Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant formed in England in 1970 with the Shulman brothers, Derek, Ray, and Phil, alongside Kerry Minnear and Gary Green. They were a progressive rock band that drew from classical and jazz, which gave their music a different texture than many of their peers. Their sound could be dense and intricate, with songs like 'Cogs In Cogs' and 'Interview' built around complex rhythms and arrangements that weren't always easy to categorize.

Over about a decade, they put out eight studio albums, including their self-titled debut in 1970 and 'Octopus' in 1972. Their work sometimes divided listeners, some found it challenging, others admired the ambition. Tracks such as 'Pantagruel's Nativity' and 'A Cry For Everyone' show how they wove those classical and jazz elements into rock structures without smoothing out the edges.

They weren't a band that aimed for radio hits, and their music required a certain attention from the audience. That focus on their own musical ideas, rather than commercial formulas, built them a dedicated following even if they never broke through to massive mainstream success. Their recordings from that period still sound like a group working on its own terms.