FREE HAND

This is the last GENTLE GIANT studio album that I will give the highest qualification to, I promise.

"Just the same" became one of the favorite pieces in GENTLE GIANT's live performances, almost always as the opening song, it is a very joyful piece with a very iconic sax line. "On reflection" is one of the most recognizable songs in their catalog, just as they did in OCTOPUS with "Knots", the vocal play is absolutely majestic, it goes accompanied with Kerry MINNEAR's xylophone until it changes to the medieval flute-vocal-violin middle section which they improved as an instrumental opening of the song in live performances.

"Free hand" is more moved than "On reflection" and most of it is played with regular instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards); I really think this song is much longer than it needs, it goes and goes so many times that I couldn't count them. "Time to kill" is not a very famous song of the band, it is a nice rock song with some interesting ups and downs but actually this is the song that I like the less in the album.

"His last voyage" is actually very cool: a very soft mainly acoustic melody with very discrete percussions and piano, it changes a little reaching the end when we can hear more presence of the drums and a nice guitar solo played by Gary GREEN. "Talybont" is just beautiful: once again GENTLE GIANT made a medieval stylized song, completely instrumental because sometimes words are just not needed. "Mobile" is a very folky rock song, the rhythm reminds some pastoral music with a very rock 'n' roll taste very interesting, I'd say.

I do consider this album a masterpiece, the last GENTLE GIANT masterpiece, however, among their 5 stars albums this is the one I like the less, probably I need to get more deep into this record, who knows?

SONG RATING: Just the same, 5 On reflection, 5 Free hand, 4 Time to kill, 4 His last voyage, 5 Talybont, 5 Mobile, 4

AVERAGE: 4.57

PERCENTAGE: 91.43

ALBUM RATING: 5 stars

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