The Power And The Glory

For Gentle Giant's sixth album, the band wanted a "more spontaneous feel," prompting them to record most of the tracks on the first or second take. To that end, they succeeded, as The Power And The Glory ranks as one of the band's most unified and cohesive efforts. The album revolves around the concept of political power; and whether intentionally or not, the album's recording did coincide with the Watergate hearings, making it by-and-large a contemporary subject—something for which prog rock would rarely be known. Gentle Giant are meticulous throughout the album, constructing each phrase to the next with absolute precision. The band adeptly moves from instrument to instrument, each providing a unique color to the notes that they play. The performance is sprightly, while the recording is exceptionally clean; a prime example of vinyl's fidelity. Like the opener "Proclamation," none of the tracks exceed the six-minute mark. "So Sincere" is atypically dissonant; live, however, the track would take on Giant proportions. "Aspirations" features a melancholic electric piano, with exceptional acoustic guitar from Gary Green. Grounded by a quirky percussive riff, "Playing the Game" is the album's sleeper. The song also contains one of the era's classic organ solos from Kerry Minnear. "No God's a Man" is lighter and inventive, while "The Face" has that bluesy throwback to earlier Giant music. "Valedictory" scornfully reprises the opening riff of "Proclamation;" the story has come full circle, and the album ends just as it started. Never that popular in their native England, Gentle Giant fared better in the US, where they had signed to Capitol Records. The album reached No. 78 on the US charts. A single, "The Power and the Glory" b/w "Playing the Game" was released in the UK, but quickly withdrawn.