TBH I do not know exactly why they called it quits in the early 80s. 

Yep. I guess we could all be mad that the Beatles never really got back together either(well except for catcher anyway). Or Led Zeppelin for that matter(ok, they technically did but didn't record any new material after ITTOD). 

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). 

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!

Only if they went back to prog

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

Lol. GG is one of those bands that could clearly have continued on in whatever style they wanted. I think they did it right letting it be a good solid even 10 year/decade long chapter of, for a good 85-90% of it, being top tier progressive rock IMHO. One of the few bands where the weaker entries don't tarnish their discography IMHO!

I just got my 1975 reprint tour shirt in directly from the band's new store in NYC!:

  

Giant for a day is a bit like open your eyes by Yes in that if it was released by another band nobody would think it was that awful. It's a half way decent pop/pop rock album with maybe some mild prog touches and gentle giantisms but it's a far cry from their proggy past. I actually like a few tracks on it especially the instrumental "spooky boogie." "Word from the wise" has some very good vocal harmonies and there's maybe a few other things too such as the catchy "little brown bag." Most of it is admittedly not that memorable but it's still worth checking out if you are a GG completionist or even a big fan. Just don't expect vintage prog GG.

I agree with you about the others. Both are maybe a bit uneven but with some solid moments. It's hard for me to pick one over the other. I possibly prefer civilian but not by much. The band could have gone out with a weaker record. At least this one doesn't have a song called "alien afternoon" on it. 

I agree. Of course if they went in the direction of Genesis then people would complain endlessly(like they do about later Genesis) but you can't please everyone and a paycheck is still a paycheck. 

Anyway, I finally voted and I voted "yes."

Because they weren't selling any albums, that's why.

Critically acclaimed, but never commercially successful. i hated them in the 70s: they were just too weird. It took me 20 years to "get" them and I bought all their albums, but too late to benefit them.

Giant For a Day is the only one I have any real negative feel on. I agree, the rest have their moments and aren't nearly as bad as people make them to be.

Two Weeks in Spain, Mountain Time, I Bet You Thought We Couldn't Do It, For Nobody etc. all catchy and that's just The Missing Piece!

Ok, so then why would you want them to continue if you don't like them?

It seems that about half of the album(the second half)was geared towards their established fan base while side one was more about exploring different territories including more pop oriented stuff. 

Agreed; the issue is, it's extremely solid, catchy, timeless pop because the band, if we're being honest here, eclipses a lot of bands in general regardless of genre in terms of skill and musical prowess, lol.

It's like cognitive prog rock dissonance; it's really good pop but it's also GG and we want Cogs in Cogs part 2, etc...

This is why they're in my top 3 prog bands of all time lol.

Recently released footage of the band in June 1980; back stage interview (below). The interesting question somewhere in the interview was something along the lines of "where do you see yourself in 10 years time?"...None of the band members where committal regardng this question...they all  avoided answering this specific question...the interviewer asked it more than once and none of them would answer it......I am sure they knew that the end was going to happen after this last US tour....and it did!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_campaign=emailmarketing_102958596255&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email&v=29LaIgk0mpc&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?utm_campaign=emailmarketing_102958596255&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email&v=29LaIgk0mpc&feature=youtu.be

They're one of those bands you can go back over their discography and still get something out of their albums, even ones you're familiar with and even if they're not one of your favourite bands. Some bands after a few listenings there's not much more you can out of them. Not Gentle Giant.

Most of the classic prog bands struggled to put anything out after the seventies that matched their best music of that decade. I can't imagine that GG would have been any different. For instance people can go on about how much they like Rajaz but in any Camel poll it's the first 4-5 releases that sweep up the votes and Rajaz gets a few consolation votes at best. I think it's safe to say that GG wouldn't have been any different.

Nowadays I've more or less handed in my prog badge when it comes to GG having purchased pretty much everything and tried to appreciate them as much as possible. I've put in my time but there is just no Gentle Giant scratch that I need to itch. I've moved on.

Anyway, as far as GG goes, I've moved on too but still listen to them occasionally. I don't currently own several of their albums so there's that also. There's just so much prog out there (and music in general) then I'm not that interested in listening to stuff that much that I've heard a whole lot already (which is most of the most famous prog bands). 

I agree. The music landscape had become brutal for bands like GG by 1980. Neither GfaD or Civilian are as awful as they are made out to be; indeed if they had been created by a wholly new band, they'd have probably got more airplay at the time, as they were sufficiently mainstream. The problem was, there was no room for their kind of idiosyncratic creativity from then on and unless they were going to become a completely different band, carrying on would have been futile. 

Being as they made 11, which one do you actually like? 

hmm that's a good question... I think their first would shade it over Rajaz for me, but then so does A Nod & A Wink...