For me Gentle Giant are the most satisfying of prog bands. They were so varied, complex, had so many influences from Plainsong to outright rock, that their originality leads you down new paths.
1972's Octopus is one of their finest achievements. It was named as a pun on "octo opus" (eight musical works, reflecting the album's eight tracks) One of the highlights was the intricate madrigal-styled vocal workout "Knots". The album's lyrics are generally based on literature and philosophy: "The Advent of Panurge" is brilliant and is inspired by the books of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais; of course! "A Cry for Everyone" is inspired by the work and beliefs of the French writer Albert Camus, while the song "Knots" is inspired by the book Knots by the Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing. This is erudite thoughtful music
I made #170 in America but failed to chart in the UK as all their albums did. Their hybrid sound was obviously not commercial but to those who like to breathe more rarefied air that constantly surprises, Octopus presses buttons no one else presses.
