The Boys in the Band - Gentle Giant (1972)

[theinmortal6]

@VirtualDynamite As a huge prog fan, I completely agree with you. There are many genres that are worthy. I like both, Hardcore Punk and Progressive Rock. I am NOT special at all.

[MrBoohead1987]

Does anyone know if that sound at the beginning really a giant coin on the ground, or what is it?

[Verndoggie1]

I humbly as that you listen to a few of our tunes. there are three at the verndoggie site. Its a dot com We have 10 total. Were still recording and writing them.

I sometimes thing we have a similar spark as Gentile Giant but ofcourse THEY are the masters.

[Jacditte]

@startrooper64 Really not. It's better were born at 1940's and had a great young life at 70's. A 16 years old lady.

[Doomenic00]

Prog fans are fucking insufferable geeks. I listen to prog a lot, but jesus christ there is other great music out there too. Get out more.

[Akron162]

@Doomenic00 no, there is not

[orlandomarquez00]

@startrooper64 en lo absoluto hermanito, en lo absoluto... estas en lo correcto!!

[musicman14220]

@startrooper64 haha im 14 and in the same boat, right on!this is great stuff!:D anyways, alot of mainstream stuff isnt great, but once in a while there's a good song, and eh, it's what makes money nowadays anyways :P. happy listening man

[kornrule12]

@startrooper64 Nobody cares you attention seeking pretentious nob.

[bowecho]

This what you get when you cross Zappa with Yes and Jethro Tull!

[Akron162]

@bowecho No, this is what happen when you form a band called Gentle Giant, no comparisions please.

[foottothenuts]

@startrooper64 We don't give a fuck. Stop being a faggot and acting like you're special for listening to this music and being 16. Just listen and shut up.

[Jhmajerowski]

@foottothenuts Hey, quit your bullshit name calling on a page of an awesome track. We don't need any losers giving us prog-o-files giving us a bad name.

[foottothenuts]

@Jhmajerowski No. That stupid kid is giving prog fans a bad name.

[repsalg]

Ahh, Roger Dean if I'm not mistaken

[ozzieman321]

@startrooper64 you are such an assfuck. You think you are so superior to your friends because you listen to what you think is "more intelligent, more sophisticated" music. Hey kid, it's great that you love this stuff, but you don't think that you are better than other people who prefer listening to mainstream music.

[angie4josh]

@ozzieman321 Hey startrooper64 don't listen to this piece of shit ozzieman321, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about and probly sings along to Lady Gaga on the toilet when his woman isn't home. You are better than this asshole and most people who listen to garbage.

[FrederickHamilton]

@startrooper64 I liked them when I was 15 back in the 70's. Saw them a couple of times too. 2nd best prog band (King Crimson and Genisis tie for first).

[yourmomsfatass1]

@startrooper64 i would be shocked if you didn't play world of warcraft or magic the gathering

[batesisbeast]

@startrooper64 fuck a hipster

[joakorush2112]

@startrooper64 No i am not. What do yo want us to say?: "OH THATS CUTE!" KUDOS.

[tartredarrow]

When the coin stopped spinning my mouth went :O

[Qriddim]

i dare a band to cove this song!

[RalfsLab]

@startrooper64 No, the fact that you love this doesn't shock me because this kind of music is timeless, not fad music. I'm a bit older than you and I've loved prog since I became aware of it at 14, but it's before my time as well. What shocks me is that more people don't like this.

[Vandertop]

@RalfsLab I think the reason people don't know this music is because they're rarely (or never) exposed to it. Radio stations mostly focus on the mainstream. In fact I don't know of any that play this music (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). I'm 57 and got to see all these bands first time round (some of whom are still with us). People tend to chuckle and scoff if you say you like "Prog", which is SO ignorant and small minded. Just because we like music which has more than 3 chords in it!

[Gmancrap]

Well, you are seeing as how Prog was mainstream at one small point in time. However it sucked so much and was so pretentious it fell on itself and died.

[Makksor]

@Gmancrap i agree that it was pretentious. But 'it sucked'? penispenispenisheadshit

[crommunication]

these motherfuckers have their shit together.

[salmonphatshoes]

@startrooper64 dude same here

[progrocker69]

5 people failed their audition for the band.

[Qriddim]

THIS TUNE BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES IT SO GOOD..... DAMN!!!!

[VirtualDynamite]

@startrooper64 Frankly nobody gives a shit if you are 16, and dismissing popular modern music as "mainstream bullshit" is quite arrogant. Yes you listen to prog, you have a taste for respectable music, but seriously come on. Can we please stop trying to act so high and special just because we listen to complex, and frankly weird music? Prog fans just need to get over themselves and be more humble.

[aoeria]

@VirtualDynamite actually dood, some people can only listen to britnay spears and justin boober so I would say give him props for listening to music at all and telling the kids listening to junk the truth, it's hard to hear! I was there 10 years ago, guess what, some of them have come around

[MrNicespaces]

@startrooper64;

You've been blessed with a musician's ear and a higher-than-average IQ.

Your detractors are trolls.

[thesaintoz]

@startrooper64 I am from the future, haven´t been born, my parents are 11 by now, and i love this music. Shocked?

[prognosis2112]

sooooOOOOO GOOOD

[TheIllegalKind]

@startrooper64 i dont think thats weird considering im 12

[maccantuono]

sounds like frank zappa...

great composition

[RevinKoy]

I'm the sticky residue on my father's boxer shorts, and I like them!

[Mattycaos]

Hi, i'm a fetus and i like them.

[VirtualDynamite]

I can make music like this. Maybe in the future I can get some recognition.

[bboysattherave]

@VirtualDynamite let's hear it...are you on soundcloud?

[bboysattherave]

best band ever? seriously f~~cking awesome band!

[PeanutXGORE]

I don't fucking care how old are you. Good music is good music and you don't need to be proud that you are "only 16" and listenin to GG.

I started listening to GG when i was 12, so what? What's the fuckin difference?

Anyway, any second of listenin to this song makes me feel like my heart is about to explode.

[Hopegirls4]

@awaken77 I once read where the keyboard player for Kansas said Kerry Minnear was a big influence on him.

[Drrockerfull]

@Hopegirls4 If you don`t know, hear the last song of debut album of Kansas and you will understand Why...

[5mralbert]

@startrooper64 LOL,NO I AM NOT SHOCKED,16 ABOUT THE TIME I DISCOVERED GENTLE GIANT BACK IN THE EARLY 70`S

[KingfisherBlues27]

Such a good band. Innovative and extremely talented

[swaggs]

This is what we use to call tight back in the day.

[OneSaucyFellow]

What is this? O.O

[Akron162]

i respect that 5 guys play like 30 instruments by themselves, but i have never liked gentle giant really.

[swaggs]

@Akron162 Your loss and I wonder why your here if that's how you feel. I saw them live in 1976. In the middle of one song they all switched instruments in mid tune and didn't skip a beat. Truly amazing.

[samuelm7]

@startrooper64 I'm 54 years old and am heartened that your generation is finally discovering this beautiful music.

[GolasgilEldemar]

hey someone that has a camera...film a music teacher directing this!

[egronk56]

Saw these guys a couple of time in Toronto-one of the best, professsional bands I ever saw--great concerts one of my favs from the 70s.

[Bedulonko]

1:50 - 2:02

It just flows so perfectly for me... I love that part!

[SuperNizomar]

Eu gostaria que alguém me desse uma versão sobre esta caricatura que parece um ser de outro mundo que aparece em quase todos os discos do Gentle Giant

[2zathras551]

I've always loved this cut, a favourite right up there with " the Runaway" on "In A Glass House", another Brilliant albun.

[DanielGarrido06]

that coin is in my head for hours

[nakaufo]

NICEEEEE

[phiaragame]

love the tempo changes

[chizmo7]

WAY ahead of their time. Sophisticated, funny, complexity with a purpose and design, melodic stories, pushing the envelope when it was NOT ok to push it. True artists. This is how Rock music was supposed to evolve. In the hands of the musicians. Not record companies who want carbon copies of their last hit record purely for money. Sad.

[ForeverYoung58]

@chizmo7 I was always of the impression that the 70's, particularly the early 70's, was a time where the "suits" let the players play. Artists had some freedom to experiment and do their own thing...not like the cookie cutter assembly line of corporate crap today.

[chazenlindo]

Roger Dean have a nice job

GIANT too

[kingcherub]

two "musicians" were never good enough to play in a band.

[razzman105]

Wow, Maybe diggers did take the beat. Dont Hate Tho. All their other stuff is Legit

[radio213]

just got this album, really diggin it

[palteonato]

Prog ROCks

[casualtie061188]

dunno if you guys have ever heard the song "Wannabes" by Dirty Diggers

They sample a part of the intro as the main tune of the song.

I'm a punk rock fan so I have no idea how I ended up on either of the videos but enjoy anyway!

[SpudDavenport]

@casualtie061188 WoW I hope those bastards are payin royalties to Gentle Giant. That sample is the whole SONG! very interesting track, tho

[pietrauss]

uno dei migliori dischi della scena prog anni '70- arrangiamenti pazzeschi, sound perfetto, musicisti perfetti,registrazione idilliaca, insomma un capolavoro x gli amanti

[Valhalla0]

who the hell is the one person who dislikes this?

[marksman55]

@Valhalla0 seriously! when i heard this shit i was like... ummmmm... anyone who hates on this is less than human

[marksman55]

@Valhalla0 oh wait i just realized that there IS a person who hit the dislike button.... yeah well im not surprised... zombies walk among us everyday... its a fact of life

[nudgler]

LMAO......awesome....brings back memories...i think

[CalculateInBinary001]

This was always my favorite song from Octopus. I love the keyboard, especially around 0:58.

[FA9082]

Now this is what prog should sound like.

[mensamoo]

I thought Interview was their best, and a breakthrough at the time... tbh

[Amebixfan]

Kerry Minnear is a genius

[jenben3]

The coin thing is weed.

[beaverteeth92]

How do you count the beginning right after the coin? It's been killing me trying to figure it out...

[Islwynpaul]

The first 22 seconds aren't bad but it's downhill from there.

[RockHistoryTube]

Great tune!!!

[GoatBeach]

Hooked from the first note. Mahavishnu Orchestra and King Crimson had their moments, but the Giant took me places that they never touched.

[flammaster]

I am glad I got to experience music like this as a teenager.

[chizmo7]

I'm 52 and I have been a HUGE GG fan since I heard them in 1973 for the first time. Free hand and Power and the Glory were being played on the radio in ABQ NM. Really hard to believe looking back. I feel lucky to have witnessed an era where originality and creativity were truly common place.

[then00best]

awesome drumming

[cococoon69]

how lucky can a guy get listening to that kind of music when i was just a teenager....saw them in sherbrooke,quebec..fabulous

[TheSteve8595]

There perfection was unbeatable. I saw them after a major snow storm in New Paltz NY. It was an incredible theatre and only 900 people showed up. You could hear a pin drop at the concert and Gentle Giant knew it. They were amazing playing for close to 4 hours, Harmonizing , all playing muliiple instrumennts, After a 1000 concerts in my life I still can not compare,

[RabidBearpig]

4 hours? That's incredible. I play this song and my hand is nearly dead by 1:15. If not sooner. These guys were demigods.

[TheSteve8595]

@RabidBearpig Hey I am glad youwrote me back.Pleas check out Gentle Giant - I Lost My Head from the Interview album. It is live on UTube and is so freakin tight! That album wasnever recognized but if you take the time to get to the middle of the songs the jams are fantastic!

[RabidBearpig]

That was amazing! I've never heard "I Lost My Head" before. I love the dynamics around 3 minutes it!

[spikerooney011]

Spot on comment mate!

[elianasita]

grazie di avere postato i grandissimi Gentle Giants!

[papponino]

veri giganti!

[rogdodge99]

Evry musician in Gentle Giant were very diversified. All were great on all and different instruments. I remember hearing them in the late ' 70s.

[cirillocesira]

Questa musica ha accompagnato felicemente i miei 20 anni...

e segue ancora i miei 55...

[maximumsatann]

You don't have to be a geriatric to appreciate the Giant nor any number of greats of their ilk.

[PippoBlues93]

I love this album, I love it's content, I love the cover and I love the band that put all these things together! (with big help by Roger Dean)

[ReaziAzevedo]

When you're wearing headphones it sounds like the coin is in your head lol. =]

[ggnooz]

When I'm high I think I am the coin when I listen to this song sometimes.

[balchoth]

Just tried it, but I only can see the coin in my head ;)

[perdunchiki]

hello oldies! Great band ah? i had this record in 1974, cover design was made by Roger Dean ( yes)

[verdemanthe1]

I like this and at the same time I am angry this is the first I have heard of this band/music

[mobyboy]

it depends whic era you grew up. if you are about 20-25 well its a probplem, its nowhere in radio or MTV. but if you are one the oldies like we... ohhh

[idohof]

I am 33+ and I first heard Gentle Giant when I was 15 and loved them, started to hear paul winter, zappa and loved them also, from there I went on listening to great music from the 70's but also modern like the Cardiacs. so I guess you are partly correct - there are no many opportunities to hear this music for the first time now days, but when people do get that chance, there are young people out there who will know to appreciate it .

[idohof]

It is great to know that new people are hearing great music for the first time, and love it still.

[record1207]

I was lucky to be born with an open mind to puchase this when it 1st was released! This was the 1st song on side one and it blew me away. Thanks and agree with most comments.

[Shporky]

Gentle Giant are awesome. The music manages to be staggeringly complex without being wanky or incomprehensible. I listen to it, and this was recorded almost 20 years before I was born.

[dadduorp]

At the risk of sounding like an "old fart" myself, you have to admit that NO ONE these days (and I have 3 kids ages 24/27/30 and listen to their music) is playing (or can play) amazing stuff like this. In fact, they always ask me to show them more of what I used to listen to when I was a kid.

This reminds me of progressive RTF, Mahavishnu, etc. Classic stuff!

[mrprogrock1]

there is a new band played on r1 very giant influenced,they are called

everything everything, checkout their track

my keys your boyfriend on m/s or u/t and see.

[Tarabos1]

that belongs to the most complex pieces GG ever recorded... I´m glad that GG returned this year in the form of THREE FRIENDS and I impatiently waiting for new material of them...Besides, the youngsters wil realize soon, that they become "old farts" by themselves..Time does zoom by quickly and life is short. Try to enjoy it by using the "true" things being out there...(Hope my english is not too unpolished?) Regards...

[hairyfish3]

rather be an old fart than a fresh turd

[dadduorp]

That sounds like it outta' be on a bumper sticker!

[PaulyPlz]

Music nowadays is different but don't say no band formed recently could play this. It's expanding, and as far as this is classic and very excellent, so are other bands in different ways.

[finboy93]

I bought Gentle Giants Playing Fool live album and i have to say, that live version is much better.

Gentle Giant was very good live band, i wish could have seen them

[sympathyfortheblues]

wow troppo bello si ritrova di tuttto i miei dischi in vinile che bello risentirli

[Hackneychap]

Thats interesting that like myself I grew up listening and enjoying gentle giant as well as Frank Zappa and im an old fart too!

[hairyfish3]

Us old farts were pretty damn lucky to experience the music that we did!!

[ian8825]

I couldnt agree more with hairyfish3

Frank zappa has VERY techinical songs.

"pound for a brown" by zappa is also a good one.

[xroxayy]

its sooo good =)

Im playing it at school =)

with 21st century and a lot more =P

yeah =) haha

[thermosoverfil]

Roger Dean's best album cover too!

[misterfool509]

yeah this is great. Truly one hack of a brilliant piece

[Louisbass0017]

lol my music teacher is so sick he made our class play this song :P

[balchoth]

xD

I would love our teacher to make us play that song ;)

[WallysaurRex]

@balchoth same here

[mmacham]

Are you kidding me?! That's so awesome! Viva Canada, I guess! :)

Did you play bass on it? Lucky kid, man!

[0020030405]

Lol yeah it's awesome! The best song we played so far ;)

[0020030405]

BTW my bad, I'm on my brother's account. I just didnt realize it :P

[keilaman]

@Louisbass0017 you are a lucky one to have a trippy music teacher like that:-)

[Jack1London]

Gosto muito desta banda Gentle Giant, o seu som é inovador e atualíssimo!! Vida longa aos Rockers Psicodélicos!

[beaverteeth92]

I love how as soon as the coin drops, the song starts.

And Kerry Minear doesn't get nearly enough credit as a keyboardist.  He's amazing.

[Dusk922]

מעיףףףףף

רק באנגים~~!!!

[MitchLaddie]

i concur!

[lusiferotoma]

I really would have liked to know if Frank Zappa ever heard this song...i'm sure he would have been truly impressed.

It's splendid.

[Parvenu333]

Gentle Giant's style fluctuates so much with every song... I never actually thought about it that way but this song does resemble Frank Zappa's work astoundingly. Great song too.

[hairyfish3]

Check out "Eat that Question" from Frank Zappa's "The Grand Wazoo" to me, it totally has an early "Giant "vibe.

[TadRapidly]

Zappa and GG have been my favorites (and my friend's favorites) since we were teenagers(we're old farts now). There is an interview with Frank years ago where he is asked if any other bands interest him. The only one he mentioned was Gentle Giant. If Frank notices you, that's the last word.

[marksman55]

@TadRapidly well said!!!

[Canaveral305]

@TadRapidly Didn't he also say he liked Queen? (the early prog rock-ish Queen of the 70's, I mean)

Also, if you like Frank Zappa, you should check out some of Les Claypool's stuff (Primus and/or solo), you'd probably like it.

[TadRapidly]

@Canaveral305 i'm not sure where FZ stood on Queen but I sure love their first 3 albums, after that I don't bother. Yeah, Les is a monster player but i don't dig his music all that much and I dislike his vocal style. Ya know this band Beardfish sounds pretty interesting. heard 'em yet?

[Canaveral305]

@TadRapidly I prefer the early Queen stuff too. And yeah, you've got to dig Les's style (and nasal vocals) to hear something else than technical difficulty, I guess. Tastes.

I definitively had heard some Beardfish before, but without knowing the name. Pretty interesting, yeah I like how it ressembles the 70's prog rock but is still contemporary.

I need to listen to more music of these days. Apart from folk/prog metal, I mostly listen to bands from the past. Got any more artists like that?

[TadRapidly]

@Canaveral305 Not really. I have to say Beardfish was the first band in years to perk up my ears. As far as prog I'm sure there's a lot going on but I'm busy listening to The Carpenters lately. :o)

[Canaveral305]

@TadRapidly Haha, I actually like The Carpenters too!

[TadRapidly]

@Canaveral305 anybody who DOESN'T like The Carpenters is either gay or a liar. ;-)

[renemill]

@TadRapidly How could you think of Carpenters while listening to Gentle Giant???...You must be depth

[TadRapidly]

@renemill i've never been accused of being depth. So many feelings...

[renemill]

@TadRapidly Frank´s Zappa favourite band was MAGMA, a french band.He hated The Beatles.

[haaibaaithebest]

@TadRapidly Respect.

[Wildraw]

this band rules

[nikike91]

a truly inpiring piece of music!