Gentle Giant to Reissue Early Material

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On Sept. 29, Gentle Giant will release Three Piece Suite, described as “a specially curated selection of songs and compositions from the band’s first three albums (Giant, Acquiring the Taste, Three Friends), presented in both 5.1 surround sound and stereo. There are nine tracks from the albums, plus a pre-debut song, remixed by Steven Wilson. The choices were determined by the limited availability of multi-track master tapes from the era. Only a few songs from each album are known to exist as multi-tracks, with the rest presumably lost.

Three Piece Suite is available in the following formats:
*A two-disc digipak containing 96/24 animated Blu-ray plus CD.
*A single disc digipak CD.
*A two-disc gatefold LP in180g high-end vinyl.
*A digital download of the two disc Blu-Ray plus CD version.

Pre-order Three Piece Suite here.

The previously commercially unreleased song is “Freedom’s Child,” taken from the first recording sessions with producer Tony Visconti. Liner notes by Anil Prasad include reflections from Gentle Giant’s members about the writing and recording sessions.

Related: Surprising 1970s radio hits

Gentle Giant in an early promo photo

In a press release, Visconti recalls, “I was a very optimistic young man in 1970…I thought music like theirs would save the world from mediocrity. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in it. I championed their cause by becoming sympathetic to the point where I temporarily joined the band for both albums. I modified their arrangements and pulled off some stunning audio effects that gave their sound more depth and immediacy. The band knew I was on their side. I remember there being a great feeling of camaraderie during the sessions. In our own way, we’ve touched the ears, minds and hearts of thousands of true believers.”

Wilson says, “To create the new mixes, I used Logic as the software and Universal Audio plug-ins, which provide emulations of classic analog outboard effects, channel strips and old mixing desks…I used these tools to clean things up and bring out some more clarity, detail and definition in some of the instrumental interplay. There was never a question of trying to outdo the original mixes, but offer different perspectives on them.”

Track Lists

Blu-ray BD50

The Steven Wilson Remixes
Giant
Nothing At All
Why Not?
Pantagruel’s Nativity
The House, The Street, The Room
Schooldays
Peel The Paint
Mr. Class and Quality?
Three Friends
Freedom’s Child

Audio Formats:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
96/24 5.1 LPCM
96/24 Stereo LPCM

Instrumentals
Giant
Nothing At All
Why Not?
Pantagruel’s Nativity
The House, The Street, The Room
Schooldays
Peel The Paint
Mr. Class and Quality?
Three Friends
Freedom’s Child

Audio Format:
96/24 Stereo LPCM

Original Album Mixes
96/24 Stereo LPCM

Gentle Giant
Giant
Funny Ways
Alucard
Isn’t It Quiet And Cold?
Nothing At All
Why Not?
The Queen

Acquiring The Taste
Pantagruel’s Nativity
Edge Of Twilight
The House, The Street, The Room
Acquiring The Taste
Wreck
The Moon Is Down
Black Cat
Plain Truth

Three Friends
Prologue
Schooldays
Working All Day
Peel The Paint
Mister Class And Quality?
Three Friends

CD
Giant
Nothing At All
Why Not?
Pantagruel’s Nativity
The House, The Street, The Room
Schooldays
Peel The Paint
Mr. Class and Quality?
Three Friends
Freedom’s Child
Nothing At All (Steven’s 7inch Edit)

Vinyl (180g High End Vinyl 2 disc Gatefold Sleeve)
Side 1:
Giant
Nothing At Allz

Side 2:
Why Not?
Pantagruel’s Nativity
The House, The Street, The Room

Side 3:
Schooldays
Peel The Paint

Side 4:
Mr. Class and Quality?
Three Friends
Freedom’s Child
Nothing At All (Steven’s 7inch Edit)

Watch Gentle Giant live in London in 1974