GENTLE GIANT

Gentle Giant burst onto the scene with an astonishingly well-developed and innovative album comparable to very little else on the scene at the time (aside from perhaps some parts of King Crimson). The incorporation of medieval-inspired harmonies add a novel twist to the music, and the band's command of mood is masterful - Funny Ways, for instance, changes from a quiet folk ballad with trumpet flourishes into a jazzy workout at the drop of a pin.

Although the opening and closing tracks are a bit goofy, look between them and you'll see a big firm slice of early prog that at the point of its release was simply leagues ahead of the competition. Proof positive that Gentle Giant deserve to be considered amongst the top tier of innovating prog bands from the era. Early CD editions suffered from a slightly muddy sound that more recent remasters have greatly corrected (the version on the Unburied Treasure - which I hope gets an individual release - is absolutely superb), teasing out a plethora of hidden details which Gentle Giant were slipping into their music even from a very early stage.