Dan's Guide to Gentle Giant on CD
Revision: 1.88
Updated: 2001/12/24
Many newer releases are not mentioned.
Perhaps no progressive rock band has had a more confusing history on CD than Gentle Giant. Their CD's have been released by at least six different companies with widely varying sound quality, artwork, and liner notes. One disc, Free Hand, was released four times in five years! Quite a few discs have mastering errors too, one of which has been debated for decades.
This document is my attempt to sort out all the Gentle Giant CD release information. I list all the CD releases, album by album, and discuss the CD booklets, sound quality, and defects. For each disc, I give my humble opinion on which release you should buy. Some of my opinions differ from others you may have seen on the Net. At the end, there is a summary.
About the "Sound Quality" ratings: to compare two releases of the same album, I used a stereo system with 2 CD players of roughly equal quality. The discs were placed blindly into the CD players so I did not know which disc was which. After listening to the discs and deciding which one I liked better, I swapped the discs (again, without looking) and tested them again to make sure that CD player differences were not biasing me. Finally, I opened the CD players and looked at the discs. Sometimes, I was quite surprised to find which release I had preferred.
Why did I go through all this trouble? Well, GG is my favorite band, and I've seen many questions on the Net about these topics. Yeah, I probably looked quite silly handling all those CD's with my eyes closed. :-) It's a good thing nobody was watching.
Please send all comments and corrections to me.
GENTLE GIANT (1970)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| Germany | LINE Records, LICD 9.00722 (Out of print) |
| Germany | Vertigo/Polygram, 842 624-2 |
| USA | Vertigo/Polygram, 842 624-2 |
| UK | Vertigo/Repertoire, IMS 7031 |
| Japan | Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., PHCR-4201 |
| Japan | Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., PPD-3093 |
| Japan | Universal Japan (British Rock Legend series) |
Sound Quality:
Comparing the LINE and Vertigo releases, the LINE disc is slightly (but noticeably) less bright, and the USA Vertigo disc has more hiss and is a bit brighter.
I have not heard the Vertigo "Repertoire" release. Scott Anderson reports it is "good" and possibly "slightly cleaner with less hiss than the US version." Oleg Loutsenko, however, complains that he doesn't like the sound quality. It "is very loud with a lot of hiss and it feels like warm but overblown."
I have not heard the Nippon disc, but Mick Oldridge sent me a detailed report of disc PHCR-4201: "I recently obtained the Japanese Vertigo release of the (1st) Gentle Giant CD, and it is far, far better than either the Line, or the US/UK Vertigo releases. In particular, there is much less hiss than the US/UK release - the difference is phenomenal, and it prompts me to ask why the Japanese do such a better job?? The sound quality of this release is far fuller, and has more depth than the other releases. The only odd thing is that the short synthesizer sequences at the end of side 1 (Isn't It Quiet and Cold) and side 2 (The Queen) appear to have been dubbed from vinyl, whereas the sequences that appear elesewhere sound like they're part of the master tape. A minor complaint, though - I'm otherwise very happy that I found this copy...."
Naoki Sakamoto told me about the PPD-3093 disc. I don't know if this is just a renumbering of the PHCR-4201 disc, or something new.
Several people have reported that the Universal Japan release sounds amazing but I have not heard it.
Defects:
On the LINE disc, the first note of "Why Not?" is located at the end of track 5 ("Nothing At All") and followed by a 3-second gap of silence. Track 6 begins with the second note of "Why Not?"
The LINE disc and the Vertigo Repertoire disc are missing the little synthesizer riffs that occur before "Alucard" and "Isn't It Quiet And Cold?" and after "The Queen."
The Vertigo CD has all the synthesizer riffs but incorrectly places the second one at the beginning of track 4 ("Isn't It Quiet and Cold?"), whereas the original LP had the riff at the end of track 3 ("Alucard"). This is a very minor track misplacement that isn't noticeable unless you start playing the disc at track 4.
The Nippon disc has all the synthesizer riffs, correctly placed. Their sound quality, however, led Mick Oldridge to believe that these riffs were transferred from from vinyl, not from a master tape.
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the giant face on the front and the entire giant reduced on the back. The inside has all liner notes and lyrics. The rear card has a track list but no times.
The Vertigo booklet opens vertically and has a picture of the entire giant. Inside has all liner notes but no lyrics. The rear card has a track list with track times.
The Nippon booklet opens horizontally. The entire giant is reduced on the back. The inside has all the liner notes and lyrics in both English and Japanese. Musicians and instruments are written in English only. The rear card has a track list without times.
The Repertoire booklet has "copious new liner notes" according to Scott Anderson, as well as a purple-and-black screening of the Giant's face on the CD itself. It includes lyrics and the story "A Tall Tale," plus a history of the band by Mark Brennan.
The Universal Japan comes in a gatefold sleeve duplicating the original LP sleeve. Reportedly it is very nice.
Dan's Opinion:
Get the Universal Japan! Barring that, get the Nippon. If you can't get those, I recommend the Vertigo because it has the complete, correct music, even though the sound is a bit hissy.
ACQUIRING THE TASTE (1971)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| Germany | LINE Records, LICD 9.00726 (Out of print) |
| Germany | Vertigo/Polygram, 842 917-2 |
| USA | Vertigo/Polygram, 842 917-2 |
| UK | Vertigo/Polygram, 842 917-2 |
| Japan | Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., PHCR-4202 |
Sound Quality:
Comparing the LINE and Vertigo USA discs, the LINE disc is clearer but slightly thinner and "brittle" sounding. The Vertigo USA disc is duller and boomier. The discs have equal amounts of noise.
I have not heard the Vertigo UK disc, but I suspect it is the same as the Vertigo USA disc.
I have not heard the Nippon disc. Noda Hiroshi reports that the sound is clearer and has less noise than the Vertigo UK disc.
Defects:
On the LINE, Vertigo, and Nippon discs, the first two notes of track 4, "Acquiring the Taste" are out of tune. In fact, the first note slides upward and sounds strangely "filtered" as well. Some people believe this is not a defect because their vinyl versions of the song also begin this way. But some vinyl versions do not. A correct answer has finally been obtained from the composer, Kerry Minnear. Yes, it is a defect. In fact, Kerry has never even heard the "bending" version of the piece! He guesses that maybe someone damaged a master tape and then tried to repair it. [Big thanks to Geir Hasnes for tracking down the answer!]
The LINE disc misspells the album title as "Aquiring the Taste" on the spine of the case.
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the mouth on the front and a complete track list (with time/personnel/instruments for each track) on the back. The inside is completely blank! The rear card duplicates the rear of the booklet.
The Vertigo booklet opens vertically to display the entire picture of the mouth licking the peach. The inside has the original liner notes (the story behind the album title) and a simple list of tracks: no instruments, no personnel, no track times. The rear card has a miniature picture of the album cover and a simple track list with track times.
The Nippon booklet is the same as the Vertigo booklet but includes a second booklet with track times and liner notes in Japanese.
Dan's Opinion:
I like the LINE and Vertigo USA discs equally. The Nippon disc is probably the best, though I have not heard it. It's a shame that Vertigo didn't include the wonderful track listing that LINE did. Maybe someday we'll get a CD version that doesn't have the bend in the title track!!
THREE FRIENDS (1972)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| Germany | LINE Records, LICD 9.00730 (Out of print) |
| USA | Columbia, CK 31649 |
Sound Quality:
The LINE disc is clearer, but a bit noisy in spots. The Columbia disc is muffled-sounding in comparison.
Defects:
On the Columbia disc, the track marker for track 6, "Three Friends", is mistakenly placed in the middle of the previous track, "Mr. Class and Quality." Columbia claims that their placement is correct; in fact, their vinyl release of THREE FRIENDS has the same incorrect track location.
Booklet:
The LINE disc has the original artwork on the front and back: three human figures and a seagull in two different positions. The inside has all the credits, lyrics and pictures from the original album, but you will need a magnifying glass to read them. The rear card duplicates a few pictures from the inside of the booklet and has a track list with no track times.
The Columbia booklet opens vertically and has the same picture as the first album, GENTLE GIANT, plus a track list with no times. The inside has 6 pages containing all liner notes, lyrics, and pictures. The placement of the pictures is different from the original album. The rear card duplicates the rear of the booklet.
Dan's Opinion:
Get the LINE release if you can find it.
OCTOPUS (1973)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| Germany | LINE Records, LICD 9.00736 (Out of print) |
| USA | Columbia, CK 32022 |
| UK | Vertigo, 842 694-2 |
| Japan | Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., PHCR-4203 |
| Japan | Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., PPD-3094 |
| Korea | Si-Wan, SRMC 0044 |
| Germany | Repertoire Records & Tapes, IMS-7032 |
| Japan | Universal Japan (British Rock Legend series) |
Sound Quality:
Comparing the LINE and Columbia releases, the LINE disc is slightly duller but warmer. The Columbia disc is slightly clearer but more brittle sounding. The differences are hardly noticeable in some tracks (e.g., "The Advent of Panurge") but very noticeable in others (e.g., "A Cry For Everyone" and "Knots"). For example, the big bass drum in "Raconteur Troubadour" is thin-sounding on the Columbia disc. Strangely, "Think of Me with Kindness" is clearer on the LINE disc.
I have not heard the Vertigo UK disc. Geir Hasnes tells me that it is "quite OK." Scott Anderson reports that it is "fuller and clearer than the Columbia version I previously owned. Not to mention that it's almost worth having simply for the original artwork, as opposed to the Columbia version."
I also have not heard the Japanese disc, but I am told it has "excellent" sound quality.
Naoki Sakamoto told me about the PPD-3094 disc. I don't know if this is just a renumbering of the PHCR-4203 disc, or something new.
I have not heard the Si-Wan release.
I have not heard the Repertoire Records release. monkey@gold.interlog.com reports that the sound quality is as good or better than the LINE and Columbia CD releases, with "a bit smoother highs" than the LINE." Steven Sullivan reports that compared to the Capitol release, the Repertoire sounds "bigger" with "more low-end info coming out at the same volume levels," and "has better imaging -- the twirling coin that starts 'The Boys in the Band' ends up dead-center on the reissue, slightly to the left on the Capitol."
Several people have reported that the Universal Japan release sounds amazing but I have not heard it. However, Gilbert Hetu prefers the Vertigo at half the price, saying it is "fuller, 'rockier'... Not only is it quite louder, but even once this is equalized, the bass is still 'rounder', the cymbals clearer (esp. in aCfE), the saxes too (tBitB, and bass or baritone sax in Knots, which has a more wet, 'lipsy' attack)... Although the Nippon one seems to have somewhat cleaner highs (incl. a softer, more 'natural' Kerry Minnear voice), it lacks presence, even when pumped up louder, while the German one rocks!"
Defects:
The Columbia disc is missing 2 seconds of piano -- really, a quiet little piano riff -- played just before "A Cry For Everyone." Greg Hajic reports that his Columbia LP is also missing this riff, but his Vertigo UK LP has it.
Mats Westin reports that the LINE CD has a "ghost image" in the right channel: "The vocals on 'The Advent of Panurge' start off to the right but when more instruments kick in, they appear centre." I suspect you have to listen very closely with headphones to detect this.
Espen Beranek Holm reports that the Vertigo disc has a minor dropout in the track "The Boys In The Band" at 2:43 (out of a drum-fill). It is detectable with headphones.
Noda Hiroshi reports that the Nippon disc has none of the above defects. monkey@gold.interlog.com says that the Repertoire disc does not have the defects either. I know nothing more about the Si-Wan release.
Booklet:
The LINE booklet has the original "red octopus" cover by Roger Dean, extending from the front to the back cover. Inside are the complete liner notes and lyrics, though they are small and hard to read. The rear card has a white octopus and a track list with times.
The Columbia booklet has the USA cover: an octopus in a jar (on the front). The picture on the back appears to be the same as the front flipped left-to-right, but in fact it is a new painting from the other side of the jar. (The tentacles are going in different directions, and the diver moves from right background to left foreground.) The back contains a track list with times. The inside has 6 pages with the complete liner notes and lyrics. The rear card duplicates the rear of the booklet.
The Vertigo booklet has the Roger Dean cover. Inside has liner notes but no lyrics. The rear card is green and has a copy of the giant face from the first album in top left corner, as well as a track list with times. [Ola Rinta-Koski]
The Nippon booklet has the Roger Dean cover. The inside has all liner notes, lyrics and titles without times in both English and Japanese. Only track 4 ("Knots") isn't translated. The rear card has all titles with times and another octopus in monochrome (sky-blue/white) printing. [Noda Hiroshi]
The Si-Wan release has the original Roger Dean cover. That's all I know about it.
monkey@gold.interlog.com reports that the Repertoire Records release has a "simply gorgeous package. The best I've seen, better than the LINE release. The cover is the original Roger Dean one, and is not blemished by any bar codes or any other markings (except for the catalog number on the back corner). The insert is finished on this nice thick glossy stock. It folds out into a four-panel sheet, with all the liner notes, lyrics & credits on a super-close texture-fill of the cover. It also includes, on two of the back panels, a Gentle Giant bio by Mark Brennan. The CD itself is screened with a pale-blue pic of the octopus."
The Universal Japan comes in a gatefold sleeve duplicating the original LP sleeve. Reportedly it is very nice.
Dan's Opinion:
Based on fan reports, the Vertigo UK, Nippon, Repertoire, and Universal Japan releases are all at least very good, if not excellent.
IN A GLASS HOUSE (1973)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1001 (Later relabeled as TRUCKCD 001) (Out of print) |
Sound Quality:
The clarity is excellent. Unfortunately, background hiss is quite noticeable on some of the quieter tracks, like "An Inmate's Lullaby."
Greg Hajic reports that the CD is louder than his LP.
Defects:
Several pops and crackles. For example, listen to track 1, "The Runaway," at 6:32 (pop) and 6:35 (crackle). These do not appear on my vinyl copy. Greg Hajic reports that his CD doesn't have these defects.
On the original LP, the breaking glass introduction starts in the left channel and then moves to the center. On the Terrapin CD, it starts in the center. (Thanks to Rainer Boettchers.)
The track marker for "Inmates Lullaby" is 9 seconds too early; the last 9 seconds of "The Runaway" are part of track 2 when they should be the end of track 1.
Booklet:
The original, 3-dimensional front cover artwork is reproduced by silk-screening a picture on the front of the jewel box! The back contains a personnel list. Inside there are 6 pages containing the lyrics and a short essay by Michael Heatley about the album, written especially for this CD release. The rear card has a photo of the band and track list with (strangely) no times.
Dan's Opinion:
Buy it! The defects are unfortunate, but the overall sound is great.
THE POWER AND THE GLORY (1974)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| USA | Capitol, CDP 7 91849 2 (Out of print) |
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RFG CD 1002 (Later relabeled as TRUCKCD 002) (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, S21-18468 |
The Terrapin Trucking and One Way discs both contain the bonus track, "The Power and the Glory," which was released as a single long ago. It appeared previously on the compilation LP, GIANT STEPS.
Sound Quality:
Both the Capitol and Terrapin discs have excellent sound quality. I am told that the Terrapin Trucking disc is slightly better. Keith Carpenter reports that sound quality of the two discs is similar, but he did not do a critical comparison. Dave White reports that "[on] close listening... [the Terrapin disc had] clearer bass, slightly less hiss, and overall sounds more polished." Mats Westin reports that the Capitol disc has "a certain glare" in the midrange and "an ever so slight over-balance to the left, best evidenced on 'Aspirations' where the vocal is not really in the middle. The [Terrapin] CD has a little less treble and an additional weighty bed of bass which is very much "70's" but a nice contrast to the complexities going on. In comparison, Capitol's CD sounds like a chrome cassette played back in ferro mode - certainly the Terrapin CD is closer to the old LP."
I have not heard the One Way release. Andy Caffrey reports that the One Way sound is much better than the Capitol's. I suspect it is the same master as Terrapin used.
Defects:
The first note of the bonus track, "The Power and the Glory," is missing on the Terrapin and One Way disc is missing.
The bonus track on the Terrapin disc is mixed slightly louder than the rest of the album.
Several people have reported that the Capitol disc has a track index error: the first two notes of "So Sincere" are part of track 1 instead of track 2. My Capitol CD does not have this defect, so I suspect that there was a bad production run that was eventually corrected.
Booklet:
The Capitol booklet has the original front cover (but the corners are not rounded) with the playing card. The rear cover has the same picture blown up on a red background, and a track list with no times. The inside is completely blank. The rear card duplicates the rear cover but also has composer credits for each track.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet has a black background simulating the "rounded edges" of the original vinyl album cover. There is a diagonal red band that says "Features an Additional Track only Previously available as a Single." The background, unlike that of the Capitol release, is a card back (yellow pin stripes), no card edges (white background), with a track list (no times). Inside, there are 6 pages including lyrics, liner notes, and an original essay by Mike Heatley written for this disc. The lyrics for the bonus track are not included. The giant head from "Giant for a Day" is used as the background for each page. [Keith Carpenter]
The One Way booklet has the original cover inside a black border. There is nothing inside but a list of One Way releases. [Andy Caffrey]
Dan's Opinion:
I have not heard the One Way disc yet, but it's the cheapest alternative for USA buyers since the Capitol is out of print.
The Terrapin Trucking disc is excellent. If you already have the Capitol disc and don't care about the bonus track, don't bother getting another release.
FREE HAND (1975)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| USA | One Way Records, CDL-57338. "AM6/CDL-57338" is printed on the inner rim of the disc. (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, CDL-57338. "ESK<010>CDL57338" is printed on the inner rim of the disc. Fans report that some discs are labeled 57388, 01<block> 94, and either 1 1-1-2 EMI JAX, 1-1-3 EMI JAX, or 1-1-4 EMI JAX." |
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1004 (Remastered as TRUCKCD 004) (Out of print) |
| UK | BGO (2-CD with Interview) |
Sound Quality:
The first One Way release has terrible sound quality. It is very muddy and lacks treble. Supposedly, it was not mastered from an original master tape. After complaints from listeners, One Way recalled the disc from stores, remastered the disc, and rereleased it.
The second One Way release has much better sound than the first, but it was created from a very unusual master tape. Rich Goodhart reports the tape "is a quickly made rough mix tape of the finished multi-tracks, never intended to be a master tape and shouldn't even be thought of as one. How One Way got ahold of it is a mystery to me, though I am glad they did for the alternate view." Some of the instrumental and vocal parts are different from those of the original album! Some of the lines in "Time To Kill" are sung by Derek Shulman instead of Kerry Minnear; for example, "And with no questions then, he finds his way." The drums in "On Reflection" enter half a verse earlier than in the original. And worst of all, at the climax of "On Reflection," when the full band comes CRASHING in, the drums are barely audible! In addition, there are a few extra measures on the guitar/drum break of "Just the Same." Finally, if you have a good stereo system, you can hear some background noise like lip smacks and breathing. Details on this master tape can be found in issue 3 of "Proclamation, The Occasional Gentle Giant Newsletter."
The Terrapin Trucking release is excellent. It is noticeably superior to the One Way releases. Even so, there were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc, so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the Terrapin disc AGAIN to reduce the amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
I have not heard the BGO CD, but reports are conflicting. Some people say the sound quality is very good. For example, Matt Urban says "it is noticeably fuller with more presence" than the first One Way release.
On the other hand, Steffen Barabasch complains that "whoever did the mastering shouldn't quit his other day job. While the louder parts are ok, with a full, warm sound, the quiet passages, and as you know there are some on these albums, suffer from a very disturbing noise, similar to FM static. You can hear it very clearly at the beginning of Just The Same (the snap part), the Pong samples on Time To Kill, the pause before the final drum roll on Mobile, all the interview parts on the Interview album, and wherever else it gets more quiet. The same, static-like noise is on both albums, so I suspect it was caused by improper sampling or mastering and has nothing to do with the original master quality."
Defects:
Both One Way discs used incorrect or poorly chosen master tapes. Both One Way discs incorrectly say that the album was made in 1972.
The second One Way disc is missing the drum roll at the very end of the album.
Booklet:
The two One Way booklets are identical: the original front cover with a hand reaching toward a photograph of 2 tied hands as in the US vinyl release, and the original back cover with a track list (no times) and a personnel list. The inside has a track list with no times and a few credits. The rear card has a track list with no times. It is difficult or impossible to distinguish the two One Way releases by their packaging; however, the first release was recalled from stores before the second release appeared, so you are unlikely to find any unopened copies of the first release.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet has the front cover of the original UK vinyl release, which has the untied hand in a different position matching the original UK vinyl release. The back has a personnel list and some credits. Inside are 6 pages with the lyrics and an original essay by Alan Kinsman, written especially for this CD release. The rear card has a track list with times.
According to Fabrizio, "The booklet has 6 pages; the front cover has with the two original pictures, while the back of the back cover has 6 squares, each with photos of the band members plus a rainbow with a giant face inside (I think it is the original back of the Interview CD), it hasn't got any track list (while you can find it on the back of the CD box). Inside you find an essay written by Alan Kinsman for this release, it is very interesting and long too!" On the other hand, Steffen Barabasch complains that band member pictures are "lousy quality," there are no lyrics, and the track list has no times.
Dan's Opinion:
Buy the excellent Terrapin Trucking disc if you can find it (perhaps on eBay). After that, it's hard to say. The second One Way release, however, may be interesting to collectors because of its differences from the "normal" master tape.
INTERVIEW (1976)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1005 (Remastered as TRUCKCD 005) (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, S21-18467 |
Sound Quality:
The overall sound quality of the Terrapin release is excellent. There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc, so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
The One Way release appears to be of equally good quality.
I haven't heard the BGO, but some people say it's excellent and others say it's awful. On the good side, Matt Urban says it "has a slightly tighter, more defined sound" than the One Way. See also the Free Hand entry.
Defects:
The BGO is missing the last interview after "I Lost My Head."
Booklet:
The Terrapin booklet has the original front cover - a rainbow covering the dictionary definition of the word "interview." The rear cover has a band photo. Inside there are 6 pages containing a track listing with times, the lyrics, and a new essay by Alan Kinsman, written especially for this CD release. The rear card has a rainbow and a track listing with times.
The One Way booklet has the original "rainbow" cover with the "Interview" definition. The inside of the booklet folds out into three panels. The interior includes the lyrics, and the outer panels includes the front cover, the rear cover from the original LP with the song list (no times) and the band member names and their instruments, and a band photo. The rear card of the CD is white and includes the band name, phonetic spelling of "Interview," band member names and instruments, and a song list with times but no numbers.
The BGO booklet is described in the Free Hand entry.
Dan's Opinion:
Recommended.
PLAYING THE FOOL - THE OFFICIAL LIVE (1976)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| France | Castle Communications, ESSCD006 (Out of print) |
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, TRUCKCD 009 (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, S21-18466 |
| UK | BGO (2-CD with Civilian) |
Sound Quality:
Hadley Kahn reports that the Castle, One Way, and BGO are all remastered from vinyl. I have no direct evidence of this however, so I cannot confirm or deny it.
The Castle CD has excellent sound quality.
The Terrapin CD reportedly has excellent sound quality. According to Keith Carpenter, "compared to the Castle disk, it is more 'open' sounding and has better 'imaging' (pardon the fancy stereo parlor jargon). [The] sound is better, but [the difference is] not compelling enough to dump the Castle disk." Marc Caroul agrees that the Terrapin sounds better than the Castle.
The Castle disc has 8 track markers, and the Terrapin disc has 15. (There were supposed to be 22 markers - see "Defects" below.) The additional markers provide quick access to the beginnings of songs in the middle of medleys.
I haven't heard the One Way release. Simon Brader says that "sonically, there is precious little difference between" the One Way and Terrapin releases. " They both have a little hiss and crackle in the left-hand channel early on. The Truck CD is more 'open' sounding by a miniscule degree."
I haven't heard the BGO release, but Diana Green reports: "It's a very good job, to my ears. I'd rank it right behind the Terrapin version, just ahead of the One Way in terms of quality." Hadley Kahn reports that you can tell it's mastered from vinyl "most noticeably at the beginning of On Reflection and towards the end of Free Hand."
Defects:
The Castle CD is missing the 1:15 track "Breakdown in Brussels," also known as "Sweet Georgia Brown," due to time constraints. The Terrapin disc is complete.
The Castle CD has incorrect track names. For example, "Proclamation on Reflection" should be "On Reflection," and "In A Glass House" should be "The Runaway/Experience."
The Castle CD credits some of the songwriting to "B. Shulman." This should be "D. Shulman" for Derek.
The Terrapin disc has an incorrect track listing. According to the booklet, the eight sections of the "Octopus" medley appear on separate tracks (6-13). On the disc, however, they appear as a single track (6). There is also a typographical error -- Raconteur Troubadeur -- on both the rear tray card and within the booklet.
Booklet:
The Castle booklet has the original front cover artwork - four squares with different photos. The back has generic information about caring for CD's. Inside is a track listing with no times and an essay by Alan Kinsman. The rear card duplicates the track listing from the inside.
The Terrapin Trucking booklet has the original LP cover artwork on the front and back cover. Inside the booklet are 6 pages containing photos of the band, a comprehensive track listing including the names of all pieces in the medleys, and a 2-page essay by Alan Kinsman. The "tour chart" from the LP is not included. The rear card has a dark blue star background and a track listing.
The One Way is a second or even third generation copy of the original vinyl cover, including the 'tour map'. The reproduction is very poor - the blue borders are a very light blue. The fold-out, 6 panel booklet also has two pages devoted to a listing of the One Way catalogue. The cover lists 11 tracks as per the original vinyl album. The CD player also shows 11 tracks.
The BGO has excellent liner notes, including the photos from the limited edition booklet that came with the first 5000 copies of the British vinyl.
Dan's Opinion:
I recommend the Terrapin CD if you can find it, but the BGO is reportedly almost as good and much easier to obtain.
THE MISSING PIECE (1977)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1006 (Remastered as TRUCKCD 006) (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, S21-18469 |
| UK | BGO (2-CD with Giant For A Day) |
Sound Quality:
I think the Terrapin quality is OK, but there is too much hiss and treble. Mats Westin says: "...the amount of hiss heard even in neutral bass/treble setting indicates they pushed the EQ up greatly when mixing. I don't mind the hiss but the music gets unbearably bright on CD. Also I hear an additional harshness making especially 'Who do you think...' and 'For nobody' uneasy listening even on a very good system.... I find it hard to believe that the very original master is used for this [Terrapin/RGOF] CD."
There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc, so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
Simon Brader reports that the One Way CD is "too thin and bright in comparison" with the Truck CD, which is "better; more of a rounded, warmer sound."
I haven't heard the BGO release.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The booklet cover has all the original artwork - a puzzle piece on the front, and a puzzle missing a piece on the back. Inside are six pages with a track listing with times, liner notes, and an original essay by Alan Kinsman written for this CD release. The rear card duplicates the back of the booklet and has a track listing with times.
Dan's Opinion:
Terrapin. Watch for the TRUCKCD number rather than the RGF CD number.
GIANT FOR A DAY (1978)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1007 (Remastered as TRUCKCD 007) (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records, S21-18470 |
| UK | BGO (2-CD with The Missing Piece) |
Sound Quality:
The Terrapin release has excellent sound quality. There were complaints about the amount of hiss on the "RGF CD" disc, so Kerry Minnear and John Weathers remastered the disc to reduce the amount of hiss. The disc was then given the TRUCKCD number. The difference between the RGF and TRUCKCD discs is likely very small.
I have not heard the One Way Records release. monkey@gold.interlog.com reports: "Although it seems to be made from the same sound recordings (but maybe from a copy of the original masters), there are some subtle differences. For example, on the [Terrapin] disk, the opening cut is clean, where on the [One Way] disk, you can hear the guys taking a breath before singing. Also, the production on the whole seems a bit more 'up-front'; not as polished as the [Terrapin] release. However, it's strangely pleasing in that it seems to convey a bit more energy this way. Weird. I still prefer the [Terrapin] release overall, though."
I haven't heard the BGO release.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The Terrapin booklet has all the original artwork, credits, lyrics, track listing with times, and an original essay by Alan Kinsman written for this CD. The booklet unfolds to reveal a full-size "giant" mask. The rear card has band photos and a track listing with times.
Dan's Opinion:
Terrapin. Watch for the TRUCKCD number rather than the RGF CD number.
CIVILIAN (1980)
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Terrapin Trucking/Road Goes On Forever, RGF CD 1008 (Later relabeled as TRUCKCD 008) (Out of print) |
| USA | One Way Records |
| UK | BGO (2-CD with Playing the Fool) |
The Terrapin and One Way CDs contain the bonus track "Heroes No More" (mislabeled as "Heroes" on the Terrapin disc). The BGO does not.
Sound Quality:
The Terrapin disc is excellent for the original music. The bonus track was taken from a cassette tape and is of poor quality.
The One Way disc has good sound quality (I have not heard it) and "Heroes No More" has been fully restored thanks to the discovery of an original master tape.
For the BGO, see the comments under Playing The Fool.
Defects:
Terrapin disc:
The final words sung on the album, "That's all there is," are missing.
There is a "click" at 3:36 in track 7, "Inside Out." Also, at 3:08, there is a barely audible dropout.
In all track listings, the title of track 5 is incorrectly given as "All Through The Night" (duplicating the title of track 2). The correct title is "Underground." (This was fixed in a later pressing.)
In the lyrics section, the title "Shadows on the Street" is incorrectly written as "Shadows in the Street." This error also appears on the original LP sleeve.
One Way disc:
Same "click" and dropout as the Terrapin disc. The other Terrapin problems are NOT present.
Booklet:
The Terrapin disc has an 8-page booklet containing all the original artwork, liner notes, lyrics, a track list with no times, and an original essay by Alan Kinsman written for this CD. The rear card has a blow-up from the cover and a track listing with no times.
The One Way booklet has only four pages. Page 2 is a black-and-white and somewhat zoomed version of page 1. Page three contains all the lyrics in tiny but very clear print. Page four is one person with face covered with a hat (blow-up from cover).
Dan's Opinion:
Get the One Way disc.
BBC RADIO 1 IN CONCERT (1994)
This is an officially released recording of a live performance at Hippodrome, Golders Green, London on January 5, 1978. This was GG's last appearance on stage in Great Britain. Tracks are: Two Weeks in Spain, Free Hand, On Reflection, Just the Same, Playing the Game, Memories of Old Days, Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It, I'm Turning Around, For Nobody, Mountain Time.
CD Releases:
| Country | Label Information |
|---|---|
| UK | Windsong, WIN CD 066 |
| USA | Same Windsong disc, distributed by ROIR Records |
Sound Quality:
Good.
Defects:
None known.
Booklet:
The booklet includes an essay by Peter Gray and a nice photo of the band sitting on a gigantic telephone.
Dan's Opinion:
A worthwhile purchase for fans.
SUMMARY
In my opinion, your best choices of the Gentle Giant CD's are below. I have not heard some of them, but other fans have sent me reports about their sound quality.
| Album | Recommended CD |
|---|---|
| Gentle Giant | Nippon |
| Acquiring The Taste | Nippon |
| Three Friends | LINE |
| Octopus | Nippon, Vertigo UK, Repertoire |
| In A Glass House | Terrapin/RGOF |
| The Power And The Glory | Terrapin/RGOF |
| Free Hand | Terrapin/RGOF |
| Interview | Terrapin/RGOF |
| Playing The Fool | Terrapin/RGOF |
| The Missing Piece | Terrapin/RGOF |
| Giant For A Day | Terrapin/RGOF |
| Civilian | One Way |
| BBC Radio 1 In Concert | Windsong |
Obviously, I cannot comment on the discs I have not heard. :-) Discs with confirmed mastering errors, described above, are:
| Album | Pressing | Defects |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle Giant | LINE | Silent gap; missing riffs |
| Gentle Giant | Vertigo | Wrong track marker - minor |
| Gentle Giant | Nippon | Keyboard riffs from vinyl |
| Acquiring The Taste | Vertigo USA | Bend in title track |
| Acquiring The Taste | LINE | Bend in title track |
| Three Friends | Columbia | Wrong track marker |
| Octopus | Columbia | Missing between-track riff |
| Octopus | LINE | "Ghost image" in right ch. |
| Octopus | Vertigo | Minor dropout |
| In A Glass House | Terrapin/RGOF | Some pops & crackles |
| The Power And The Glory | Terrapin/RGOF | Bonus track missing 1 note |
| Free Hand | One Way | Wrong master tapes |
| Interview | BGO | Final interview is missing |
| Playing The Fool | Castle | 1 track was omitted |
| Playing The Fool | Terrapin/RGOF | 8 tracks lumped into 1 |
| Civilian | Terrapin/RGOF | Click; missing final words |
| Civilian | One Way | Click |
In case anybody is interested, I I judged these discs using 2 Sony consumer-level CD players (CDP-670, CDP-591), a QSC model 1200 100-watt amp, a Mackie CR-1604 mixing board (very quiet), and Tannoy System 8 NFM near-field monitors (very flat sound).