INTERVIEW

Although the opinion has already been expressed on this site, I'd like to reinforce that this album is a masterpiece. I struggle to understand some of the other reviews I've read of this album, as it is quite similar to their previous material. This is an excellent album, a good follow-up to Free Hand and a must-buy for people who are interested in Gentle Giant. However, I would not recommend it as a starting point-- I know that "Design" would have put me off the group unjustly.

The songs: INTERVIEW-- This is one of my favorite Gentle Giant songs in general. It has a good tune, but the really good part starts at when John Weathers sings. It's a dissonant, twisted, and jazzy muddle which resolves to a quiet keyboard part. I cite this, however, as a reason for this album being a bad place to start with Gentle Giant. GIVE IT BACK-- This one is a bit hit and miss for me. I kind of like the melody-- not very much, though. Fortunately, it is saved by a great instrumental section with a nice tune on a harpsichord followed by a fragmented conversation between the guitar and the marimba. DESIGN-- This is the strangest song Gentle Giant did. Now, those who haven't heard it might defend So Sincere as the deserving song for this title, however, this one's weirder. I love it, but I understand that a lot of people don't. It is entirely a capella except for some percussion, and is nearly entirely dissonant, from a theoretical standpoint. This adds to a chaotic atmosphere. ANOTHER SHOW-- Speaking of chaotic, this one is. However, that's no reason to say it's inaccessible. Although some might be turned off by the dissonance caused by the sounds of Hammond organs turning off and so forth, I quite like the tune, and think it's fairly catchy. EMPTY CITY-- This one's beautiful. I love the vocal harmonies. TIMING-- This one just doesn't do it for me, which may be explained by the abnormally usual main tune. I quite like the midsection with the solos and the violin part, but this is definitely the weak point of the album. I LOST MY HEAD-- Great beginning, okay end. I think it goes on too long, but it's another classic.