Gentle Giant - Power Glory 35th Anniversary Edition Aniv (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Another brilliant study in counterpoint

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 02/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This music is simply astounding. Period. The complexity of their counterpoint is astonishing, the harmonic syntax is out of this world, metric complexity is mind-numbing, and to top it all off these guys actually make it swing... well sort of. This 1974 release is a personal favorite (I actually have too many favorite GG albums) because the overall approach seems softened somewhat, while retaining the trademark Gentle Giant complexity. Whether this was related to the subject matter of the album (power and inherent corruption) is unclear. What is clear is that it works and works very well. The softer pieces such as Aspirations and No God's a Man are simply wonderful, while the harder edged closing track Valedictory provides a breathtaking dynamic contrast. My favorite tracks include the quieter pieces along with Proclamation, Playing the Game, and Cogs in Cogs although every track is generally excellent. The remastering of the album is just OK and features restored cover art (the insert is shaped like a playing card), lyrics, two bonus tracks and decent sound quality. With respect to the bonus tracks, the sound quality of the live performance of Proclamation (taken from a 1974 German television concert) is OK, although it has a "bootleg" quality to it, while the studio outtake The Power and the Glory is only of middling quality. Although I generally liked the total remastered package, my only wish is that DRT had included at least a few photos of the band, and perhaps some notes regarding the recording process or other historical tidbits. All in all, this is an incredible recording of progressive rock and is highly recommended along with all of their albums up to and including In'terview (1976)."

Finally, the title song

MMM | 11/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I knew it existed but never heard it. And it's quite understandable why it was never included in the original album. It would have spoiled it. It's totally against the grain. It's too exuberant. It rather belongs to Giant for a Day, although it has its bright moments like the little guitar solo.

The entire album gets 5 stars. Good quality at a good price.

"

Incredible!!!!

scot lade | fort myers | 08/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"for their sixth album, gentle giant left behind the moodiness of in a glass house and rocked this thing out. as strange as the songs are at times, they have such inertia that i recommend this (or free hand) as a good starting place to those who have not yet lived life to the fullest and consumed this wonderful band. fans of yes, genesis, ELP or king crimson should understand this complex universe spun by the mighty gentle giant."

Hooray

Michael K. Warren | Louisville, KY United States | 06/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all of the 35th Anniversary releases, this is the one that I was most excited about. I've had a copy of THE POWER AND THE GLORY on vinyl for a while but was never able to snag a CD copy (which were being sold on eBay for exorbitant amounts of money [glad that I held out for a while]), so these remasters are a treat.

Anyways, this is possibly my favorite Gentle Giant album. As far as the concept goes, it's probably the most serious of GG albums, but there's nothing stone faced about it, really. There's a good deal of rollicking musical fun to be found! Things may sound strange and complicated at first (and they sort of are), but there're plenty of great melodies and grooves, and any adventurous listener will find lots to love.

There really isn't a bad song on here. SO SINCERE is uniquely Gentle Giant. PLAYING THE GAME is a standout track and closes the first half of the album beautifully. This CD release includes a live recording of PROCLAMATION and the "unreleased track" THE POWER AND THE GLORY. The former is a condensed version of the song for a German TV concert and the sound quality isn't too lovely. It's on here just for the heck of it. The latter is a pretty straight forward rock song and wouldn't have exactly fit in with the rest of the album, but it's not without its charm and I rather like it.

Most highly recommended.

"

Power is the word!

Gerard A. Napolitano | Staten Island, NY | 12/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Why should you get this CD? The sheer musical energy, musical creativity and the fact that these guys love what they do and it shows (also get the DVD "Giant in a Box").

Until you "Acquire the Taste" and understand what G. G. does musically, I would advise listening to "Free Hand" first because it's a little easier on the ears. What do I mean by that? Well, some passages of Power and Glory sounds like someone stepping on a cat. It's only after you become familiar with how incredibly powerful they are, with their unequaled ability to control dissonant sound, that the cat turns into the roar of a lion.

Gerard (52yrs old)

"

Search - Gentle Giant :: Power & Glory: 35th Anniversary Edition (Aniv)

CD Details

CD Reviews

	Gentle Giant Power & Glory: 35th Anniversary Edition (Aniv) Genres: Pop, Rock Track Listings (10) - Disc #1 Proclamation So Sincere Aspirations Playing the Game Cogs in Cogs No God's a Man The Face Valedictory Proclamation [Live][] The Power and the Glory [#][]
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