Customer Reviews

Bigger Giants

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Giants is a wonderful introduction to the Bolshoi! I can remember hearing this EP in the Eighties and enjoying the vinyl version. With five good songs and one great song (Happy Boy), the EP stands the test of time well. The Bolshoi mixes a Goth background (like Bauhaus) with the pop sensibilities of classic Love and Rockets. Giants is improved by the inclusion of additional tracks (hence the BIGGER title). Any fan of Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy, Tones on Tail, Hurricane, or old Cure (Disintigration, 7 seconds, Pornography)should enjoy this album!

'Bigger Giants' is a re-release of the hard-to-find 1985 EP 'Giants'. The original had 6 songs and was never released as a CD on its own; you could get it on cassette and vinyl. However there is a CD version of 'Friends' that includes 5 of the 6 songs from this EP - good luck finding it. The reason this is "Bigger" is that 6 additional tracks are added including a long version of "Happy Boy". These are nice to have but I doubt any are better than the original 6.

If you are familiar with later Bolshoi then you will recognize the Trevor's vocals, but the sound is quite different from a release like 'Lindy's Party'. This is Bolshoi at their darkest with the bass leading the way more than it would on later albums. The title track "Giants" is an ode to paranoia and the way that people build up fear and hatred in their minds. It features a thumping bass line similar to the Sisters of Mercy's "Logic". The best song is the stellar "Happy Boy" that tells the tale of an angry, arrogant young man who is eager to show the world that he has made it and is moving up... "Such a happy boy today - blew my family clean away - going to university - what do you thing now?" Like many Tanner-written songs it is heavy with biting sarcasm. "Fly" is another solid performance.

Early Bolshoi probably would appeal most to fans of Gothic and 80's alternative (Bauhaus and its descendant bands, 1980-86 Cure, early Cult, The Church, Sisters of Mercy, etc.) as it is a strong combination of the 2 sounds.