Gentle Giant

About

Gentle Giant (years active: 1970-1980) was a progressive rock band from the United Kingdom that, unlike its more mainstream contemporaries, existed on the more radical ends of the prog rock spectrum. Taking a more intellectual approach to composition, songwriting and performance, Gentle Giant managed to amass to substantial cult following since its eponymous album debut in 1970 despite never really achieving huge commercial success over the course of its career. Like acts such as Jethro Tull and Genesis, Gentle Giant borrowed much of its inspiration from medieval European (particularly British) music and lyrical themes, with rhythms and harmonies that might seem anachronistic and perhaps a little dry to the average 20th Century listener. However, as evidenced by the band's most ambitious album, Octopus, Gentle Giant could also successfully infuse more popular forms of hard rock and the blues into its complex musical framework. Following an unfortunate attempt at transitioning to pop, Gentle Giant saw a tremendous wane in popularity in the late 1970s, ultimately leading to the band's break up in 1980.