IN A GLASS HOUSE

Anyone who discovers Gentle Giant through IN A GLASS HOUSE and believes they are a certified prog fan will call this an instant classic. This is very easy to get into and understand because I feel there is an accessibility factor on this album; there exist tons of passages that make me think of soul music (''Experience'') and good old-fashioned hard rock (e.g. the last half of the title track). Remember though, we still have a group playing some of the most eclectic type prog here as there are some parts that are difficult to digest, so to speak.

The playing on the album is stunning; almost makes me think that these kinds of compositions come naturally to Gentle Giant. Stylistic, dynamic and technical changes can occur of what seems to be abrupt, but the way Gentle Giant does it, they make every transition sound so natural and instinctive that it just adds to the enjoyment of the music rather than sounding awkward.

I believe plenty of tracks have uptempo rock-like structures filled with complex vocal passages which is what most prog fans will enjoy hearing, and by that, I mean ''The Runaway'', ''Experience'' and ''In a Glass House'', the three tracks most likely to please the eager prog nut. I'd put ''Way of Life'' among those if those church organ bits weren't as annoying as they are. ''A Reunion'' is a very quiet, sombre track while ''An Inmate's Lullaby'' uses very peculiar percussive rhythms, giving a kind of ''avant'' feel to the track.

There are so many great theme changes, time signature patterns, moods, atmospheres, obscure sounding lyrics and nontrivial instrumentations that anyone with a remote interest in prog rock ought to pick this up. And just for a bonus, the live cut of ''The Runaway/Experience'' is fantastic. A great entry point of the ''boys in the band''.