What can one say about a band like Gentle Giant? You'd have to stick with the facts: 4 multi-instrumentalists from England who strove to push the boundaries of popular music...at the risk of becoming very unpopular. 'The Power and the Glory' is the sixth record released by GG during the height of 1970's progressive rock. Of course they didn't (and still don't) prefer association with such a 'narrow' moniker. Why? Because they were true artists. True artists despise the four walls it takes to package their output; hence the term 'starving artist' which this band was surely inhabited by. The great thing is, they avoided those four walls by looking to the sky, always reaching beyond what they - or anyone else - had previously done. Only in their later albums would they begin 'selling out' as some might say, seeking a broader audience. Of course, the band's horizons were the only thing broad about them which only won over the narrow strip of audience with broad musical taste - even in their heyday - and never reached a 'broad' audience (because of their narrow musical tastes). Their later material only served to disappoint their faithful fans and implode the discouraged band. Pretty epic failure.
Personally, I love every GG album I've heard so far, but I find myself listening to this one most often. Unlike the prog rock bands of the time, Giant were not into 22 minute long songs, and stayed away from wandering passages of noodling. On the other hand it is difficult to discern whether the intention in many passages is to be equally difficult for the audience to listen to as it must have been for the band to play. As with most of the bands other records this a treasure trove of rhythmic and melodic interplay. The first song, 'Proclamation' is one of GG's tightest pieces, encompassing the essence of the groups capabilities...including catchiness! There are elements of heavy rock drumming paired with aggressive bass, off center guitar licks balanced by a funky, infectious keyboard hook which constitutes the songs theme. The vocals are equally off kilter, twisting into odd melodies like question marks that rupture into an excruciatingly dissonant chorus. (It almost sounds like a mistake!) But make no mistake, everything Gentle Giant did was rehearsed to perfection and duly deliberate. Every bit of their musicianship is wrung out into the record...like nearly all their albums. This includes their capacity for restraint, in songs like 'Aspirations' which is plaintive and simple, with a comparatively soothing melody.
One thing that keeps me interested in their challenging music is the groups dependability in creating variations on a theme. GG often revisit an ovurture in a different key, rythm, or even time signature. This element either turns a listener onto or off of their music. People's minds are programmed for near exact repetitions of choruses, melodies, drum beats etc. If a song isn't doing this, people start scratching their heads because it sounds 'wrong'. GG's body of work is for those who are annoyed by insessant repetition of a 1.5 second hook.
Equally amazing, GG played their own instruments AND eachothers...as well as manning auxiliary percussion, brass and woodwind, AND performed insanely difficult vocal harmonies in combating rhythms. The rehearsal implications in a single song by this group are staggering...yet they managed to release at least one album a year from 1970 to 1980!
'The Power and the Glory' is - you guessed it - a concept album. The story is simple: a figure rises to political power out of a will to do good but becomes what he set out to usurp. Unlike some records of the time that claim to be concept albums, 'The Power and the Glory' really sticks it out. Again, everything is deliberate and furthermore done with meaning. The lyrics weren't jotted down to justify a melody, nor is the music written to support the lyrics. They are equal intities, either of which a listener can enjoy throughout. The music varies stylistically from minstrel musings to fusion-jazz to outright bizarre, otherworldly terrain. The lyrics explore various angles of the story arch and keep the narrative alive.
If you like challenging music that rewards with a reliable arch, masterful musicianship, and amusing composition, then sit back and relish in this - or any other - Gentle Giant masterpiece! Not for the sound bite generation, this cones as one of my highest recommendations for those who take pride in their open mindedness! Put yourself to the test with 'The Power and the Glory'.
SIDENOTE: The 2004 reissue of this album includes the deleted title track, a single which the band deemed unacceptably 'poppy', but I find effective in both rounding the album concept out and upping the track count. In addition, it's just a cool song. Should have kept it on there. Find the reissue on Amazon real cheap~
MUSED: 90%
ABUSED: 10%
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