GENTLE GIANT - Three Friends (1972-2009) SHM-CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Gentle Giant's third album (and their first self-produced effort, Tony Visconti having run the sessions on the two previous records) was another advance, this time in the direction of a harder rock sound -- everything sounds turned up here, especially the guitars, the bass, and the electronic keyboards. Three Friends hardly sacrificed any of the group's progressive intentions, however, and there are some softer moments here, such as the playful, sprightly first half of "Schooldays"; the harmonies and arrangements still had a distinctly medieval feel, and the melodies, though a little harder to discern here (which made them even more appealing when they did become obvious), were quite engaging. This is supposed to be a concept album, about the relationship between three friends across a lifetime, and the original notes and lyrics have been reprinted, but none of that is necessary in order to enjoy the songs here. by Bruce Eder
Tracklist

1 Prologue 6:14
2 Schooldays 7:37
3 Working All Day 5:12
4 Peel The Paint 7:31
5 Mister Class And Quality? 3:23
6 Three Friends 5:26
Credits
Bass, Violin, Guitar [12 String], Vocals – Ray Shulman
Design [Sleeve Design] – Rick Breach
Drums – Malcolm Mortimore
Guitar, Percussion – Gary Green
Keyboards, Vibraphone, Percussion, Synthesizer [Moog], Vocals – Kerry Minnear
Saxophone [Saxes], Vocals – Philip Shulman
Vocals – Derek Shulman
Voice [Boy's Voice] – Calvin Shulman (tracks: 2)
Written-By – Shulman, Minnear, Shulman, Shulman