Gentle Giant (band): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Gentle_Giant_6879.jpg|frame|Classic line-up. 1972-1980 Left to right - D. Shulman, R.Shulman, Green, Weathers, Minnear]]

{{quote|"It is our goal to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of being very unpopular. We have recorded each composition with the one thought - that it should be unique, adventurous and fascinating."|Sleeve text from the second album.}}

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[[Gentle Giant]] was an English [[Progressive Rock]] band active in the 1970s. They are notable for being one of the most experimental and versatile of the prog bands of that era. All of the members were multi-instrumentalists who often switched instruments during a single song. This made up for very intricate arrangements and a [[Genre Roulette]] style of music in which one song could vary between hard rock, jazz, medieval tunes, baroque counterpoint, modernist sounds and soft ambience. Many prog-heads consider them to be one of the 'hardest' prog bands out there. In fact they are not that hard to listen to, however, since the compositions focus on catchy melodies, rhythms and clever songwriting in general. The compositions are very concise, not as long as the typical prog-fest and played almost totally clinically.

Gentle Giant was an English [[Progressive Rock]] band active in the 1970s.

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Sadly, the band burned out creatively at the end of the decade and went to making pop songs - an endeavor frowned upon by the band in it's earlier stages. Their sound, however, still proved too complex to appeal to a wide audience and they disbanded in 1980.

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~~The~~ line-~~up's~~:

[[The Other Wiki]] has [[w:Gentle Giant|an extensive article]] on them.

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Their line-ups:

==== 1970-72 Early line-up ====

{{quote|Phil Shulman: Lead vocals, clarinet, saxophones, trumpet

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John Weathers: Percussion }}

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They are notable for being one of the most experimental and versatile of the prog bands of that era. All of the members were multi-instrumentalists who often switched instruments during a single song. This made up for very intricate arrangements and a [[Genre Roulette]] style of music in which one song could vary between hard rock, jazz, medieval tunes, baroque counterpoint, modernist sounds and soft ambience. Many prog-heads consider them to be one of the 'hardest' prog bands out there. In fact they are not that hard to listen to, however, since the compositions focus on catchy melodies, rhythms and clever songwriting in general. The compositions are very concise, not as long as the typical prog-fest and played almost totally clinically.

⚫

Sadly, the band burned out creatively at the end of the decade and went to making pop songs - an endeavor frowned upon by the band in it's earlier stages. Their sound, however, still proved too complex to appeal to a wide audience and they disbanded in 1980.

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~~The~~ discography:

* ''Gentle Giant'' (1970)

* ''Acquiring the Taste'' (1971)

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* ''Civilian'' (1980)

They have a very extensive article on [[Wikipedia|the other wiki]]:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle_Giant

=== This band contains examples of the following tropes ===

* [[Album Filler]]: Arguably the last albums were made wholly of these.

* [[Album Title Drop]]