IN A GLASS HOUSE

Two weeks ago I saw the semi-reunion gig of Gentle Giant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Before the concert I revisited Gentle Giant's discography (7 album in total, from the debut all the way to Free Hand). After listening to 6 of the albums I was finally there ... only one more album to go... I'm talking about In A Glass House, an album that I never really understood. It has always been considered the highlight of the band's catalog but never really made my jaw drop.

I finally stopped hesitating and placed the 35th Anniversary-CD into my music player. The feeling that I experienced 40 minutes later was beyond words! This time around I really appreciated songs like The Runaway, which I now consider to be one of my top 5 Gentle Giant-favorite compositions. Way Of Life is an awesome rocker but what makes it truly amazing is the middle section where Kerry Minnear takes over the lead vocals and turns this track epic! I even managed to enjoy Experience a lot more, although I still consider the second half of the track much stronger than the slow intro. An Inmate's Lullaby remains for me the weakest track. As for the title track, it has always been a favorite of mine where the band gives their all time greatest performance.

Considering that I've listened non stop to this album since my so called rediscovery of In A Glass House. I guess that it's safe to say that this release has surpassed the greatness of Free Hand and has become my favorite Gentle Giant release! But what about the reunion concert, you might ask?

Well today is your lucky day, since I am starting my Gentle Giant retrospective! As I go through every one of the seven first Gentle Giant albums and uncover my thoughts on the songs and their live versions, that I experienced just recently. The only track played at the concert from this album was (of course) the magnificent title track! This was, for me, the second biggest highlight from the set since it sounded almost as good as the studio version (minus the acoustic guitar arrangement during the intro of the track). Want to know the biggest highlight? Just keep reading those reviews of mine!

***** star songs: The Runaway (7:15) Way Of Life (7:52) In A Glass House (8:26)

**** star songs: An Inmate's Lullaby (4:40) Experience (7:50) A Reunion (2:11)

Total rating: 4,62