I LOST MY HEAD - THE CHRYSALIS YEARS (1975-1980)

"I Lost My Head ? The Chrysalis Years (1975-1980)" is a compilation album of Gentle Giant, which was released in 2012. This is a very special compilation that features albums released for the Chrysalis label, the albums from 1975 to 1980. It includes all their six last studio albums, the seventh album "Free Hand", released in 1975, the eighth album "Interview", released in 1976, the ninth album "The Missing Piece", released in 1977, the tenth album "Giant For A Day", released in 1978, the eleventh album "Civilian", released in 1980 and the debut live album "Playing The Fool", released in 1977.

"I Lost My Head ? The Chrysalis Years (1975-1980)" is divided into four disks with fifty eight tracks. Disk 1 is composed by "Free Hand" plus six bonus tracks, disk 2 is composed by "Interview" and "The Missing Piece", disk 3 is composed by "Playing The Fool" and disk 4 is composed by "Giant For A Day", "Civilian" and two plus bonus tracks. "Free Hand": "Free Hand" is their last masterpiece. It's one of my favourite Gentle Giant's albums and is one of their most accessible albums. Its superb musicianship, dry wit, and creative compositions make of "Free Hand" an essential piece. It proved they could write all type of songs, creative, complex, accessible and melodic. It has great instrumentals, advanced vocal numbers, good ballads, acoustic and electric parts and some exceptionally very well structured songs.

"Interview": "Interview" isn't a minor musical work of Gentle Giant. Despite be a little more experimental than "Free Hand", "Interview" has all the ingredients of a Gentle Giant's album. It has some of the most aggressive and electrified music ever made by them. Probably, the main problem with the album is that it's less commercial and less balanced than "Free Hand". It's not a classic Gentle Giant's albums, but it's still better than all the last studio albums of the band.

"The Missing Piece": "The Missing Piece" is probably their most accessible studio album. It has good quality. This is their last studio album that deserves to be find and knowing. I always liked it. There's definitively good stuff to be found here, but you should have all their previous albums before you consider buying this one. Despite be a transitional work, I recommend this album. All in all, we are in presence of the last good album of one of the greatest prog bands ever.

"Playing The Fool": "Playing The Fool" is an amazing live album. It has great performances of a very complicated and technically brilliant music. The final result is a very good track list with a great sound quality level. All of these factors contribute to that "Playing The Fool" can be seeing as one of the greatest live albums ever. The material is awesome and the performance is awesome too. The entire album is awesome. It's regarded as Gentle Giant's last classic release.

"Giant For A Day": "Giant For A Day" is a complete fiasco. It's a mediocre album and the worst Gentle Giant's studio album. It isn't a prog album and hasn't enough quality to be a Gentle Giant's album. It's a bunch of disconnected songs, most of them mediocre, without a guideline, where we have a clear perception that the group doesn't know what to do. With it, Gentle Giant did the mistake of leave their unmistakable style, which made of them a special and beloved band.

"Civilian": "Civilian" would be a very good album if it was released by any other band. However, it doesn't sound to a Gentle Giant's album and it has nothing to do with a prog album. The main problem with "Civilian" is that Gentle Giant changed so much that they lost their charisma, identity and their unique footprint in the world of progressive rock, to the point of be a band completely unrecognizable. "Civilian" can reminds me everything, but very few of Gentle Giant.

Bonus tracks: "1976 Intro Tape" is a previously unreleased instrumental song. "Just The Same" is a different version of the original song. "Free Hand" is also a different version of the original song. "On Reflection" is another different version of the original song. All were taken from the John Peel Sessions". "Give It Back (International 7' Mix" is a different version of the original song of "Interview". "I Lost My Head (7' Mix)" is also a different version of the original song of "Interview". All appear on disc 1. "Thank You" (7' Single Edit A)" and "Words From The Wise (7' Single Edit B)" are two single versions of the original songs. Both appear on disc 4. They're all a nice complement to this compilation.

Conclusion: This is a very interesting compilation with all albums released to Chrysalis records. "Free Hand" is their last masterpiece. "Playing The Fool" is a live masterpiece, one of the best live albums ever. "Interview" is an excellent album, their last great album. "The Missing Piece" is a good album that shows the beginning of their decline. "Giant For A Day" and "Civilian" are a different matter. I advise you to avoid them. "Giant For A Day" is a fiasco, a mediocre album, the worst Gentle Giant's album. "Civilian" isn't bad, but doesn't sound as a Gentle Giant's album and it has nothing to do with prog. Where is the originality, the complexity, the sophistication and the diversity, which were the foundations of their music? I agree with AtomicCrimsonRush when he says that here on this compilation we can see the excellent, the good, the bad and the ugly. But, I can't give it the 4 stars he gave. I think this compilation is too much expensive and there are other albums to spend our money, especially for those who have all these Gentle Giant's albums, like me.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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