On Reflection (Gentle Giant) | Behind the Score (Ep. 40)
Added 2023-05-09 21:31:25 +0000 UTCI'm returning once again to Gentle Giant to pay tribute to Ray Shulman and to break down On Reflection, which is from their Free Hand album.
Unlisted link: https://vimeo.com/825240167/7dcf573e8b?share=copy
Comments
I’ve viewed this a dozen times and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a good brain exercise to remember my 3 semesters of Music Theory from decades ago. And for such a deserving band. Excellent analysis. BTW the “Celine Dion” key change in my day was the “Motown” key change.
Fugazi
2023-05-26 01:46:28 +0000 UTCIndeed. I enjoyed it immensely!
Bill Brinkmoeller
2023-05-25 06:31:22 +0000 UTCHe did a BTS on Knots, which was most intriguing.
Chris Ramsbottom
2023-05-24 16:29:32 +0000 UTCIt will be coming up on Friday on the main YouTube channel.
Arrow2theACL
2023-05-17 14:53:07 +0000 UTCHello again, Doug. You mentioned you were going to review ELP's Pirates next. What happened?
Gerard Dion
2023-05-15 23:27:25 +0000 UTCCompletely at ease with music, with their instruments, melding influences, genres, and anything else the mood might inspire. Most interesting to behold, and rather enjoyable.
George Davis-Stewart
2023-05-11 22:39:58 +0000 UTCWell done Doug. excellent episode 👍cheers
Richard Elliott
2023-05-10 21:59:16 +0000 UTCGreat job, Doug. These guys were amazing. Definitely the "prog band's prog band".
Martin Broten
2023-05-10 20:05:03 +0000 UTCNice. I was at that show too. It was also my first exposure to GG.
Martin Broten
2023-05-10 20:01:02 +0000 UTCNicely done! Great episode. Thank you
Edward Malthouse
2023-05-10 11:48:18 +0000 UTCthis was so much fun, thank you! my favorite bit of counterpoint outside of bach or purcell. the other GG piece I'd love you to do a score coverage of is "His Last Voyage", also from Free Hand. I have a transcription of the piece and it makes my head hurt. would be very curious to see your take.
ax o'lotl
2023-05-10 10:08:56 +0000 UTCGentle Giant was definitely one of those bands that wanted their live performances not simply to be them being a Gentle Giant jukebox for their adoring fans. If their studio albums could challenge you, then the live performance would challenge you in different ways. I hugely respect that, especially since making new arrangements of music as complicated as theirs would not be an easy task. Doug, you obviously love Gentle Giant. When you finished listening to Free Hand, you declared "These guys are my spirit animals." So why haven't you done an EPL with Octopus? "Advent of Panurge" and "Knots" are only two pieces from an album that will delight you every bit as much as Free Hand did.
Bill Brinkmoeller
2023-05-10 06:33:55 +0000 UTCI'm not always in the mood for Gentle Giant...and not everything they did works (some things seem rather..."throw this in and see what happens!")—but two things about their music can't be questioned: One, they were astonishing musicians, and two...no one ever sounded anything like them, before or since.
Jeff Norman
2023-05-10 04:36:56 +0000 UTCThose melodic diversions in the live version were sections from other songs of theirs, I believe from The Power And The Glory, though I could be off on that. GG music was always hit and miss with me- some I loved, some grated on me like I was parmesan cheese.
Tom (the soggy one)
2023-05-10 02:46:46 +0000 UTCMy first exposure to Gentle Giant was seeing them open for Yes in 1976, at the Cow Palace. They just bowled me over! Their live album "Playing The Fool" shows exactly what they were capable of doing in live performance. R.I.P., Ray Schulman!
Bill Coonley
2023-05-09 23:26:59 +0000 UTCRIP Ray. What an innovative band. Spock’s Beard has a number of GG-inspired vocal parts including Thoughts Pt 2 on V, which is a great EPL candidate!
Gary Thobaben
2023-05-09 23:18:51 +0000 UTC
