The Power and the Glory

Artist: Gentle Giant
Label: EMI Int'l
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 077779184927
EAN: 0077779184927
ASIN: B000006YYM

Release Date: 2004-07-27

The Power and the Glory

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General

| Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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| Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

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Tracks:

Proclamation
So Sincere
Aspirations
Playing the Game
Cogs in Cogs
No Gods a Man
Face
Valedictory

Similar Items:

Three Friends
Octopus
Acquiring the Taste

Album Details

1975 Album from the Progressive Rock Band that Came after a Two Year Respite. Songs Are Much More Dissonant Than in Past Outings and the Structure of the Music More Closely Resembles Some of Pink Floyd's Outer Fringes.

Customer Reviews:

This isn't too progressive for a progressive rock group.......2006-05-07

I've heard some people who have said that this is the best Gentle Giant release(this is the first GG disc I ever listened to), but it's very hard to believe that this is their best because all of these tracks are so simple and minimalistic and just don't sound at all to me like complex progressive rock. The first track "Proclamation" sounds simple and stupid and really all the tracks are just about as bad as the first. If you want to try Gentle Giant out, don't try this one first and maybe never buy it because this isn't challenging enough for real progressive rock lovers. I just heard AQUIRING THE TASTE just after I heard THE POWER AND THE GLORY and that might be an alright choice for your first choice, but since I've only heard two GG released so far, you might take the other reviewers advice on that. AQUIRING THE TASTE is in my humble opinion, far better than THE POWER AND THE GLORY. I really don't think THE POWER is even one of those albums that will grow on me. I think they talk about not making commercial music because possibly they couldn't make anything that the masses like, so they say stuff like that. I still am going to listen to another five Gentle Giant discs or so, and see if I can get into any of those albums, but it looks like there's a reason that this group only has a very small cult following. You know how the affluent avant-garde like caviar even though it tastes awful, you might want to use that analogy with stuff like this.

Best of 1970s Fusion Rock.......2004-12-23

Gentle Giant's, "The Power and the Glory," epitomizes the blending of English cultural and music history with fusion rock. Musicians who have studied music will especially appreciate the fascinating harmonizing and timing arrangements in their songs. The music on this album was way ahead of it's time - not to mention way ahead of the present pop music scene! The band members are extremely talented and skilled musicians and their free-flowing arrangements give evidence to open-minded, eclectic music scene of the mid-70s. When you listen to this album you can see how musicians then could play what they feel (and turn it into an album) rather than worry about appeasing a narrow-minded "teeny-bopper" market. Every song is a classic and any curious listener who has not heard this band before, or has not bought one of their albums yet, has to start here. This is the best of the best. American listeners will find no other band that compares. - Forrest Woolman

The Mighty "Giant" at their finest.......2004-11-24

Okay, this is probably not the GG album for newbies. I was a fan before, and it took me a while to get into some of the cuts ("So Sincere" sounded like it was being played at the wrong speed for my 1st 20 or so listenings!), but it just grew on me until it became my favorite GG album. "The Giant" was easily the finest and most intelligent band of the "prog-rock" era, and this one is just incredible. From the opening "Proclamation" to Derek Shulman's primal scream of "Must be a REASONNN... Why things HAVE turned around..." on the final cut: "Valedictory", it just doesn't get any better than this. For the unitiated, try "Free Hand" first... if "Just the Same" and "On Reflection" don't grab you, save your time, you'll never appreciate these guys. Spectacular musicianship, great non-danceable songs (what in the HELL kind of time signatures do they use???), smart, bitter and satirical lyrics... AHH! Gotta go and play the CD!! I was so happy when this and other GG was released on CD, as my vinyl copies are about worn out. Others worth acquiring (other then the aformentioned "Free Hand") are "Gentle Giant", "Acquiring the Taste", "Three Friends", "Octupus", "In a Glass House" and "Playing the Fool/Live". "In-ter-view" is not bad, but after that BEWARE!!

"Prog. rock master-piece-Giant Steps Out"!!!!!!.......2004-11-01

1974, hmnnn, what a year for 'rock' music THAT was!!Iwas there!Many 'progressive' rock bands will remain forever as true musical 'giants'(Caravan, King Crimson, YES ,Genesis, Tull, Gong, e.t.c, e.t.c.)-Gentle Giant were definitely one of THE most talented/memorable(their 'time signatures' alone!!)Iremember the shock & absolute hoy ,when first hearingtracks off the "3 Friends" album(still one of their BEST albums,by the way)..from then on, their was no stopping me (& a LOT of my friends)..i simply bought them ALL!!!Anyway...this particular release.."Power & the Glory" was , as others have remarked on this site, one excellent album!.."Proclamation" is an excellent album opener (Hail to power & to Glory's way!!)....."Aspirations" by keyboard wizard Kerry Minnear, (now a bona-fide Christian, like me!) was /still is my favourite song on this album-phew..what an atmospheric piece it is still!!,& what a great voice Kerry possessed , too!!However, Mr. Shulman(Derek), as usual steals centre-stage, with that amazing sound his voice possessed!(Derek, re-form THE GIANT immediately!!!!) O h to return to those blissful 70's sounds,to-day's music just CANNOT compete!I digress......"Cogs-in-cogs", this song-piece was truly Gentle Giant in FULL flow-no-one else really sounded like this!!!The Title cut, "Power & the Glory" i remember getting on a 7" single(not on the orig. album)-a great, great title song, a Giant masterpiece...this album, along with perhaps "In a Glass House", i would consider their finest stuff.Athoroughlr recommended album!Come back Gentle Giant(buy their NEW d.v.d. In Concert release, too!!Most excellent!!!!

A True Masterpiece.......2004-10-20

IF you understand prog-rock music then this album is for you!! If you are looking for more commercial fare look at the newer Giant albums. This album has the band in rare form. If you wanted to pick their 4 top albums, choose this and In A Glass House and (although not the best recorded album) Gentle Giant Live-Playing the Fool and Free Hand. This album has so many nuances and gets better each time you hear it. Take note that this came out around the time of the Nixon tapes etc. The musicianship is awesome and is one of their best vocal albums.

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