Free Hand [Extra tracks]

Gentle Giant | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1975
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Alucard Records
• ASIN: B000850IHW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Just the Same

2. On Reflection

3. Free Hand

4. Time to Kill

5. His Last Voyage

6. Talybont

7. Mobile

8. Just the Same [Live][#][*]

Editorial Reviews

Gentle Giant was born out the ashes of Simon Dupree & the Big Band sound,a successful UK Based Rock and R&B outfit lead by brothers Derek, Ray and Phil Shulman. 1n 1970 the brothers Shulman founded Gentle Giant. Their untilization of complex classical chords and time patterns, together with hard rock, blues, Jazz and even medieval melodies set them apart from any other "Progressive" Groups. This Album is fully remastered for the first time from it's original 1/4 inch Tapes. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine Progressive Rock, May 11, 2005

By 

WillieB - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Free Hand (Audio CD)

It's difficult to pick one desert island Gentle Giant album, they all are unique, and all studio releases except "Giant for a Day" are must haves. With numerous time changes and intricate musical passages Giant is not for everybody and may challenge most listeners. But this challenge can have great rewards because the talent this band has is amazing... all musicians are proficient at multiple instruments, the songwriting skill is superb, and the tunes are timeless. For the novice to Gentle Giant, this CD would be a good starting point.

We begin with "Just the Same" a great upbeat-syncopated rocker... one of those tunes where the chorus sticks in your head and you sing it all day. "On Reflection" showcases great vocal work with a powerful instrumental jam at the end. "Free Hand" is stunning! Great piano intro that turns into a full-out rocking tune slowed down briefly by a wonderful intricate middle section only to blast back into the awesome verse. "Time to Kill" shows once again the power this band has... what a grooving tune, great bass line, great vocals, great interaction between musicians, great everything. "His Last Voyage" is the mellow track on the disc, similar to what can be heard on "Acquiring the Taste", complete with a very juicy guitar solo. "Talybont" is a short instrumental with sort of an Irish jig feel. "Mobile" begins beautifully with a violin and guitar intro only to transform into another great rocking tune. Finally, the bonus track is an unreleased version of "Just the Same". Good version, bad mix (kind of sounds squished/over-compressed).

The Free Hand remix sounds wonderful! After living with the atrociously muddy One Way Records mix for decades I can only say WOW... GREAT JOB! Unfortunately the CD does not give credit to the person who remixed this or from what source it was.

It's a shame that Giant hasn't released a full-length studio project since the 80's, cause if they did, they would probably blow most bands out of the water.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2010 reissue review-When GG was given a "Free Hand" they produced one of their finest albums-remaster sounds good-no bonus track, February 7, 2010

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Free Hand (Audio CD)

Gentle Giant got a one-two punch to the gut; the oldest of the Shulman brothers Phil left the band but the band carried on as a five piece and produced one of the finest albums they ever made "In a Glass House" only to find their record label wouldn't release it. With "Free Hand" they regrouped producing one of their most confident, melodic and complex albums. This remaster improves on the DRT remaster from five years ago and is only flawed by not having the bonus live track that release had.

As for the mastering engineer Fred Kervorkian did what's called "selective band compression". Yeah, there is selective band compression applied but the album sounds surprisingly good and isn't brickwalled More importantly, detail and clarity are an improvement over previous editon of the album. There is limiting applied as well as some denoising (at the request of the band) but it isn't as obtrusive as I thought it would be. The best comparison I can think of is that this shares a lot of assets and drawbacks as The Beatles remasters.
This edition does sound better than the DRT.

Why no bonus tracks? I suspect it has to do with the fact that the GG label Alucard will be releasing these reissues on vinyl later this year (2010) and that the band wanted the CDs to reflect the original albums and the forthcoming reissues. "Free Hand" along with "In a Glass House" and "Octopus" represents GG at their finest.

This reissue bests the DRT in terms of sound with much smoother e.q. choices. Recommended.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like you've never heard it before...., June 27, 2005

By 

Paul Minot (Waterville, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Free Hand (Audio CD)

This has never been one of my favorite GG albums--that would be "In a Glass House" or "Octopus", depending on my mood--but after hearing this remaster I may have to reconsider. The new remastering is so good I feel like I've never heard it before, with a wonderfully warm low end, plenty of high end sparkle, and all the details in between.

If you're a GG fan and you're wondering if you need to buy it, because you already have it on CD or vinyl, well, YOU DO, believe me. Me? I'm buying ALL the reissues in this series myself!

Gentle Giant Lives!!!