Dan's Definitive Guide to Gentle Giant on CD, version 1.27
Daniel Barrett
I haven't posted a new version of my Gentle Giant CD guide for a
while. Here's the latest. Be sure to note the new information about THE
MISSING PIECE, contributed by Mats Westin, and GENTLE GIANT and PLAYING THE
FOOL, contributed by Keith Carpenter. Thanks folks! There are bunch of
other little changes too for CIVILIAN, POWER & GLORY, and possibly others.
Please send any further contributions (information or cash :-)) to
bar...@cs.umass.edu. Thanks!
Dan
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Dan's Definitive Guide to Gentle Giant on CD
Written by Daniel J. Barrett, bar...@cs.umass.edu.
$Revision: 1.27 $
$Date: 1994/11/15 00:19:32 $
Perhaps no progressive rock band has had a more confusing history on
CD than Gentle Giant. Their CD's have been released by at least six
different companies with widely varying sound quality, artwork, and liner
notes. One disc, "Free Hand", has been released 4 times in the past 5
years! Quite a few discs have mastering errors too, one of which has been
hotly debated for years.
This document is my attempt to sort out all the Gentle Giant CD
release information. I list all the CD releases, album by album, and
discuss the CD booklets, sound quality, and defects. For each disc, I give
my humble opinion on which release you should buy. Some of my opinions
differ from others you may have seen on the Net. At the end, there is a
summary.
About the "Sound Quality" ratings: to compare two releases of the
same album, I used a stereo system with 2 CD players of roughly equal
quality. The discs were placed blindly into the CD players so I did not
know which disc was which. After listening to the discs and deciding which
one I liked better, I swapped the discs (again, without looking) and tested
them again to make sure that CD player differences were not biasing me.
Finally, I opened the CD players and looked at the discs. Sometimes, I was
quite surprised to find which release I had preferred.
Why did I go through all this trouble? Well, GG is my favorite
band, and I've seen many questions on the Net about these topics. Yeah, I
probably looked quite silly handling all those CD's with my eyes closed. :-)
It's a good thing nobody was watching.
Please send all comments and corrections to bar...@cs.umass.edu.
The most recent version of this document is available on the World Wide
Web on my Gentle Giant page:
http://zoo.cs.umass.edu/~barrett/gentlegiant.html
or by e-mail from me. Enjoy!
Dan
============================= CD INFORMATION =============================
GENTLE GIANT (1970)
CD Releases:
Germany LINE Records, LICD 9.00722 (out of print)
USA Vertigo/Polygram, 842 624-2
Japan <I heard a rumor that there is a Japanese CD>
Sound Quality:
The LINE disc is slightly (but noticeably) less bright.
The Vertigo disc has more hiss and is a bit brighter.
Defects:
On the LINE disc, the first note of "Why Not?" is located at the end
of track 5 ("Nothing At All") and followed by a 3-second gap of
silence. Track 6 begins with the second note of "Why Not?" The
Vertigo disc does not have this problem.
The LINE disc is missing the little synthesizer riffs that occur
before "Alucard" and "Isn't It Quiet And Cold?" and after "The
Queen." The Vertigo CD has all the riffs.
The Vertigo CD places the second little synthesizer riff at the
beginning of track 2, whereas the original LP had the riff at the
end of track 1.
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the giant face on the front and the entire
giant reduced on the back. The inside has all liner notes and
lyrics. The rear card has a track list but no times.
The Vertigo booklet opens vertically and has a picture of the entire
giant. Inside has all liner notes but no lyrics. The rear
card has a track list with track times.
Dan's Opinion:
For the complete, correct music, the Vertigo is your only choice,
even though it is hissy.
ACQUIRING THE TASTE (1971)
CD Releases:
Germany LINE Records, LICD 9.00726 (out of print)
USA Vertigo/Polygram, 842 917-2
UK Vertigo/Polygram, 842 917-2
Sound Quality:
The LINE disc is clearer but slightly thinner and "brittle" sounding.
The Vertigo USA disc is duller and boomier.
The discs have equal amounts of noise.
I have not heard the Vertigo UK disc, but I suspect it is the same
as the Vertigo USA disc.
Defects:
On the LINE and Vertigo discs, the first two notes of track 4,
"Acquiring the Taste" are out of tune. In fact, the first note
slides upward and sounds strangely "filtered" as well. Some people
believe this is not a defect -- it is supposed to sound this way --
but a correct answer has finally been obtained from the composer,
Kerry Minnear. Yes, it is a defect. In fact, Kerry has never even
heard the "bending" version of the piece! He guesses that maybe
someone damaged a master tape and then tried to repair it. [Big
thanks to Geir Hasnes for tracking down the answer!]
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the mouth on the front and a complete track
list (with time/personnel/instruments for each track) on the back.
The inside is completely blank! The rear card duplicates the rear
of the booklet.
The Vertigo booklet opens vertically to display the entire picture
of the mouth licking the peach. The inside has the original liner
notes (the story behind the album title) and a simple list of
tracks: no instruments, no personnel, no track times. The rear
card has a miniature picture of the album cover and a simple track
list with track times.
Dan's Opinion:
I like the LINE and Vertigo USA discs equally. It's a shame that
Vertigo didn't include the wonderful track listing that LINE did.
Maybe someday we'll get a CD version that doesn't have the bend
in the title track!!
THREE FRIENDS (1972)
CD Releases:
Germany LINE Records, LICD 9.00730 (out of print)
USA Columbia, CK 31649
Sound Quality:
The LINE disc is clearer, but a bit noisy in spots.
The Columbia disc is muffled-sounding in comparison.
Defects:
On the Columbia disc, the track marker for track 6, "Three Friends",
is mistakenly placed in the middle of the previous track, "Mr. Class
and Quality." Columbia claims that their placement is correct; in
fact, their vinyl release of THREE FRIENDS has the same incorrect
track location.
Booklet:
The LINE disc has the original artwork on the front and back: three
human figures and a seagull in two different positions. The inside
has all the credits, lyrics and pictures from the original album,
but you will need a magnifying glass to read them. The rear card
duplicates a few pictures from the inside of the booklet and
has a track list with no track times.
The Columbia booklet opens vertically and has the same picture as
the first album, GENTLE GIANT, plus a track list with no times. The
inside has 6 pages containing all liner notes, lyrics, and
pictures. The placement of the pictures is different from the
original album. The rear card duplicates the rear of the booklet.
Dan's Opinion:
Get the LINE release if you can find it.
OCTOPUS (1973)
CD Releases:
Germany LINE Records, LICD 9.00736 (out of print)
USA Columbia, CK 32022
UK Vertigo, 842 694-2
Japan ???
Sound Quality:
The LINE disc is slightly duller but warmer.
The Columbia disc is slightly clearer but more brittle sounding.
The differences are hardly noticeable in some tracks (e.g., "The
Advent of Panurge" and "Raconteur Troubadour") but very noticeable
in others (e.g., "A Cry For Everyone" and "Knots"). Strangely,
"Think of Me with Kindness" is clearer on the LINE disc.
I have not heard the Vertigo UK disc. Geir Hasnes tells me that it
is "quite OK." Scott Anderson reports that it is "fuller and
clearer than the Columbia version I previously owned. Not to
mention that it's almost worth having simply for the original
artwork, as opposed to the Columbia version."
I also have not heard the Japanese disc, but I am told it has
"excellent" sound quality.
Defects:
The Columbia disc is missing 2 seconds of piano -- really, a quiet
little piano riff -- played just before "A Cry For Everyone."
Mats Westin reports that the LINE CD has a "ghost image" in the
right channel: "The vocals on 'The Advent of Panurge' start off to
the right but when more instruments kick in, they appear centre." I
suspect you have to listen very closely with headphones to detect
this.
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the original "red octopus" cover by Roger Dean,
extending from the front to the back cover. Inside are the complete
liner notes and lyrics, though they are small and hard to read.
The rear card has a white octopus and a track list with times.
The Columbia booklet has the USA cover: an octopus in a jar (on the
front). The picture is flipped left-to-right and reproduced on the
back, along with a track list with times. The inside has 6 pages
with the complete liner notes and lyrics. The rear card duplicates
the rear of the booklet.
The Vertigo booklet has the Roger Dean cover. Inside has liner
notes but no lyrics. The rear card is green and has a copy of the
giant face from the first album in top left corner, as well as a
track list with times. [Ola Rinta-Koski]
Dan's Opinion:
Based on Geir and Scott's reports, I would recommend getting the
Vertigo UK disc if you can find it. If you cannot, then the LINE
and Columbia are equally good sonically. Completists should get the
LINE if they can find it.
IN A GLASS HOUSE (1973)
CD Releases:
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1001
(Later relabelled as TRUCKCD 001)
Sound Quality:
The clarity is excellent. Unfortunately, background hiss is quite
noticeable on some of the quieter tracks, like "An Inmate's Lullaby."
Defects:
Several pops and crackles. For example, listen to track 1, "The
Runaway," at 6:32 (pop) and 6:35 (crackle). These do not appear on
my vinyl copy.
Booklet:
The original, 3-dimensional front cover artwork is reproduced by
silk-screening a picture on the front of the jewel box! The back
contains a personnel list. Inside there are 6 pages containing the
lyrics and a short essay by Michael Heatley about the album, written
especially for this CD release. The rear card has a photo of the
band and track list with (strangely) no times.
Dan's Opinion:
Buy it! The defects are unfortunate, but the overall sound is
great.
THE POWER AND THE GLORY (1974)
CD Releases:
USA Capitol, CDP 7 91849 2 (out of print)
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RFG CD 1002
(Later relabelled as TRUCKCD 002)
The Terrapin Trucking disc has a bonus track, "The Power and the
Glory," which was released as a single long ago. It also appears
on the compilation album GIANT STEPS.
Sound Quality:
Both discs have excellent sound quality. I am told that the
Terrapin Trucking disc is slightly better. Keith Carpenter reports
that sound quality of the two discs is similar, but he did not do a
critical comparison. Dave White reports that "[on] close
listening... [the Terrapin disc had] clearer bass, slightly less
hiss, and overall sounds more polished." Mats Westin reports that
the Capitol disc has "a certain glare" in the midrange and "an ever
so slight over-balance to the left, best evidenced on 'Aspirations'
where the vocal is not really in the middle. The [Terrapin] CD has
a little less treble and an additional weighty bed of bass which is
very much "70's" but a nice contrast to the complexities going on.
In comparison, Capitol's CD sounds like a chrome cassette played
back in ferro mode - certainly the RGOF CD is closer to the old LP."
Defects:
None known.
The bonus track on the Terrapin disc is mixed slightly louder than
the rest of the album.
Booklet:
The Capitol booklet has the original front cover (but the corners
are not rounded) with the playing card. The rear cover has the same
picture blown up on a red background, and a track list with no
times. The inside is completely blank. The rear card duplicates
the rear cover but also has composer credits for each track.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet has a black background simulating the
"rounded edges" of the original vinyl album cover. There is a
diagonal red band that says "Features an Additional Track only
Previously available as a Single." The background, unlike that of
the Capitol release, is a card back (yellow pin stripes), no card
edges (white background), with a track list (no times). Inside,
there are 6 pages including lyrics, liner notes, and an original
essay by Mike Heatley written for this disc. The lyrics for the
bonus track are not included. The giant head from "Giant for a Day"
is used as the background for each page. [Keith Carpenter]
Dan's Opinion:
Both discs are excellent, but since the Capitol is out of print,
get the Terrapin Trucking disc and be happy. If you already have
the Capitol disc and don't care about the Terrapin bonus track,
don't bother getting the Terrapin.
FREE HAND (1975)
CD Releases:
USA One Way Records, CDL-57338. "AM6/CDL-57338" is
printed on the inner rim of the disc. (Out of
print.)
USA One Way Records, CDL-57338. "ESK<010>CDL57338" is
printed on the inner rim of the disc.
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1004
(Remastered as TRUCKCD 004)
Sound Quality:
The first One Way release has terrible sound quality. It is very
muddy and lacks treble. Supposedly, it was not mastered from an
original master tape. After complaints from listeners, One Way
recalled the disc from stores, remastered the disc, and rereleased
it.
The second One Way release has much better sound than the first, but
it was created from a very unusual master tape. Some of the
instrumental and vocal parts are different from those of the original
album! Derek Schulman sings some of the lines in "Time To Kill"
instead of Ray Schulman; for example, "And with no questions then, he
finds his way." The drums in "On Reflection" enter half a verse
earlier than in the original. And worst of all, at the climax of
"On Reflection," when the full band comes CRASHING in, the drums are
barely audible! In addition, if you have a good stereo system, you
can hear some background noise like lip smacks and breathing.
Details on this master tape can be found in issue 3 of
"Proclamation, The Occasional Gentle Giant Newsletter."
The Terrapin Trucking release is excellent. It is noticeably
superior to the One Way releases. Even so, there were complaints
about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc, so Kerry Minnear and
John Weathers remastered the Terrapin disc AGAIN to reduce the
amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number.
The difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely
very small.
Defects:
Both One Way discs used incorrect or poorly chosen master tapes.
Both One Way discs incorrectly say that the album was made in 1972.
Booklet:
The two One Way booklets are identical: the original front cover
with a hand reaching toward a photograph of 2 tied hands, and the
original back cover with a track list (no times) and a personnel
list. The inside has a track list with no times and a few credits.
The rear card has a track list with no times. It is not possible to
tell the two One Way releases apart from the packaging; however, the
first release was recalled from stores before the second release
appeared.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet has the original front cover, but
strangely, the untied hand is in a different position! The back has
a personnel list and some credits. Inside are 6 pages with the
lyrics and an original essay by Alan Kinsman, written especially for
this CD release. The rear card has a track list with times.
Dan's Opinion:
There is no comparison. Buy the Terrapin Trucking disc. The second
One Way release, however, may be interesting to collectors because
of its differences from the "normal" master tape.
INTERVIEW (1976)
CD Releases:
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1005
(Remastered as TRUCKCD 005)
Sound Quality:
The overall sound quality is excellent.
There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc,
so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the
amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The
difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The booklet has the original front cover - a rainbow covering the
dictionary definition of the word "interview." The rear cover has a
band photo. Inside there are 6 pages containing a track listing
with times, the lyrics, and a new essay by Alan Kinsman, written
especially for this CD release. The rear card has a rainbow and a
track listing with times.
Dan's Opinion:
Recommended.
PLAYING THE FOOL - THE OFFICIAL LIVE (1976)
CD Releases:
UK Castle Communications, ESSCD006 (out of print?)
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, TRUCKCD 009
Sound Quality:
The Castle CD has excellent sound quality.
The Terrapin CD reportedly has excellent sound quality. According to
Keith Carpenter, "compared to the Castle disk, it is more 'open'
sounding and has better 'imaging' (pardon the fancy stereo parlor
jargon). [The] sound is better, but [the difference is] not
compelling enough to dump the Castle disk."
The Castle disc has 8 track markers, and the Terrapin disc has 15.
(There were supposed to be 22 markers - see "Defects" below.) The
additional markers provide quick access to the beginnings of songs
in the middle of medleys.
Defects:
The Castle CD is missing the 1:15 track "Breakdown in Brussels," also
known as "Sweet Georgia Brown," due to time constraints. The
Terrapin disc is complete.
The Castle CD has incorrect track names. For example, "Proclamation
on Reflection" should be "On Reflection," and "In A Glass House"
should be "The Runaway/Experience."
The Terrapin disc has an incorrect track listing. According to the
booklet, the eight sections of the "Octopus" medley appear on
separate tracks (6-13). On the disc, however, they appear as a
single track (6).
Booklet:
The Castle booklet has the original front cover artwork - four
squares with different photos. The back has generic information
about caring for CD's. Inside is a track listing with no times and
an essay by Alan Kinsman. The rear card duplicates the track listing
from the inside.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet contains a comprehensive track listing,
including the names of all pieces in the medleys. It also has an
essay by Alan Kinsman and pictures of the band. The "tour chart"
from the LP is not included.
Dan's Opinion:
I recommend the Terrapin CD because it has slightly better sound
quality, better track markers (despite the defect listed above), and
contains the entire album. If you already have the Castle CD, it is
probably not worth getting the Terrapin disc unless you are a
completist and need the missing track.
THE MISSING PIECE (1977)
CD Releases:
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1006
(Remastered as TRUCKCD 006)
Sound Quality:
I think the quality is very good. Mats Westin disagrees, saying:
"...the amount of hiss heard even in neutral bass/treble setting
indicates they pushed the EQ up greatly when mixing. I don't mind
the hiss but the music gets unbearably bright on CD. Also I hear an
additional harshness making especially 'Who do you think...' and
'For nobody' uneasy listening even on a very good system.... I find
it hard to believe that the very original master is used for this
[Terrapin/RGOF] CD."
There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc,
so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the
amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The
difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The booklet cover has all the original artwork - a puzzle piece
on the front, and a puzzle missing a piece on the back. Inside
are six pages with a track listing with times, liner notes,
and an original essay by Alan Kinsman written for this CD release.
The rear card duplicates the back of the booklet and has a track
listing with times.
Dan's Opinion:
Go for it. Watch for the TRUCKCD number rather than the RGF CD
number.
GIANT FOR A DAY (1978)
CD Releases:
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1007
(Remastered as TRUCKCD 007)
Sound Quality:
Excellent.
There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc,
so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the
amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The
difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The booklet has all the original artwork, credits, lyrics, track
listing with times, and an original essay by Alan Kinsman written
for this CD. The booklet unfolds to reveal a full-size "giant" mask.
The rear card has band photos and a track listing with times.
Dan's Opinion:
Lovely. Watch for the TRUCKCD number rather than the RGF CD number.
CIVILIAN (1980)
CD Releases:
UK Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1008
(Later relabelled as TRUCKCD 008)
Contains a previously unreleased bonus track, "Heroes."
Sound Quality:
Excellent for the original music. The bonus track was taken
from a cassette master and is of poor quality.
Defects:
The final words sung on the album, "That's all there is," are
missing.
There is a "click" at 3:36 in track 7, "Inside Out."
In all track listings, the title of track 5 is incorrectly given as
"All Through The Night" (duplicating the title of track 2). The
correct title is "Underground."
According to Geir Hasnes, "[in Summer 1994], we found the master to
'Heroes' at Gary Green's house. The defects to the CD should be
corrected in a new edition."
Booklet:
The 8-page booklet contains all the original artwork, liner notes,
lyrics, a track list with no times, and an original essay by Alan
Kinsman written for this CD. The rear card has a blow-up from
the cover and a track listing with no times.
Dan's Opinion:
It's pretty good. Too bad about the defects.
OUR LAST TIME (1994?)
This double-live CD was originally scheduled to be released by
Terrapin/RGOF sometime in 1994. It is a previously unreleased
recording from GG's last tour, recorded at the Roxy in Los Angeles,
California, in June 1980. According to Geir Hasnes, "the CD was
delayed by legal problems ([they] have to buy the rights to issue the
tracks in another order than on studio albums) and union problems
(not recorded by authorized personnel). The plan is now to release it
within a boxed set to be out in 1995."
UNOFFICIAL LIVE RECORDINGS
Various Gentle Giant bootlegs exist. I have not seen nor heard
any of them, but here is a brief list culled from the Net:
Gargantua (1972) **
Giant Steps Forward (1974) **
Amongst the Darkers (1975) *****
Nearly the same as the LP, with a few seconds missing from
the intro.
The Last Giant Step (1980) ***
SUMMARY
In my opinion, your best choices of the Gentle Giant CD's I have
heard are:
Gentle Giant Vertigo
Acquiring The Taste Vertigo or LINE
Three Friends LINE
Octopus Vertigo
In A Glass House Terrapin/RGOF
The Power And The Glory Terrapin/RGOF
Free Hand Terrapin/RGOF
Interview Terrapin/RGOF
Playing The Fool ? (see discussion)
The Missing Piece Terrapin/RGOF
Giant For A Day Terrapin/RGOF
Civilian Terrapin/RGOF
Obviously, I cannot comment on the discs I have not heard. :-) Discs with
confirmed mastering errors, described above, are:
Gentle Giant LINE (Silent gap; missing riffs)
Gentle Giant Vertigo (Wrong track marker - minor)
Acquiring The Taste Vertigo USA (Bend in title track)
Acquiring The Taste LINE (Bend in title track)
Three Friends Columbia (Wrong track marker)
Octopus Columbia (Missing between-track riff)
Octopus LINE ("Ghost image" in right ch.)
In A Glass House Terrapin/RGOF (Some pops & crackles)
Free Hand One Way (Wrong master tapes)
Playing The Fool Castle (1 track was omitted)
Playing The Fool Terrapin/RGOF (8 tracks lumped into 1)
Civilian Terrapin/RGOF (Click; missing final words)
In case anybody is interested, I I judged these discs using 2 Sony
consumer-level CD players (CDP-670, CDP-591), a QSC model 1200 100-watt amp,
a Mackie CR-1604 mixing board (very quiet), and Tannoy System 8 NFM
near-field monitors (very flat sound).
SPECIAL THANKS
Thanks to Scott Anderson, Keith Carpenter, Peter A. Flach, William
Chris Graham, Geir Hasnes, Godshatter, Ola Rinta-Koski, Mats Westin, and
Dave White for contributing information to this document.
That's all, folks!
Dan
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| Dan Barrett -- Computer Science Dept, University of MA, Amherst, MA 01003 |
| http://zoo.cs.umass.edu/~barrett/public.html -- bar...@cs.umass.edu |
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