The Power and the Glory Gentle Giant

• 1 Proclamation 06:57
• 2 So Sincere 03:51
• 3 Aspirations 03:09
• 4 Playing the Game 06:45
• 5 Cogs in Cogs 03:09
• 6 No God's a Man 04:27
• 7 The Face 04:12
• 8 Valedictory 03:22
• 9 The Power and the Glory 02:59
• 10 Aspirations (Instrumental Out-Take) 05:16
• Total Runtime 44:07

Info zu The Power and the Glory

Zum 40. Jubiläum ihres 1974er Progrock-Klassikers haben die Mitglieder der Band zusammen mit Produzent und Porcupine Tree-Kopf Steven Wilson eine HighResAudio Remix/Remaster-Versionen ihres Albums in 96 kHz zusammengestellt.

Das sich in den 1970er Jahren viel im Rock und vor allem Prog-Rock Genre getan hat, ist kein großes Geheimnis. Eine großen Einfluss auf die Szene damals hatten definitiv Gentle Giant. Ein Meisterwerk von ihnen aus dieser Zeit wird jetzt neu veröffentlicht. Es handelt sich um das Album „The Power And The Glory“ aus dem Jahr 1974, dass dieses Jahr 40 jähriges Jubiläum feiert. Ein guter Grund das Album nochmals auferstehen zu lassen. Nach wie vor ist die Musik von Gentle Giant wegweisend und hatte auch damals einen großen Einfluss auf Rock und Prog Bands der nachfolgenden Jahre.

Prominente Fans waren zum Beispiel Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Peter Banks (YES) oder Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater):

“My favorite prog band were Gentle Giant. Not only were they simply a fantastic band, but they were so intense they could have massive arguments about the tiniest of musical minutiae. They represent the best and the worst of the genre.” (Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull)

“Gentle Giant; a very good band that was ahead of most of those groups at the time - they were quite exceptional” (Peter Banks, founding guitarist with YES)

“Gentle Giant was one of my biggest musical influence in the days when I left Juilliard and my classical path of becoming a concert pianist. My mom wouldn't like Gentle Giant because of that fact, but hell, I am at least making a living playing music!“ (Jordan Rudess, Dream Theater)

Ebenfalls ein großer Fan der Band ist Steven Wilson, Solokünstler und Kopf der Band Porcupine Tree - Szenekenner muss man diesen Mann nicht vorstellen. Er hat es sich nicht nehmen lassen, das Album komplett neu zu mischen und somit dem ganzen neues Leben einzuhauchen. Auf ihrem sechsten Album verwendet die Band mehr elektrische Instrumente als zuvor; Keyboards und Gitarren stehen im Vordergrund. Die charakteristischen Takt- und Tempowechsel werden beibehalten und sogar weiter ausgereizt als bisher.

Gary Green, vocals, guitar
Ray Shulman, bass, vocals, violin
Kerry Minnear, vocals, cello, keyboards
Derek Shulman, vocals, guitar, saxophone
John P. Weathers, vocals, drums, percussion

Digitally remastered

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Gentle Giant
was born out of the ashes of Simon Dupree & the Big Sound, a successful rock and R&B-based outfit led by brothers Derek, Ray, and Phil Shulman. They were signed to EMI in 1966 and scored a few pop hits. In late 1969 they decided to break up the group and form a band that would stretch their musical and creative boundaries.

Enter Gentle Giant in 1970. Derek was the lead vocalist and played alto sax and bass, Ray sang and played bass and violin, and Phil handled the saxophone and added vocals. Kerry Minnear, the keyboardist, was recruited after graduating from Royal Academy of Music. Gary Green, a blues based guitarist also came on board, as did a number of drummers, before they settled on John Weathers in 1972.

In 1970, Gentle Giant signed to the UK Vertigo label, their self-titled first album being produced by Tony Visconti. It was the precursor to the unique style that separated Gentle Giant from all other bands of the 'progressive' era. Their utilization of complex classical chord and time patterns, together with hard rock, blues, jazz and even medieval melodies and themes, set them apart from other groups.

The band tour extensively, releasing three more albums: Acquiring The Taste, Three Friends, and Octopus. However, a hectic touring schedule forced Phil Shulman to leave the group at the end of the Octopus tour to be with his family in the UK. 


Gentle Giant re-organized as a 'five piece' band, which became the best-known and most successful line-up. “In a Glass House” the band’s most ambitious LP to that time, followed and despite being received extremely well in Europe, Columbia Records deemed it too un-commercial for release in North America. “In A Glass House” ultimately became one of the biggest imported records, selling several hundred thousand copies in the USA.

The group then signed to Capitol Records in North America and Chrysalis Records in the rest of the world and their next four albums became their most successful. “The Power and Glory” was followed by “Freehand”. Both albums entered the U.S Billboard Charts in the top 30. The band's touring fan base had grown to headline status, playing concerts in arenas in Europe, North America and Canada. To document Gentle Giant's burgeoning live following, “Playing The Fool”, a double live LP, was released next by the band. This was followed by “Interview” which, although quite well received, was not as successful as the prior recorded material.

While the band a very successful cult following, their complex music made it impossible for mainstream radio to embrace the albums they had released. A decision was made to try creating music that would be accepted by the already established prog music base, while drawing more mainstream music fans. The Missing Piece” and “Giant for a Day” followed “Interview’. Unfortunately, neither of these albums was able to take the band to that next level.

The band switched labels again to Columbia for the 10th and final LP “Civilian,” a clear attempt to make the band sound more contemporary and more rock driven. The group realized that their time had come and gone and after their 1980 world tour promoting “Civilian”, Gentle Giant disbanded. The band has never reunited. Realizing that the legacy of what they had achieved, was best left in the history books and for their fans lucky enough to have seen the band in their heyday, the catalogue and videos of the their performances will cement their place in the history of “Progressive Rock”.

Booklet für The Power and the Glory