Should Gentle Giant have continued after Civilian? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

One of the great tragedies in prog imo is the fact that GG never really reformed properly when just about every other major prog band did. Opinions?

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - December 23 2020 at 13:56

I wouldn't have minded it; Civilian is the one post-prog Gentle Giant album that I actually like and it would have been interesting to see the band continue in a similar direction. On the other hand, the band hated working on it and were apparently quite tired of the professional music business in general by 1980, so I can't blame them for calling it quits.

I say maybe, but the decision was, and always will be, up to the band members.

The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"

Yes, but only if they returned to their original mission statement: "to expand the frontiers of popular music at the risk of being deeply unpopular"

Songs cast a light on you

Absolutely they should have continued. I saw them on the Civilian tour, and they were still in top form. In the end it was the market that broke them, but if they had had a better record company behind the band I think they could have had a very interesting future.

Progfan1958
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Man With Hat wrote:

Given what they were creating as they ended, probably not.

I think it would have been interesting if they went in a more new wave direction while keeping the hard rock elements(like missing persons for example).

I read they thought they couldn't take it any further than they did....and One of them became a big record executive.

iluvmarillion wrote:

I voted not sure. The problem wasn't about what Gentle Giant should have done after Civilian. The problem was what's wrong with the music public not liking Gentle Giant.

Hi,

AND, I think that a lot of that came out of the record companies not wishing to support stuff that was not making them money ... and GG, in those days, should have gotten COMPLETELY AWAY from the record companies and gotten onto their own ownership of the music and its distribution ... but it was easier to just give up.

GG has stated that their this and that were no longer into it, but I think that a lot of the stuff underneath is what caused the problems.

This group was not the only one that had issues with a record company ... one well known comedy group decided to "sign" with a record company, and it got a couple of dollars, however, none of their albums were ever heard from again, or their members, which kinda tells you that the record company probably said something like as long as they break even who cares ... right?

But, in some ways, it was probably the best ... I doubt that GG would have been able to create new material that was as determined and eccentric as the early stuff, and be able to play it ... and when that happens, it's time to hang up the ballet shoes ... your feet can't handle any more bleeding!

Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Only if they went back to prog

Still they dominate that decade with some spectacular albums, they are legends anyway

No. Last 3 are so dull, they should have stop after Interview.

Poll Question: Should GG have continued after Civilian?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Yes	13	[27.66%]
No	18	[38.30%]
Only if they went back to prog	6	[12.77%]
Maybe	6	[12.77%]
Not sure	4	[8.51%]
You can not vote in this poll

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