THREE FRIENDS

I have lived with this album for over thirty years. In my mind the triumvirate of "aquiring the taste", "three friends" and "octopus" is the pinacle of the band's career. They completely symbolised everything that progressive music in the 70's was about. Many people lumped them in with Genesis, no bloody way! GG were streets ahead of anyone and Three Friends proves this point. To begin with, it was unashamedly a concept album. Get a vynyl copy with the original UK sleeve. The story is told within and the outside is wonderfull. Prologue is a tight, fast paced opener with slight similarities to KC in places. Schooldays is a total contrast with lightweight piano motifs and a great vibes solo in the middle. Working all day is a rocker. The intro on this track is very original with a "slow down" surprise. Peel the paint is in two halves, a gentle intro compleat with string section followed by a heavy guitar and drum workout. The last two tracks (segued) are the crown jewels. Everything that GG were about is summed up in these two tracks. Tricky time changes, manic keyboard and guitar breaks plus those beautiful vocal harmonies on the last track. This is an album to cherish when, in years to come, fashionable arseholes sneer at what went before. Or when some new wonder band comes along and everybody lauds them...well you can say Gentle Giant did it first!