h e a t h e r

Well, how best to describe this experimental and tasty music? Imagine what would happen if Black Sabbath decided to acquire a chamber music group, hired Wendy Carlos for keyboards and devices, and cranked out some dissonant medieval rock music inflected with jazz, classical, and proto-metal guitar. Sound good? Then by all means check out Gentle Giant's Acquiring the Taste. Generally, I would consider GG a pretty lighthearted band, with the exception of Acquiring the Taste. Those that enjoy the darker side of prog (Univers Zero, moodier King Crimson) may enjoy this — check out "Edge Of Twilight" with the whispery vocals, the shadowy dancing bass lines, and the groaning, melancholy keyboards (these remind me of the ominous mid-section in KC's "Epitaph"). "Black Cat" has a delicious creepy-crawly chamber music vibe. "Acquiring the Taste" is a bizarre keyboard piece that simultaneously evokes childlike beauty and twisted evil, much like what I have heard from Wendy Carlos. "The House, the Street, the Room" is dissonant rock with odd marching rhythms. Overall, this is a pretty unusual musical experience. Some fans complain that it doesn't sound like GG, and I disagree. The music does not sound as fluid and mature as on the later albums, but the experimentation and cohesive dark mood makes up for it. review by Heather Mackenzie — undated —

j o e

The second album from the Giant, continuing to expand and refine their ingredients. Most would say that they were still on their way, though not quite there yet. Still, how many bands sounded like this? Zero. "Pantagruel's Nativity" is easily my favorite track on this album and one of the best from them I've heard. Peaceful moog lines open as if to suggest the first rays of dawn, followed by Kerry Minnear's boyish vocals supported by gradually faded-in rhythm guitar strums, stepping into the light and stretching awake. "Edge of Twilight," is also very interesting. Its opening vocal prologue, also by Minnear, sounds much like a Canterbury song, particularly Robert Wyatt, though the rest of the piece quickly turns cryptic, spending much of its remaining existence walking on tip-toe. Other tracks don't really have much of an impact to me. "The House, The Street, The Room" sounds pretty typical for the band doing a hard rock number and I've always found the main vocalist Derek Shulman's voice grating and unappealing. "The Wreck," while admittedly catchy in its main sections, is an oddly monotonous entry for the band, save for the middle section which quickly kills any sense of aggression attempted with the band's foppish tendencies. Throughout, the band shows an already astounding versatility, coming off like a veritable mini-orchestra with the sum total of the instruments played. While definitely uneven, this album's best moments make it well worth checking out. review by Joe McGlinchey — 9-19-04 —

m a t t

A noticeable leap in terms of both sophistication and quality (compared to the debut), Acquiring the Taste is one of my favorite Gentle Giant albums. Although Acquiring probably has more in common with the debut than any other of the band's albums, I nevertheless think that this is the record where the band really began to find its voice and become less reliant on their influences. Balancing a penchant for writing hard rock riffs with the incorporation of medieval influences as well as many new harmonic and textural discoveries, Gentle Giant made one of the truly unique progressive rock albums of 1971. I think that the first half of this album is fantastic. The opening track, "Pantagruel's Nativity," is one of the band's legendary songs. I once read praise for Gentle Giant's ability to successfully fit synthesizers that sound unabashedly like synthesizers (instead of a string section, brass section, or something else) into their brand of music and I have to agree wholeheartedly. "Pantagruel" starts with a mournful Moog synthesizer theme before the entrance of high-registered verses sung by Kerry Minnear, which are given a medieval context by the recorders, trumpet fanfares and a complementary use of Mellotron. Some heavy guitar riffing is added a couple of minutes in and although the electric guitar remains a focal point throughout the rest of the song, the band manages to make its rather orthodox use sound like it belongs completely with the decidedly unorthodox composition and instrumentation. This approach is used to nearly as excellent effect on "The House, the Street, the Room." "Edge of Twilight" is an atmospheric marvel; Gentle Giant were capable of making quieter passages interesting like few other bands in progressive rock. The title track is an oddity and shouldn't fit in with the other pieces on the album, but it does. It's a solo Moog synthesizer piece, and it wouldn't be out of line to compare this with Rick Wakeman's short "Can's and Brahms" tune on Yes's Fragile album. But whereas the Yes song interfered with the flow of the other music and also didn't really have much of a point to it other than to be showy and possibly to impress the contingent of their fans who were familiar with Brahms, "Acquiring the Taste" adds to the flavor of the album. A contrapuntal little ditty that is simultaneously ugly and fetching, it conjures up in me the cartoon image of a baby gargoyle hatching from his shell to face the world for the first time. I don't think that the second half of the album is quite as excellent as the first, although there's still plenty to like. "Wreck" strikes me as mediocre, though: it's hard to believe that doing a sea-shanty sing-a-long was something that looked good even on paper (though the instrumental middle section is very nice). "The Moon is Down," like "Edge of Twilight," is a great example of the band's range and abilities with mostly-acoustic instrumentation. "Black Cat" sports a captivatingly slinky beat before entering the middle section, a funhouse of plucked violins and odd percussion noises. "Plain Truth," a hard-rocking tune driven as much by the violin as guitar, sounds like it could have come from the first album. Although the song would have been a solid addition to the debut, it seems too conventional and drawn-out a finale for such a deliciously unconventional and detailed album as Acquiring the Taste, although I can definitely see how it would nevertheless be a great way to conclude a live show. Interestingly, the song's opening riff sounds very similar to Jimi Hendrix's on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." review by Matt P. — 3-11-05 —

e r i c

Gentle Giant's second release seems to be lacking. On this release, the songs for the most part don't seem to stand up with classic GG. "Pantagruel's Nativity" is the one exception: it's a great opening track, with all you would expect from GG. I believe Phil Shulman does a lot of the vocals on this one, and after he left I miss his more subtle style; Derek Shulman has a much harsher voice, which works well on the heavy material, but it was nice to have this contrast within the band. I think a lot of the songs on this record are more riff-oriented, and the music isn't as diverse. "Wreck" has to be the most annoying Gentle Giant song ever recorded, sounding like a pirate song. Until the band got more pop oriented, this would be my least favorite. Overall it seems to get better reviews than this, but for me, this one lacks a lot musically for a band that plays so well. And most of the songs are just not memorable. review by Eric Porter — undated —