Customer Reviews

Power & Glory: 35th Anniversary Edition (Aniv)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I knew it existed but never heard it. And it's quite understandable why it was never included in the original album. It would have spoiled it. It's totally against the grain. It's too exuberant. It rather belongs to Giant for a Day, although it has its bright moments like the little guitar solo.
The entire album gets 5 stars. Good quality at a good price.

for their sixth album, gentle giant left behind the moodiness of in a glass house and rocked this thing out. as strange as the songs are at times, they have such inertia that i recommend this (or free hand) as a good starting place to those who have not yet lived life to the fullest and consumed this wonderful band. fans of yes, genesis, ELP or king crimson should understand this complex universe spun by the mighty gentle giant.

This music is simply astounding. Period. The complexity of their counterpoint is astonishing, the harmonic syntax is out of this world, metric complexity is mind-numbing, and to top it all off these guys actually make it swing... well sort of. This 1974 release is a personal favorite (I actually have too many favorite GG albums) because the overall approach seems softened somewhat, while retaining the trademark Gentle Giant complexity. Whether this was related to the subject matter of the album (power and inherent corruption) is unclear. What is clear is that it works and works very well. The softer pieces such as Aspirations and No God's a Man are simply wonderful, while the harder edged closing track Valedictory provides a breathtaking dynamic contrast. My favorite tracks include the quieter pieces along with Proclamation, Playing the Game, and Cogs in Cogs although every track is generally excellent. The remastering of the album is just OK and features restored cover art (the insert is shaped like a playing card), lyrics, two bonus tracks and decent sound quality. With respect to the bonus tracks, the sound quality of the live performance of Proclamation (taken from a 1974 German television concert) is OK, although it has a "bootleg" quality to it, while the studio outtake The Power and the Glory is only of middling quality. Although I generally liked the total remastered package, my only wish is that DRT had included at least a few photos of the band, and perhaps some notes regarding the recording process or other historical tidbits. All in all, this is an incredible recording of progressive rock and is highly recommended along with all of their albums up to and including In'terview (1976).

Of all of the 35th Anniversary releases, this is the one that I was most excited about. I've had a copy of THE POWER AND THE GLORY on vinyl for a while but was never able to snag a CD copy (which were being sold on eBay for exorbitant amounts of money [glad that I held out for a while]), so these remasters are a treat.

Anyways, this is possibly my favorite Gentle Giant album. As far as the concept goes, it's probably the most serious of GG albums, but there's nothing stone faced about it, really. There's a good deal of rollicking musical fun to be found! Things may sound strange and complicated at first (and they sort of are), but there're plenty of great melodies and grooves, and any adventurous listener will find lots to love.

There really isn't a bad song on here. SO SINCERE is uniquely Gentle Giant. PLAYING THE GAME is a standout track and closes the first half of the album beautifully. This CD release includes a live recording of PROCLAMATION and the "unreleased track" THE POWER AND THE GLORY. The former is a condensed version of the song for a German TV concert and the sound quality isn't too lovely. It's on here just for the heck of it. The latter is a pretty straight forward rock song and wouldn't have exactly fit in with the rest of the album, but it's not without its charm and I rather like it.

Most highly recommended.

Why should you get this CD? The sheer musical energy, musical creativity and the fact that these guys love what they do and it shows (also get the DVD "Giant in a Box").
Until you "Acquire the Taste" and understand what G. G. does musically, I would advise listening to "Free Hand" first because it's a little easier on the ears. What do I mean by that? Well, some passages of Power and Glory sounds like someone stepping on a cat. It's only after you become familiar with how incredibly powerful they are, with their unequaled ability to control dissonant sound, that the cat turns into the roar of a lion.

Gerard (52yrs old)

This is Gentle Giant's sixth album. Like all Gentle Giant albums, it is fairly short, including the bonus material. The original album was 35 minutes long. The bonus material gets it up to around 44 minutes. This was the first Gentle Giant CD to get mainstream radio play and ended up on the Billboard charts (at 78).

This is another very good Gentle Giant album. Like most of their albums, this was has a loose concept, this time built around the abuse of power.

The sound continues along the lines of In A Glass House. It is more stripped down than their earlier albums. However, it is not as harsh as In A Glass House.

When this was originally released as an LP, you would listen mainly to side A, and only flip it over to side B ocassionally. Side A was over 20 minutes long and had most of the best material. Side B was barely over 13 minutes long and the material wasn't as strong.

Most of the Gentle Giant albums have been released a number of times on CD. The sound quality varied greatly from issue to issue. You never knew what you were getting. It is great to see a remastered version that you can trust, and at a good price.

The remaster is very good but not perfect. The sound is bright and crystal clear, for the most part. However, I noticed a very slight distortion on the very high end in a few parts.

The bonus material is basically worthless. The live version of Proclamation is not anything special and basically pointless. After listening to this wonderful album, I really don't want to hear an inferior version of one of the songs.

The unreleased studio track, The Power And The Glory, might be one of the worst things Gentle Giant has ever done (not including the album Giant For A Day). It sounds like one of those typical British psychodelic/pop songs from the late sixties that would be included in some bad "mod" movie.

The cover art from the original LP has been mostly duplicated, including the song lyrics. This was the last Gentle Giant LP that didn't come in a cheesy looking, cheap cover. The CD comes in a standard plastic jewel case, but the jewel case has a red cardboard slipcover.

I do not wish to delve into the history of this band and/or this album, as I feel that anyone with enough internet saavy can find the information that they seek. My main objective here is to state that this particular edition of this album is the ONLY edition that you will ever need. DRT Entertainment, the distributor (run by GG lead-man Derek Shulman) has created a beautiful package for this CD, and the booklet is wonderfully designed. All of the lyrics are included, but unfortunately no liner notes or comments from the band. As I have said, though, you can find plenty of information by digging around the internet.

Some of the bands greatest songs are on this disc, including "Proclamation", "Playing the Game", and a fan favorite, "Cogs in Cogs". This is very complex music, but if you aren't too familiar with this band, I consider it to be a great introductory piece. The bands previous work was brilliant, but this is even more so. I love the introduction of more funk-influenced rhythms, which will also make apperances in later albums like "Free Hand". This is definetly a product of the 70's, but believe me when I say that NO other band sounded like these guys. They are absolute originals, unlike many of the R&B clones of their day.

I can't rave enough about this set. Check out DRT's line of other Gentle Giant remasters, although it has been pointed out that the "Interview" remaster has a flaw (it is in the process of being fixed, should be re-issued in September 2005, so by the time you read this, it should be fine). Get all their albums, by all means, but this is THE absolute best sounding I have ever heard this album. The vocals and instrumentation are now in perfect balance, and as I said, the packaging is phenomonal. Thank you for this wonderful album, Gentle Giant!

If " In A Glass House " was where Gentle Giant finally found a unique sound of their own, then " The Power and Glory " was where they simplified that sound just enough so more people could enjoy it. I know many people think Glass House is a great album, but I've always found it a bit tough to listen to....the songs were a wee bit TOO complex and not quite focused enough, like G.G. were trying to stuff too many musical ideas into one song.

By comparison, the songs on Power and Glory are a bit heavier, a bit catchier and more concise and to the point, though the songs were STILL complex and very progressive. I also think it is the album where Derek Shulman finally established himself as a singer....his vocals on this album were his best yet.

The first song, " Proclamation ", really sums up what this band was about....I would play this song as an introduction to this band for anyone who had never heard them before. I must also add that keyboardist Kerry Minnear finally found a musical instrument and a way of playing it that was all him. I'm referring to the electric piano of course, that not only added a medieval flavor to the group's sound, but also...FUNK! " Proclamation " starts out with the sound of a crowd (which, on this newly remastered version sounds much MORE like a crowd than on the vinyl and original CD versions), then the electric piano comes in and Derek sings the first two verses sans drums. After the drums enter, the song gets a bit more rockin' and funky. The whole song is pretty friggin' great and alot of fun. Catchy as all get out of here, too!

" So Sincere " has saxophone on it and features Kerry on vocals. Starts out a bit quiet, but gets a bit louder during the second half. The live version would have Derek on vocals (since Kerry's vocals did not project very well in concert) and a five man percussion jam. This studio version is about four minutes long and doesn't have the percussion jam, though it is still a mighty fine song!

" Aspirations " is a very mellow, slightly jazzy piece, with Kerry once again on vocals. One of the most relaxing and peaceful songs G.G. has ever done...maybe just a tad on the boring side, but I still like it.

" Playing The Game " is a Yes-like progressive rocker, which introduced the Shulberry, which looked like a three stringed ukelele and was played by Derek Shulman, hence it's name. Another great song and one of the highlights of the album. I like the main riff, Derek's confident vocals and the organ solo.

The second half isn't as strong as the first, though it gets off to a very powerful start with the very heavy and somewhat complex hard rocker " Cogs In Cogs ". A very good live version of this can be found on the G.G. dvd " Giant On The Box ".

" No God's a Man " is the other laid back number on the album, featuring more of G.G.'s trademark vocal rounds and intertwining vocal parts. Not one of my favorite tunes on the album and neither is the next track, " The Face ", which features some noisy and almost headache inducing violin playing by Ray Shulman. I guess I have never really liked " The Face ", though I heard it said some nice things about me!

The original LP (and CD) ends with " Valedictory ", which is essentially a reprise of " Proclamation ", albeit just a bit heavier, with some of guitarist Gary Green's most aggressive playing on the album. A very satisfying end to the record.

The newly remastered version includes a lyric sheet (not included on the original CD) and two bonus tracks. The first is an early live version of " Proclamation " from 1974 and the second is the song " The Power and The Glory ". The latter was not recorded until after the album came out, which explains why is was not included on the original LP! It is a short, catchy little song, very Gentle Giant-like. Not one of their greatest songs for sure, but it does kind of catch on after a few listens. This song would not have sounded out of place on " Freehand ".

This new version is definitely an improvement over the initial CD, especially in terms of sound. Tis nice to have the lyrics printed as well. My only gripe (or gripes)....seeing that this a 35th Anniversary edition, it's a shame there are no additional liner notes or photos, especially considering how little has been written about this talented group. Still, it is certainly a worthy addition to anyone's Gentle Giant collection.

This is my first time listening to these songs, and I love them. Even if you're not a Gentle Giant fan, give it a listen.

Having a musician in the family is a big plus when it comes to discovering new music. I first heart Gentle Giant in 1973 with "Octopus" and have been hooked ever since. "The Power and The Glory" might be Giant at their most accessiblewith a healthy mix of rich melodies, sharp playing and singing.They still display the chops that made them Giants among some of their contemporaries but they service the songs. Although it isn't my favorite album, it still catches the band in fine form.

The fragmented opening of "Proclamation" takes shape with a memorable keyboard riff and then moves in a totally different direction. "Aspirations" has to be one of the band's richest most sublime melodies while "Playing the Game" flirst with commerical appeal with its catchy guitar riff. Every song is memorable here INCLUDING the two bonus tracks. "The Power and The Glory" sounds like the big single that never was. It's more direct than anything else on the album and it has been released before as a bonus track on an important version on CD. Having seen Giant live in 1979 at their next to last show in San Francisco, I'm happy to hear "Proclamation" live. While these guys were at home in the studio they could bring to life even their most complex compositions in a live setting. Although not quite as layered as the studio version (how could it be?)the playing is sharp and there's a rawness here missing from the album version that acts as a nice contrast to the studio version.

As mentioned by others we get the original lyrics and the CD booklet is shaped like a playing card (exactly as the original release of the album was in 1973). "The Power and The Glory" compares well to "Octopus" and "Acquiring The Taste" as well as "In a Glass House". Like each of those albums GG takes the compositions in a slightly different direction to make this album as distinct and memorable as those.