^Gentle Giant are great 🙂 so much fun music. To my mind, they have at least 8 good studio albums with Free Hand being my favorite. The best song on that album isn't necessarily On Reflection, but I do think of it as one of those tracks that showcase so many of the things they were able to do.

Nothin At All is beautiful, though I've wondered why they put that long, noodly part in there (roughly from 4:20 to 7:40) with the weird drums 🤔

Happiness is a warm manatee

Quote from: Guybrush on Nov 18, 2023, 08:56 PM^Gentle Giant are great 🙂 so much fun music. To my mind, they have at least 8 good studio albums with Free Hand being my favorite. The best song on that album isn't necessarily On Reflection, but I do think of it as one of those tracks that showcase so many of the things they were able to do.

Nothin At All is beautiful, though I've wondered why they put that long, noodly part in there (roughly from 4:20 to 7:40) with the weird drums 🤔

For sure! I think their entire run from the debut through Interview is stone cold classic, and The Missing Piece has its moments as well.

As far as Free Hand goes I think the title track is my my go-to pick for my favorite, but yeah On Reflection is certainly a masterwork of their more medieval esque style.



"stressed" is just "desserts" spelled backwards

Oh, ye gods! My alliteration is RUINED! :laughing:


Klaus Schulze - Mirage (1977)

I only got about three hours of sleep last night, so I decided to put on an album that has always given me a dreamlike vibe. I first heard this in the fall of 2010, smack dab in the middle of my journey into 1970s electronic music that had begun with Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. The first of the two massive 30 minute tracks is hauntingly wistful, with synthesizer squeals that echo like foghorns into the ocean of glistening sound waves. The second half of the track introduces a twinkling sequence that really reminds me so much of some kind of acid-tripped music box lullaby. The second track still blows me away with how futuristic it must have sounded back in 1977, with its layers of dancing synth bloops and pings underpinned by fuzzy undulating bass tones. This was very high up in my possibly-ill-fated 100 list, and my favorite Schulze album. Masterpiece.

"stressed" is just "desserts" spelled backwards

My favorite Gentle Giant album has always been Acquiring The Taste.  As the title implies though...it is a bit out there at times even for prog fans I think. The debut and Free Hand are both stone cold classics too of course.  8)


Quote from: Nimbly9 on Dec 14, 2023, 10:53 PMMy favorite Gentle Giant album has always been Acquiring The Taste.  As the title implies though...it is a bit out there at times even for prog fans I think. The debut and Free Hand are both stone cold classics too of course.  8)

I love Acquiring the Taste a lot! It's an album that really did live up to its name as something that grew on me over time, probably more so than any of their others. Wreck is one of my absolute favorite GG songs.

"stressed" is just "desserts" spelled backwards

I also think Acquiring the Taste is among their better albums. I probably like Free Hand, Octopus, Acquiring the Taste and their debut the most.

Happiness is a warm manatee