Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gentle Giant
Release: 1973
Runtime: 38:08
Rating: 5/5
The band members would probably describe the picture behind this album as a tongue-in-cheek, socially critical tale that kicks off the moment a friendly giant tries to walk into a glass house, only for it to shatter into a thousand pieces thanks to his enormous size. The friendly giant instantly turns into a sorrowful giant. My guess isn’t pulled out of thin air, since the title and concept of this album come from a witty jab at envy, hidden in the phrase that “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” That was just one of many playful gags from this legendary British progressive rock band, which prided itself not only on exceptionally complex compositions, but also on an equally complex socially critical philosophy and black humor.
Despite (or precisely because of) their offbeat, mischievous humor, Gentle Giant earned at least as much respect as they’d built up as one of the most experimental and eclectic bands in the story of progressive rock. Into their unpredictable musical stews they usually tossed all sorts of folk, jazz, symphonic and hard rock ingredients. The latter they’d typically lay over polyrhythmic patterns, adding unusual multi-part vocals and the occasional accompaniment of boisterous winds and strings. They carried this peculiar brand of experimental prog rock over to the record this review is about.
“In a Glass House” was their first album after the departure of the excellent saxophonist, trumpeter and singer Phil Shulman. The eldest of the Shulman brothers, after clashes with the rest of the band, decided to retire from life as an active musician. This happened right after the “Octopus” (1972) tour. Over the years he did make peace with his former bandmates, but he stayed inactive as a musician for good. His exit was key to a slight stylistic shift, marked by more hard rock elements and a bit less emphasis on building jazzy arrangements. The rest of the band bounced back easily after Phil’s departure and kept the high level of harmonic and rhythmic complexity that had wowed audiences in the past. In many ways the album picked up where its predecessor “Octopus” left off, only with somewhat more aggressive instrumental sections in places.
The album opens with the classic “The Runaway,” which has a vivid intro of smashing glass. This superb composition buckles under the weight of playful, unpredictable rhythmic shifts, baroque-pastoral flute interludes and punchy guitar passages. Besides the playful rhythms, led by the indispensable vibraphone soloing, the colorful vocalizations from the charismatic saxophonist Derek Shulman are a real treat. With such exceptional rhythmic and harmonic complexity, it’s hard to single out individual instrumentalists, since they play like one well-oiled, unified machine the whole time, with no unnecessary long solo ego trips. “An Inmates Lullaby” is undoubtedly one of the strangest ballads, or rather lullabies, in the story of progressive rock. Here the eternal jokers use all sorts of tricks of avant-garde percussion, above all the extensive use of the xylophone, to recreate the protective mood of a rocking giant. Derek’s falsetto vocals, paired with vivid vocal harmonies, make for a lovely lullaby that would put even the toughest giant to sleep like a gentle child.
“Way of Life” is a bouncy burlesque full of countless unpredictable transitions, witty instrumental inserts and razor-sharp hard rock guitar passages. The combative vocals are joined by polymetric rhythms and constantly shifting motifs. So the composition tips over from its opening hard rock punch into a romantic, I’d even say solemn, baroque-pastoral section with plenty of symphonic elements. In between, as usual, there’s no shortage of avant-garde rhythmic bits. “Experience” is another beloved Gentle Giant classic, where you can mostly admire the unconventional vocal harmonies, dynamic use of organs and burlesque rhythmic ornaments. Personally, the mood of this piece reminds me of mischievous church mice scurrying around, teasing the cat and stuffing themselves on the offerings of God-fearing churchgoers. That’s undoubtedly down to Minnear’s solemn church organs, the choral harmonies and the cheeky rhythms courtesy of John Weathers. These baroque church motifs get sliced up by Green’s aggressive hard rock passages and Derek’s furious screeching, which at least barely bring in a few specks of seriousness.
“A Reunion” is a shorter, subtle, baroque-pastoral piece with tender violin and mandolin sounds, joined by Green’s gentle singing. The closing folk rock shindig comes courtesy of the superb title track, which impresses above all with its combination of hard rock guitar passages and pastoral elements, thanks to the witty use of flute, acoustic guitar and mandolin. With his punchy guitar phrases, Green proves once again that no hard rock band of the day would have turned him away. With this kind of folk/hard rock approach, they occasionally even pull in their progressive rock “cousins” Jethro Tull. In the final seconds, the main motifs of the album’s individual songs return as a sonic collage, complete with the smashing of glass.
With “In a Glass House,” Gentle Giant created yet another evergreen masterpiece, one that earned its place in golden letters in the annals of eclectic progressive rock. During this period, the unbridled fire of compositional experimentation and the exploration of instrumental motifs from some other galaxies burned brighter than ever inside the eternal jokesters. They managed to fuse their exceptional musical talents and their prankster philosophy into that ideal combination, which secured them immortal status among music connoisseurs for all time. “In a Glass House” gained considerable popularity on European soil, while in the US it wasn’t released at all, which gave it cult collector value. It only appeared on American soil as a reissue in 2005.
Lineup
Derek Shulman – vocals, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, recorder
Gary Green – six- and twelve-string guitars, mandolin, percussion, alto recorder, backing vocals
Kerry Minnear – keyboards, percussion, recorder, backing vocals
Ray Shulman – bass guitar, violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals
John Weathers – drums, percussion
Production
Gentle Giant
Tracklist
1. The Runaway
2. An Inmates Lullaby
3. Way Of Life
4. Experience
5. A Reunion
6. In A Glass House
