Long time fans of Gentle Giant were definitely not happy with this set. The thing is, it’s still pretty good. It’s just not the kind of prog rock their fans were used to. There are some moments that come close, but this is a lot more mainstream. While the musical style is a big change, the vocals are an even larger difference. Gentle Giant’s trademark was always the lilting vocals that weren’t at all conventional. This set has a pretty mainstream vocal performance. To me, more than the difference in music, that’s what makes this not seem like Gentle Giant. Still, if you get past that stuff, it’s a good (albeit more straight rock) album.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Drums lead out and electronic sounds come over the top. Then it explodes out into hard rocking, but proggy, jamming from there. This definitely has some fusion in the mix. It’s more straightahead than one expects from Gentle Giant, but it’s still great. I really love the little instrumental section at the end. I’d have to say that this song rocks hard enough to be consider leaning toward metal at times.