Gentle Giant was probably my favorite of the '70's prog bands. They never really caught on with the mainstream in the USA, but prog geeks and future scientists loved them.
They didn't get signed to A US label until their third album, Three Friends. Columbia had them for that release and the follow up Octopus.
Then comes their fifth
Gentle Giant - In a Glass House (WWA 1971)
Most hardcore fans of the band consider this their best work. Columbia, in all their wisdom, decided to drop the band when it was released. This record never had a release in the USA, but quickly became one of the best selling imports - only outdone by the first Clash album ironically passed on by Columbia as well.
The cover depicted the band printed on clear plastic with an inner sleeve with alternate takes to create a 'glass house' motif.
About a year later, the band was picked up by Capitol for the remainder of their career. The next few records, The Power and The Glory, Free Hand and Interview, were all top notch. Then they took a turn. Perhaps inspired by Genesis who attained massive success as their music became increasingly bland, Gentle Giant followed suit. I find their final few albums downright unlistenable,
No comments:
Post a Comment