Octopus (Gentle Giant album)

Last updated

Octopus
Octopuscoveruk.jpg
Studio album by
Gentle Giant
Released1 December 1972
RecordedJuly 24 – August 5, 1972
Studio Advision, London
Genre Progressive rock [1] [2]
Length34:09
Label Vertigo (UK)
Columbia (US/Canada)
Producer Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant chronology
Three Friends
(1972)		Octopus
(1972)		 In a Glass House
(1973)
Alternative cover
Octopuscoverus.jpg
US and Canadian release.

Octopus is the fourth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1972. It was the band's last album with founding member Phil Shulman and the first with new drummer John Weathers, who would remain with the band until their dissolution in 1980. Octopus remains a highly regarded example of the progressive rock genre and is generally considered to represent the start of the band's peak period.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Production

Octopus was allegedly named by Phil Shulman's wife Roberta[ citation needed ] as a pun on "octo opus" (eight musical works, reflecting the album's eight tracks). [3] In 2004, Ray Shulman commented "(Octopus) was probably our best album, with the exception, perhaps of Acquiring the Taste . We started with the idea of writing a song about each member of the band. Having a concept in mind was a good starting point for writing. I don't know why, but despite the impact of The Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia , almost overnight concept albums were suddenly perceived as rather naff and pretentious".

Musical style and themes

The album maintained Gentle Giant's trademark of broad and challenging integrated styles. One of the highlights was the intricate madrigal-styled vocal workout "Knots". The album's lyrics are generally based on literature and philosophy: "The Advent of Panurge" is inspired by the books of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais; "A Cry for Everyone" is inspired by the work and beliefs of the French-Algerian writer Albert Camus, while the song "Knots" is inspired by the book Knots by the Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing.

Releases

On 30 October 2015, a Steven Wilson remix was released on CD/Blu-ray via the band's Alucard label. Three tracks (1, 2 & 5) [4] could not be discretely remixed since one multi-track reel was missing. Instead, those three tracks were upmixed to 5.1 surround using the Penteo surround software. The remaining five tracks were remixed to 5.1 by Steven Wilson. [5]

Cover

The UK release by Vertigo featured art by Roger Dean. Dean's logo appears inside the lyrics booklet.

US and Canadian releases were released by Columbia and used a different cover by Charles White. Early versions of this cover were die-cut into a jar shape.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]

Later reviews about the album have remained positive. AllMusic have declared that Octopus is "an album that has withstood the test of time a lot better than anyone might have expected." [6]

In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came #16 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". [7] In The 100 Greatest Prog Albums Of All Time, by ProgMagazine, Octopus stands at number 65. [8]

In 2013, progressive death metal band Witherscape covered the track "A Cry for Everyone", and issued it for release on their The Inheritance album. [9]

The 2015 reissue of the album, mixed by Steven Wilson, entered the BBC Rock Chart at No. 34. [10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kerry Minnear and Ray Shulman (music); lyrics jointly written by Derek Shulman and Phil Shulman (according to the 2015 Steven Wilson remix)

Side one
No.TitleMusicLength
1."The Advent of Panurge"Minnear4:41
2."Raconteur Troubadour"Minnear4:01
3."A Cry for Everyone"R. Shulman4:04
4."Knots"Minnear4:11
Side two
No.TitleMusicLength
1."The Boys in the Band"R. Shulman4:34
2."Dog's Life"R. Shulman3:11
3."Think of Me with Kindness"Minnear3:34
4."River"R. Shulman5:53

Personnel

Gentle Giant

Production

Design

Charts

Chart (1972)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [11] 170
Chart (2015)Peak
position
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [12] 34

Release history

RegionDateLabel
United Kingdom1 December 1972 Vertigo Records
United StatesFebruary 1973 Columbia Records

Literature

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Wilson</span> English musician (born 1967)

Steven John Wilson is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosion and No-Man. He is also a solo artist, having released seven solo albums since his solo debut Insurgentes in 2008. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Wilson has made music prolifically and earned critical acclaim. His honours include six nominations for Grammy Awards: twice with Porcupine Tree, once with his collaborative band Storm Corrosion and three times as a solo artist. In 2017, The Daily Telegraph described him as "a resolutely independent artist" and "probably the most successful British artist you've never heard of".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentle Giant</span> British progressive rock band

Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members were multi-instrumentalists. Although not commercially successful, the band did achieve a cult following.

<i>In the Court of the Crimson King</i> 1969 studio album by King Crimson

In the Court of the Crimson King is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969, by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, with the band combining musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.

Simon Dupree and the Big Sound were a British psychedelic band formed in 1966 by brothers Derek (vocals), Phil, and Ray Shulman ; also known for their later prog rock band, Gentle Giant.

<i>The Power and the Glory</i> (Gentle Giant album) 1974 studio album by Gentle Giant

The Power and the Glory is the sixth studio album by the British progressive rock group Gentle Giant, released in 1974. Contrary to popular belief, the title of the album and its many lyrical themes were not inspired by author Graham Greene's novel of the same name, although Derek Shulman was aware of Greene's novel. Guitarist Gary Green has cited this album as his favourite by the band.

<i>Three Friends</i> 1972 studio album by Gentle Giant

Three Friends is the third studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1972. It was the band's first release to chart in America, peaking at #197 on the Billboard 200. It is the only album by Gentle Giant to feature drummer Malcolm Mortimore following the departure of Martin Smith.

<i>Acquiring the Taste</i> 1971 studio album by Gentle Giant

Acquiring the Taste is the second studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1971 on the Vertigo label. It was the final album by the band to feature original drummer Martin Smith.

<i>Gentle Giant</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant is the first studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1970.

<i>In a Glass House</i> 1973 studio album by Gentle Giant

In a Glass House is the fifth album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released on 21 September 1973. The album is a loosely-realized concept project based on the aphorism "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". The record begins and ends with the sound of breaking glass. It is the first album released by the band following the departure of Phil Shulman.

<i>Free Hand</i> 1975 studio album by Gentle Giant

Free Hand is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1975. It was Gentle Giant's first album with their new label Chrysalis Records in the UK. It is noted for its high production values, and for a less dissonant, more accessible feel than their previous album The Power and the Glory. It was their highest-charting album in the US and the only one to reach the Top 50 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Playing the Fool</i> 1977 live album by Gentle Giant

Playing the Fool - The Official Live is a live album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1977. The album contains versions of songs from all of the band's studio albums to that point except for Acquiring the Taste. The original UK LP came with a 12-page booklet that has not been reproduced in any of the CD editions.

<i>Interview</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Gentle Giant

Interview is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1976.

<i>The Missing Piece</i> (Gentle Giant album) 1977 studio album by Gentle Giant

The Missing Piece is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1977. After the Interview tour this return to the studio marked a change of direction for the band with the first side of the album exploring different musical directions than the band was previously known for, including pop music and punk rock, while the second side was more in the vein of their signature progressive rock style. This was the last Gentle Giant album to chart in the United States.

<i>Giant for a Day!</i> 1978 studio album by Gentle Giant

Giant for a Day! is the tenth album by the British band Gentle Giant, released in 1978. The band's previous use of counterpoint and medieval-themed arrangements was not present on this recording. This album features a pop rock sensibility, instead of their usual progressive rock sound. Unlike the previous albums, the band did not make any tour or concerts to support this album. From the album only the title track was ever played live by the band during its final tour supporting the Civilian album.

<i>Civilian</i> (Gentle Giant album) 1980 studio album by Gentle Giant

Civilian is the eleventh and final studio album by the British band Gentle Giant, released in 1980. It was recorded at Sound City Studios in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles with former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. Consisting mostly of short rock songs, it is closer to a traditional rock sound than the progressive style for which the band is best known. The album also marked a return to Columbia Records in the U.S. and Canada after an eight-year hiatus; the band's last album released with Columbia had been 1972's Octopus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Shulman</span> English musician (1949–2023)

Raymond Shulman was a British musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. With his brothers Derek and Phil, he co-founded the progressive rock band Gentle Giant. Shulman also worked as record producer in the late 1980s and early 1990s for alternative rock artists such as The Sundays and The Sugarcubes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Shulman</span> Scottish musician

Derek Victor Shulman is a Scottish musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive. From 1970 to 1980, he was lead vocalist for the band Gentle Giant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry Minnear</span> Musical artist

Kerry Churchill Minnear is a multi-instrumentalist musician. He is known primarily for his work with the progressive rock band Gentle Giant from 1970 to 1980.

<i>Prog</i> (magazine) British magazine focused on progressive rock

Prog is a British magazine dedicated to progressive rock music, published by Future. The magazine, which is edited by Jerry Ewing, was launched in March 2009 as a spin-off from Classic Rock and covers both past and present artists. Other current staff are Natasha Scharf, Russell Fairbrother, Julian Marszalek, and Dave Everley.

<i>Jacobs Ladder</i> (Brad Mehldau album) 2022 studio album by Brad Mehldau

Jacob's Ladder is an album by Brad Mehldau. It was recorded in 2020 and 2021 and released by Nonesuch Records in 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . 17 June 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Sean (17 November 2015). "The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant)". www.hit-channel.com. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Octopus (booklet). Gentle Giant. Alucard Publishing Limited. 2015. ALUGG052. Tracks 1, 2 & 5 original mixes remastered by Steven Wilson. Tracks 1, 2 & 5 processed using Penteo stereo to surround upmixer software{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ Smotroff, Mark (9 March 2016). "Eight Immersive Songs: Listening To Gentle Giant's Octopus In 5.1". Audiophile Review. Luxury Publishing Group. Retrieved 29 December 2018. Due to one master multi-track reel gone missing , Steven Wilson could only create a pure 5.1 mix for 5 of the 8 tracks on the album. The other three were extracted using Penteo's software which pulls 5.1 surround elements from the mixed two-channel stereo master tape.
  6. 1 2 Thompson, Dave. "Octopus - Gentle Giant | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
  8. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time - PROG Magazine". Cygnus-X1.net. August 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "Dan Swanö Explains CD Enhancement of The Inheritance; Video Streaming". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  10. ↑ Munro, Scott (11 November 2015). "Gentle Giant celebrate chart success - Prog". Prog Team Rock. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  11. ↑ "Gentle Giant Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.