Classical Composer Reacts to Free Hand (ENTIRE ALBUM) - Steven Wilson Remix - Gentle Giant | Ep. 171 

So many Giant songs are like journeys thru many foreign lands!

Saw them in Miami on a bill with Wild Turkey Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull I'm stuck on the first 4

...entire life

❤

Absolutely. What's astonishing is that he's just as good on the other instruments he plays. His duo with Green on acoustic guitar makes you realise the guy's better than 90% of rock guitarists.

Let us not forget that, in order to allow Ray to jump into other instruments, Derek would often fade back to take over the bass guitar.

R.I.P. Ray. One of my greatest inspirations...

Thing is, live they sing and play all these instruments, besides trad rock instr , they cover woodwinds ,cello, violin, Perc instr…and have 5 guys who,can sing the madrigals

Agreed, they are in my top 3 favorite 70s prog bands.

Underrated by who? Not by the real proggers ;)

They are a genre on its own.

Mostly by the general public but also by some proggers

They now have a huge following thanks to RU-vid and I don't think they are underrated any longer maybe still misunderstood tho

Sooooo True. There was a Gentle Giant tribute album where progressive musicians did covers of their songs. It included Kevin Gilbert's "Suit Fugue" from "Shaming of the True" because it was in their style, the only non-cover.

Thats what I keep saying! Lol

@@chadbennett7873 What’s the name of that recording? Thanks!

@@jeffjones1359 Giant Tracks: A Tribute To Gentle Giant. Kevin Gilbert's "Suit Fugue" is on a posthumously released album titled "Shaming of the True" - highly influenced by Gentle Giant. They put it on the Giant Tracks album because it was so similar.

@@chadbennett7873 Thank you! Do know if it’s on RU-vid? I really appreciate you getting back to me! I’m a musician and I really appreciate this music. If it’s it on RU-vid do you know where I can get a CD?

Ray was also a jazz-head. Then there's the strong funk influence to a lot of their grooves. And the folk music influence. And the 60s soul touches... Every kind of music under the sun seems to come together in this band. *And BEAUTIFULLY so !!!* 😀

@@griiseknoen Did you know Derek Schulman's record label was DRT records and released some metal albums from Gwar, Clutch and Seven Mary Three?

@@danpage79 He also signed Dream Theater.

@@synthonaplinth5980 and Nickelback and Slipknot

my favourite description of them was ...A jazz rock fusion band that crashed into a rennaissance fair

Me too.

I like Magma a bit more than gentle giant but gentle giant are still up there in my top 5 retro prog rock bands of all time

Iam 68 and love them.

Same brother, my first concert was GG Gary wright, Peter Frampton, and Yes at Anaheim stadium California 1972

Agreed. GG were stupendous.

Yeah, like half of the video is Doug giving us the stink face. GG are out of this world.

None can compare

Us old folx who go, "Yes only *wishes*!" I remember when this first came out and my early teen mind was getting rocked with this and Gong and van der Graaf...

😂what he said 🎉 Amen. This music is so ingenious and mind blowing. There’s never been a gentle giant since. 😮circus. Lol love Doug’s comments

Holy shit it is Martin himself. You are a legend dear sir.

He’ll certainly love some of the Halo soundtracks, that’s for sure!

Hi Martin! I'd love to chat. How do I contact you? Or, email me at itsthedailydoug@gmail.com

Doug! I completely forgot this was you. I loved this one from 2 years ago. So glad we got a chance to talk. Of course you might not see this comment, but just wanted you to know I re-watched. So much fun. We saw them do this live. I think this was the concert in Chicago that I found them afterwards in the hotel.

@@TheMartyODonnell thanks!!! Their music is so catchy!

The Steven Wilson remix of Interview is coming out next month so maybe he'll do that once it comes out?

@@JohnLRice Sure, but maybe he should check their other more classic stuff before he goes on to do the full Interview album.

@@Chadner Yeah, some individual GG songs would be great too. And there are lot's of other great bands from the 70's he hasn't done at all yet, at least that I'm aware of? (I'm not a Patreon or Discord member etc.)

Likely a fairly common response. :‐)

Y’all

👍🏼😆

But, definitely don't forget "Three Friends" and the self-titled debut albums as well.

He needs to hit Playing the Fool so he can hear what they could do live. They were so awesome, I wish I could have seen them live. I was just starting to go to concerts when they were still around, they played at college the year before I got there, people told me it was great show...Ugh! I missed it!

@@Pcrimson1 they supported T Rex on tour in 1971, quite a mix of styles.

@@Pcrimson1 I saw them live playing backup to The J. Giels Band. What a mismatch. We left after one Geils song.

I believe Black Sabbath opened for them on at least one tour (or vice versa).

Should that happen, I hope they talk briefly about Azraels tear. Minnear did a soundtrack for that game... I'm sure there is more than a bit worth discussing given that as you could expect its not just a straightforward set of tunes :)

Church music, really? you know, i am the second and also lead guitar player in a choir, an Italian catholic church but we sing and play many songs which original versions comes from US, by Renewal of the Holy Spirit movement and those songs are often in common with some of my protestant friends, Adventists of 7th day.

@@DimitriFrondizi Yes he played in a Christian group called The Reapers in the 1980s and played in his local church.

Kerry Minnear is a great composer and a keyboard player. Sadly underrated and overlooked. His music is unique.

@@TheDodos85 The technically most proficient ever of all keyboardists EVER!

When I was a teenager back in the late 90's I discovered Gentle giant and it blew my mind. I could barely listen to anything else for months, I bought most of their albums during that time and I binged it every evening. I would definitely not be the same person today if it were not for the effect binging this band for a whole year had on the development of my brain.

'multi track' tapes ;)

Is that why there's no first or second albums remaster?

@@Hellyeahray21 I think so. I believe it was discussed in this interview from Make Weird Music. The interview is in two parts. Here’s the link for the first portion: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cmgW_K1UIeE.htmlsi=DO4WSK4RTEqOPwuh

In my high school English class I played Pink Floyd's Ummagumma album track Sitting In A Cave and Grooving With A Pict, for the 'Old English part, the class went crazy digging it, laughing hard, but my teacher was NOT happy at all!

Also Sugarcubes (Bjork's band), Dan Reed Network, Kingdom Come, Slipknot and Pantera. Even Nickelback! He also relaunched AC/DC and Bad Company.

I love Giant so much, I long ago forgave Derek for signing Nickelback. ;)

@@gregdaffern54 I guess the rest of those bands compensate for Nickelback.

Ironically, if he had not signed Nickelback, people may have not had the chance to dis them.

Also signed Björk, I believe.

YOU SPOKE THE TRUTH, SIR

Octopus & The Power & The Glory-GG’s best 2 albums IMHO. Masterpieces

All of their albums are great

Damn, this band just killing my mind when I listen to those crazy moves with sounds "pip, pum, tich....e.t.c." I have no idea how this music could exist in 70s. Music industry def. degrodated since these times, so many gems in those times for a fan of high quality of music

Right on !!! My favourite band of all times. Got introduced to them in 1971. Got to see them 3 times. Still have newspaper articles about them from England. They were extremely annoyed about being pegged under a specific genre at that time.

@@michaeltarasov4426 I totally agree, Michael. My boyfriend at the time ( 1971 ish) introduced me to so many outstanding bands when l met him. He had his own apartment and a light box that his father had built him. Friends came and went. We had a few beers and listened to music. My boyfriend was listening to Genesis, King Crimson, Strawbs, Curved Air, Exception, Deodato, Focus, Pete Sinfield, T Rex, Pink Floyd, Babe Ruth, to name a few. Gentle Giant became my favourite then and is now 53 years later. I will forever remain great full for the introduction of these bands. I was fortunate to have seen many in concert. Way back in the very early 70’s, Massey Hall in Toronto had these ‘ Cheap Thrills’ concerts, featuring many British bands. 5 bucks a ticket!!! Lol. So we saw GG, Genesis, Strawbs, NewYork Dolls( not my taste) and Kiss, who played right after them. So many years later, it’s hard for me to listen to these bands because there’s so much emotion and meaning involved. The music makes me feel melancholic. It would or could be different if l had a partner but I’m on my own, so….just find it too emotional. It’s a shame. I remember when GG and Genesis broke up. Disco became the order of the day which totally bummed me out though l certainly loved the odd B G’s song. Everything changed though. I was so lucky to have been part of those magical years when you could hang out in Sam The Record Man and come home with an album that you paid 5 bucks for and you took the earliest opportunity to put the album on and follow along to the lyrics. Our circle of friends sang along to every lyric of Supper’s Ready and other songs. Cheers.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UM-yGcpaY_4.html

I have seen that show at least a 100 times 😍

Best version ever

You may also check out The Advent of Panurge Live-either in the German TV 1974

Yes I particularly love “On Reflection”.

On Reflection live is what turned me from curious listener to fan

@@HollowGolem that would do it!

I am thinking that Doug should listen to the 4 Tracks from Playing The Fool that are based on this album. That and Excerpts From Octopus, Funny Ways and So Sincere. Plus the alternate live versions as they tend not to play the same song the same way twice.

@@brianwaite8293 I was thinking Doug should do their entire discography and all of Playing the Fool, to be honest.

When a friend introduced my to GG in '75 or '76, his answer to my question regarding what they were like was, "They sound like Yes, but with brains".

👏👏👏👏👏

Exactly!

Definitely, also The Power and The Glory!

Power and the Glory is my favorite.

Three friends is essential listening

Honestly if you up for it I would recommend just going back to their 1970 debut and listening through their albums chronologically :)

PLEASE!!! And also The Power and the Glory!!!!

Absolutely true

I agree, "Playing The Fool", even knowing the original tracks, blows my mind away every time I listen to it. All these titles have different arrangements than the recorded songs, and as creative and intricate as they first were, they found the way to raise the bar to top notch! Still to this very day, one of the very best live albums I've heard in my whole life !

This band is/was hard to find but really worth effort.

"At the Judgement..."

Never Mind the Judgment! We all know that all the record company execs are doomed already if only for screwing so many artists...

@@jeffjones9448 never mind the bullocks😏, 👉soft machine was one of those fine groups

At the judgement I think the record industry will confess under the pressure of complete honesty that it was about the almighty dollar, that they knew it would be easier to have mass acceptance of fad based simple punk rock than mind expanding more complexed music that people must learn to appreciate and understand.

1975 was a wondeful year for prog! Relayer, Wish You Were Here, A Night at the Opera, FH, etc.

@@Barbaste Genesis were touring the lamb and were about to go into studio to record TOTT.

Absolutely correct - saw them live three times and oh my God, they were even better. Watching them change instruments in the middle of songs and passages was entertainment enough.

Ray’s facial expressions were worth the price of admission.

From what I've seen on RU-vid, the recordings were their trial runs before they did the kitchen sink live. The albums are the plain cheeseburgers, and they added onion slices and A1 on the road

Cleveland in late 70s was an amazing show at a small club. Around the same era saw Zep in 77!

Kerry Minnear is a living counterpoint - it's where he shines!! he rarely takes the melodic lead, rejoicing in coloring the melody and being the soil for songs to grow and flourish in! just as Raymond Shulman's passing gutted me, Kerry Minnear's will be as devastating ...

They are still ahead of their time. Their sophistication is still above most people.

@@chadbennett7873 That's so cringy I pulled a muscle in my face.

STIL "way ahead of their time" 50 years on ... :)

@@chadbennett7873 There is no such thing as ahead of their time. You have no idea what music will sound like in 30 yrs from now. This band set out to play the music they liked and they did it really well just like so many others. If you could say that about anyone it would be The Beatles with songs like Tomorrow Never Knows, Eleanor Rigby and a lot more because they actually changed the music industry beyond recognition so much that without them Gentle Giant wouldn't even exist.

@@MICKEYISLOWD There is truth in what you say, but what I meant by ahead of their time is that the audience was not ready for what they produced. Pretty much, still aren't. We have a vast audience listening to music that to math (music is applied mathematics) like counting on the fingers of one hand, while Gentle Giant is advanced Calculus. The Beatles were more accessible, and trust me, I am a massive Beatles fan and agree they opened the door for so many brilliant artists. If music follows it's current "popular" trend, 30 years from now we will be listening to Artificial Intelligence created music because nobody will know how to play and instrument or sing on pitch. ProTools will eliminate the need to practice and auto-tune will eliminate the need to learn how to control the vocal instrument.

@@paulmouradjian6045 When he moved to Roadrunner Records he also signed Slipknot! ...and Nickelback. 😫

My favorite as well, but probably because it was the 1st album of theirs I listened to . . . and it went WAAAY over my head at 18. It sat in my collection for the next 5+ years till I was more than ready to enjoy and understand it.

My favourite. Probably because it was my first GG album all the way back in the seventies.

Yes! Counterpoint! Thank you lol

Counterpoint with every player same time.

Try Gryphon - will blow your mind. Red Queen to Gryphon Three

@Bookhouse Boy Absolutely, but all four "epics" are standout. It's unique from their other albums, which by the way run the gamut for style. I have their entire catalog, even the newer stuff, and there is something remarkable in every song. I do miss Richard Harvey, though. Spring Song from Treason is truly worth a listen.

And he completely salvaged Interview--a terrific album that was buried under a shitty mix!

Ah yes - In A Glass House is my favorite GG album !!

Also a 40-year, saw-GG-twice person. It's been great to see them being appreciated as they should have always been, although can never stop wondering if some GG iteration beyond the now-defunct Three Friends might've happened if their popularity had been wider when we saw them, and bought their imported vinyl.

trivia note: per one of the band (either Ray Shulman or John Weathers), the Pong sound was indeed recorded from a video game console in a pub near the studio. :) Probably was one of those table-style setups with the game and its TV display built right into the table.

I remember hearing "On Reflection" the first time and thinking there's no way they could do it live and keep it in key- joyfully, they proved me wrong!

Another gem. Very well remembered.

Love that whole album

Goddamn Right!

Absolutely my friend. K.A. or Kohntarkosz. Doug will go crazy.

Magma is the closest to classical music of all the Prog bands. But you have to pick the right pieces

I like my Magma with live video. Just gotta watch Vander do his thing.

Awesome comparison Kisa, you get a 💯🎯from me.

Только Supertramp и Steely Dan гораздо слабее, чем GG.

@@user-mw8ld6mf2h В смысле прог, да.

Go to "In a Glass House" and "Octopus". Great albums.

Acquiring the Taste too, check out their live footage

My brother _discovered_ them when he saw them open for Tull on the Thick As a Brick tour.

That must have been highly interesting. Gary's the one that has kept Gentle Giant music alive with his band "Three Friends" with GG's original drummer Malcom Mortimore.

Everybody has their favorites. I'd prefer a live version of MDK. My pick for a studio album would be "K.A.".

@@tunnelamende6214 K.A. is in my 2nd position on the rank

Hey Richard, Giant is a completely different band. . They're interesting too, but pure rock.

@@chadbennett7873 Completely different band than what? I have no context for that statement.

@@Wizardofgosz Giant is a band. See their video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fn4-qWZW6hY.html Gentle Giant is a different band.

@@chadbennett7873 oh my God, don't even fucking go there. Everyone I know who's been listening to gentle Giant for 50 years calls them giant. Get over it. Accept, move on.

jajajajaja and is not a album from King Crimson or YES or Génesis or ELP...the Prog Monsters!! is : Gentle Giant

@@antoniocarlin5026 I _know,_ right!? Fantastic band! But please do not say "prog". The phrase is "progressive rock". I also like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, which is "heavy rock". But we don't call it "hev". I also like "folk rock", but we don't call it "fol". The reason we do not do these things is because it makes us sound dedrater, silly and idiotic, NOT "cool". I have had to unsub from several progressive rock forums because I was surrounded by idiots trying to sound "cool". {:-:-:}

Talybont is amazing - strong medieval/folk influence. Very Gryphon like. Love it!!

@@chadbennett7873 My thoughts exactly.

Absolutely!! My favorite GG as well. Bought this album in 1977 in a frikking cold Siberia and was the only one in the entire gigantic area to know anything about this majestic band.

I agree! I think The Power and The Glory, is their best written amd edited album. The songs are incredibly tight.

Yes, that's the album that introduced me to GG when it first came out and was reviewed on BBC Radio 3.

After Power & the Glory, I suggest my next favorite: Octopus