FIRST TIME HEARING Gentle Giant- "His Last Voyage" (Reaction)

[@retroreactions....]

Wow, what a unique original song...with a vibe and beauty all its own! Thanks so much for watching!! 🥰

[@ernaolsson6763]

Love Gentle Giant! Brilliant musicians all of them. R.I.P Ray Shulman 🌹

[@retroreactions....]

Hi there. Thanks so much for watching!!

[@benoitrenaud519]

They can combine 20th century classical music with Renaissance and Baroque, plus blues, hard rock and folklore, all in one album, sometimes in one song!

[@retroreactions....]

All I can say is WOW.....definitely a unique approach!

[@markdrechsler5660]

GG are one of the deepest of prog rabbit holes. You can’t go wrong with anything on their first eight albums. Ever surprising.

[@retroreactions....]

Nice! 8 albums would keep them on the channel for years!!

[@benoitrenaud519]

One of my favorite bands period. Their music is diverse, you never know what you are going to get. But always brilliantly done by exceptional musicians. I recommend The Advent of Panurge, On Reflection, Aspirations, Peel the paint, Experience… They are better appreciated with full albums. Their best were done between 1972 and 1977.

[@retroreactions....]

"You never know what you are going to get"..........sounds perfect!! Love bands that do that. Thanks for watching and for the suggestions Benoit!

[@markjohnson4217]

Gentle Giant were one of the earliest pioneers of progressive rock actually. Their debut was 1968 or 69, and like King Crimson, they came out fully formed and confidently at the cusp of a new genre later referred tp as progressive rock. The Shulman brothers were all very deep into music theory and music history ( one of the brothers became a musicologist) so the really absorbed the fugues and melodic canons of the middle ages, layered Gregorian voices, sea shanties, flutes, pennywhistles mandolas, violas, cellos, horns, it was all allowed and these musicians often swapped instruments DURING their performances onstage! One could almost say that they were TOO progressive... they were never as accessible as YES or Genesis and they were never as dark and dissonant as King Crimson, and their music demanded much from the ears of most rock fans. So they were not a name drop among the normal crowd, but became the ultimate cult band for musicans, who would pass the word around in enigmatic whispers. EVERY aspiring musician knew about them. It became like a secret handshake, if you wanted to find who whether or not someone was a musician, you would just ask them what they thought of Gentle Giant..Lol

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for the insight!

[@scottgillham2000]

I'm a huge Gentle Giant fan, in my top 5. They have so much variety. Pretty stuff, like this. Some rockers. And their signature stuff, jigsaw puzzle music (because of how the pieces all fit together.) So many great ones! Check out On Reflection.

[@michaelbaucom4019]

Ahhh, GG's beautiful chaos, but not so chaotic if you're paying attention. Their first six albums are superb prog masterpieces. A suggestion for a bit harder rocker from them: " Peel The Paint ". Two more masterpiece songs: " Proclamation " and " Playing The Game "

[@retroreactions....]

Ah so they rock out too? Thanks for being here early and commenting first Michael! 🥇

[@mikemicrael5749]

@@retroreactions.... Giant can rock with the best of them. But their virtuosity on so many instruments is what you need to see. I suggest a live version of "Funny Ways" from their first album. It's not a rocker, but your jaw will need support.

[@retroreactions....]

haha...sounds great!

[@alanfine9825]

I was a huge fan in the 70's, and still am today. They were the definition of a completely different PROG. No one comes close to their overall talent, creativity, and unique sound that can never be imitated or duplicated. So glad to have seen them in Concert and watch all of them stop in the middle of a song and each change instruments. Amazing!!!

[@retroreactions....]

Great memories! Thanks for watching Alan!

[@reneelyons6836]

Never listened to this band before. Very unique and interesting. And FUN !! ☮💟🎶🎶

[@retroreactions....]

Cool, so it was a first listen for both of us!

[@reneelyons6836]

@@retroreactions.... Yes it was!

[@Rowenband]

That's great to see, that such a channel can bring people to great music. I advice both of you to go forward in GG's music, it's full of surprises, and very challenging. A band not based on chords but on intricate melodies

[@frankhoulihanfh4972]

One of the most beautiful songs of this or any other era. ❤️

[@retroreactions....]

Hi Frank, must agree. So unique though.... Thanks for watching!

[@frankhoulihanfh4972]

@@retroreactions.... It’s uniqueness is no small part of it’s beauty. Really enjoyed your reaction!

[@retroreactions....]

Great, I really appreciate that!

[@MrHisperia2001]

Gentle Giant is the ultimate Prog band underrated 💫❤️ thanks for the reaction bro ❤️☝️

[@retroreactions....]

You're welcome!!

[@richardmerget]

Grosser Musiksachverstand...meine Hochachtung !!! Sie machen das perfekt !

[@retroreactions....]

Danke fürs zuschauen!

[@nicolasaloni4282]

Listen to their discography from the beginning to the end, and you won't regret the amazing journey, believe me!

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for watching! Definitely will explore more!

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

When they threw the rulebook, it landed waaay over there; almost out of sight. :) GG are addictive for their beauty, musical mastery and strangeness. Talented muscians is an undestatement - occasionally on stage live they would swap instruments mid song and play on as if nothing happened. Plus, you never know what you will hear. Feel like a whole album? "Free Hand" - esp. the Steven Wilson remaster - up there with Trick of The Tail. From memory, this was track 5 on that album; a masterwork. That was fun, enjoyed!

[@retroreactions....]

Switched midway?....wow that's a first that I know of! Thanks so much for your support as always!!

[@peggys1140]

Very talented, diverse musicians. Haven’t heard them for years. Thanks!

[@retroreactions....]

You're welcome!

[@sergebrunet4218]

I had a few albums of Gentle Giant ! Octopus i remember was one of em ! This song is really soft compare to what i know of them ! lol ! 😎

[@retroreactions....]

Yes, I hear they are VERY diverse...I will hear that diversity eventually...😎

[@leoscone4036]

Had the pleasure of seeing Gentle Giant twice in the mid '70's. They stand at the absolute pinnacle of prog-rock for the time alongside folk like Genesis, King Crimson, and Yes. One of the most unique and talented bands ever. Many a treat in store for you if you go down the GG path. And I hope you do. Blessings.

[@retroreactions....]

Nice! Yes, will def do more GG, thanks for watching Leo!

[@yeshayahuhomberger2079]

Nice reaction, keep reacting to them. Also I suggest to react to Gryphon if you’re interested in non conventional instrumentation. About the same thematic of this song try To Be Over by Yes. Thx. 👍

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks! I will. Thanks for the suggestions!

[@willem-janageling3907]

Wow Gentle Giant! They had 7 great albums from 70 to 75 and there's a lot to discover. Their harmonies are superb as is their musicality. They certainly are a prog rock group. They are not for everyone though. An acquired taste (pun towards their second album).

[@retroreactions....]

Hello! Glad you love them and thanks for watching. I know for sure I will resonate with them based on this song alone...🙂

[@mikemicrael5749]

You have it, Brandon. Interesting sounds + pretty cool changeups = progressive rock. Gentle Giant is right in my wheelhouse, up there among the great progressive bands. Fantastic musicians all, they came together for a decade and released some of the best and most challenging music from the 1970s, and after they split up when music changed around 1980, they followed different career paths and made very few attempts at solo projects. I was fortunate to be introduced to Giant early in their career and they remain among my three or four favorite bands. You can't go wrong with any Gentle Giant suggestions from your knowledgeable subscribers. Enjoy this most unique band! RIP, Ray Shulman. :(

[@retroreactions....]

Ah, so no GG 80s tunes I guess? You may know I adore 80s music. Yes, I fully trust my subs and admire not only their musical taste, but the journeys they have been through with all these amazing bands!

[@drmagic60]

Here for the second reaction! Wow I haven't listened to Gentle GIant in a while. They are quite the unique group. Again an acquired taste, as are other bands. I remember listening to the albums "Octopus" and "In A Glass House".

[@drmagic60]

I meant to mention R.I.P. to Ray Schulman, one of the 3 brothers that founded the band. He just recently passed 3/30/2023.

[@retroreactions....]

Welcome back, you're doing overtime today in the Retro Reactions Musical Universe!!

[@retroreactions....]

Oh wow, so recent! I think my subconscious was telling me it was time to add them to the channel. RIP to a string king no doubt....

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Nice! Saw GG four times in the 70s, brilliant live as good as any. On Reflection and So Sincere are very cool tunes.🙏🍁

[@retroreactions....]

I knew you were one who enjoys them a lot. Adding your votes, thanks Les

[@Rowenband]

This comes just after the passing of Ray Shulman, main composer and bass player of this song. What a bass line. Gentle Giant is the most innovative prog band. So far from Genesis or Yes (which I both love dearly).

[@retroreactions....]

Yes, sorry to hear about that... glad you caught this one Chris, I know you're a big fan

[@Rowenband]

@@retroreactions.... A big thank you for choosing this particular song, that I enjoy profoundly

[@retroreactions....]

😊

[@Divedown_25]

I heard Gentle Giant for the first time not so long ago and wonder I never heard them or about them in the 70s. I agree with all of your comments. As always, I never listen to the lyrics for some reason. Had absolutely no idea what they were singing about until you mentioned it.

[@retroreactions....]

I'm the same with lyrics, but here they seemed hard to decipher audibly. Almost like it was another language...made the lyrics more of an abstract instrument to me....

[@Divedown_25]

@@retroreactions.... exactly like an abstract instrument for 90% of the music, my daughters laughs at me as they know the lyrics only after few listenings. For some reason though Pink Floyd and Supertramp lyrics sticks with me… And ABBA 😃

[@retroreactions....]

3 of the greatest!!

[@AquaticDot]

Great band. Your reaction is just perfect. Honestly, if you wanted to hear more, you could play just about any song from just about any of their albums and nobody would be mad. If you're looking for specific recs, On Reflection is a fan favorite, Free Hand from the same album as this is a personal favorite, and everybody loves Mr. Class and Quality / Three Friends.

[@retroreactions....]

Cool thanks for the suggestions....sounds like I have a lot to cover!!

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

Great reaction! I discovered a new band! Very unusual sound.

[@retroreactions....]

Great, and thank you!!

[@rk41gator]

So sad to lose one of the great musicians of the '70s, Ray Shulman. What a great (if accidental) selection to honor Ray's death! Try some more GG because they can rock a quirky, funky, jazzy rock. Perhaps no band could touch their tight musicality except Zappa's and maybe Yes on a good day. This is more their baroque side. Prog Rock like you have never heard before. Their acapella singing is INSANE! (Kerry Minnear graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London with a major in musical composition)

[@retroreactions....]

Yes, sad but I had absolutely no idea until people started commenting on it today here.... thanks for the info!

[@GentleGiant1969]

So Super Fabulous!❤️🙏

[@sagitt1856]

GENTLE GIANT = brilliant musicians, compositions strongly inspired by liturgical chant, music from the end of the Middle Ages and the whole period of the Renaissance, jazz and Arnold Schönberg's dodecaphony. To get a good idea of the originality of this band unparalleled creative genius, listen to the song "Proclamation" (from the album 'The Power and the Glory', 1974). Thanks.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for that great info! Will add your vote

[@billheineman472]

Yep, it would seem, that the lyrics to Gentle Giant's “His Last Voyage” tell the story of a sailor who sets out on what would become his final journey. The first stanza describes the sailor rising early in the morning and heading out to sea, with no particular sense of adventure or excitement - it’s just a way of life. However, as the day progresses and the weather worsens, the tone of the song changes. The sailor pulls up the anchor and lets go of the rope, symbolizing the surrender of control over his fate to the ravages of age and the power of nature. The storm intensifies, and the sailor’s boat is lost at sea along with his life, leaving his loved ones to mourn and regret ... I remember reading an interview with Kerry Minnear where he stated the song was INSPIRED BY A TRUE revelation. A story that tells the final act of a contemporary, terminally ill author/poet who's farewell involved boarding his boat and sailing off into oblivion. A unique suicide to be sure. ps. three-part vocal canon toward the middle ~ BIG WOW..

[@helenespaulding7562]

Never listened to one of their songs before, although I’ve certainly heard their name mentioned on other channels Wonderful combination of almost madrigal form in parts of this piece with jazz accents. Lovely harmonies. Fantastic musicianship. Im going to take a chance and say they’re British 😏 More please. Love to discover a new sound!

[@retroreactions....]

Yes, and you even recommended them here! Yup, British....Glad you liked them, I had a feeling you would!

[@helenespaulding7562]

@@retroreactions.... you’re right…. I remember putting their name forward to you. I’d heard them mentioned so much as an overlooked but excellent prog band that I thought they should be on your radar……knowing your taste

[@retroreactions....]

Success!!

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

@@retroreactions.... I try! 😉

[@MisterWondrous]

Everybody loves themselves some Genital Giant, may Ray rest in peace. The band is many things, but in some ways they are a marriage of Gryphon and Steely Dan, all the while making sure to paint outside the lines. There was once a great New Age radio show in Richmond, perhaps called "Nightscapes", but whose opening theme song was the Giant's own "Talybont", which is a town in Wales in or near Breconshire, where I have ancient ancestorage. Lovely little tune. A light lunch. Back in the early '70s, I stupidly overlooked the band, whilst housing mostly prog, but still too young and testosteronal to appreciate the more delicate palate they offered. It ain't kid music. Great share and show. Cheers!

[@retroreactions....]

Hello there! Thanks for sharing and watching. Hope all is well. Cheers!!

[@AnguaP]

It is sadly ironic that your introduction to Gentle Giant is 'His Last Voyage', given that bassist/violinist/guitarist/trumpeter/recordist/percussionist Ray Shulman died on 1 April. I was privileged to have seen Giant live twice, and seeing video of them performing can actually blow one's mind (not as great as being there, but we take what we can get from a band that broke up in 1980). Recommend 'Excerpts from Octopus' (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoW0lZuKdp2ahMU), 'The Runaway/Experience' (kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGWZkoKBqKuga7c), and 'Free Hand' (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH7VioaKr9Z5f5o). These song are from Giant's mid-'70s masterpieces: 'Octopus', 'In a Glass House' and 'Free Hand'.

[@retroreactions....]

Yes, very strange coincidence, as I did not know who he was or that he had just passed. Thanks for the suggestions and for watching...

[@ianlejeune6012]

Personally, after hearing and being so beautifully confused by the overlapping and complicated main motif for many, many years, I have concluded that it the mimics the surging complex action of the waves at sea, or maybe, as they crash on shore - so very sophisticated, lyrical and moving. 'On reflection' next, I believe…

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

Looking thru the comments, I see suggestions for Proclamation. Would include the "fan video" of Proclamation from 2020 lockdown over on the GG channel, as it's got GG band members in, made (edited) by GG plus 101 oddball "in the wild" fan musicians. All of whom are brilliant (if you're volunteering your work at this level, you'ld better be good) - and it's fun! :)

[@retroreactions....]

Wow, sounds fun, I'm sure I can check it out at some point!

[@whycantiremainanonymous8091]

Did you know of Ray Shulman's passing, or is the timing of recording and release just a coincidence?

[@retroreactions....]

Hello. Had zero clue who he was or that he just passed... strange that this band was on my to do list for a couple of months and I chose them about 6 days after he passed...

[@nickwheatley4531]

Frank Zappa is a possible likeness to GG in some respects

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for watching Nick. Do you have a FZ favorite song?

[@nickwheatley4531]

@@retroreactions.... you must start with the album Hot Rats (1969)on the FZ journey. He was prolific and I liked the album's Sheik Yerbouti and Joe's Garage Part 1,2 and 3 all 1979. His discography is huge and he was very experimental and surrounded himself with superb musicians and also played a mean guitar.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for the guidance Nick!

[@flomalheur7467]

next: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZi4oX-Zo7GertU have fun

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks! Much fun here, have a beautiful day and weekend Flo!