Recipients of Prog magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and inducted into their own home town’s Hall of Fame in Portsmouth, now nearly 30 years after calling it a day, the members of progressive rock Gentle Giant have authorised an ultimate box set that will go by the very apt title of Unburied Treasure.
Encompassing not only the 12 studio albums they released between 1970 and 1980, the collection will be augmented by 15 new concert albums – Of these seven were never previously released, seven never previously officially released and one never previously released on CD. The 30 disc total also includes two posthumous live/outtake albums and a Blu-ray bonus disc, plus books, posters, replica promotional items and more.
This Unburied Treasure will be limited to 2000 copies and released on 6th December courtesy of Madfish.
Gentle Giant emerged from the ashes of chart hit makers Simon Dupree & The Big Sound delving head first into the emerging progressive rock movement, and while frequently fighting shy of commerciality their uncompromising attitude won them a strong following in continental Europe and cult status in the States, being name checked by the likes of Frank Zappa.
“Giant always set out to have a good time and to make sure the audience had a good time,” said drummer John Weathers. “We’d always go on and see if we could play better than we did the night before. I can’t wait to see this definitive box set.”
While Derek Shulman said he would “like Gentle Giant to be remembered as a group with integrity. It wasn’t done for any other reason than simply being together playing music and challenging ourselves to be better. We hated compromise, and we had a lot of integrity in terms of what the music was about.”
Lavishly presented the collection features new Bob Venables artwork, based on the iconic sleeve created by illustrator and Bowie alumnus George Underwood for the band’s Vertigo label debut in 1970. That full album has been remixed for this release’s Blu-ray disc by prolific rock musician Steven Wilson. The remix is available in high resolution 96/24 Stereo LPCM, 96/24 5.1 surround LPCM and DTS-HD 5.1 surround mixes, and the instrumental mixes for every track are also included.
The live concert recordings offer year-by-year evidence of the band’s progression. Both these and Gentle Giant’s studio recordings have been remastered by Pete Reynolds, acclaimed for his work on the Wishbone Ash box of 2018.
Also exclusive to this limited edition set are:
- A 136-page coffee table book combining rare photographs and memorabilia with a painstakingly researched history by Alan Kinsman. A fan for 45 years, he has achieved the near impossible by interviewing all members of the band in depth, including Phil Shulman who left brothers Derek and Ray to pilot the band in 1973 after providing much of the initial impetus. It’s promised that it will unlock many mysteries, clear up misunderstandings and finally give the music the context it deserves.
- An exclusive 96-page tour history book compiled by Jack Skelly offering informed commentary on the live recordings, set lists, on-the-road memorabilia and more.
- Two replica posters, one from Gentle Giant’s debut gig in 1970 and the other promoting 1974’s classic The Power And The Glory.
- Replicas of album giveaway items: the Playing The Fool LP booklet (included with the initial pressing only) and the Giant For A Day.
- A replica of the jigsaw used to promote the Missing Piece.
- The chance to win a reproduction of the band’s rarest ever piece of memorabilia – a screen-printed mirror produced to promote The Power And The Glory; only 100 were originally created. A golden ‘missing piece’ included at random in one box set may be traded in by the lucky winner for this coveted item.
You can pre-order Gentle Giant’s Unburied Treasure box set by clicking here and watch a trailer for it right now at RAMzine.
