Author Topic: Gentle Giant appreciation (Read 24731 times)

snapple · « **Reply #35 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:09:55 AM »

One reason why I love Advent of Panurge so much is how they use the vocal trade offs and harmonies like in Knots, but it's also like shit loads catchier.

I've been listening to Gentle Giant for a little over a year and every time I listen to a song it feels just as magical as the first listen.

Zydar · « **Reply #36 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:13:05 AM »

I'm giving them a first listen now, the Octopus album. Sounds good so far.

LieLowTheWantedMan · « **Reply #37 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:16:00 AM »

Octopus is pretty awesome. I always thought Dogs Life was an underrated song from that one.

snapple · « **Reply #38 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:19:10 AM »

Quote from: LieLowTheWantedMan on October 16, 2011, 11:16:00 AM

Octopus is pretty awesome. I always thought Dogs Life was an underrated song from that one.

So true. The lyrics are so great for that song too. I find people don't like Raconteur Troubadour either.

LieLowTheWantedMan · « **Reply #39 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:19:53 AM »

Quote from: snapple on October 16, 2011, 11:19:10 AM

Quote from: LieLowTheWantedMan on October 16, 2011, 11:16:00 AM
Octopus is pretty awesome. I always thought Dogs Life was an underrated song from that one.

So true. The lyrics are so great for that song too. I find people don't like Raconteur Troubadour either.

That's odd. Raconteur Troubadour is great. It love the medieval feel of it.

snapple · « **Reply #40 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:24:21 AM »

I think that's what turns people off from it. But, it shouldn't. That sound is pretty much a mainstay in Gentle Giant.

I think one of their better songs is I Lost My Head. I like the whole Interview album, but I Lost My Head is just great. I think after listening to every other album after first hearing I Lost My Head, it does seem formulaic and "safe" for Gentle Giant, but I still love the song.

LieLowTheWantedMan · « **Reply #41 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:30:03 AM »

Yeah, Interview isn't bad, but I find it weaker.

Anyways, I decided to listen to Octopus now. God I love Knots, even if it's not as catchy with the harmonies as The Advent of Panurge, but I love the complexity of it. But this is why On Reflection is my favourite GG song, it's a perfect amount of catchy harmonies and insane complexity in the harmonies.

snapple · « **Reply #42 on:** October 16, 2011, 12:03:03 PM »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Shulman

My God. This man has done so much for music.

Pols Voice · « **Reply #43 on:** October 16, 2011, 04:27:06 PM »

Quote from: snapple on October 16, 2011, 11:24:21 AM

I think one of their better songs is I Lost My Head. I like the whole Interview album, but I Lost My Head is just great. I think after listening to every other album after first hearing I Lost My Head, it does seem formulaic and "safe" for Gentle Giant, but I still love the song.

That's one of my favorites. The second half is rifftastic and catchy as hell. Gentle Giant was great with dynamics.

Mladen · « **Reply #44 on:** October 17, 2011, 08:12:05 AM »

Just listened to Acquiring the taste all the way through. What an album.

I'm gonna play Octopus now.

snapple · « **Reply #45 on:** October 19, 2011, 02:33:03 PM »

Courtney is buying me Free Hand on vinyl. Another reason why I wanted her to be my eternal fuck buddy.

Orbert · « **Reply #46 on:** October 19, 2011, 03:01:00 PM »

That's so romantic. The way you call her your "fuck buddy".

snapple · « **Reply #47 on:** October 19, 2011, 03:33:39 PM »

Quote from: Orbert on October 19, 2011, 03:01:00 PM

That's so romantic. The way you call her your "fuck buddy".

She'd dig it.

snapple · « **Reply #48 on:** October 20, 2011, 07:20:47 AM »

Quote from: Orbert on October 19, 2011, 03:01:00 PM

That's so romantic. The way you call her your "fuck buddy".

She told me to say "That Orbert tiger is right. You're an asshole Christian"

Orbert · « **Reply #49 on:** October 20, 2011, 07:57:09 AM »

She's obviously quite intelligent.

Pretty cool, too. Free Hand on vinyl was also my first exposure to Gentle Giant.

snapple · « **Reply #50 on:** October 20, 2011, 08:01:51 AM »

Quote from: Orbert on October 20, 2011, 07:57:09 AM

She's obviously quite intelligent.

Pretty cool, too. Free Hand on vinyl was also my first exposure to Gentle Giant.

I'm super stoked to get it. Gotta wait for like another week though

Orbert · « **Reply #51 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:08:24 PM »

Working from home today, supposedly a vacation day, but I had some programs to run since the data was running late again this week. A few hours, tops (or so I thought). I loaded up WinAmp with the first three GG albums. One good thing about working from home is that I can listen to tunes.

Half the data didn't even show up until 11am, I'd be going another few hours, so I went ahead and added everything up through Free Hand. By this afternoon, it was obvious that things were running really slowly. Shit. I went ahead and loaded the rest, Interview through Civilian. Just in case.

Things finally finished half an hour ago (it's almost 11pm Chicago time), and right now "Underground" is playing (I'm halfway through Civilian).

The bad: I'm gonna log eight hours today. Some vacation day. Yeah, I took lunch and dinner breaks, even watched a movie, but I was tied to the computer all day, so I was "working" the whole time.

The good: I'm gonna take another vacation day some other time, fuck the company. Also, less than 15 minutes from now, I will have listened to the entire Gentle Giant studio discography in a single day. Ten albums.

Damn, these guys were amazing. Even the later albums, after they'd dropped all the extracurricular instrumentation and kept it to vocals-guitar-keys-bass-drums, and mostly 4/4, their songs were still great. The countermelodies, the layers, the harmonies. Very few solos; instead, rhythmic jams and counterpoint. Brilliant stuff.

WildeSilas · « **Reply #52 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:48:17 PM »

Just about to check GG out myself. I've been watching vids on youtube this last week and really digging the live performances. I had no idea Shulman was the founder of Roadrunner.

Mladen · « **Reply #53 on:** October 22, 2011, 05:01:34 AM »

I've been spinning Octopus the last couple of days. The one song that finally struck me is Think of me with kindness, it's so beautiful. And yeah, the awesomeness of Knots, The Boys in the band and A Cry for everyone tells me this album will be in my player for a while.

Jaq · « **Reply #54 on:** October 22, 2011, 10:30:23 PM »

Quote from: WildeSilas on October 21, 2011, 10:48:17 PM

Just about to check GG out myself. I've been watching vids on youtube this last week and really digging the live performances. I had no idea Shulman was the founder of Roadrunner.

Following his recording career, Shulman became a prominent record executive.[1] Starting as an A&R representative at PolyGram Records, where he rose to the ranks of Senior Vice President, he signed Bon Jovi, Dan Reed Network, Cinderella, and Kingdom Come, among many others. in 1988 he became President and C.E.O of Atco Records (where he signed the progressive metal band Dream Theater as well as Pantera). He also re-established the careers of AC/DC and Bad Company both of whom sold multi-platinum albums under his watch. He then went on to become President of Roadrunner Records overseeing signings like Slipknot and Nickelback.

Holy shit, this guy's like an A&R god.

And he was in Gentle Giant

Orbert · « **Reply #55 on:** October 22, 2011, 10:53:00 PM »

Yeah, he's definitely a beast. Love the guy.

LieLowTheWantedMan · « **Reply #56 on:** October 22, 2011, 11:28:29 PM »

He didn't found RR, but he was President for a while. But yes, he's still done tons for music, and is a great musician.

Mladen · « **Reply #57 on:** October 23, 2011, 05:04:43 AM »

This guy is my hero. Not only he played in one of the greatest prog rock bands, he actually helped some of my favorite bands of all time.

snapple · « **Reply #58 on:** October 24, 2011, 04:15:46 PM »

Quote from: LieLowTheWantedMan on October 22, 2011, 11:28:29 PM

He didn't found RR, but he was President for a while. But yes, he's still done tons for music, and is a great musician.

So true. Elton John also failed to be a vocalist for them. So good for music in general. I like both groups, and like Dave Mustaine having Megadeth (some people apparently like Metallica), we have 2 bands instead of one to appreciate!

snapple · « **Reply #59 on:** October 27, 2011, 02:56:54 PM »

I'm looking for Just the Same bass tabs. it's impossible.

Orbert · « **Reply #60 on:** October 27, 2011, 03:28:21 PM »

I don't play guitar or bass, so I don't understand tabs, but this might help:

https://www.blazemonger.com/GG/Sheet_music

Anyone who likes Gentle Giant should visit Dan Barrett's excellent GG website. He doesn't have time to update it as often as he used to, but he built up a great site, and it's not like a ton of GG stuff has come out recently.

snapple · « **Reply #61 on:** October 27, 2011, 03:31:06 PM »

Only problem is that I can't read sheet music.

Orbert · « **Reply #62 on:** October 27, 2011, 03:33:22 PM »

Yeah, that's why I didn't know if sheet music would help you.

(And you should learn anyway.)

snapple · « **Reply #63 on:** October 27, 2011, 03:36:25 PM »

Quote from: Orbert on October 27, 2011, 03:33:22 PM

Yeah, that's why I didn't know if sheet music would help you.

(And you should learn anyway.)

If I had the same passion as I once had with the bass, I would make the time. It has formed into more of a hobby. I create music that sounds great (to me of course) but I can't play other people's shit worth a shit.

snapple · « **Reply #64 on:** November 19, 2011, 05:27:53 PM »

I've heard people don't like the album Giant for a Day?

Why?

LieLowTheWantedMan · « **Reply #65 on:** November 19, 2011, 05:37:48 PM »

Because it's not very good at all. At least that's my opinion.

Pols Voice · « **Reply #66 on:** November 19, 2011, 06:08:37 PM »

I've never even heard Giant for a Day and Civilian.

snapple · « **Reply #67 on:** November 19, 2011, 08:46:05 PM »

For pop albums, they're pretty damn good.

Orbert · « **Reply #68 on:** November 19, 2011, 09:56:05 PM »

Giant for a Day isn't horrible, but I consider it the weakest of Gentle Giant's studio albums, and most GG fans seem to agree. It's not just that they all but abandoned their prog roots by this point, but the pop itself just isn't that great.

I like Civilian, though. They came back and finished strong. It's still pretty stripped-down GG, but it's got some kick.

Mladen · « **Reply #69 on:** November 20, 2011, 02:43:45 AM »

Quote from: Pols Voice on November 19, 2011, 06:08:37 PM

I've never even heard Giant for a Day and Civilian.

Plus the previous two albums, in my case. Are they worth listening to?

News: Video of online chat between fans and members of Dream Theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8cLlXnHpA&feature=youtu.be (*no chickens were harmed during the filming of this chat)

Author Topic: Gentle Giant appreciation (Read 24731 times)