Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gentle Giant
Release: 1975
Duration: 37:07
Rating: 5/5
“Free Hand” was the seventh studio album from the legendary heavyweights of eclectic progressive rock. Around this time Gentle Giant parted ways with World Wide Artists, the label that had started pushing them to crank out hit singles, and signed with Chrysalis Records. The biggest factor in that drastic move was a successful European tour with fellow prog rock travelers Jethro Tull, the flagship act of Chrysalis. On earlier tours, Gentle Giant’s “special” qualities had usually earned them incomprehension or even outright bullying from other bands, but with the Jethro Tull guys they quickly became friends and built a genuine mutual respect. In the cruel world of the music business, those guys turned out to be their only real friends.
The close ties with the champions of progressive folk rock also shaped the sound of “Free Hand.” The album carried a generous dose of folk rock spice and the biggest helping of medieval troubadour arrangements in the band’s story. Compared to most of their earlier albums, they wove a bit more melodic sensibility into the structure of the individual songs, while still keeping a high level of complexity and unpredictability. With their one-of-a-kind combination of scattered multi-part harmonies, polymetric schemes, unpredictable time changes and a mountain of improvisation, they were still among the most eclectic bands of their day. Besides the folk rock elements and motifs from British medieval music, they once again didn’t skimp on jazz fusion and hard rock patterns, which they slipped into the individual pieces with remarkable finesse and playfulness.
The lyrical themes, which are full of self-irony and biting satire aimed at the music industry, once again touch on various aspects of life in the band, much like several times in their past. King Crimson and Pink Floyd were thus far from the only bands who, already at the commercial peak of progressive rock, got gloomy visions of the future and sensed that something was rotten inside the music industry.
The incredible range of their unique compositional and instrumental vocabulary is on display from the first note to the last. With this much virtuoso instrumental work, witty motifs, unconventional vocal harmonies and rhythmic layering, even the pickiest prog rock gourmet’s heart will skip a beat. “Just The Same” is a terrific opening treat, packed with their characteristic rhythmic polymers, unexpected swerves into symphonic motifs and a heaping helping of juicy jazz fusion improvisation. The usual Gentle Giant clowning around is here too, this time with clapping and finger snaps thrown in. Derek’s theatrical vocal performance carries a sharp satire of the decadence of the music industry and its sweeping attitude toward bands that don’t fit certain corporate criteria.
The excellent “On Reflection,” whose lyrics make no secret of the black humor aimed at a failed relationship, is steeped in a distinctive Celtic sensibility and a sacred atmosphere. They conjure this pastoral magic with scattered choral harmonies and the indispensable use of the vibraphone. Keyboardist Kerry Minnear takes the lead vocal spot this time, with an extremely high-pitched performance that would make even Jon Anderson (Yes) blush. Once again they don’t forget to slip in mischievous harmonies and boisterous rhythmic combinations in the style of a “nursery-rhyme slippers” motif, which recalls the swaying of a friendly giant. The title track, where they express their feelings about switching labels, is one of their classics. A spooky opening arrangement is followed by numerous dramatic twists full of hard rock mannerisms, mostly thanks to punchy guitar phrases from Mr. Green. The refined transition between symphonic, jazz and hard rock elements is once again finger-licking good. Tying it all together in remarkable fashion is Derek’s charismatic-paranoid vocal.
“Time to Kill,” which opens with an electronic pattern that was revolutionary for its time, is marked by refined Celtic arrangements and unusual melodic polish. There’s again plenty of unexpected time changes and improvisation, but Derek’s singing, backed by ethereal harmony vocals and decisive guitar phrases, gives the edge to the melodic arrangements. The excellent “His Last Voyage,” the most complex creation on the album, is a song of many contrasting moods. It opens as an acoustic-flavored Celtic ballad with angelic vocal harmonies, but playful rhythmic ornaments in the background, especially on the vibraphone, quickly signal that there will be no shortage of wonderfully mad instrumental adventures this time either. Through the angelic multi-part vocals they start working in witty jazzy improvisations, which include Green’s astonishingly good wah-wah soloing. The ending brings back the solemn harmonies and acoustic accompaniment in the finest Celtic fashion.
Their fling with Jethro Tull is best illustrated by the splendid instrumental “Talybont,” which, with the help of woodwinds and violin, features troubadour elements of a Tudor-era Renaissance madrigal. Here the listener can travel back to the days when the friendly giant sat at the same table as Henry VIII. The closing “Mobile” is a spirited mix of folk, jazz and hard rock, with Ray’s violin clowning around taking center stage. Despite the dominance of folk rock arrangements, they once again delight with unexpected swerves into witty fusion sections. The lyrics deal with the lifestyle of endless wandering from tour to tour, seen through the band’s eyes.
With “Free Hand,” Gentle Giant cooked up yet another evergreen sonic stew of staggering stylistic variety, seasoned with a generous helping of their trademark cheeky humor and self-irony. Even today the album remains one of the best achievements in the band’s story, and it easily waters the taste buds of every prog rock gourmet. Beyond the stunning compositional and instrumental variety, the production, phenomenal for its time, keeps amazing again and again, making it sound like the album was recorded yesterday. “Free Hand” delivered their highest chart placement on the American album charts of 1975, which for band members who cared about commercial success about as much as a drop in the ocean is a nearly negligible fact. It’s far more interesting for showing that once upon a time, “long ago,” American listeners knew how to reward artistic originality and creativity. On home British soil, apart from a handful of loyal followers, they once again went widely overlooked. Sadly, the move to Chrysalis didn’t save them from that label also getting bitten by the urge for radio hits and commercializing the band in the following years, which led to their premature but honorable exit from the music industry.
Lineup
Derek Shulman – vocals, saxophone, recorder
Gary Green – electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Ray Shulman – bass guitar, violin, backing vocals, recorder
Kerry Minear – keyboards, vocals, backing vocals
John Weathers – drums, percussion
Production
Gentle Giant
Track List
1. Just The Same
2. On Reflection
3. Free Hand
4. Time To Kill
5. His Last Voyage
6. Talybont
7. Mobile
