Gentle Giant or Shostakovich?

elescher · Sep 6, 2016

During my prog rock era I was a big fan of Gentle Giant. I thought they were an original. For the past 3 years or so I have mainly listened to Classical music, and I gotta say I am very disappointed in one of my past favorite bands. Move over Led Zeppelin.

asiufy · Sep 6, 2016

Why? Does it have to be one or the other? I like both

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

caliaripaolo · Sep 7, 2016

elescher said:
During my prog rock era I was a big fan of Gentle Giant. I thought they were an original.

Great and fantastic band.
They were my favorite along with Traffic, Genesis (up to Selling England by the pound).

bonzo75 · Sep 7, 2016

elescher said:
During my prog rock era I was a big fan of Gentle Giant. I thought they were an original. For the past 3 years or so I have mainly listened to Classical music, and I gotta say I am very disappointed in one of my past favorite bands. Move over Led Zeppelin.

Interesting. I too am a fan of Led Zep, classical, and a Lampi owner. I like Shostakovich's violin concerto that Oistrakh played (recently saw it live, and am watching his 5th symphony soon).

FrantzM · Sep 7, 2016

Hi

Two very different approaches to music IMO... GG remains one of the best group ever. Progs Rock may use sometimes the structures of Western Classical Music but it is a different musical form nonetheless. I like both and feel no disappointment in listening to any Prog Rock.

elescher · Sep 7, 2016

asiufy said:
Why? Does it have to be one or the other? I like both

Don't get me wrong, I still listen/like both. My point is that at age 15 I didn't even know classical music existed, let alone Shostakovich. I just find it appauling that the whole Gentle Giant sound was IMO copied from him. Some of their songs are right out plagiarism.

asiufy · Sep 7, 2016

Ah! Well, now you got me curious, as I've never established that connection GG x Shostakovich

Can you point out some similaries/plagiarisms, as it sounds like fun

Another prog band I enjoy quite a bit is Renaissance, and they have lifted parts from classical pieces wholesale. In their case it was particularly easy as they usually recorded with an orchestra anyway...

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

Johnny Vinyl · Sep 7, 2016

As the Spirit vs LZ trial concerning Stairway To Heaven clearly demonstrated there is more than one way to skin a cat.

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

My favorite:

elescher · Sep 7, 2016

caliaripaolo said:
Great and fantastic band.
They were my favorite along with Traffic, Genesis (up to Selling England by the pound).

They were my #1 through (and including) Trick of the Tail.

..........a lot of the Shost works are over 10 minutes long whereas there are very few GG tunes that are near as long. This is pretty much the case for the whole Rock genre. The first time I heard Shos, I immediately recognized the connection. The past couple weeks I have been listening closely to his music for similarities and there are passages that reek of plagiarism. Plus I think that GG's whole concept was based specifically on his ideas. Maybe I was just looking for it. No one can relate?

BlueFox · Sep 7, 2016

Never heard of GG, since I prefer hard rock vs progressive rock. However, I LOVE Shostakovich's string quartets. I felt as if they were psychedelic in sound.

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

elescher said:
They were my #1 through (and including) Trick of the Tail.

..........a lot of the Shost works are over 10 minutes long whereas there are very few GG tunes that are near as long. This is pretty much the case for the whole Rock genre. The first time I heard Shos, I immediately recognized the connection. The past couple weeks I have been listening closely to his music for similarities and there are passages that reek of plagiarism. Plus I think that GG's whole concept was based specifically on his ideas. Maybe I was just looking for it. No one can relate?

Yes, I can relate, certainly.

NorthStar · Sep 7, 2016

Let's explore a little further if I may:

• http://starling.rinet.ru/music/gentlec.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle_Giant
• http://www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/Dmitri-Shostakovich.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Shostakovich

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Rabelais
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._D._Laing ?

? http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...us-renegade-or-a-true-visionary-a6755021.html

________

"Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swath of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated medieval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements.
The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal experiences but from philosophy and the works of both François Rabelais and R. D. Laing.
In 2015 they were recognised with the lifetime achievement award at the Progressive Music Awards."

elescher · Sep 8, 2016

elescher said:
They were my #1 through (and including) Trick of the Tail.

..........a lot of the Shost works are over 10 minutes long whereas there are very few GG tunes that are near as long. This is pretty much the case for the whole Rock genre. The first time I heard Shos, I immediately recognized the connection. The past couple weeks I have been listening closely to his music for similarities and there are passages that reek of plagiarism. Plus I think that GG's whole concept was based specifically on his ideas. Maybe I was just looking for it. No one can relate?

From a music standpoint I think Phil Collins would have been better off sticking with Brand X.

elescher · Sep 8, 2016

NorthStar said:
Let's explore a little further if I may:

• http://starling.rinet.ru/music/gentlec.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle_Giant
• http://www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/Dmitri-Shostakovich.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Shostakovich

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Rabelais
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._D._Laing ?

? http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...us-renegade-or-a-true-visionary-a6755021.html

________

"Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swath of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated medieval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements.
The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal experiences but from philosophy and the works of both François Rabelais and R. D. Laing.
In 2015 they were recognised with the lifetime achievement award at the Progressive Music Awards."

Thanks! Very informative indeed.

NorthStar · Sep 8, 2016

No, thanks to you; for making me research deeper into these music composers...Gentle Giant and Dmitri Shostakovich. ...Which are both part of my CD music collection. That's how we learn and discover more. And they do have some similarities in some of their compositions...I can clearly hear what you are referring to. And I like them both...some of their better works.

Gentle Giant or Shostakovich?

Member Sponsor

Industry Expert/VIP Donor

Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor

Industry Expert/VIP Donor

Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member

Member

Member

Member Sponsor

Member Sponsor

Member

Member

Member Sponsor

Member Sponsor

Member

Similar threads