Gentle Giant Album Ranking | Top 11 Studio Albums Ranked

[@ProgRockDan1]

Glad to meet another Gentle Giant fan.

[@ProgAxia]

Yes likewise... There's not too many of us even within the prog community, which is a shame because they are or were a group of incredible musicians that created some wonderful, warm and emotional music.

[@7BobbyGaylor7]

Great video and ranking. Octopus is #1 for me, as that's where I came in on the band. Cheers

[@ProgAxia]

Hey Bobby, thanks man.. Yeah, Octopus is a phenomenal album, nearly changed last minute ha ha 😎

[@Oenloveslife]

I just got the Free Hand CD today and listened to it all the way through and I must say, I was utterly transported by its contrapuntal mastery! I love it! I think it's going to be hard to displace -- the only other albums I've listened to all the way through are Octopus and Gentle Giant, which I liked a lot, but Free Hand feels like something special to me.

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah, it's a great album 😎

[@ProgAxia]

It's really interesting reading all your comments. It shows that Gentle Giant are a LOVED band. I have taken on board a lot that's been said and I'm going back to a couple of albums again and going to give them more of a listening, one is Interview, because I really should like it more that I do now and the other is The Missing Piece. Thanks for all your comments and keep them coming 😎

[@gordonmorris6359]

It's like trying to rank or pick a favorite album by The Beatles, or deciding which limb you'd be willing to sacrifice!

[@ProgAxia]

@@gordonmorris6359 yeah, it's a bastard... but an interesting exercise.. That's why I love doing these. I have to commit.. Try it, actually commit to what really is the best GG album. I had to think about this for weeks..

[@Dianne-o7k]

Free hand ❤🎉

[@Deslaure]

My heart goes with The Power and the Glory #1 :) Nice top 11 btw!

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks Des, yep it's subjective and The Power And The Glory is stunning 😎

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching your GG program, and the passion you have for their music. I just love watching the reactions on visitors faces when they walk into our home and hear "Knots" playing over our sound system. The expressions on their faces are priceless, and it makes for a fun ice-breaker!!! My wife and I celebrated our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary last week. I popped "Knots" on in my vehicle during one of our first dates. That was a fun conversation, to be sure!

[@kirkkelley3791]

1 Acquiring the Taste 2. Three Friends 3. Glass House 4. Power and the Glory 5. Free Hand 6. Octopus 7. Gentle Giant - All the rest aren't my cup of tea. When I think of mysterious Prog, I think of my number one, Acquiring the Taste. I love dreamy Prog the most, "Edge of Twilight" favorite GG track. Yeah, like you said about some fans, the later albums alienated me too, like RUSH did after Hemispheres. I became jaded..... GG Fan since 77

[@ProgAxia]

Great ranking and I feel the same with a lot of bands I love. As the 70's moved into the 80's bands like Rush, Genesis and Yes sort of left my taste in music, they were all pandering to commerciality, trying to stay relevant. 😎

[@Evergrimrecordings]

Absolutely love this band and take every opportunity I can to introduce them to people.

[@ProgAxia]

What album would you give a GG newbie to listen to first?

[@Evergrimrecordings]

@@ProgAxia debut album or Octopus generally since those were the first I heard. Funny Ways or Nothing at All are usually the first songs I suggest. Great video as always 👍

[@ProgAxia]

@@Evergrimrecordings Great choices, and thanks so much

[@1359401]

@@ProgAxia freehand or octopus

[@henryptak1726]

Very nice presentation - I'm mostly in agreement with your top 5 or 6 ("Free Hand" being at the tippy top, no question about it ), but I disagree regarding "Interview", which I consider a continuation of the course they charted successfully with "Free Hand". Everything I love about GG is there (the ensemble playing, the percussion work, the stellar vocal writing, the humor, and all the rest of it). The album closer (I Lost My Head) and the title track are two of my all time favorites in their catalog. As for the others you mentioned in your top 5, which are my favorites tends to change depending on which day you ask me. I love the little pun regarding the 8 songs on the 4th album (Oct-Opus). Thanks again, and all the best. Cheers!

[@ProgAxia]

It's weird, regarding Interview. I have had comments in the tread about interview and how it should be higher, it's a me problem, not a them problem ha ha.. The thing is that after I did the video I like to go through all the comments and answer as many as possible, and quite a few rank Interview quite low. I also thought I have a look at some of the other GG ranking videos on YT etc, and again they either have it top 3 or bottom 5.. as I say strange. Thanks so much for the comment 😎

[@henryptak1726]

@@ProgAxia You're welcome - there's a "musician-nerd" attraction for me with "Interview". By the time that album came out, I was already sold on GG, and I was definitely well into buying the brand. I'm not one of those who demands that a band I admire "re-invent" themselves with each album. Anyway, that doesn't work with everyone the way it did with Genesis and Yes, and it must be especially hard when it's being driven by pressure from the record label to be more commercially viable. Procol Harum also tried that and failed.

[@twtobin941]

I always find it interesting to see just how differently fans rank Gentle Giant albums. I assume my fave four albums (Octopus, Power And The Glory, In A Glass House, Free Hand) will also be top ranked by others, but often not the case. I suppose it shows just how deep the music of GG was, over each phase of their creativity. No matter what bits you like best, there is no denying how amazing and unique they were. Most recently, I've enjoyed learning about Ray's significant impact on their music.

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah ray was a great bassist and multi instrumentalist. Playing violin and singing some really complicated pieces at the same time can not be easy.. pure genius. 😎

[@twtobin941]

@@ProgAxia And writing, he wrote a lot of their tunes.

[@richardnelson9453]

I really like your approach and style of ranking albums.

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks Richard, really appreciate it. 😎

[@kevinogracia1615]

Excellent run up.

[@toddhill7483]

Great video. The only GG releae I don't care for at all is Giant for a Day. Even those later albums offer something decent within.

[@ProgAxia]

You're totally right. there are some great moments in The Missing Piece and Civilian.. they just don't carry over the incredible GG vibe of the earlier albums.. but GG are an amazing band and even when they are trying to be a commercial band, they still cant help themselves from being a brilliant band, the problem is that they lost their fanbase and they didn't pick up a new one.. shame coz they were an amazing band..

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

Excellent!! I have viewed and subscribed to Vine Messiah!! Keep up the great work! At first I couldn't find you, so I assumed you were the drummer. I finally got a better shot of you further into the track. They didn't highlight you enough. All members should receive equal camera time, not just the singer. Just my opinion.

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks Tony, appreciate it. The funny thing is I do all the media stuff, so not getting enough camera time is down to me ha ha.. 😎

[@DEVAULT.]

I tried, and realized that I am actually unable to rank these first 6 beautiful albums. Octo, Acquiring, Three Friends, Glass, Power and their debut are all absolutely unique in their approach, but none of them is better or worse, they all different. Now being dropped off on a desert island and told I can only bring one, I guess it would be Octopuss, but again, that would be heartbreaking.

[@markrosenthal9108]

Well done. Thank-you!

[@martinlepage7576]

Your correct, 3 Friends cover was the giant face on the cover in Canada, think it was sideway instead to differentiate both albums. And we also have an Octopus in a jar =) Great review. It's not easy to place them in order... i will give you my to 5 (edit 7), 1 Acquiring the taste 2 in a glasshouse 3 Three friends 4 in a glasshouse 5 Free hand 6 Octopus 7 Power and the Glory ...... am not happy with my ranking now... what? I forgot Gentle Giant... Thanks for the review! I will revisit some albums and some that i don't know much

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah, I ha a ball listening to all the albums again over the last couple of weeks.. It's an interesting exercise 😎

[@ndesdsadfd]

Unique band. My list would go something like this, from favorite to less favorite: 1. Acquiring the Taste 2. Three Friends 3. Octopus 4. Gentle Giant 5. In a Glass House 6. The Power and The Glory 7. Free Hand 8. Interview 9. The Missing Piece 10. Civilian 11. Giant for a Day

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks for the ranking, just to satisfy my curiosity, what was the first album you bought or got into? 😎

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

Love your Genesis shirt, and the photo of Hendrix behind you!!!

[@ProgAxia]

The photo of Hendrix is actually a box set of all the Hendrix albums on vinyl.. played it a lot over the years, and I was a bit confused about the genesis shirt comment, but then I went back and looked at the video again and I can see why you said that. It is in fact a T-shirt of my own band, but it does look like it says Genesis on the video... Thanks for to comments Tony 😎

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

@@ProgAxia What is/was the name of your band? Was it primarily a prog band?

[@ProgAxia]

@@tonyyeatropoulos6829 The band is Vine Messiah which was a classic rock band, but the last album included more Prog including a 20 minute track called White Light. But I'm in the process of getting together a full on prog band at the moment, so watch this space. www.vinemessiah.com/ I love playing rock, done so for years, but the band was pulling to the prog side so much that we need to start something specific and focused on more progressive music. We already have about 40 mins of demos that can't be done with Vine Messiah, so new band here we come 😎

[@chrisr1733]

Great rankings! I can listen to a fellow GG aficionado discuss the albums all day long. Octopus is my #1 as it was my first, as someone below also mentions, but yeah you summed it up. I agree with your feeling about "Interview", ha I feel better about that now. They always had this huge rock edge, so the 3 later albums weren't that far off - I pulled 3 or 4 tracks from each one and it's a pretty good collection! So good job, thank you. We'll just have to listen to them all over again now... How do you feel about the surround sound releases?

[@jojobizadTRASH]

Thanks for posting a link for this vid. 👌

[@ProgAxia]

I'd love to know your thoughts.. GG have been a favorite of mine since the mid 70's. let me know what your favorite album is and welcome to the ProgAxia community 😎

[@jojobizadTRASH]

​@@ProgAxia three friends and The Power and the Glory remain my most favorite picks of the bunch. 🎉

[@ProgAxia]

@@jojobizadTRASH Both brilliant albums, they are regular visitors to my turntable. 😎

[@panurge987]

11 - Giant For A Day 10 - Civilian 09 - The Missing Piece 08 - Gentle Giant 07 - Acquiring the Taste 06 - Interview 05 - Three Friends 04 - Free Hand 03 - Octopus 02 - The Power and the Glory 01 - In a Glass House

[@chuckamok12]

I feel about Glass House how you feel about Interview. My faves below (all are great - GG are brilliant musicians!): Octopus (1972) The Power and the Glory (1974) Interview (1976) Free Hand (1975) Three Friends (1972) Acquiring the Taste (1971) The Missing Piece (1977) Giant for a Day! (1978) Civilian (1980) In a Glass House (1973) Gentle Giant (1970)

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah, it's weird how some albums just don't click, thanks for the ranking. I think Octopus is a fantastic album and could have been my #1. Thanks for the comment 😎

[@alfietomkins7829]

Great ranking, my top two are The power and the Glory and Freehand. He's last voyage is one of the most beautiful songs ive ever heard. Proclamation is a favourite of mine too

[@ProgAxia]

Oh yeah... His Las Voyage is an incredible track, it's got everything! overlapping themes, wonderful vocals, great dynamics and a beautiful guitar solo from Gary.. classic GG 😎

[@alfietomkins7829]

@ProgAxia I agree. I love Kerry Minnear vocals on that absolutely breathtaking, and Derek Shulman rocks on Proclamation

[@bernmahan1162]

My favourite has always been Octopus, though I do find the doggie song a bit twee these days. Also their first album because it has Alucard on it!

[@AntonMekanik-h2j]

I agree. Octopus is great!

[@CloseToTheEdge-Prog]

Great ranking, it slightly differs from my ranking on my channel. Besides the last two studio albums, everything else is top-class, even though I like Civilian.

[@ProgAxia]

Hey Pat, thanks for that.. It's difficult to rank the top 5 or 6 because they are all amazing. And having a relisten to Civilian, although not a full out prog album, as a rock album it's bloody good.. 😎

[@CloseToTheEdge-Prog]

@@ProgAxia Yes, it is very difficult to rank the top ones as it can change from day to day. I love Inside Out on Civilian. Extremenly underrated band.

[@agsmith001]

thanks for the talk on one of my favorite bands! my friends and I discovered them in the early 80's through our mutual thirst for great music and general disgust for what was on the radio at the time in the US. i think being student of music (in different ways) we were already big fans of all sorts of classical music but also rock and prog. i think what sets GG apart is that 'classical' element which is really a sort of modern meets baroque, ancient and folk music. i always loved fusion but this is a fusion of a different flavor. i used to buy used vinyl that looked interesting and picked up acquiring the taste one day because I liked the cover and was blown away from the start and then my buddy got freehand and after that we were looking everywhere for used copies of all their albums. perhaps you are right about missing piece, civilian and giant for a day being pretty good but I just can't separate them from the source. to know that it was this band who made such incredible masterpieces they are just hard to listen to. maybe i should go back to them. maybe they are weak just because it is impossible to make anything better than what they had done. maybe i am missing something. maybe they are like the flaw in a Persian rug. maybe they were just too tired from working so hard making the other ones! anyway i would put interview higher on my list but your top 4 are spot on for me. you are correct about the USA cover for three friends and the debut was always rare here, we never found it back in the day. i always thought acquiring the taste was their first. "don't look for something, plain truth is nothing"

[@ProgAxia]

Hi and thanks for the comment.. Those later albums are such a pale shadow of the older classic GG ones, as you say it's hard to separate them, I feel the same. I never listen to Giant For A Day or Civilian and to be honest, if I don't listen to them again I wouldn't care too much. I always find it fascinating how people get into these bands, their gateway albums etc. so thanks for the story behind becoming a GG fan 😎

[@3bwana]

‘In A Glass House’ is their finest hour IMHO

[@ProgAxia]

Great album...

[@TheVinylverse]

Great ranking video! Total respect to your ranking too and mine isn't too far off. Gentle Giant are a favorite of mine. My entry point was Three Friends around 1989/1990 so of course that will rank higher for me. For me the top two and bottom three pretty much remain solidified in their position. It's the other six that are the toughest to rank as they're all so close and all so good in my opinion. At this moment I rank them: 11. Giant For A Day 10. The Missing Piece 09. Civilian 08. Gentle Giant 07. Interview 06. Acquiring The Taste 05. The Power And The Glory 04. In A Glass House 03. Free Hand 02. Three Friends 01. Octopus

[@ProgAxia]

Your ranking is a great one. It's hard to rank to top 4 with any real conviction. As soon as I finished the video, I listened to Octopus again and thought maybe this should have been my #1, but then I thought, no I need to stand by it, but was was not easy ha ha 😎

[@terrynolan609]

For Nobody I think is a great track from The Missing Piece

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah a brilliant track.. The keyboards and those phased vocals are wonderful.. and that bass from Ray!!😎

[@johnparkin3064]

I first became aware of Gentle Giant in the early 70s’ listening late one night to the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1. You know how it is, you have the radio on but you’re only half listening. Then this track came on, my ears instantly pricked up and I stopped what I was doing. God in heaven what is this I thought. I’d never heard anything like it, unusual, bizarre but beautiful. That track was ‘Raconteur Troubadour’ from the album ‘Octopus’. So I went out and bought the album, acquiring a few others along the way. A fan of the band for over 50 years I lament they didn’t manage to achieve greater worldwide success. In saying that, the fact they didn’t means they retain a kind of mystery, a cult status if you like. To us Gentle Giant fans they’re our little secret that other people just can’t appreciate. I’m just relieved they didn’t do a Genesis.

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah, they should have been recognised as one of the all time greats, but even with my fellow prog lovers and prog musicians I have on my channel, they are he hidden secret that at some point, sometimes get the recognition they deserve.. It's sad really! 😎

[@drivenbeyondbelief]

Can't argue too much with your ranking. I may have put Octopus at #1, only because it was the first Gentle Giant album I purchased way back in 81 or 82. I do live Freehand as weel. Great video, thanks

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah it was a tough job, could have quite easily have been Octopus. Thanks for the comment 😎

[@fogzax]

I'm a casual fan and quite fond of Giant for a Day and Civilian, The Missing Piece is the one album I've got that I couldn't get into. I first got to know Gentle Giant from compilation tapes my friend made me years ago - some of the great tracks from Power and the Glory and Octopus were standouts but I never owned an LP until my Uncle gifted me his copy of Octopus from his vinyl collection about 10 years ago. I've managed to pick up some more LPs since but they are quite expensive which is why I have been able to pick up later releases in advance of some of the classics.

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah I first got into gentle Giant through a compilation album called 'Pretentious For The Sake Of It' and so glad I did.. Thanks for the comment 😎

[@jayburdification]

11. Giant for a Day 10. Missing Piece 9. Civilian 8. Acquiring the Taste 7. Gentle Giant 6. Interview 5. Free Hand 4. In a Glass House 3. Power & the Glory 2. Octopus 1. Three Friends Three Friends what’s my introduction and still is my favorite, particularly because of how much side 2 slaps.

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah those top 5 are just amazing albums, and so difficult to one above another, fun though.. It's interesting that your gateway album was Three Friends and so your #1 and my #1 was Freehand, which was my gateway album... Maybe there's something about the album that gets you into the band will in the most part, be a favorite.. 😎

[@jayburdification]

@@ProgAxia it’s the finale of Mister Class/Three Friends. That little bass intro is everything.

[@CloseToTheEdge-Prog]

I like your ranking. I'd like to have a detailed chat about them with you.

[@ProgAxia]

That would be great email me at [e-mail] 😎

[@NadirJones71]

Hello sir. I really enjoyed your ranking and your agonising over the upper reaches! It's hard sometimes isn't it? I've been into progressive since 83/84 and GG are the great elusive band that I've always known I should get into but never did until last year. Before I got any albums I looked at a load of ranking videos and also read some reviews/rankings and a curious thing struck me.....any one of the first 7 albums topped the various rankings. Pretty unusual. My curiosity was at fever pitch when I started buying the CD's. My favourite is Acquiring the Taste. It puzzled me because so many rankers described this as a hard listen. I just don't get it. I would say Octopus through Free Hand are the hardest listens. So I rate the first 2 very highly. I love their relative 'straight-forwardness'. I love the Visconti productions. I love the ornate tendencies.....those quirky string-laden gems like Funny Ways, Isn't it Quiet and Cold, Edge of Twilight, The Moon is Down and Black Cat. I wish there was more of this type of song. Consequently I couldn't forgive Three Friends for being a retreat into rock music. It's Zappa-esque in places but 'frankly' I prefer Zappa. Octopus I find a little perverse. There's just too much going on. I think Acquiring the Taste is the more mature album. There's a natural flow there. Octopus no doubt has some impressive playing but it's just too widdly for me. Again, I want Zappa if I need my widdly fix. I see the next four as related albums. There is a wonderful progression and I love all four. Free Hand might be my number two but I really like this period per se. The Missing Piece and Civilian are both fantastic. I have no problem with AOR Giant. Yup, album number 10 is rightfully bottom of most lists but the title track and the deceptively simple Spooky Boogie are just magnificent. So my ranking would be highly individual (like all those ones I watched last year). Three Friends and Octopus would be mid or lower ranking albums for me. This band defy consensus which might work against them in this world of algorithms. Anyway, thanks for you heartfelt ranking video!

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

U.S. radio stations were great for most of the 70's, and a bit into the 80's, but by the 90's they turned to shite. Today, you're not missing a thing. I haven't listened to any radio (included Sirius XM) for years now. I'd rather hear what I want to hear, and exactly when I want to hear it. Van Der Graaf on the RADIO? Wow!!! I don't believe I've ever heard that. Maybe they played "Pawn Hearts" back in the day, but I missed it. Your videos are excellent, and I love your personality. Your passion and honesty shine through. There's one American Prog KZbin show that the host does nothing but yell all the way through. I don't get that crap. Oh well, to each his own. I'll stick with you and Barry Robinson from Classic Album Review. Far more descriptive and informative, not to mention exceptional taste in great Prog! Please keep up the great work!!!

[@ProgAxia]

Hey Tony thank you so much for that. If you want to hear some radio shows that does include bands like VDGG I have some of my shows up on Mixcloud Best Prog Of 1971 includes VDGG www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1971-rockin-rebel-radio/ Best Prog of 1972 www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1972-rockin-rebel-radio/ Best Prog of 1973 Part 1 www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1973-rockin-rebel-radio/ Best Prog of 1973 Part 2 www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1973-part-2-rockin-rebel-radio/ Best Prog of 1974 www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1974-rockin-rebel-radio/ Best Prog of 1975 www.mixcloud.com/RockinRebelRadio/best-progressive-rock-of-1975-rockin-rebel-radio/ There's more on there, but these showcase much of the prog that came out in the early 70's I hope you enjoy them 😎

[@betrayaloftheunborn5289]

No doubt about my top five: 1. Acquiring the Taste 2. Three Friends 3. Octopus 4. Gentle Giant 5. In a Glass House

[@markholmes2357]

Very enjoyable stuff (once again) Agree about Memories Of Old Days - my no:1 Gentle Giant song. The intricate build up at the start is sublime. Two thoughts on this great band: 1) With the possible exception ofThree Friends, I never felt they ended an album with an out and out classic. Decent/ good maybe but no killer endings (just my opinion of course) unlike Yes (Heart Of The Sunrise, Siberian Khatru, Awaken) or Floyd ( Brain Damage/ Eclipse, Echoes etc) or Genesis (The Knife, Supper's Ready, Los Endos). 2) I would have been fascinated to hear GG just attempt one sidelong epic. I know they didn't need to and could cram plenty into a 5-minute song. But with their huge talent, the brilliant and unique way they constructed songs and all the different instruments they had mastered it could have been a killer.

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks Mark, yeah Memories of old days is a fantastic track and your right about no killer ending to the albums. But you second point is the most interesting one of all.. A 20 minute epic from GG would have been an interesting exercise. They would have had some space to explore on musical themes a bit more, stretched their legs a little. A good mate of mine, who's a big prog fan once said to me, Gentle Giant are amazing, but they tend to cram too much into track, they need to relax ha ha. A one side epic could have enabled them to do just that.. Very interesting idea.. 😎

[@vmacart]

i first heard GG in 1973. first saw GG tower theatre in philly 1975. my head exploded. it was as amazing as a frank zappa concert!!! i bought giant for a day as soon as it came out. i tried like crazy to love it. but i didnt. it was too disappointing. 1st side of missing piece was too. however, by the late 90's i was hearing giant for a day independently from the rest of their music. and enjoying it's "odd" pop rock songs. recently, i've been loving it. nostalgic. the sound on the album is great. the songs are fun.

[@gordonmorris6359]

1. The Power & The Glory 2. Three Friends 3. Free Hand 4. Octopus 5. In A Glass House 6. Acquiring The Taste 7. Interview 8. The Missing Piece 9. Civilian 10. Giant For A Day 11. Gentle Giant 12. Under Construction (last ONLY because the demos/ideas were unfinished - "under construction")

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah.. The Power And The Glory is a fookin' masterpiece 😎

[@gordonmorris6359]

@@ProgAxia It was a shame it took so long to restore the TITLE SONG to The Power & The Glory!

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

This is the very first time I've watched any ranking of the Gentle Giant catalog that mirrors my choices exactly!!! I, too, struggle between "Octopus" and "Free Hand". "Octopus" was my first exposure to them, and "Free Hand" came next. These guys blew me out of the water, and I've been a massive fan (in my Top 5 favorites of all-time) ever since. Even most of your comments regarding the tracks, are spot on! note: Although these are in chronological order, my ranking is exactly the same as yours! GENTLE GIANT Favorites: Nothing At All, Alucard Least: The Queen (no disrespect intended), Why Not? ACQUIRING THE TASTE Favorites: Pantagruel's Nativity, The House, The Street, The Room Least: Acquiring The Taste, Black Cat THREE FRIENDS Favorites: Peel The Paint, School Days Least: Prologue, Working All Day IN A GLASS HOUSE Favorites: The Runaway, In A Glass House Least: An Inmates Lullaby, Way Of Life OCTOPUS Favorites: The Advent of Panurge, Knots, Raconteur Troubadour Least: River, Think Of Me With Kindness THE POWER & THE GLORY Favorites: Everything Else! Least: So Sincere, The Face FREE HAND Favorites: Everything Else! Least: Talybont INTERVIEW Favorites: Timing, Empty City Least: Design, Interview THE MISSING PIECE Favorites: As Old As You’re Young, Memories Of Old Days, For Nobody, I’m Turning Around Least: Betcha Thought We Couldn’t Do It, Mountain Time GIANT FOR A DAY Favorites: Giant For A Day Least: Everything Else CIVILIAN* Favorites: Number One, Inside Out Least: Underground, Shadows On The Street (*) I honestly believe this album was a step in the right direction. I envision their next album as potentially being the album they’d been striving for, but they gave up one album too soon. Even the tracks I don’t care much for aren’t horrible, although I can’t stand “Underground”.

[@ProgAxia]

Hi Tony, thanks for that. I did really struggle with the last 2 or 3.. I think I came down on Freehand is because I really think they absolutely cracked it on that album, although I was really swaying between that an Octopus.

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

@@ProgAxia Back in the early-to-mid 70's, our local FM station began playing full albums at 11:00PM on Monday nights. Being a teenager that was tired of recording cassettes of tracks from albums I already owned, would relish the fact that I could experiment with albums I had never heard. This was my first 'real' stereo system, including an auto-reverse cassette recorder, of which I could record direct from the radio. So when I went to bed, I'd hit record, turn the volume way down, and go to sleep. The next morning I would listen to the tape on the way to school. That first album ended up being "Octopus". I had never heard GG before, and it blew my mind. So even though "Free Hand" is "Tremendous", "Octopus" still holds a very special place in my prog evolution, and in my heart!!

[@ProgAxia]

@@tonyyeatropoulos6829 Growing up in the UK we had a rock show on Friday night called appropriately 'The Friday Rock Show' with a DJ called Tommy Vance. He played all the heavy and classic rock as well as a good dose of prog. I used to tape all those shows and discovered a whole world of rock and prog that spurred me into buying albums from Sabbath, Zeppelin etc, but also exposed me to Genesis, Yes. ELP and Van Der Graaf Generator. I still have some of those tapes in a box somewhere, but no cassette player ha ha.. We did not have stations like the US, just the bloody BBC which was too stilted. The Friday Rock Show, just two hours long was our only escape from pop, classical and old jazz! 😎

[@AntonMekanik-h2j]

​​​​​​​​​​​​@@ProgAxiaI spent my childhood in the USSR. Western rock bands vinyls were not accessible at those times. Although rock fans could buy some albums on vinyl from profiteers. It was very expensive. Usually we recorded albums on tape cassettes. One of my tapes was Gentle Giant "Octopus" on side A, and UK "Danger Money" on side B. I was really impressed...

[@lejnbolejn]

11. Giant For a Day 10. Civilian 9. The Missing Piece 8. Interview 7. The Power and the Glory 6. Gentle Giant 5. In a Glasshouse 4. Free Hand 3. Acquiring the Taste 2. Octopus 1. Three Friends (Top 5 is constantly changing for me)

[@ProgAxia]

Great ranking, can't argue with it at all. Looks like we're both in the same ballpark. and Three Friends is a magnificent album, thanks for the comment 😎

[@kingIgor]

1 Octopus 2 Free Hand 3 The Power and the Glory (use 2 rank this much lower grew on me a lot in the last decade) 4 Acquiring the Taste 5 Gentle Giant 6 Interview ...................................................... 7 In a Glass House (2 standout tracks/rest do little for me) 8 Civilian (2 standout tracks) 9 The Missing Piece 10 Three Friends (over-rated... never clicked with me) 11 Giant for a Day Friend of mine when i was 16 suggested Gentle Giant based on i was into Progressive Metal, Fusion, Stravinsky, Zappa... Octopus was my first album from GG... Love at first listen... I don't subscribe to the notion the first album that you get by a band is your favorite for me rarely is that ever the case but this time, it is... Zappa/King Crimson/Gentle Giant (no order/tied) are my Big 3 from the Classic Prog era...

[@ProgAxia]

Great comment and a great ranking, It's interesting about some albums just not grabbing you. With you it's Three Friends which I love and with me it's Interview, which because of some of the comments I listened to again last night and nothing, still leaves me cold.. So weird! Thanks for connecting.

[@CanAlternateLostTape]

11 Giant for a Day 10 Civilian 9 The Missing Piece 8 Acquiring the Taste 7 Free Hand 6 Gentle Giant 5 Interview 4 Three Friends 3 Octopus 2 In a Glass House 1 The Power and the Glory Any one of my top 5 could be number 1 depending on my mood. More than most bands this is a difficult catalogue to rank, it does show how subjective rankings are. I know I have Free Hand low, but I never cared for the production and side 2 never grabbed me. I like Interview because it rocks hard and comes closest of all their albums of capturing the band’s live sound. Octopus is the better realization of the 8 highly varied mini-masterpieces (opuses?) format of Acquiring the Taste. I love the first album because it’s about the only Prog album I can think of with genuine soul influences, especially in the singing. In a way, The Power and the Glory was their first “sell-out” album, which consolidated their “Glass House” Style into shorter and tighter songs and introduced funk to the mix. The sound now was hard as opposed to heavy like the first 4 albums with Phil Shulman. To me it sounds like their peak.

[@ProgAxia]

That was a brilliant explanation of your ranking. Can't disagree with you, in fact I'm going to go back and listen to Interview again.. Thank you so much for the ranking and the explanation.. 😎

[@birage9885]

It is hard to say what is the best, since there are various ways to judge an album, but for me Power and the Glory has always been my favorite. If I had any complaint, I would like to see it remixed to be a bit more stronger and dynamic.

[@ProgAxia]

Has there been a Steven Wilson remix?

[@Bawookles]

Nice ranking. I have a very different assessment of Interview which I view as really the last of their best period of albums (Free Hand, Power and Glory, Interview). Interview has Design which is just a masterpiece of vocal writing by Kerry. The song Interview is simply the coolest, most kickass tune they ever did, Empty City, Another Show, I Lost My Head; all incredible tunes. My rankings would be: 1. Free Hand 2. Interview 3. The Power And The Glory 4. Octopus 5. Three Friends 6. The Missing Piece (I actually think this album is a very nice mix of Prog and more accessible material, it's the best of the later albums and the songwriting is more mature than some of the earlier albums) 7. In A Glass House 8. Acquiring The Taste 9. Gentle Giant 10. Civilian 11. Giant For A Day

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks for the ranking, I really don't know what it is with me and Interview.. It's a me problem, not a them problem ha ha. 😎

[@BG-id2cv]

11. Giant For A Day 10. Interview 9. Acquiring The Taste 8. Civilian 7. The Missing Piece 6. Gentle Giant 5. Three Friends 4. Power And The Glory 3. In A Glass House 2. Octopus 1. Free Hand

[@ProgAxia]

Great ranking. I see you have Interview at #10. I don't know what it is about that album, but it does nothing for me either, which is strange as it came out the year after Freehand. Thanks for the comment 😎

[@BG-id2cv]

@@ProgAxia Yes, Interview...hmm, I bought it at the time. Just after Free Hand...to me an album that was so "trying to be too different" and it alienated me and like you I couldn't get into it. Timing and I Lost My Head are to me the only great tracks on this album but others love it...I don't.

[@xavierdistrict1600]

very nice and informative review about one of the best prog rock band of the 70's. when it comes to a "ranking' I think most fans would agree with you . Gentle giant is at the top with octopus /free hand / the power & the glory/ in a glass house / three friends . This ranking is formal because it may change with time. Now if I wanted to go further into details I would say that I really do like civilian (1980) but it's probably because I was so disappointed by giant for a day . A missing piece is for me a very good LP but I discovered the band with this one so it means a lot . I have a different vision of interview because I lost my head, another show & interview are some of the best songs ever produced by the band even if i admit the rest of the album isn't perfect. Anyway thank you for this review it's always nice to read the comments and share something wether people have just discovered the band or are die hard fans since the first hour. Giant forever!!

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks for the comment and I do think Civilian is a good album, I think that it has to ranked lower, only because there were so many amazing GG albums. I hadn't listened to it for quite a few years and when I did the ranking, I went back and listened to all the albums again and Civilian was a pleasant surprise. Some really good songs on there, a lot more straight forward rock, but good songs. The Missing Piece has two big favorites of mine. Old Asa You're Younge and the wonderful Memories Of Old Days which is incredible. Great albums form a great band 😎

[@AntonMekanik-h2j]

What about bands similar to Gentle Giant? What could you recommend?

[@ProgAxia]

To be honest, I don't think that there are any bands contemporary to Gentle Giant that sounded like them, I do think there are some later bands that were influenced by them and consequently applied or absorbed the Gentle giant sound and feel into tracks. I'm thinking of a band like ECHOLYN like on their Suffocating the Bloom album, if you listen to the tracks 'Reaping The Harvest' and then into ' In Every Garden' you can hear their GG influence. So have a listen to Echelon, you may like it because although they can have a similar vibe as GG they also bring other influences that take them out of simple GG copies, they really stand out as great band.

[@AntonMekanik-h2j]

@@ProgAxia Thank you for your recommendation! I have spent some time looking for bands similar to Gentle Giant. Here is my list: Yezda Urfa, band from the USA. Et Cetera, Canadian band. Advent, modern band from the USA. Ripaille, French band. Epidermis, band from Germany. I believe all these bands are great and worth to listen for prog rock fans!

[@micheltrudeau6806]

Nice list but I have a different take: 1 - In a Glass House (Not surprisingly #1 considering it has 3 of my top 5 GG songs with the title track, Experience & The Runaway) 2 - Octopus (With The Advent of Panurge, another top 5, Knots and A Cry for Everyone, side 1 had much more play but «Think of me with Kindness» is, to me, just as good as the Beatles' Yesterday) 3 - Three Friends (Loved the concept of 3 Friends drifting apart. Peel the Paint is the best GG song. Prologue & Schooldays are also tremendous. The ONLY problem with this album is that it's too short) 4 - Free Hand (This was my favorite album when it came out but side 2 is a bit lacking. Free Hand & On Reflection are amazing songs) 5 - The Power & the Glory ( Another great concept: The King is overthrown but the new King turns out to be just as bad. Playing the Game & Cogs & Cogs are GG at their best. Proclamation is great...almost. I love the verses and the way they reconstruct the music one instrument at a time in the middle section but Derek's screams on this one and on So Sincere are too much. They do them better live) 6 - Gentle Giant: The song Funny Ways was the archetype of all that is good about GG. The songs Giant & Alucard are also great. 7 - Acquiring the Taste: Good album but the melodies were often going nowhere. Often brilliant, it needed tightening up. 8 - The Missing Piece (It certainly was missing something. Memories of Old Days & As Old as You're Young are top notch but the rest? Crap.) 9 - Interview ( This concept failed miserably. What should have been introspection turned out to be very superficial. Take Timing; starts nicely but the lyrics are meaningless where one expected the hear about the ideas behind the construct of their songs. The song Interview is destroyed by that interview in the middle. What's up with the spring sounds on Get it back and Design is practically unlistenable) 10 - Civilian: It wasn't Gentle Giant anymore but compared to their previous «effort» it, at least, had a style. It was like «Duke» for Genesis or «90125» for Yes without the radio success. 11 - GfaD: Crap on top of Crap. Ok, I get it was meant to be amusing but GG was a cerebral experience for me, not a joke.)

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

I saw the "Free Hand" concert in Philly 1975, they played "So Sincere". I would have gone with Octopus as number 1. Or my choice Power and the Glory, for some reason when I listen to it it makes me think of Nixon or his rise and fall.

[@ProgAxia]

Wow, I'm jealous, I didn't get to see them live until a lot later, and yes the #1 spot could be any of the top 4.. They are all so bloody good. 😎

[@gj8683]

My rankings are incomplete as I am not familiar enough with all of the albums: 6 The Missing Piece 5 The Power and the Glory 4 Octopus 3 In a Glass House 2 Interview 1 Free Hand As you can see, these are "in the middle." I didn't like Civilian or Giant for a Day, but only heard each once. I thought that The Missing Piece was a foreshadowing of their becoming more commercial, which wasn't hard to predict. A lot of bands went through that arc, Genesis among them.

[@ProgAxia]

Great ranking... For some reason which eludes me, I just can't get into Interview... It's perplexing as it came out in 76 just after freehand.. so should bake my cookies, but it leaves me cold... Why, I just don't know!!

[@gj8683]

@@ProgAxia As the saying goes, there's no accounting for tastes, but I'm even intrigued by "Design," perhaps the weirdest, most jarring thing they've done. Go figure.

[@Rowenband]

Interview on n°9 ? It's my third favorite! How cound rate Interview on 9 and Free Hand on 1st ? These two go so well together. My list would go 1. Free Hand - 2. The power and the glory - 3. Interview - 4. In a glass house… I find these albums perfect because they are rock, tight, innovative and perfect. The first period is, to my ears, more mellow even marshmellowish. Although I love them also and rate them above the 2 last ones.

[@jvpresnall]

You’re right about the Three Friends LP cover in the US. It’s the cover of the first Gentle Giant. Not only does this make it confusing for the US audience on the GG discography, but the US misses out on the great artwork of the UK version of Three Friends.

[@ProgAxia]

It us a beautiful artwork, When they re release the album today do they still do it with the first artwork or do they have the UK version?

[@jvpresnall]

@@ProgAxia I do not know about the reissue. I’d be surprised if they haven’t fixed the problem

[@gateroozeink5061]

My top 4 would probably be the same, though maybe a different order - depends on the day. For me, Glass House is slightly behind the debut and Taste. But all 7 are consistently amazing.

[@mikereiss4216]

Memories of Old Days kind of reminds me of something Genesis would have done around the time of Nursery Cryme or Foxtrot so for that reason alone it's a good one imo.

[@ProgAxia]

Yes beautiful and reflective, wonderful piece of music.. 😎

[@mikereiss4216]

In the late 70s they were basically trying to do what Genesis did around the same time which is to say trying to be more commercial. It somehow worked out for Genesis but not GG. That pressure they felt to become more commercial is what ultimately led them to break up (imo).

[@ProgAxia]

Yeah, it's a shame. I understand why, but they got al traction at all from new fans, and people like me who loved the progressive side of their music just didn't go with them.

[@neurophile]

I love their first 8 albums, "Interview" still being audacious ; that's too hard to put them in order. The last 3 (Missing Piece, Giant For A Day, Civilian) are too ordinary for me.

[@ProgAxia]

It is hard to rank all the classics, but it was a great excuse to go back and listen to them all again over the last week or so ha ha, what would you say was your #1 if you really had to pick one?

[@neurophile]

I'd say "Octopus". I forgot to write that I also like the Simon Dupree's album !

[@erickent4248]

I can't rank them as I never have sat through Giant for a Day or Civilian (I am sure they are fine) I would pick the same top four as you though. For me the songs that have the heavy vocal counterpoint are what do it for me, I don't care to hear them play long instrumental passages, they were too ornate to make a long composition work (which is why I think Glass House is a low end record from what I have heard.. no offense Glass House fans, it has less vocal twists and more instrumentals, it does not focus on GG's strengths __ it is still a good album though)

[@ProgAxia]

Hey Eric, thanks for the comment and welcome to ProgAxia 😎

[@sanityclause-r8z]

I've always thought that the Missing Piece is a vastly underrated album. Yes, some of it isn't particularly proggy, but I don't think there's a bad track on it. Surely, Bet you thought we couldn't do it was their attempt at a punky song.(It was after all the year of punk 77) the lyrics fit and it lasts less than 2 minutes. For nobody is one of their best tunes too, and has been mentioned elsewhere, IMO Memories of Old Days is the most gorgeous prog ballad ever.(Only their own Aspirations comes close).

[@1359401]

I agree a gazillion % missing piece is damm great and criminally underrated.

[@vmacart]

gentle giant studio #10 gentle giant acquiring the taste giant for a day missing piece interview civilain three friends octopus in a glass house power and glory #1 freehand playing the fool is the greatest live album i ever heard

[@Rog5446]

The top four is the correct choice, but I would have to be in a dark room for hours listening to them before putting them in order. If anyone wants an example of their genius, listen to An Inmates Lullaby. No strings, no keyboards, but musical creativity at its highest with percussion alone.

[@ProgAxia]

An Inmate's Lullaby is an incredible track and thanks for the comment. I did spend a few weeks listening to all the albums again, which to be honest was great. I did have a bit of a painful afternoon, finally putting the tracks in order and the top 5 did move about a bit, but in the end I just bit the bullet and committed myself and did the video.. 😎

[@micheledanieli5002]

A me piace tree Friends

[@NFLed]

I'm a big fan of most of Interview and especially the second side of Missing Piece, none of that sounds to me like vanilla rock music anything like the first side of Missing Piece and the albums Giant for a Day and Civilian. Three Friends is good because it's full-on GG but its music just doesn't click much for me, I like it but not as much as most of their other albums. Here's my list: 1. Octopus 2. In a Glass House 3. Power and the Glory 4. Free Hand 5. Acquiring the Taste (or might be #4) 6. Interview 7. Missing Piece (it'd be #2 overall if both sides were like the second side) 8. Three Friends 9. Gentle Giant 10. tie Giant for a Day and Civilian

[@ProgAxia]

Thanks for the ranking, I feel the same with Interview, just soes not click with me... 😎

[@zootallures6470]

My fav band but I’ve got 2 huge problems with them. - the albums are too short - Gary Green uses wah-wah in almost every solo. The band would have been better off with a more sophisticated [= guitar effects on par with Minnear’s keyboards] guy like Hackett [- a minor thing but I almost get rashes from Derek’s pronunciation of _spain_ in Three Weeks In Spain] 1. Free Hand 2. Octopus 3. In a Glass House 4. The Power and The Glory 5. Acquiring the Taste 6. Gentle Giant 7. Interview 8. Three Friends 9. The Missing Piece 10. Civilian 11. Giant for a Day

[@ProgAxia]

Great ranking. And yes they may be short but they pack soooo much in 😎

[@davidsimon2096]

Nice video thanks.Personally I think Gentle Giant's music while rarely less than intriguing walks an extremely thin line between brilliant and innovative and flat out irritating."An Inmate's Lullaby" for example just sets my teeth on edge especially with its half whispered vocals which is a shame because I really love the rest of the album.Interview is the one album I simply cannot stomach at all apart from the first half of the opening title track and the second half of the closing track -"I Lost My Head".I have noticed a number of KZbinrs have tried to rehabilitate this album into a long lost masterpiece- not to my ears anyway.It is just too dense and complex for the sake of being complex.I quite like the first two albums but feel that apart from "Pantegruel's Nativity" which is just brilliant they were still finding their sound.Is is just me or does the opening few phrases of "Nothing At All" remind anyone of "Stairway To Heaven"? I've never heard anyone make a similar comment so maybe it is just me.... Everything comes together for Three Friends which strikes the perfect balance between complex Prog and accessible songwriting. Octopus is even better mainly because it manages to be highly accessible while incredibly innovative- who else could produce a track like "Knots"? I also enjoy the musical eclecticism which is missing on the follow up "In A Glass House". I do enjoy the latter (apart from "Inmates- sorry!) mainly because of the way they incorporate Medieval flavours into the brew-reminds me a bit of Gryphon.Power and The Glory is close to perfect in my opinion.It just works on every level- intriguing concept, great lyrics, dramatic music aplenty, superb instrumentation. However I think they reach their absolute peak with Free Hand.Unlike most of their previous albums which can seem a little calculating and even austere at times, there is a real warmth to the music here and a more open feel to the playing- I'm thinking of the beautiful guitar solo in the opening track "Just the Same" There is also a playfulness on the album with delightful tracks like the instrumental "Talybont".It's a shame they didn't carry on in that vein for the follow-up Interview.I'm sure I read somewhere that Derek Shulman thought they went too complex on that one.If anything I think the next album The Missing Piece is a real breath of fresh air.I absolutely love this album.I don't mind when a Prog band eases back on the er ""Proggyness" and basically lighten up a little when they manage to retain their inherent sound. Gentle Giant achieve this especially on the tracks on side 2 with "As Old as You're Young, Memories of Old Days" and especially the closing track "For Nobody" a terrific Prog Rocker which somehow manages to incorporate everything that makes GG such a unique band.Unfortunately it really was downhill from there.Giant For A Day isn't a terrible album and there are a few tracks which I quite enjoy especially the opening track and believe it or not I actually like "Little Brown Bag" even though it sounds even less like GG than "Mountain Time" off the previous album. The real problem was by this stage they had completely abandoned even the "Prog-Lite" elements which made The Missing Piece such a delight. Civilian is not a bad album either but they sound even less like GG than on Giant For A Day which is quite a feat! Anyway this is my ranking best to worst (ie my favourite to least favourite) 1.Free Hand 2.Octopus 3.Power and The Glory 4.Three Friends 5.In a Glass House 6.The Missing Piece 7.Gentle Giant 8.Aquiring The Taste 9.Giant Foe A Day 10.Civilian 11.In-Terview

[@ProgAxia]

Wow David, great ranking and an interesting insight.. and yes, Freehand for me is such a warm accessible album, with the perfect mix of great song writing, interesting and hooky themes and every note seems to be there for a reason.. Thanks for the comment, really interesting to read through. 😎

[@AntonMekanik-h2j]

For me "Interview" is underrated album. I like it more than first two ones...

[@1359401]

The greatest most epic legendary unique original innovative genius band ever. I like most of what you have said and appreciate you for liking the band but strongly disagree with your ranking of interview its a masterpiece.

[@ProgAxia]

I know it should be... and I'm going to keep listening because it absolutely should be.. Thanks so much for the comment 😎

[@mattw8332]

1. The Power And The Glory 2. Three Friends 3. Free Hand 4. In A Glass House 5. Octopus 6. Acquiring The Taste 7. Gentle Giant 8. Interview Joint 9th place: The Missing Piece, Giant For A Day, Civilian. A proviso of the last 3 albums in joint 9th place is that I listened to them on KZbin but never got into them. Decided not to buy them.

[@ProgAxia]

These 8 are really the main albums for me. It's interesting reading through the comments and peoples rankings, it really is subjective and I'm guessing when people got into GG, the gateway album that got them in and a big slab of personal taste, but can't argue with your ranking at all.. 😎

[@kendetulio4009]

I like GFAD.

[@mikereiss4216]

Really?

[@panurge987]

I had to laugh when you put Interview below The Missing Piece. Interview is basically Free Hand part two.

[@ProgAxia]

I have many conversations in these comments on Interview, some think its wonderful and like yourself see it as a continuation of the Freehand vibe and others rank it really low. I have followed the band since the 70's and for some reason it just leaves me cold. I listen to it quite often and all the elements seem to be there, but something really doesn't feel right. I've spoken to a lot of heavy GG fans over the years and many just don't warm to it. It's weird but I'm not alone. 😎

[@3bwana]

I honestly feel the UK cover art for ‘Three Friends’ is hideous and the US cover borrowing/repeating from the debut is just lazy