Label: Vertigo
Release date: September 22, 1974
Production: Gentle Giant
Album length: 37:11 min
Genre: Progressive Rock / Experimental Rock
Rating: 10/10
The sixth album from the progressive rock legends, “The Power And The Glory”, is a concept album about corruption and the abuse of power, with lyrics that keep nudging us to think about how good our social order really is. These highly intelligent, well-read musicians, who had already won us over in the past with their witty lyrical insight, borrowed the album’s title and inspiration for most of its lyrical themes from the novel of the same name by the famous British writer Graham Greene. The masters of eclectic progressive rock once again proved how unique they are at subtly weaving socially aware themes into their highly complex sonic schemes.
True to their name and philosophy, on “The Power And The Glory” they once again put their enviable virtuosity to work building eclectic compositional mosaics, mostly marked by rowdy, I’d even say hooligan-ish rhythms and protective dissonant harmonies. While the excellent predecessor “In a Glass House” (1973) leaned a bit more on hard rock finesse, this time they gave more room to jazzy arrangements again. Amid the polymetric structures and unexpected time shifts, there’s no shortage of folk rock baroque-pastoral motifs, avant-garde elements and good old jazz rock fusion.
Guitar master Gary Green doesn’t hold back on his blues roots here, feeding the appetites of music gourmets with massive hard rock riffs and striking solos. The Shulman brothers are as consistent and inventive as ever on winds and strings, while Kerry Minnear wows us with angelic vocal harmonies at least as much as with his colorful keyboard arrangements. Together with the charismatic saxophonist Derek, who in my view, despite being overlooked, ranks among the best singers in the history of prog rock, he forms an inseparable vocal duo that gives the compositions an even greater dose of contrast. John Weathers, with his massive yet highly dynamic fills, delivers the exceptional rhythmic playfulness that has always played a hugely important role in their music.
The album is shot through with a wicked sarcasm aimed at power-hungry big shots and institutions, delivered in a jokey, rowdy way. Their satire keeps that unmistakable British humor, so there’s no need to go looking for similarities with the socially critical jokes of the immortal Frank Zappa. The opening “Proclamation” is a biting satire of dictatorship and absolutism, built on tongue-in-cheek jazzy rhythmic patterns, bluesy guitar phrases and protective dissonant vocal harmonies. Derek’s vocal, backed by dramatic multi-part harmonies, radiates tragicomedy and fits the lyrical attack on tyranny and conservative institutions perfectly. In the best of their tradition, there’s no shortage of unpredictable shifts with complex instrumental sections, which every prog rock fan who likes a high dose of virtuoso nourishment will applaud.
The melancholic “So Sincere” brings out witty baroque motifs courtesy of Ray’s violin, joined by Green’s shamelessly high falsetto. Amid the scattered rhythms, there are plenty of jazzy-avant-garde keyboard arrangements and massive guitar riffs. Green shines with his angelic singing on “Aspirations” too, a jazz-leaning ballad that ranks among the most beautiful things they ever did. In its gentle melody, for a change, there’s none of the usual Gentle Giant clowning around. Even so, the lyrics stay firmly grounded, since this is an uncompromising satire of empty (pre-election) political promises. Next up is the unforgettable Gentle Giant classic “Playing the Game”, which in my opinion is the peak of the whole album, as it embodies everything that’s best about this band. Derek’s theatrical performance, in which he fully throws himself into the role of a self-satisfied ruler with absolutist appetites, is backed by cheeky rhythmic patterns on vibraphone, thick bass lines and properly timed drums that instantly conjure up the clumsy lumbering of a friendly giant. Green’s witty, hard rock guitar phrases glide through the cheeky rhythmic patterns with incredible fluidity. A short pastoral interlude with Kerry’s vocal impresses too, followed by a heavenly jazz rock fusion section.
“Cogs in Cogs” is another fan favorite and classic. This totally unhinged number boasts incredible rhythmic exuberance, wild vocal improvisations and killer guitar phrases. Bouncy folk rock arrangements paired with paranoid vocal harmonies are a must on any proper Gentle Giant album. The folk rock “No God’s a Man” follows a similar recipe, taking a witty swipe at church institutions. Within its pastoral, acoustic-leaning arrangements, they very skillfully worked in juicy hard rock guitar passages and sacral textures from Minnear’s organ. “The Face”, which has no shortage of solo spots, boasts delicious string arrangements on violin, eclectic guitar phrases and yet another theatrical vocal performance. The closer “Valedictory” is a full-on experimentalist orgy where countless sonic motifs intertwine. Hard rock phrases are followed by feisty fusion rhythmic bursts, while the dissonant vocalizations hit their peak amid the crazy tempo.
Some versions of the album ended with a bonus track, “The Power And The Glory”, which was also released as a single. The band wasn’t too proud of it, as it’s one of their most commercial pieces, created purely at the label’s request. In the following years the label would push them more and more to make commercially charged songs that sold the band’s instrumental and intellectual potential short, which would lead to the collapse of the whole system.
“The Power And The Glory” ranks among the studio peaks of the legendary clowns of eclectic progressive rock. With their one-of-a-kind sonic mix and vivid philosophy, they warned about the pitfalls of absolute power and putting too much faith in social institutions. By keeping their recognizable, highly eclectic and unpredictable sonic finesse, “The Power And The Glory” is yet another thoroughly original album in the Gentle Giant studio catalog. In its endless musical dimensions, the listener can discover something new even decades later, which in my view is the greatest quality of their best work. Until they gave in to the demands of a greedy corporation, they had no equal in their unique sonic-lyrical vocabulary. As their career went on, they would find out firsthand, through their own label, which started pushing them toward ever greater commercialization, that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Proclamation
2. So Sincere
3. Aspirations
4. Playing the Game
5. Cogs in Cogs
6. No God’s a Man
7. The Face
8. Valedictory
9. The Power And The Glory (2:53) [bonus track, only on the Terrapin and One Way CD editions]
Lineup:
Derek Shulman – vocals, saxophone
Gary Green – guitar
Kerry Minnear – keyboards, cello, backing vocals
Ray Shulman – bass guitar, violin, backing vocals
John Weathers – drums, percussion, backing vocals
