INTERVIEW

There is nothing more confusing to me in the musical world than the "ho-hum" attitude many GG fans adopt toward this album. THIS IS A FLAT-OUT MASTERPIECE! Are you even listening to the same album as me? After Interview, the band's experimental bug-up-the-ass seems to have finally found its way out, never to fully return; and although they would still make great music, they would never reach the dazzling heights of albums such as this one again. So what do we have here? Easily a contender for one of their top best works, Interview contains some of their most aggressive and electrified music yet. The lead off title-track is possibly GG's most "epic" song, with the fattest bass and organ riffs I've ever heard as well as some furious piano jams and even an electric sitar section! The song's finale is yet another "head exploding moment" and must be heard to be believed. Next we get the deceptively ingenious "Give It Back" which, superficially, has an almost reggae vibe to it; however, after a few listens you begin to see just how many complex musical workouts they managed to pack into that sucker, and the melodies begin to get stuck in your head, and it's all over. A track like none other in their catalog, "Give It Back" is a unique and extremely rewarding musical gem. And then comes "Design". I bet a lot of people won't like "Design", precisely because it is the most experimental and off-the-wall recording the band ever made -- and saying that about THIS band, is really saying something! Driven solely by vocals and various percussion instruments, the boys veer from "pretty" into "uhhh..." territory and back again several times, but don't you lose focus, because half way through the track is hidden a mind-bending vocal jigsaw puzzle that ranks up with "Knots" and "On Reflection" as the band's peak in complex vocal writing. Ultimately, "Design" is one of the most adventurous pieces of music you will ever hear. The remaining tracks (I can't describe them all!) are all masterful and perfect, so just go check it out -- and please, don't ever let me hear anyone say "Up through Free Hand, all of Gentle Giant's albums are excellent..." again! NO! Happy listening.