The 1970s was the decade that saw, at the height of the prog-rock movement, the pushing of the existing artistic and progressive boundaries and the expanding of the experimental. One of the most experimental bands of the time was Gentle Giant. The band was comprised of the Scottish brothers Phil, Derek and Ray Shulman, with Gary Green and Kerry Minnear. Lyrically they were inspired by personal tragedy, philosophy and the writings of the avant-garde, French Renaissance writer, doctor and satirist François Rabelais. The purpose of their musical composition was -- according to the sleeve notes on their second album Acquiring the Taste -- to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular."
Although they released 12 studio albums, they never had a hit single or saw any mainstream success. But that was never the point, for them. They played together until 1980 when, after the release of Civilian, they quietly retired. However as with so many true artists, it was only in retrospect after the death of Gentle Giant that they began to garner the attention they deserved while together. Even today fans of Gentle Giant can discuss the complexities of their musical compositions; they can spend hours discussing the deeply textured soundscapes of song after song and never tire. Although there have been many attempts by fans in recent years to get the band to do a reunion concert, so far all members have declined.
