Gentle Giant Octopus 180g LP

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of their debut album, the prog rock icons are releasing their first four albums as special vinyl editions. Their fourth album was originally released in December 1972, and - like the predecessor - was produced by the band itself. This was the last album on which founding member Phil Shulman played, and for many fans it is one of their best works.

High end 180g black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with the original European artwork including all lyrics!

Returning to Gentle Giant's fourth album after any kind of lengthy absence, it's astonishing just how little Octopus has dated. Often written off at the time as a pale reflection of the truly gargantuan steps being taken by the likes of Jethro Tull and Barclay James Harvest, the band's closest relatives in the tangled skein of period prog, Gentle Giant often seemed more notable for its album art than its music. Octopus, however, marries the two seamlessly, with the cover speaking for itself, of course. And the mood continues within, the deliciously convoluted opening 'The Advent of Panurge' itself riding waves of sonic tentacles as Gary Green's guitar shrieks short but so effective bursts around the thundering bass and, occasionally, churchy organ. Against the pulsating volume of the album's heavier tracks, the band's excursions into less excitable territory are never less than captivating.