Octopus (Gentle Giant)

Year: 1972

At one point, Gentle Giant was one of my favorite bands.  But my enjoyment of their music did not come naturally at first listen.  In fact, I distinctly remember my first listen to this unique band and my thought was "What in the world is this crap?"  That was my first impression of Gentle Giant and the album I was listening to was Octopus.

But after about three of four listens, tracks like "Knots" and "The Boys in the Band" caught my ear and grabbed me.  It wasn't long after that I bought Free Hand and In a Glass House, and my love affair with Gentle Giant had begun.

While I really like all of the early albums, I sincerely believe that this album is truly the best of the bunch.  Gentle Giant's signature sound is put on full display from the opening track "The Advent of Panurge," a haunting number with a quirky blend of vocals and instruments which builds in a dramatic fashion all the way to the final note.

"Raconteur Troubadour" immediately follows creating a rich medieval atmosphere with an appropriate storyline.  "A Cry for Everyone" is a rocker with various instruments providing some nifty solos.

"Knots" is one Gentle Giant's most famous songs as it establishes a type of sound that will forever be linked to them as multiple vocal parts are sung alongside music which initially seems to clash, but works in a dizzying array of musical complexity.  This is one of those songs that you hate the first time you hear it, like it on second listen and then fall in love with it the third time.

The rest of the disc is more prog goodness with "The Boys in the Band" being a fun instrumental, "Dog's Life" and "Think of Me with Kindness" being gentle ballads and finally "The River" as another quirky Knots-like number.  This is Gentle Giant's finest hour and strongest album from start to finish.  Definitely a must-have for any collector of prog.

Close to the Edge (Yes)

Year: 1972

This album is truly timeless.  It is as impressive now as it was back in the early 70s.  But
despite that, I am not willing to give it the full five stars.  I am stingy with my stars and
I really have to be BLOWN AWAY by an album in order to label it "essential."  (I have
been told to have quirky tastes anyway, but I digress.)

"Close to the Edge" is a mesmerizing composition in many ways.  It ebbs and flows and
sucks you in before you know it.  (Having spoken American English all my life, what in
the world does "total mass retain" mean?  Again, I digress.)  Obviously, this first track
is considered to be one of the cornerstones of progressive rock and rightfully so.
Stunning guitar work layered on top of keyboard riffs combined with Jon Anderson's
entrancing vocals create an auditory feast.

"And You and I" really is a wonderful song, but often gets overshadowed by its greedy
predecessor.  Do not overlook this tune as it has all of the great components of "Close
to the Edge" but isn't quite as catchy.

"Siberian Khatru" is my least favorite song on the album, but I still think it is a decent
song.  However, compared to the first two, it is easy to forget.  In fact, I would be
willing to bet that if this song were on a different album, it would be a great song.  But
it always leaves me feeling disappointed after relishing the first two tracks of the
album.

To summarize, I think this is a very strong album and would certainly be considered a
classic of the genre.  However, at no times am I "blown away."  For that, I give this
album 4 stars and highly recommend it.

Foxtrot (Genesis)

Year: 1972

While there is some very good music on this album, I just don't see it as being amazing as most prog enthusiasts will tell you.  I refuse to agree with the majority that "Supper's Ready" is one of the best epics ever.  In my opinion, it's dull and offers very little substance both lyrically and musically.  I think that "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" is the highlight of the album, with "Time Table" and "Horizons" offering some good stuff in smaller packages.  "Watcher of the Skies" kicks things off and is the poster child for the mellotron, but otherwise doesn't do much for me.  It starts off slowly and never seems to go anywhere.  "Get 'em Out By Friday" is fun and is a nice change of pace on this album.  While I like this album, I cannot in good conscience say it is one of the best ever.  Ho-hum.