Gentle Giant's 1974 album, The Power and the Glory, is one of the pinnacles of global progressive rock. This essential album represents the moment the band reached its peak, blending baroque structures, Flemish counterpoint, jazz fusion, and hard rock.
I've spoken extensively about Gentle Giant in reviews of their essential progressive rock masterpieces, of which there are many, and in particular in the article "In a Glass House: Gentle Giant's Creative Peak and Their Extraordinary History," in which I describe the highlights of this immense band's career.
The album's concept revolves around the corruption and cynicism of political power and follows the story of an individual who attempts to rise to power with honesty and the genuine intent of doing good for the people. Once he has obtained authority, he ends up abusing it, transforming into the same corrupt tyrant he initially sought to fight.
Each song offers a different perspective on how power operates in society, influencing not only those who govern but also those who are subjected to decisions from above. The album was influenced by the political climate of the time, particularly the Watergate scandal and the tensions of the Cold War.
It is an album that continues the transition between the cultured experimentation of the early years and a more structurally solid approach, which allowed the band to establish itself internationally, especially in the United States.
Despite its poor reception in the United Kingdom, the album marked Gentle Giant's entry into the American charts, paving the way for the success of their follow-up, Free Hand.
The album has become a benchmark for modern prog and progressive metal, so much so that bands like Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and Haken often cite its complex counterpoint and polyrhythms as a source of inspiration.
The themes of political corruption and the "cycle of power" remain extremely relevant after more than 50 years, making the album a conceptual work that remains relevant today.
The musical style reaches a peak of technical complexity, blending diverse influences.
Extensive use is made of baroque counterpoint and extremely dense vocal and instrumental interplay. Massive, layered and syncopated vocal harmonies create an almost claustrophobic effect. The band blends elements of medieval music, chamber music, jazz fusion, hard rock, and avant-garde. Compared to their previous works, their sound is more aggressive and edgy, with tight keyboard riffs and decisive rhythm sections, with John Weathers and Ray Shulman expressing themselves through constant tempo changes and unusual meter, typical of the most cultured progressive rock.
A challenging listen, but with the inclusion of structures closer to song form, without sacrificing their great creativity.
The title track, "The Power and the Glory," did not appear on the original LP but was written and recorded shortly after the album's completion and released only as a single. It was later included as a bonus track on subsequent reissues.
Side A: The Rise to Power
- "Proclamation" opens the album, a tension-filled masterpiece with a syncopated electric funk piano riff and a gorgeous middle section of interlocking vocals, where the voices overlap while reciting the line "things must change." A magnificent song.
- "So Sincere" is the album's most challenging track, with a dissonant and disturbing structure featuring wind instruments and percussion chasing each other in extreme odd time signatures. Spectacular instrumental work.
- "Aspirations" is a song characterized by calm and pure beauty, a jazzy, ethereal, and melancholic ballad with fantastic keyboard work. Extremely emotional.
- "Playing the Game" is a captivating track, featuring great clavinet and percussion, with a medieval sound fused with an almost distorted pop-soul groove.
Side B: The Corruption and the Fall
- "Cogs In Cogs" is an explosive and at times violent song, with a frenetic pace and an extraordinary rhythm section of John Weathers and Ray Shulman. A technical masterpiece.
- "No God's A Man" is a song characterized by the band's classic, refined vocal counterpoint, with great acoustic guitar and keyboards.
- "The Face" is a driving song with a spectacular electric violin solo, powerful progressive rock.
- "Valedictory" is an almost heavy metal interpretation of the Proclamation theme, with an aggressive and dissonant sound.
There is a hidden track, "The Power And The Glory," originally released only as a single and not included on the 1974 vinyl release; it is a very upbeat, almost cheerful song.
The overall cover design was curated by Cream.
The cover features a stylized image of the King of Spades, taken from a 1926–1933 German deck of cards known as "Prinz-Karte-402." The original artwork for the card was by Austrian artist Hans Printz (1865–1925).
The choice of the King of Spades is consistent with the concept album, which focuses on the story of a monarch and the dynamics of corruption associated with authority. In the cards, the King represents the pinnacle of power, but also the precariousness of a role that can be overturned by the twists of fate.
A conceptually highly topical album, of immense technical complexity, which in this version remixed by Steven Wilson offers incredible sonic clarity to the complex arrangements that Gentle Giant executed with superb mastery in this essential masterpiece of Progressive Rock. A must-have.
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
- Proclamation 6:56
- So Sincere 3:51
- Aspirations 4:40
- Playing the Game 6:46
- Cogs in Cogs 3:09
- No God's a Man 4:27
- The Face 4:12
- Valedictory 3:22
Hidden Track
- The Power and the Glory 2:59
Duration 40:10
LineUp
Derek Shulman: Lead vocals, alto saxophone.
Kerry Minnear: Keyboards (Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Minimoog, Mellotron synthesizer), lead vocals, backing vocals, cello.
Gary Green: Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals.
Ray Shulman: Electric bass, violin, electric violin, backing vocals.
John Weathers: Drums, percussion.
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