Fallen From Grace: Giant for a Day by Gentle Giant

[@curttuckfield5565]

To me, Thank You and Friends in context with this album is Gentle Giant saying "Thanks for being fans, but we're on our deathbed. We gave 100 percent of our creative fuel to you over the last few years. It's gone and we all know it. Goodbye."

[@davidlawrence9091]

I thought it was a ' goodbye ' album, myself! Prog rock was dying. And out of desperation they change genre, in order to stay together.

[@tkousek1]

don't get me wrong.. I love Gentle Giant as they're one of my all time favorites. I love "In a glass house", "power and the glory", etc.. Having said that, I don't think "Giant for a day" is a bad album. It's just not what we expect from Gentle Giant. From a pop perspective, it's better than most all of the pop albums from today. IHMO, the best way for me to approach this album is as "a late 70's pop album" without any temptation to overanalyze "why". John Weathers (not Derek) sang "Friends". It was his only lead vocals with the band. Civilian was a better Swan Song.

[@inthebandmusicappreciation1509]

Who can forget that famous Yes album 'Tormatoes.'

[@phlog_dog7336]

Dude, I love "And Then Were There Were Three"

[@kingcrim]

John Weathers sings lead on "Friends" and he's the writer.

[@NotesReviews]

Thanks! That makes a lot more sense. I'll put an annotation on the video to mark the correction :)

[@proisle]

Love love love this album. It is a great gentle giant album.

[@RichKnight36]

I don't hate this album...it's definitely their worst, but I do find it catchy. If this has been more toward the middle of the career, it would have just been a misstep. But since it was their penultimate album, it really is quite depressing. It's a sellout album through and through

[@Beadbud5000]

Agreed except Friends. John Weathers wrote and sang this track.

[@GDSullivan4]

Hey, can you please review a few of Gentle Giant's more acclaimed albums: Self-Titled, Acquiring the Taste, Octopus, In a Glass House?! Thanks!

[@kaiguitarguymenard]

George Sullivan Three Friends as well. Underrated masterpiece

[@richbuceta2882]

I wish GG fans could loosen up and appreciate this album for what it is. I love all the songs and while commercially oriented, it still has a unique GG spin. I’ll take this album over much of their catalog, and I am a life long GG fan

[@zeed7407]

Exactly. Nothing wrong with some pop rock, adding one band's own spin on it

[@davidlawrence9091]

I didn't have any problem, in the change of direction from Gentle Giant. Some Groups, usually change their personnel. But it just shows you their diversity in their genre not only of taste, but musicmanship. In the case of the group, Yes for instance. A change of personnel didn't mean, a change of style however. One could close your eyes and say that is Yes, whether your listening to the first album, or the last one. I found Gentle Giant refreshing, that they did try something else. And still retain some of the material that they were doing before, like ' Memories of old days ' and ' Your only as Old, as your Young ' in Missing Piece Album. So, I think the reviewer comments, are little unfair!

[@stephenpogen1035]

Spot on. As a lifelong fan, I remember how disappointed I was on the album's release. Missing Piece was a bit of a shock but Giant for a Day was mortifying! I'd like to hear your views on Tull's (perceived) 'clanger' Under Wraps. Thanks. Robust stuff!

[@Kruegerisgod]

His name is Kerry Minnear not Terry

[@PacoFox]

I used not to care for this album after listening to The Missing Piece, but then read a review by that famous russian internet critic and reconsidered my approach. I see it's an inventive pop-prog album, and I appreciate it more or less (Words From The Wise or Giant For A Day), although my favourite is, as yours, It's Only Goodbye (which, curiously enough, was the most despised by that critic, named George Starostin). I find the LP more bereable than Civilian, and that one usually gets better reviews in the vein of 'too littlle, too late'.

[@justabee0]

I enjoyed this album alot

[@weeksey49]

Love how you have Power and the Glory in the background to remind us how good this band was when they were in their prime. God I had forgotten how bad this album was the tour show was ok caught it at the Tower in Philly with Renaissance I think or may of been some weird NY city artist.

[@ChrisPropfeMusicallyObsessed]

Nice review. Was just spinning this in my car today. There are definitely some clunkers on this album though. “Friends” is a good one and sounds like a Paul McCartney song.

[@peterfitton4529]

It's Only Goodbye sounds like a cross between Could It Be Magic and a Cat Stevens song (Baby baby it's a wild world?) with heavy-ish guitars. And where does that tune on Little Brown Bag come from? The bit that goes "She'll be there in the morning"? Have definitely heard that somewhere else. Also: the main tune of Underground on the next album definitely seems to have influenced REM's Finest Worksong.

[@emilobe]

This critic seems to me not very fair. First, there is a huge lack of the historic circumstances. (Maybe you're too young to know?) At that time, the times of Prog-or Art-Rock seemed to be over and Punk was going to rule. (I hated this musical decline) There was a huge pressure from the management on the group. So they tried to adopt to the changing expectations, but it seemed, that this was going to be the last record of them. (At that time nobody expected the impressive "Civilian" as another - last - work.) Songs like "Thank You", "It's only goodbye", "Take me" are wonderful, melancholic swansongs. I still love them. "Little brown bag", "Rock climber" are great fun and show the pontential and wide range of their musical talent. To me, until today no group has ever surpassed the musical standard and ability of GENTLE GIANT!

[@lauscho]

Ha, I just got into GG since seeing Haken, and found this video and love the premise of this series I haven't yet seen. Anyway, I'm pretty much in agreement with what I've heard so far about this album. It's strange to go from "The Power and the Glory" to... this. This one just didn't resonate with me. I actually have to admit to liking the opening track on their next album, "Civilian", though. There's a certain dissonance in the guitar/keyboard melodies that kind of feels "proggy" to me. As for suggestions for other Fallen From Grace albums... I don't really have any that the general population would know, but I have my own personal example: from Sudbury, there was an absolutely brilliant progressive rock/folk rock band from the mid-70s called CANO, and their first three albums, "Tous Dans L'Meme Bateau", "Au Nord De Notre Vie" and "Eclipse" were absolutely tremendous folk/prog albums, but their fourth album, "Rendezvous", went straight down the pop-rock rabbit hole, and the band never truly got out of it again. They'd only stick together for a compilation album and one more album, "Visible", before disbanding. But I'd definitely recommend checking out those first three albums. The second, "Au Nord De Notre Vie", has probably their most overtly "prog" sound, especially in "A La Poursuite Du Nord" and "Mon Pays", as well as, I kid you not, a rather poppin' jazz/prog arrangement of "Frere Jacques", and an absolutely beautiful closing instrumental, "Spirit of the North". Great music from the Nickel City. :D

[@TractorCountdown]

Judging by that snippet of 'Friends', it sounds very much like a Paul McCartney ditty for a Wings B-side. I've become a big fan of GG recently and have been warned about this album, and now you've sealed it so I don't have to waste an entire day listening to it :)

[@adap2it]

agree totally with his evaluation...If you were a Gentle Giant fan from the start or early on, Giant for a Day was a mortal wound.

[@PacoFox]

May I suggest 'Camera Camera' by Renaissance as a possible 'Fallen from grace'? I've never got it, but there are some folks that appreciate it.

[@thewordlove4316]

Paco Fox: I would think "Time-Line" is the one needing the spanking, though!!

[@aarongonzalez7482]

Just now finding your channel. When I discovered this Fallen From Grace series, I was wondering if you had one about Merci by Magma. Then I realized I couldn't find anything about Magma on your channel. Are they just not the kind of prog you are into, or have you not delved in? If you do have videos about them that I didn't see, I apologize

[@otflipz1]

Great suggestion I'd love to see that haha it's a real stinker trying to cash in on the disco scene at the time. Apart from that one hideous misstep though all their albums are great and magma are one of the very best prog bands of all time

[@themadmattster9647]

great series, love hearing about "sellout" albums

[@ramoncardinali]

"Missing Piece" is still a very good album, with some of their best songs (like "Memories of Old Days" and "For Nobody"). But "Giant for a Day" it's easily their worst album (though I can enjoy a few songs here).

[@RA-VEN8]

Rock Climber sounds like a Kiss song. Lol

[@Kruegerisgod]

But better

[@Randgalf]

It's definitely the least quintessential GG album but it's heads above 90210....90123... 912... 9210... that one, the one with the piechart.

[@Kruegerisgod]

This is a great album

[@SuperWalshBros]

I remember hearing that Kerry said he contributed practically nothing to this album. He definitely wanted to keep doing the prog stuff hence the second side of the Missing Piece.

[@stewartconacher6552]

When I became interested in this band I had heard that after the album ^Freehand*the music went downhill which turned out to be correct which was a shame as their earlier albums contained a lot of excellent music.

[@NotesReviews]

It is a real shame. This was the only record my dad had, so I thought this was gentle giant. I'm very glad a friend in highschool introduced me to 'Three Friends' and I fell inlove with them.

[@otflipz1]

It was actually after the album interview as that one is just as awesome the all the previous albums

[@nikitalane5543]

When will the next episode come out?

[@Sztermel]

Nikita Lane i think the series are on hold

[@andreasghb8074]

I made a point of avoiding this album, based on it's reputation. From what I've heard on this video, it's worse than I imagined. Abacab and 90125 are masterpieces in comparison

[@davidlawrence9091]

It's just, one man's opinion? It might be palatable to listen too, if you are not cut up so much as to who's playing it!

[@zeed7407]

I mean 90125 is pretty killer in the first place

[@andreb1605]

friends=black bird from the beatles........love them both....!!!!

[@TheDavidtk240]

These 70's prog bands were seen as passe' in 1978....Except our friends in Genesis. Funny, prog was still very alive with people like Eno, Manzanera even the Cars among others.. I think lose the symphonic shit was the mantra. Mellotrons become big paperweights paperlate.

[@VideoJamesNZ]

Haha, I love this series! 😀. Thank you for introducing me. Will you add anymore to this series?

[@NotesReviews]

I hope to, but I'm starting to run out of albums...Hopefully I'll find a few more to rag on :)

[@andreasghb8074]

Led Zep "In through the out door"

[@aweso100]

Awwwww I love that album, underrated.

[@robertjewell2366]

Not Derek singing on Friends.

[@Menticknap]

Well, I like this one! So there.

[@Baueresque]

Agreed. Still, as this is the only Giant poopoo album. Pretty good score overall with so much brilliance to enjoy.

[@supermariomariani]

I know it isn't very progessive, but do queen

[@andrewstetson8366]

I don't if he likes Punk, but he should do Cut the Crap by the Clash

[@YuwadeeJ55]

Critics are as critics do - try writing something...

[@ThisIsReadyMade]

It’s an odd record for sure. Best song is Spooky Boogie, for sure. Everything else is just super unfocused.

[@NFLed]

Good video. In my view the songs on this album would have been a bit enjoyable overall had it been from a different musical artist. Most of the songs are okay and I wouldn't have minded hearing them on the radio a bit back in the late 1970s, certainly compared to most other pop-rock, but coming from the amazingly great Gentle Giant the album is relatively terrible. I enjoyed the second side of Missing Piece a whole lot.

[@davidlawrence9091]

A Prog Rock band, attempt to go Pop? Kayak, did the same thing after, 'See, See the Sun' Album in 1973. And, even included a female line up in later offerings. So, they weren't the only Band to try to go commercial! I thought it was a ' goodbye ' album, myself! Prog rock was dying. And out of desperation they change genre, in order to stay together.

[@jamescastelli]

Definitely their worst album - the follow up (and final) album Civilian is slightly better, even letting Kerry sing again - but honestly is one I'd rather listen to than a lot of other lame bands. I guess having never had a hit since the band's previous incarnation with Kites I can't blame them for wanting to make a buck for all their hard work with little return. I think you must agree that on a couple songs they do a better approximation of punk than Genesis did with Who Dunnit? BUT - you can still hear the craft and musicianship throughout the album, wanting to burst out all prog but keeping the lid on it. Still a lot of interesting counterpoint. Even the title track, which you say has a 2-note riff, you aren't listening to the guitar part, which is played in harmony using a very angular weaving line. So I guess I am able to appreciate the album by focusing on those elements when they are present.

[@greyever7820]

Hey man please it is 1978!! don't you prog guys never listen to anything beside prog? Gentle Giant were just moving with the times and this is a 1978 sound! Like Free Hand was a 1975 sound or Civilian was a 1980. If you want to consider the albums bad, blame it on the years not the bands! I hope you get what i say. Thanks.

[@emilobe]

That is the point!👍🏼

[@CloseToTheEdge-Prog]

It's a poor album by their high standards and I still cringe when I listen to it. I find The Missing Piece a brilliant album and their last album Civilian is also excellent. One bad album out of their discography is not so bad considering the stinkers Genesis, ELP and Yes put out after the 70s.

[@peterfitton4529]

It's a terrible Gentle Giant album but, taken on its own terms, it's kind of a fun and fairly enjoyable pop/rock album. Plus, nothing that features Derek Shulman's voice can be truly terrible. Also, I can blast out Words From The Wise et al and feel like the sort of person who owns Phil Collins and Tina Turner albums - ie. a normal person! Haha!

[@texasbarnowl]

I love GG, but I hate this album.

[@skooptywooop1030]

This album just like it's art work is a downgrade from the original