GENTLE GIANT

Here, with this excellently done album, starts Gentle Giant, the legendary cult band that became one of the most important and influential prog rock bands, as well as one of the most original, creative and exciting. Adjectives that can perfectly describe their debut album, a brave and innovative work of art, that gave the band a steady start.

Even in this first album we here GG's unique and utterly original taste in writing and arranging songs; the influences are various, from Celtic, Medieval folkish music to hard, but somewhat cheerful melodies, classical, blues, jazz; from complex vocal harmonies to intricate and eclectic instrumental passages. These will be the main elements of the Gentle Giant's sound. We can imagine then how talented these musicians are; The three Shulmans (Derek, lead vocals and guitars, Phil, sax, trumpet, Ray, bass guitar and violin) are the true buck of the band, all three equally very skilled. But I'd like to mention Martin Smith, on drums (who also does a solo on "Nothing at All"), and Kerry Minnear, with his crazy and truly inspiring synthesizer.

"Gentle Giant" is an album full of cheerfulness, as well as of a somewhat creepy tension and preoccupation, something that occurs a lot less, further in their career. However, archaic beauty and mythic strength raise the album to a completely different level, thanks also to the bravery of the whole. The music is beautifully alternated, different moods flow fluently like rarely albums do.

Songs like "Funny Ways", "Alucard" or "Nothing At All" will give hope to the band for a bright future. These songs represent fully the spirit of the Gentle Giant, and will always, unlike some think, while considering albums like "The Power And The Glory",be main chapters of this band's career. This debut is unforgettable, for so many reasons, and truly is a very important collaborator for prog rock evolution, like it or not.