| Gentle Giant | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 November 1970 | |||
| Recorded | August 1970 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 37:00 | |||
| Label | Vertigo | |||
| Producer | Tony Visconti | |||
| Gentle Giant chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
Gentle Giant is the first studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1970.
Since the LP was not originally released in the United States, the cover illustration was instead used for the Three Friends album.
American hip-hop duo Madvillain sampled "Funny Ways" on "Strange Ways" from their album Madvillainy , which was subsequently featured in an episode of the television show The Boondocks .
All tracks are written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, and Ray Shulman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Giant" | 6:24 |
| 2. | "Funny Ways" | 4:23 |
| 3. | "Alucard" | 6:01 |
| 4. | "Isn't It Quiet and Cold?" | 3:53 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothing at All" | 9:08 |
| 2. | "Why Not?" | 5:31 |
| 3. | "The Queen" | 1:40 |
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.
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.
Lionel Richie is the debut solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on October 6, 1982, on Motown Records. Originally intended as a side project at the suggestion of Motown, it was recorded and released while Richie was still a member of the Commodores; he left the group shortly after the album's release. The first single from the album, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five. The album reached number one on the Cashbox albums chart on December 11, 1982.
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.
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.
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.
In a Glass House is the fifth studio 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.
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.
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.
Interview is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1976.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Songs from The Capeman is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produced called The Capeman augmented by members of the original cast. The songs retell the story of Salvador Agron, who was known as the "Capeman". A departure musically from his earlier work, the album features doo-wop, rock 'n' roll and Puerto Rican rhythms and a number of songs contain explicit lyrics, a first for Simon. The stage show was a commercial flop, losing $11 million, and the album did not sell well. It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200, the lowest chart position in Simon's career at the time.
One to One is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1982 by Atlantic Records. It is also the name of the accompanying concert video. The album peaked at number 119 on the Billboard 200.
Songs of Cinema is the 23rd studio album by American singer Michael Bolton. The album was released on February 10, 2017 by Frontiers Records. The album contains a ballad version of Bolton's song with The Lonely Island, "Jack Sparrow". Bolton promoted the album in a guest appearance on Screen Junkies' series Honest Trailers, in a trailer for the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Where We Started is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Thomas Rhett, released by Big Machine Records' Valory imprint on April 1, 2022. Rhett collaborated with Katy Perry, Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson.
Jacob's Ladder is an album by Brad Mehldau. It was recorded in 2020 and 2021 and released by Nonesuch Records in 2022.
