TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Octopus" - Gentle Giant (1973)

"Octopus" - Gentle Giant (1973)

     "I may not be a smart man, Jenny, but I know what prog is."  I am by no means an expert, I just like what I like.  Gentle Giant leans much closer to Genesis and Yes than King Crimson, whom I love equally, but Gentle Giant sounds like neither.  Their fourth album, "Octopus", is an ambitous wonderful conundrum of musical ideas and tempos bantering and mixing in unexpected flights of fancy.  The musicianship is outstanding!

No long epic prog panache is found here; only one track is over five minutes.  Songs are shorter vignettes like visitors dropping off a homemade pie.  Every song is different, but not out of place.  It's a smattering of prog folk, hard prog, prog jazz, prog pretty, and prog dangerous with nothing overstaying its welcome.  Tricky-cool ideas, without being overblown.  The band's fourth album, "Octopus" is fun, trippy, and entertaining.  As with most prog spins, active listening is a must.  And repeated listens will continue to surprise and reward.  When I need a taste of prog-goodness to keep my musical urges at bay, Gentle Giant's "Octopus" is one of the squares I reach for.

"Octopus" - Gentle Giant (back)

"Octopus" - Gentle Giant
(Lyrics record sleeve)

Favorites include:
"The Advent Of Panurge"
"The Boys In The Band"
"A Cry For Everyone"

I picked up "Octopus" at a Wichita record swap held last year.  This is a first-press Columbia US copy released in 1973.  (UK copies were released in 1972.)  The album has a cool gimmix die-cut cover in the shape of a jar containing an octopus pushing to get out.  Original UK Vertigo pressings chose Roger Dean artwork for their album cover.  The vinyl is clean and quiet and the production sounds rich.  I would probably put Gentle Giant's "Octopus" in my top-ten 'favorite' prog albums.
FYI..."Octopus" ranks #16 on RS's "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time" list.

Columbia label

Cat #
KC 32022
SIDE 1  DEADWAX
0  P AL-32022-2C  \  A4
SIDE 2  DEADWAX
0  P BL-32022-2C  \  A1

"The Advent Of Panurge" - Gentle Giant / "Octopus" (1973)

TRACKS:
A1  "The Advent Of Panurge" 4:40
A2  "Raconteur Troubadour" 4:02
A3  "A Cry For Everyone" 4:02
A4  "Knots" 4:09
B1  "The Boys In The Band" 4:33
B2  "Dog's Life" 3:11
B3  "Think Of Me With Kindness" 3:32
B4  "River" 5:54

PERSONNEL:
Gary Green - electric guitar, percussion
Kerry Minnear - lead vocals, piano, Hammond, Minimoog, electric piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, regal, vibraphone, cello, percussion, b-vocals
Derek Shulman - lead vocals, alto sax, 
Phil Shulman - lead vocals, trumpet, tenor sax, bari sax, mellophone, b-vocals
Ray Shulman - bass, violin, viola, electric violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, b-vocals
John Weathers - drums, bongos, varispeed cymbal, xylophone

Good stuff.

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