Free Hand

Purportedly from a relationship the band made after touring with Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant was now signed to Chrysalis Records in the UK. On their first album for the label, Free Hand, the band replaces the uniformity of the previous effort with a much more playful and varied atmosphere. The first side revolves around the themes of broken relationships, personal and otherwise. "Just The Same" kicks things off with a rather choppy rhythm, but its highlight is the break - one minute soaring, the next quirky. "On Reflection" is a throwback to "Knots"; its a cappella rounds are arranged with mediaeval flavor, with a gentle vocal break from Kerry Minnear. "Free Hand" is the rocker, but unfortunately suffers from a protracted arrangement and an abrupt ending. The more concise live versions of these songs would bump the electricity up a notch and become concert favorites. After all, Gentle Giant were at their best live. The second side is less straightforward. Opening with a classic Atari Pong sample, "Time to Kill" (get it?) has a sharper tempo that lends a certain swing to the arrangement. Complex, multi-faceted, and ornate, "His Last Voyage" is Giant doing what they do best. The atypical break features a particularly haunting piano riff, followed by another great guitar solo from Gary Green. The instrumental "Talybont" is pure renaissance music. "Mobile" moves along with a jig's pace, although it has an air of earlier works, particularly in the interplay between violin and acoustic guitar, and the wah-wah break. The album barley scraped the lower reaches of the UK charts, but became their first and only album to break the Top 50 in the US. Further touring kept the band busy until they entered the studio for their next record in early 1976.