Even by the standards of prog rock throughout the 1970s, Gentle Giant’s music was considered to be extremely complex, with their ability to fuse rock, folk, baroque and classical to make a quite unique mix, and Interview continues in this vein. They were similar to bands like Van der Graaf Generator in that they asked a lot of their listeners, they never achieved mainstream acceptance, though they were feted by the prog community and in the process amassed a cult following.
Interview was first released in 1976 and was the band’s eighth studio album, that’s eight studio albums in six years. All of them have an exceptionally high standard of songwriting and musicianship and this record is considered by Giant fans to be the last ‘classic’ and consistent album the band released, being assured, inventive and containing everything which made the Giant what they were. This means off-the-wall rhythms, multi-part harmonies, frequent key and time changes and the use of ‘polymeters,’ two or more time signatures being played simultaneously.
It was also an album which showed some subtle shifts towards a more commercial sound, as later albums like Giant For A Day were to prove. Now, a whole forty-seven years later, the album has been remixed and remastered by prog royalty, Steven Wilson, using modern technology to bring it closer to what the band say was the intended result. As vocalist Derek Shulman says, we’re very grateful the music we produced still has some meaning over forty years after we recorded it.
Title track ‘Interview’ is based on the album’s sardonic view of depicting fake interviews featuring journos asking daft questions, with the band further irritating the music press by refusing to talk about it, and is one of the tracks critics of the Giant cite for unnecessary complexity, with the middle eight laden with instrumental pieces which seem to have no connection to the actual song. However, taken as a whole, this is a very clever piece of music.
‘Give It Back’ has been known to divide fans in that it’s almost white reggae and brings 10CC’s Dreadlock Holiday to mind. ‘Design’ is probably as ‘off-the-wall’ as it comes, with its acapella opening and stunningly good baroque vocal harmonies, and no instruments apart from the occasional drumbeat.
It’s hard to think of another rock band capable of employing such gorgeous four-part harmonies to such good effect. ‘Another Show’ is more upbeat complexity played in 5/4 time, and with ‘Empty City’ having a dreamy soft soundscape and floating synth, with the remix really bringing out the words behind the vocals. The last two tracks, ‘Timing’ and ‘I Lost My Head’, are both loud and hard rock songs, laden with so many things going on in each track, with there even being a guitar solo in the former track.
Interview is packed with faultless musicianship with everyone in the band being a multi-instrumentalist. There is clever songwriting and lots of vocal syncopation and harmonising. They’re undeniably a ‘marmite’ band and there’s no halfway with them .. but for those who admire all that’s good about prog, Gentle Giant are up there with the best of them.
