Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members were multi-instrumentalists. Although not commercially successful, the band did achieve a cult following.
Gentle Giant | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock |
| Years active | 1970–1980 |
| Labels | Chrysalis (UK), Vertigo (UK, US), Columbia (US), Capitol (US), One Way Records, Alucard Music, DRT Entertainment, Major League Productions (MLP), Road Goes On Forever (UK), Terrapin Trucking (UK) |
| Past members | Gary Green Kerry Minnear Derek Shulman Phil Shulman Ray Shulman Martin Smith Malcolm Mortimore John Weathers |
| Website | https://gentlegiantmusic.com |
The band stated that its aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular", although this stance was to alter significantly with time.
Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swathe of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated medieval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements. The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal experiences but from philosophy and the works of François Rabelais and R. D. Laing. In 2015 they were recognised with the lifetime achievement award at the Progressive Music Awards.