THREE FRIENDS

This is my first review of a Gentle Giant album, and I thought I would start with this one as it was the one that really turned me on to the band. I think this album is the best one to start with for fans of symphonic prog, as it is the hardest rocking, most streamlined music the band had done up to that point; but it was before they transitioned into the funky, bouncy, very rhythmic sound that they adopted in the mid- 70's (and which was mainly due to the addition of drummer John Weathers).

The album starts out with the first GG song I ever fell in love with: PROLOGUE (thanks to ProgArchives), which is an upbeat instrumental piece with intertwining guitar and keyboard parts driven along by Ray Schulman's insistent, melodic bass lines and Phil Schulman's great vocals. I really missed Phil's voice on the later albums (he left after Octopus) and this album has some of his best work.

Next is SCHOOLDAYS, my favorite track on the album and one of my favorites the band ever did. It starts out with a very delicate feel, with a vibraphone/guitar duet leading into a strange call and repeat style of vocals that creates a mysterious feel. This piece shifts moods after the second verse when Kerry Minnear gives us a beautiful piano and mellotron interlude that is reminiscent of some of Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks' best work. Phil sings some beautiful, heartfelt lyrics about a childhood trip that the titular three friends took. A fourth Schulman takes part in this section, as Ray's son Calvin sings with Phil. After this is a fast-tempoed but short jazzy section which leads back into the chorus, and the then the song ends with a restatement of the beginning vibe part, this time doubled by keys.

WORKING ALL DAY is this album's "Derek Schulman rocker", as each of the band's first several albums seemed to contain at least one of (GIANT, WRECK, A CRY FOR EVERYONE). This one is quite similar to WRECK, but has some very tasty guitar & sax interplay from Gary Green & Phil. All in all, probably my least favorite song here.

Derek also sings the second half of the next song PEEL THE PAINT, which, along with SCHOOLDAYS, is my favorite of the album. Again we start off with a soft, sparse and introspective Phil-sung section. The wordless chorus contains a beautiful string arrangement, and more of Ray's hyper-melodic bass lines. The second half of the song is perhaps the hardest this band ever rocked, with a cool, aggressive guitar/sax riff, Derek's almost-shouted vocals and a truly bombastic Gary Green solo. This is a great song that really shows off the range of Gentle Giant.

MISTER CLASS AND QUALITY is another good song that has the band showing their R&B background, but it is still quirky as anything else on the album, with loads of jam- style keyboard & guitar licks crammed all over the place. Perhaps a little too busy for this type of song, but it works.

MISTER CLASS AND QUALITY's segue (if you can call it that) into THREE FRIENDS comes as a big surprise the first time you hear the album - I thought my CD had skipped! - since there really isn't any kind of segue to speak of, just a sudden, jarring change. Good thing the song is so utterly beautiful! A chord progression which seems to have no logical resolution, the song has lovely mellotron and bass parts which repeat through the fade out.

I decided to not talk about the concept of the album, as it's been pretty well covered by everyone else here, and it's not nearly as intriguing as the music. This recording will always hold a special place for me as my true introduction to the band. An ideal place for a prog fan to start, in my opinion.