review by thomas

A very popular Gentle Giant album among fans. This one has a strong medieval influence. It starts with one of the all-time favourite fan songs “The Advent of Panurge” and this one was probably also a favourite of the band since they “always” played it on their shows. It’s a complex piece like much of their work – I don’t really understand all the quirks and twists going on in the song; and I have owned “Octopus” for some years now! The same is true about the more unknown “River” that I cannot fully get into; is that a clue to that the song are not that good or is it just I who don’t comprehend all of the song? The latter I guess, since I really like the song.

Of course many bands can be complex and avantgarde to the maximum but without a sound. Giant have a sound though, believe me. Their famous harmony vocals were perhaps never better than on this album and all the numerous instruments are played in a real pleasant way for the listener. The harmony vocals are highlighted in “Knots” were they are the lead instrument. “Raconteur, Troubadour” are the most medieval sounding song in the set featuring the violin. It’s very beautiful. This was to be the last album with Philip Shulman and the first with drummer John Weathers.

The whole album is really strong without any major flaws. Certainly one of their best and the perfect Giant album to start with since it shows many of their different sides with the exclusion of the heavy rocking sound of, for example, the “Three Friends” album. Still “Octopus” is a good place to start.