Excellent.
MMM | 05/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Free Hand
My favorites are Just The Same and On Reflection but as usual all compositions are good. I got this album right after being introduced to their `New Wave' releases and was very suspicious at first but it turned to be great. Interview
Strangely but this one is greatly overlooked for some reason. The title track is in the great GG tradition. Just listen to the piano in the instrumental before the "whispers" (it sounds like King Crimson's on Cat Food) - it's sheer brilliance. Give It Back is probably the most difficult to like. Design is of a great design of vocals and drums. Empty City is a very good GG as well as Timing. I Lost My Head is a real masterpiece, similar in structure to the In The Glass House title track. Interview and I Lost My Head are my favorite. It's their last great record and it will certainly satisfy the most discriminating and serious listener."
One Essential and one Excellent album together
Michael Kydonieus | San Francisco, CA United States | 11/04/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As those of you familiar with Gentle Giant know, their music is a melding of jazz, rock, celtic, classical, and a variety of other influences into an indescribable and unique whole. Freehand is one of their essential albums, but Interview is excellent as well. If you have any interest in progressive rock, you MUST own this cd. One note: do NOT get the One-Way label version of Freehand--the remastering is a total hackjob."
5 stars the first, 3 stars and 1/2 the second one ...
Lethe | Milan, Italy | 12/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A couple of Gentle Giant classics, remastered together in one CD, let appreciate the original recording better, expecially that one of "Free hand" and in a remarkable way as well!!Starting by order, I remark the excellent work on keyboards by an underrated versatile keyboardist,Kenny Minnear, expecially his Hammond organ, in the 1st track "just the same" ... this intro being a perfect balance, between the G.G. sound and that typical one of classic prog!The second track "On reflection" is more complete, because there's a perfect team's work, focused above all on vocals (in the vein of "Knots", contained in the album "OCTOPUS"), reaching of course the peak of perfection !! The title track is a G.G TRADEMARK, by means of a tasteful instrumental, with a fine piano before the whisper ... the rest is very strong, with a lot of surprises and the "generous" utilisation of MOOG synthesiser as well.Their usual odd time signatures complete the splendid picture. The second album is not bad too! Apart from some weak moments, the album is good: it starts with the aggressive title track, where Ray Shulman performs a great work on bass, in order to complete that one of organ/guitar, supporting the original riff as well. Moreover, in addition, you find the usual excellent poliphony of the vocalists in the manner of "Knots", from "Octopus", once again, well connected to the excellent keyboards' work. At last I have to make another special mention for "Timing": the magical interplay among the diverse instruments create a unique blend...and also the amazing final track too ("I lost my head"), this song being memorable and characterized by the neoclassical effort, almost Stravinsky-like, by Minnear, well supported in a magnificent team's work !!Highly recommended !!"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1