The Most Intricate Rock Band of All Time? Gentle Giant Part 2 [Progressive Rock Guitar]

[@jeremythornton433]

The most underrated band ever. I saw them 3 times and was never disappointed.

[@1359401]

Add the words greatest ever and criminally to underrated and you are a gazillion%correct

[@FreddyKBassman]

Very cool vid for the most complex progressive rock band ever. Thanks!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Glad you liked it!

[@pbenn53]

So glad I ran across these vids! I wore the grooves off of their records trying to learn their stuff. Gary Green is an amazing guitar player.

[@henrymach]

The ending of the Three Friends album is one of my favourite things to listen to

[@TheProgCorner]

Gentle Giant rules!!!

[@willk4851]

Great to give them some more well deserved exposure 👍 They’re so inventive and satisfying to listen to.

[@leandrosep6032]

My hopes in humanity will be restored once this video hits the 1 million mark lol Unbelievable job, Carl! You nailed it once again, I guess you'll never cease to amaze us

[@charleschezhyan2498]

Fantastic episode Carl. Thanks for the 16th note excercise. Valedictory is such a cool riff...

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

My pleasure!

[@stratman9449]

When i first saw and heard GG in 73/74 i couldn't get my head round their riffs (i hadn't heard of "modes" then)...but i did not too bad playing most of the riffs you showed in this video ( 50 !! years later...)....cheers and thx Carl....as ever.....Ha..... and yes...i haven't heard anybody else play these kind of riffs since...with the exception maybe of some of Frank Zappas music....back in the day..maybe you could "do" some of Franks stuff some time....

[@Ixemile]

Hey man, I want to say your content is really good. I am a 22yo who discovered Free Hand (the song) a couple years ago; and it took me months to even manage to listen to it from beginning to end. I got into more prog (Camel, ELP) but returning to Gentle Giant recently has been a overwhelming experience; it's impossible for me to share, as no one around me would bear to listen to just 30s of any of their tracks. (especially when your mom qualifies Two Weeks in Spain as "really conceptual music" lol) But man I am HOOKED. I think I've played Power and Glory at least 20times in the last 2 months. Cogs in Cogs, Knots, The Boys in The Band, Proclamation and so many others just melt my mind every single listen I take my time to discover other albums and your video gives great ways to acquire the taste :) please keep them coming !

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

You sound like an awesome young man with a really bright future ahead of you!! Keep rocking!

[@opinalu]

In a Glass House was my first album of theirs! Incredible. I was blown away by the complexity and creativity of their music.

[@ze.abreuroad]

Those guys were beyond everything! Huge fan

[@emilobe]

Me too! 👍

[@emilobe]

Me too! 👍

[@michaelsacksteder7952]

A month ago, I had barely heard of Gentle Giant. After watching these two videos, they have become one of my favorite bands. According to Tidal, I listened to three times more GG tracks than any other artist in February. Many thanks for the thoughtful and enthusiastic introduction (great playing too)!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

That’s wonderful! You have so much great music by then to look forward to!!

[@azshark1942]

Here is a favorite song of mine in the 70s, "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, in my youth we all tried to play the lead guitar part, it was seemed impossible, too fast, maybe a studio technique in recording. Then we went to see Focus live to see how to play the song, and he played even faster live in concert. By the way, I have seen a video of yours playing Led Zeppelin's HEART BREAKER, and you nailed it! I enjoy all your videos, and look forward to seeing the band play live. Thank you very much for this content!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

I’ll refresh on Hocus Pocus!

[@Zipparo]

So glad someone else said this for me about focus being perfect cover material for Carl. Not to mention "sylvia", "house of the king", and "birth" by the same band.

[@stevenjones6780]

...more on topic of rhythm, and from that era, check out the bass line for "Green Eyed Lady". It's a bit tricky and a very cool variation on a blues walkdown- at least that's how I see it.

[@drbassface]

@@stevenjones6780 Great Song and Bass Line

[@paulmasarek8457]

Thanks for your great commentary. Gentle Giant has been my favorite for a long time.

[@MacD1074]

Would love to hear you do something with the band, Camel.

[@kkupsky6321]

This guy. Who doesn’t dig this cat? Thanks Carl. Yer a great teacher. Jam? I still love it but I really belong on drums…

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

:)

[@joebloggs8636]

Hey Carl, I saw " The Giants" many years ago, good band,nice job by you again,being brand new to your station, I'm really enjoying what you present.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Thanks for listening!!!!!

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Very cool. I saw Gentle Giant 4 times in the 70s in Toronto. Brilliant live. GG use to open for Yes who I saw 36 times. Love to see you do Yes's Steve Howe's work.

[@Stickmaster1975]

Great job Carl! You understand and interpret perfectly the genius of Gentle Giant. Especially loved the power chords from A Cry for Everyone, one of my top 5 favorite songs of Gentle Giant. But, every damn one of their songs is great 👍

[@unknown6390]

Thank you for giving this band the respect to tastefully interpret and analyze their music, the guitar centric focus will draw in more new listeners compared to an ensemble focus - cause rock nerds neglect keyboards too often! lol

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Thank you for recognizing my emphasis to give a unique angle into the band

[@mathewbrown9371]

Carl this video is great example of why I love your channel; your expertise and passion combine into something quite different than other youtube channels! I hope you'll make some new videos for us when you get chance!

[@Rowenband]

Impatient to see part 3, my favorites albums from GG yet to come (with The Power And the Glory).

[@Don.G.Prince]

Looking forward to Episode 3!

[@michaelrigoli]

Another great job Carl! I had never heard of Gentle Giant until this video series. I’m going to dig in!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

You should! You won’t regret it!

[@bryanwilliams3665]

Great Analysis Carl. Most Excellent!

[@alansnowdeal9845]

Really Couldn't understand the lack in My area!!Just Me&a Fam of 3Bros& Sister Who Turned Me@14!!Got everything Been able to find&Love it All&Love All!!We got some to dig though&Then Started Spreading!!Our Thanks To An Incredible Band!!

[@eddiecarter9831]

Thanks again for interesting some of us to this incredible band! The 16th note exercise will be very useful as well!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Great!

[@johnscarratt7783]

Another absolutely excellent explanation of some classic Gentle Giant tracks. Gary Green is a massively underrated Guitarist. In fact, all the musicians in Gentle Giant are amazing. Really love this band. I first heard them back in 1974 when I was 16, the album was The Power & The Glory. Then I saw them play live twice in 1976 on the Interview tour. Absolutely magic! Their incredible live album, Playing The Fool was recorded on that tour. Thank you so much for your exceptional instructional videos. Regards, John.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Thank you!

[@markroylance1584]

Find Sight and Sound from BBC.... There's a great GG gig.... What a band!! You'll have to do a part 3!Then when you're feeling brave - Ollie Halsall from the band Patto

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Listening now for the first time. I’m intrigued by the first few moments!

[@kendetulio4009]

I love these guys

[@emilobe]

So wonderful profound! 👍

[@nicolaattolico884]

Great stuff Carl - not sure anymore whether I am more of a fan of Page, GG, etc. vs. a fan of yours. I'm not a pro guitarist so I can't always fully get the meaning of what you say, yet your love for the intricacies of music (and guitar!) makes me love it more and more. Can't wait to watch your next video!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Wow, thank you!

[@stevenjones6780]

It's interesting to see the influx and influence of this music in Syzygy. I'm curious how the fully fleshed out orchestral arrangements of these riffs might sound. I had never really checked out GG but maybe it's time. Also, I love Locrian and half diminished. It finds it's way into what ever tonal center I might be noodling in and I enjoy sneaking it into blues turnarounds, interludes, etc. Great post...!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Thanks brother. This band totally influenced Syzygy!

[@Narwhil]

the solo after the echoplex break of peel the paint is god-tier

[@LuisSantos-nf9rs]

Great episode, Carl. Now we need chapter 3 for you to cover Interview and The Missing Piece! 😉

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Would love too! Need to get the views up as part 2 didn’t do as well:(

[@lphilpot01]

I always liked the theme to Prologue from Three Friends, but on that album my standout is the long repeating motif of the title track (that Ray played on bass under the Mr. Class and Quality intro). So beautiful. But how do you pick one? Even the carefully timed grunt in Gary's Mr. Class and Quality solo is great. I also love the guitar parts in Free Hand, the electric guitar / sitar line (later played again by Kerry on synth) in the last part of Interview... Gary had his hands full playing parts Kerry often wrote on keyboard.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

So true!

[@loretta4293]

Fantastic Carl cheers from Rio

[@loretta4293]

so nice see you playing im a young gentle giant fan been listening since i was 15

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Many thanks!

[@swatprof]

Another great video - thanks! Any chance you’re a fan of Gabriel-era Genesis? Plenty of great guitar work there as well.

[@stevenjones6780]

Yes! (no pun intended), how about some old Genesis like 'Wind and Wuthering' , 'Selling England by the Pound', etc

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Yes I am!

[@baritony8763]

Do you want a listening epiphany? A "live" version(there's NO studio artificiality) beyond anything you've ever heard? You don't have to analyse it---but just absorb the genius, passion and lyrical significance of the planetary/musical celestial beings lining up. Of course I'm talking about Emerson, Lake & Palmer's adaption of Modest Mussorsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition". It goes through moods ranging from heavenly organ with a young Lake's a capella, to the raging pulsating of The Hut Of Baba Yaga. And the final reward (better than sax) is the climactic "Great Gates Of Kiev". You'll never feel more exhilarated and satisfied.Not many can appreciate this performance's perfection---but if anyone can---I have faith in you CB. PS: Close your eyes at the opening of the Great Gates. How they came in at the same time, I don't know---but I'm glad they did. Don't blow it off. Get back to me.With a smile.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

One of my favorite musical moments of my life was finding this recording back in the day. Burned out the video tape. And they played some moments of it live on one of their many tours I saw. Love the original composition as well. Studied it thoroughly.

[@scotty]

wow nicely done

[@warrenwickless2911]

I saw Gentle Giant in '72 as they opened for Jethro Tull on The Thick as a Brick tour. They had just released Three Friends in the US, I believe Ian Anderson was very influenced by them you can hear that on the Passion Play album

[@gianfrancodefrancesco7117]

In 2015 GG received the Lifetime Achievement Award for progressive rock and during the speech Derek Shulman, accepting the award, has thanked 3 bands in particular for their help in the early years and the first one was Ian Anderson and JT...

[@SpiritualSpectrum]

Please include Free Hand in The Most Intricate Rock Band of All Time? Gentle Giant Part 3 [Progressive Rock Guitar] Although a commercially bent target the riffs are awesome.

[@blackichan3866]

Ever thought about doing a breakdown of “San Francisco” riff? You know the song that turned in to Achilles? It’s one of my fav couple min of zep live ever!

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Yes!

[@EdBGuitar52]

I get this feeling that Carl looks at his hair a lot during the day.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Ha! I do because I’m going to miss it when it’s gone!

[@rk41gator]

Absolutely LOVE Gentle Giant (and Supertramp) but......Why no Genesis content?

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

Working my way up to it!

[@henrymach]

Search for Yezda Urfa. It will blow your mind

[@Babs3353]

RIP Ray Shulman 😢 Such a loss 3/30/23.

[@CarlBaldassarreMusic]

I know. So sad!

[@sheldoninst]

GG’s a fantastic band, with principal writer being their keyboardist Kerry Minnear, but… 1) Drummers I think they’re last and most tenured drummer starting with their 4th release Octopus, John Weathers was very poor technically unfortunately, and probably hurt the band since their intricate arrangements deserved a much more technical jazzy drummer like their first two drummers. 2) individual musicianship. Average at best. They were fantastic as a band however. 3) more intricate bands. By far and away these bands are far superior as individuals technically, with superb and beautiful music: -Dixie Dregs -Happy the Man -Brand X -Flecktones Of course there are fusion bands that can rip: -Tribal Tech -Mahavishnu Orchestra I’d even go so far to say that Kansas also has fantastic compositions and arrangements, with tremendous intricacies as well.

[@Gilbert-m9l]

John Weathers might have been limited technically, but I believe the sparseness of his playing, to the contrary, was exactly what GG needed at that precise point of their evolution to help the transparency of their music - not its accessibility, its transparency. As for the technical "poorness" of John, just consider as an example the opening section of "Time To Kill", right after the Pong introduction. How the hell would a bad drummer achieve to be >that in sinc< with those piano chords?... I think that Weathers could count his ass off like probably few drummers of the era could...

[@Kannonify]

Still waiting for intricate...