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General Information
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Artist...............: Gentle Giant
Album................: Octopus
Year.................: 1972
Genre................: Progressive Rock
Source...............: CD
Number of Songs......: 8
Duration.............: 00:33:41 min
Audio Format.........: MP3
Bitrate..............: CBR 320 HQ
Channels.............: Stereo / 44,100 hz
Tags.................: ID3 v1.1, ID3 v2.3
Included.............: Covers
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Release Notes
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Track Listing:
01. "The Advent Of Panurge" - 4:28
02. "Raconteur Troubadour" - 3:59
03. "A Cry For Everyone" - 4:01
04. "Knots" - 4:09
05. "The Boys In The Band" - 4:30
06. "Dog's Life" - 3:09
07. "Think Of Me With Kindness" - 3:32
08. "River" - 5:53
Album Review:
Returning to Gentle Giant's fourth album after any kind of lengthy absence,
it's astonishing just how little Octopus has dated. Often written off at the
time as a pale reflection of the truly gargantuan steps being taken by the
likes of Jethro Tull and Barclay James Harvest, the band's closest relatives
in the tangled skein of period prog, Gentle Giant often seemed more notable
for its album art than its music. Octopus, however, marries the two seamlessly,
with the cover speaking for itself, of course. And the mood continues within,
the deliciously convoluted opening "The Advent of Panurge" itself riding waves
of sonic tentacles as Derek Shulman's guitar shrieks short but so effective
bursts around the thundering bass and, occasionally, churchy organ.
Against the pulsating volume of the album's heavier tracks - "Panurge" is
joined by "A Cry for Everyone" - the band's excursions into less excitable
territory are never less than captivating. Twiddly though they are, the
sometimes a cappella "Knots," the lilting "Dog's Life," and the Yes-with-
fiddles-ish "Raconteur Troubadour" all have moments of sublime sweetness,
while the instrumental "The Boys in the Band" is a succession of quirky
showcases for, indeed, all the boys. Occasionally arrangements do get overly
cluttered - with each of the six bandmembers doubling up on at least three
different instruments, there's a distinct sense of overdubs for overdubbing's sake.
Follow the key instruments alone, however, and the soundscapes not only make
perfect sense, but so do the flourishes and intrusions that rattle around.
And the end result is an album that has withstood the test of time a lot
better than anyone might have expected.
- Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
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