song ends as the initial soft and beautiful acoustic ballad. This is one of the strangest, original, curious and interesting songs ever composed by the group. This is a real must have for all prog heads. The second track "Funny Ways" is also from "Gentle Giant". It's a completely different track from the previous one. It's a mellow song, more classic and acoustic, with an extraordinary exploration of several musical instruments, some classic and acoustic and others electric and more modern, which are fantastically married with each other. It's also, in my humble opinion, a song with a relatively complex musical composition. This is a perfect example how these guys were unique and great. The third track "Alucard" is another track from "Gentle Giant". It's, if you haven't noticed already, "Dracula" spelled in the backwards. This is an atypical song because is more a hard rock influenced song. It's relatively complex and has some interesting and good instrumental musical passages with some disturbing vocals. However and despite its quality, it never was one of my favourite songs on that album. The fourth track "Pantagruel's Nativity" is from "Acquiring The Taste". It's one of my favourite tracks on that album that became a classic Gentle Giants' track. It's a song with continuous music and a nice melody. It has beautiful keyboards very well combined with a powerful and great guitar work. What is most impressive on this track is the use of so many musical instruments such as saxes, vibraphone, celesta, harpsichord, tympani, trumpet, clarinet and so on, in only one song. The fifth track "Acquiring The Taste" is also from "Acquiring The Taste". It's a very short instrumental track. It's an avant-garde and explorative track with some nice and catchy musical moments despite its short length. The sixth track "Plain Truth" is another track from "Acquiring The Taste". It's a solid rock track with the typical Gentle Giant's guitar work and with good vocal harmonies. It's probably the most accessible track on that album, the less complex and the more traditional, and the less typical of them too. Still, it's a solid closer for this interesting, great and surprising album. The seventh track "Peel The Paint" is from "Three Friends". It's a track inspired by the classical music, in the beginning, that starts very slow and delicate, but that suddenly develops into a more intense and dense, with a heavy rock format. We are in the presence of an interesting song but, at the same time, a strange song in their repertoire. The eighth track "Mister Class And Quality?" is also from "Three Friends". This is another good song on that album. It's probably the simplest song on that album. It has a nice melody and some interesting musical breaks. It's a rock song, with some good moments, great keyboards, a good bass line and a good drum work. The ninth track "Three Friends" is another track from "Three Friends". It represents the second best moment on that album with the opening track "Prologue". This is a song where all comes together in the music, the keyboards, the guitar, the bass and all the other instruments. I particulary like the keyboard work of Kerry Minnear. We are in the presence of another great song, a very short, but a very cohesive piece. Despite be so short, this is really a great piece of music that sounds nice to my ears.

Compilation: This is a good compilation of Gentle Giant. It covers their first three studio albums, which are three great albums, with three tracks from each one. The selection is excellent, but those albums are so good that all tracks would be an excellent choice too. "Gentle Giant" is probably their less complex work and their most heavy album. But, it has the main characteristics of their music. "Acquiring The Taste" is the most experimental, discordant and avant-garde of them. That album has everything that characterized Gentle Giant's music. "Three Friends" has a fine sound and a special taste. The harmonies and arrangements have a distinctly medieval feel and the melodies are quite catchy. "Three Friends" and "Gentle Giant" are their simplest and most accessible albums and probably the most beautiful too.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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