GENTLE GIANT

Through the years you gather a few albums of certain, unrivalled importance. Gentle Giant's debut is one of them. At the time of purchase I thought it to be something other than it actually was. I can't recall what I was thinking, since it's now 25 years since that time, but I was pleasantly, to say the least, surprised. I've always loved the album but I have also almost always skipped the first song, Giant, since I don't really feel it's an appropriate track for the album as a whole. Now, I may be wrong in other people's eyes but I'm right in my own.

The album is comprised of beautiful, intricate, dreamy, sometimes hard rocking songs, each one of them (bar Giant) capable of producing goose bumps and placing the songs (and the listener) in prog heaven. I cannot pick out any favourites of the songs, since I find them all enchanting and magical. The songs strike a chord with me which alot of the early prog bands seem to do. It's music before everything went too intricate and challenging. This album is quite easy to get into, probably their easiest and IMHO their best.

Being partial to british prog of the early 70's I find the album just as quaint and charming as Trespass, In the court of the Crimson king or say Khan. Still I'd like to point out that all things that made Gentle Giant stand out in the crowd can be found here. It's a great place to start if you're interested in the band specifically or prog as a genre.

Wonderful!