THREE FRIENDS

Three friends starts with Prologue, not aggressively but enthusiasticly - the prompt is gentle enough. Funny sounds in the background. Prologue being one of the classics, it's not exaggerated. "Schooldays" (2.)is very sensitive song, one of the best, i think. It starts with different kinds of ticking and vocal multilayerty. Bass is trampling with drumticking in a complex way. Vocals going down and up occasionally. In the middle lovely schoolday gets to lonely without friends. Strong, slow mourning with piano and in the end growing to jamming extend makes this song wonderful. "Scooldays"(2.) with "Mister Class And Quality?"(5.) combined with "Three Friends"(6.) this album is one of the best by the band and all in all, at least one of the most emotional - that's why I consider it as the best Gentle Giant album (because many GG albums are very good). "Peel The Paint" (4.) is more simple by it's main melody (but definitely progressive) with hevy guitars. Instrumental before end is rocky and "experimental" with it's echo-guitars. "Working All Day" (3.) is a song I don't like but it's not irritating, including solo that isn't so strongly part of the song (note for example Jethro Tull's Working John, Working Joe - this is happier but still "workingman's song"). That and "Peel The Paint" sounds little bit like Van Der Graff Generator, and King Crimson.

Preparing for the last song, "Mister Class And Quality?" is also good - little bit naive and rocky. Song makes me wait because "Three Friends" starts right after the part wich is played couple of times in the song - it could begin at 2:30, for example. "Three Friends" enlarges "Mister Class And Quality?", like it was still the same song. Electronic sounds (Not noise. Guitar take the lead in some part of it, mourning. Actually this is like solo still in "Mister Class And Quality?") and transferring and melting (1:21-1:33) into part that continues the lyrics and melodies of "Mister Class And Quality?", then jumping straight to the last (pop-like?) symphonic part with beautiful background, melodies and vocals to be the monumental END of the album. One of the most emotional songs, too.