Gentle Giant - Octopus
(1973)
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Cover Front |
Album |
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Artist |
Gentle Giant |
Length |
34:24 |
Format |
CD |
Genre |
Rock |
Label |
Line Records |
Collection Status |
In Collection |
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Track List |
01 |
The Advent Of Panurge
There coming over Charaton Bridge
Look do you see the man who is poor
but rich.
What do you wish; and where do you go;
who are you; where are you from:
Will you tell me your name?
Rest awhile; call me your friend.
Please stay with me I'd like to help.
Then he said,
How can I speak when I'm dry and my
throat is burning. So bring me aid
and I'll answer your doubts.
Friend in need I'd like your help
Please take me home I'll stay with you.
Then he said fair Pantagruel
My name is Panurge and I have come
from Hell.
Look at my friend
Look all around you
Look at my friend
Take all round you.
Hey, Friend
(Improvised foreign words in middle
section)
So brotherhood was made as their bond
Carried him home and provide for his
needs
and his shelter; this day was done
as no other the like.
Faithfully their vow was made and from
that daythey were as one.
Note:
The fabulous Rabelaisian giant,
Pantagruel,discovers a lifelong friend
and companion, Panurge.
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04:44 |
02 |
Raconteur Troubadour
Gather round the village square
Come good people both wretched
and fair.
See the troubadour play on the drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum.
I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance.
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
more of
the story-telling half.
There's no other chance,
Always move on
Raconteur, troubadour.
Take the face that you see for the man,
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am.
All my family,not of my kin.
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in.
Humors give me wage,
Favors for my art.
Rising, falling
Everyone struggle on.
All the world's a stage
All can play their part.
I have chosen
Raconteur, troubadour.
Dusk is drawing my story is spun,
Dawn is falling my day'swork is done.
Morning, rested I set on my way.
Find new faces to offer my play.
I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance.
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
more of
The story-telling half.
There's no other chance.
Always move on
Raconteur-Troubadour.
Note:
Here we have tried to capture something
of the medieval English troubadour,
by the instrumentation, arrangement
and lyrics.
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04:05 |
03 |
A Cry For Everyone
Run, why should I run away
When at the end the only truth certain -
One day everyone dies -
If only to justify life.
Live, I've lived a thousand lives;
And anyone is the right, the just life.
If I could cry, I'd cry for everyone.
Doubts, no doubt, is all I know.
There is no fate, there's no luck,
what does
that show.
Showing is proof, but provingis nothing
but fear.
If I could cry, I'd cry then for everyone.
Hope,I've hoped two thousand years,
but
no one hears, so I've cried, crying
vain tears.
Always too late, too late to cry, cry
for everyone.
Note:
The lyric gives away something of the
lyric thoughts of one or two members
of the band, and is inspired by the
literature and philosophy of
Albert Camus.
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04:08 |
04 |
Knots
All in all each man in all men
All men in each man.
He can see she can't, she can see
she can
see whatever, whatever.
You may know what I don't know,
but not that
I don't know it and I can't tell you
so you will.
To tell me all man in all men
All men in each man.
He can see she can't, she can see
she can
see whatever, whatever.
You may know what I don't know,
but not that
I don't know it and I can't tell you
soyou will have to tell me all.
It hurts him to think that she is
hurting her by him being hurt to think
that she thinks he is hurt by making her
feel guilty at hurting him by her thinking
she wants him to want her. Her wants
her to
want him to get him to want him to get
him to want her she pretends.
He tries to make her afraid by not
being afraid. (permutations)
You may know what I don't know, but not
that I don't know it and I can't
tell you so you will have to tell
me all.
I get whatI deserve. I deserve what I
get. I have it so I deserve it. I deserve
it for I have it. I get what I deserve.
What I deserve - what I deservewhat
I get.
I have it so I deserve.
He tries to make her afraid bynot
being afraid.
Note:
R.D. Laing, an eminent psychologist, has
stimulated us by his intriguing, logical,
poetic riddles into composingthis
latter-day madrigal - and something of
a musical jigsaw.
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04:13 |
05 |
The Boys In The Band
(Instrumental)
Not to be confused with the play of the
same name -at least not the characters,
we hope. This piece is for Gentle Giant
as a whole - out engineer, Martin
Rushant, included.
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04:36 |
06 |
Dog's Life
Shuffling down the street with his
sideways feet,
Stopping now and then and he'll
stop again,
No doubt in his mind where he's going.
He doesn't care for his hair or his teeth
And if the truth were known he's abit
of a thief,
Innocently lies, and it's showing.
Who'd imagine he'sman's best friend.
Knowing he's your friend in the end.
Won't be around when you shout
or swear
Not very sorry, he doesn't care;
God knowswhy we call him old faithful.
Pat him on the head, give the dog a
bone;
Use a friendly tone, he won't leave
you alone.
No one understandslike old faithful.
Early rise. Is it wise?
Wonders happen now and then.
Eats his fill, time to kill,
Then goes back to sleep again.
Trustyslave, bold and brave,
And he roars like a lion
But in fact, it's an act,
And the truth is that he isn't
No one understands it's a dog's life.
Chases dreams, so it seems
He shines in his master's light.
Looking good, so he should
For the choice is very narrow
No one understandsit's a dog's life.
Repeat: Shuffling down the street, etc.
Note:
Abackhanded tribute to our roadies;
our musical parody could only be drawn
toa wily old dog. Surely two more
unmatched sounds as the Regal
(a medieval reed organ) and string
section could not be found, but they
seem to successfully convey the whine
of both dog and roadie.
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03:13 |
07 |
Think Of Me With Kindness
Why am I using words, no more to say
without you
Close the door, put out the lights and go.
Late in the night, in the night your
shadow falls between us.
Nevermore, never know.
There, memories are sorrow,
When there's no tomorrow.
Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes
my daydream;
Sleep while you think of me with
kindness, please remember former
days.
Sweet the song that once we sang, the
silent parting ways.
And you know, and you know,
And you know, long ago when first we
made our promise -
Empty words, I wonder did you know -
The laugh that love could not forgive,
Is gone and tells no more to live,
And we who look in beauty's love;
Must now, through all, look back on
before -
The tearsthat I first cried, no more;
Your love has come and gone, no more.
Andwe who look in beauty's love
Must now through all think back
on before.
Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my
daydream
Sleep while you think of me with
kindness, please remember former
days.
And you know, andyou know.
And you know, when we two parted in
tears
and silence
pastthe days, the parting ways.
Fare thee well, fare thee well, you
thatwas once dear to me.
Think of me with kindness
Think of me.
Note:
Apersonal song. It has been kept simple
to retain the essentially intimate mood
of the piece.
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03:33 |
08 |
River
Touching the last of what is past
Moving silent water fell the first
that comes.
Slow and winding, flowing free
Peaceful music in its soundof distant
drums.
Trust the shallow virgin stream
Danger wild, bewarethe deeper it
becomes.
Moving highway, twisting byway
Can't turn back.
Sining in the summer rain
Rain that's caught in its flow.
Spreading, shining, silver lining
Gold on black.
Echoes moods of the moon andsun
Sun that shines from below.
Makes a soft and easy way
Left to choose its path will always be
a friend.
Touch the last of what has past.
Never idle river drifting to the end.
Note:
We have tried to createseveral
atmospheres within the boundaries
of one songs by using thevarious
electronic devices at our disposal in
the recording studio.
---------------------------------------------------
Kerry Minnear:Allkeyboards, vibraphone,
percussion, cello, Moog, lead and backing
vocals
Raymond Shulman: Bass violin, guitar,
percussion, vocals
Gary Green: Guitars, percussion
Derek Shulman: Lead vocals, alto saxophone
Philip Shulman: Saxophones, trumpet, mellophone,
lead and backing vocals
JohnWeathers: Drums, percussion, xylophone.
Many thanks to MartinRushantfor laugh
coinspin and variable speed oscillator, and
Mike Viccars, Moog operator.
All titles composed by Minnear, Shulman,
Shulman &Shulman
All titles published 1972 by Alucard Music (ASCAP)
Produced by Gentle Giant
Engineer: Martin Rushant
Mastering Engineer: CliffMorris
Tape Operator: Geoff Young
Over-all American Supervision: Murray Krugman
Recorded at Advision Studios, London
Cover Concept & Designby John Berg
Art by Fluid Drive
Illustration: Charles White III
Design: Kenny Kneitel
Lettering: Michael Doret
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05:52 |
Personal Details |
Price |
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Store |
ANS |
Rating |
10 |
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Details |
Spars |
DDD |
Rare |
No |
Sound |
Stereo |
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Notes |
Kerry Minnear: All keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, cello, Moog, lead & backing vocals. Raymond Shulman: Bass violin, guitar, percussion, vocals. Gary Green: Guitars, percussion. Derek Shulman: Lead vocals, alto saxophone. Philip Shulman: Saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, lead & backing vocals. John Weathers: drums, percussion, xylophone.
Many thanks to Martin Rushant for laugh coinspin and variable speed oscillator, and Mike Viccars, Moog Operator.
All titles, (C) by Alucard Music (ASCAP), 1972 - written by Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, and Shulman. Produced by Gentle Giant. Engineer: Martin Rushant. Recorded at Advision Studios, London. Art by Fluid Drive. Cover Concept and Design by John Berg. Illustration: Charles White III Design: Kenny Kneitel. Lettering: Michael Doret.
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