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Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gentle Giant
    Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:12
I am not going to get involvled in all  this forrum blah blah blah buut GG is my favourite band of all time and unfortunately I was too young to see them live. For those of you out there, I pose the qeustion why do you l ove GENTLE GIANT?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:38

cause they are fricking amazing.

I'm currently working on a review for Interview (very underated album)

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:40

They are one of the few prog bands that don't need to have epic suites 'n such, because they're songs are so complex are textured that they could be considered epics despite having a shorter length. In other words.... they rock!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:45
They too are my favourite band of all time, and I too am too young to have seen them live! I hope and pray that they'll see sense and reform whilst they still can...

I love their precision, their variety of sounds, their creativity, literacy and sense of humour. I love the astounding range of their instruments, their ability to be powerful and heavy or beautiful and delicate, often both within one song and despite their complexity their abundance of memorable tunes. Each and every member is a masterful musician but they lack any kind of individual egos - there has never been a band so tight, so 'togeher' as the incomparable Gentle Giant.

Edit: Oh, and they f**king ROCK live!


Edited by Trouserpress
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:45
Does awesomeness really need an explination??
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:49

Go to the first page of my wb site and you will see how much I love this band,

Vibrationbaby.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 16:10
One of the only prog bands that was able to play incredibly complicated
stuff and still manage to be listenable. How these guys didn't make it big
is beyond me. With so many people trying to outplay each other they
forget the most important thing in music, the song...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:05

Originally posted by Vibrationbaby Vibrationbaby wrote:

I am not going to get involvled in all  this forrum blah blah blah buut GG is my favourite band of all time and unfortunately I was too young to see them live. For those of you out there, I pose the qeustion why do you l ove GENTLE GIANT?

Because.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:34
I saw them live in Newcastle (UK) in 1978 ,I think, in the City Hall. Probably a John Peel session that got me to buy a ticket. There was about 300 people in a hall that held 1500. It made no difference; one of the top 5 gigs of all time for me, still! I knew little of their music, but their musicianship, musicality, energy, showmanship, versatility drove this gig to the edge and back. Their studio work is another dimension; considered, studious, complex; but live, the music transformed into another beast of its own. Coming back to their music again after 20 years has been a joy for me (tear down cheek), it is timeless. Perhaps that's is why you (unkowingly) like them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:41

There are so many shades and facets and glimmerings to their music. Did I use words that are not in the Oxford Dictionary? I'm not sure, but GG certainly did things that were in no one's musical dictionary. Their music is like diamonds. From each angle you get a different (and beautiful) reflection. The creme de la creme  of prog. The foie gras, baron Rothschild, Dom Perignon from a vintage ... oh well, James Bond would know. You get the picture ...

Their albums never get boring. There are always new places in the music to go.

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:51
Originally posted by aegis aegis wrote:

I saw them live in Newcastle (UK) in 1978 ,I think, in the City Hall. Probably a John Peel session that got me to buy a ticket. There was about 300 people in a hall that held 1500. It made no difference; one of the top 5 gigs of all time for me, still! I knew little of their music, but their musicianship, musicality, energy, showmanship, versatility drove this gig to the edge and back. Their studio work is another dimension; considered, studious, complex; but live, the music transformed into another beast of its own. Coming back to their music again after 20 years has been a joy for me (tear down cheek), it is timeless. Perhaps that's is why you (unkowingly) like them.


What a wonderful account, and so true! Their studio albums are very special, but their live approach is phenomenal! Two very different sides to the same music. Sounds like that gig holds some great memories - thanks so much for sharing them!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 18:12

I think without a doupt GG really was the best and most professional prog band ever.Unfortunatly,I too,was too young to ever see them live.Although there are a multitude of videos available...I was crazy enough to tatoo the giant's face on my back to remember forever the influence they had on my music perception.I love them because they pushed to the limit .All of the musiciens are multi-instrumentalist and they all sing really well.Can you ask for better?I would like to ad that Gentle Giant is the first band that made me enjoy ballads.It just so much to the edge in every musical way... I think that up to "Interview" every album is a "chef-d'oeuvre" and if you like GG,      GET THEM ALL!    THE BEST

Why are the seventies over...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 18:58
I have heard that you need a PhD in music to truly understand what they were doing ... what does that mean ?
I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ......
The Church "After Everything Now This"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:01
Originally posted by felona felona wrote:

I have heard that you need a PhD in music to truly understand what they were doing ... what does that mean ?


Oh you don't really... it can just get technical sometimes. Let us know when those CDs arrive!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:17
I've heard that many people do not like GG on first, second or even third listen ... that it takes some time to really appreciate ... was this true for you guys?
I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ......
The Church "After Everything Now This"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:19
Hehe... not for me! For some people it's a slow thing, for some people it's instant, for some they can listen to their records for a while, feel nothing, then one day BLAM! It clicks. The one piece of advice I can give you is DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM!

As you can see from the comments above, they're worth it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:22
are you getting the remasters?
I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ......
The Church "After Everything Now This"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:22
As soon as I can afford them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 23 2005 at 20:44

Originally posted by Trouserpress Trouserpress wrote:

Hehe... not for me! For some people it's a slow thing, for some people it's instant, for some they can listen to their records for a while, feel nothing, then one day BLAM! It clicks. The one piece of advice I can give you is DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM!

As you can see from the comments above, they're worth it.

exactly - they are so black and white for me - i listened for months - nothing!

of all albums, Interview was the one to Hook me!

ever since then I have not looked back, they are definately a band that requires patience and intense focus, but the rewards are countless. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:50

Originally posted by felona felona wrote:

I've heard that many people do not like GG on first, second or even third listen ... that it takes some time to really appreciate ... was this true for you guys?

I've only got 'Octopus', but I got into it straight away. If you're buying that one, get ready for one exhilirating ride.

I won't even bother trying to describe the music from that album. Someone once said that talking about music is like singing about architecture. I agree completely, even more so as when it comes to GG, 'architecture' is the second word that springs to mind after 'music'.  

 



Edited by Manunkind
"In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun
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