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Acquiring the Taste

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Released
  
July 16, 1971

Acquiring the Taste (1971)
  
Three Friends (1972)

Release date
  
16 July 1971

Label
  
Vertigo Records

Length
  
39:26

Artist
  
Gentle Giant

Producer
  
Tony Visconti

Genre
  
Progressive rock

Acquiring the Taste httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen774Acq

Recorded
  
January–April 1971, Advision Studios & A.I.R. Studios, London

Similar
  
Gentle Giant albums, Progressive rock albums

Gentle giant acquiring the taste full album


Acquiring the Taste was the second album of English progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1971. It was the final album by the band to feature original drummer Martin Smith.

Contents

Gentle giant acquiring the taste 01 pantagruel s nativity


Production

The recording was made at the following studios

  • Advision Studios – (Engineers: Martin Rushent, Big A & Garybaldi)
  • A.I.R. Studios, London – (Engineer: Bill Price)

    • This was a departure from the blues and soul styles found on their self-titled debut. It was more experimental, more discordant, and with more varied instrumentation. In the sleeve text, the band made this famous declaration:

    It is our goal to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of being very unpopular. We have recorded each composition with the one thought - that it should be unique, adventurous and fascinating. It has taken every shred of our combined musical and technical knowledge to achieve this. From the outset we have abandoned all preconceived thoughts of blatant commercialism. Instead we hope to give you something far more substantial and fulfilling. All you need to do is sit back, and acquire the taste.

    The song "Pantagruel's Nativity" is inspired by the books of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais.

    Releases

    Most versions of this album (both LP and CD) have a mastering defect at the beginning of the title track. The first two notes of the synthesizer are heard at the wrong pitch before the correct pitch stabilizes. This error was probably caused by an analog tape recorder coming up to speed. The correct version of this track can be found on the remastered 2 CD Gentle Giant collection titled The Edge of Twilight released in the UK in 1996 as well as the original UK Vertigo (swirl and spaceship) label vinyl pressings.

    Art cover

    The album cover has some innuendo in that it is made to look like a tongue licking an anus. However, when opened completely, it is actually a tongue licking a peach. In 2005, it was featured in Pitchfork Media's list of "The Worst Record Covers of All Time." At 39 minutes and 26 seconds, it is the longest studio album the group has ever released.

    Track listing

    Arranged by Gentle Giant, except where noted.

    All tracks written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, and Ray Shulman.

    Gentle Giant

  • Gary Green – 6-string electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6), electric guitars (tracks 5, 8), 12 string electric guitar (track 1), 12 string electric wah-wah guitar (track 7), mandolin (track 3), bass (track 3), donkey's jawbone (track 7), cat calls (track 7), voice on track 8
  • Kerry Minnear – Minimoog (tracks 1-5), piano (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8), Hammond organ (tracks 1-3), Mellotron (tracks 1, 5, 6), harpsichord (tracks 2, 5, 6), electric piano (tracks 2, 6), celeste (track 3), clavichord (track 3), xylophone (tracks 2, 3), vibraphone (tracks 1, 7), tympani (track 2), cello (tracks 2, 3, 7), maracas (track 7), tambourine (track 7), lead vocals (tracks 1, 2), vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Derek Shulman – alto saxophone (tracks 1, 6), clavichord (track 3), cowbell (track 3), lead vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6), vocals (tracks 1, 2, 7, 8)
  • Phil Shulman – clarinet (tracks 2, 3), trumpet (tracks 1, 3), alto (track 6) & tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 6), piano (track 3), claves (track 7), maracas (track 8), lead vocals (tracks 5, 7), vocals (tracks 1-3, 6, 8)
  • Ray Shulman – bass (tracks 1-3, 5-8), violin (tracks 2, 3, 5), violins (track 7), viola (track 7), electric violin (track 8), Spanish guitar (tracks 2, 3), 12 string guitars (track 6), tambourine (track 5), skulls (track 7), organ bass pedals (track 6), vocals (tracks 1-3, 6)
  • Martin Smith – drums (tracks 1-3, 5-8), tambourine (track 1), gong (track 2), side drum (track 2)

    • Guest musicians

  • Paul Cosh – trumpet (track 3), organ (track 3)
  • Tony Visconti – descant recorders (track 5), treble recorder (tracks 3, 5), tenor recorder (track 5), bass drum (track 7), triangle (track 7)
  • Chris Thomas – moog programmer (tracks 1-5)

    • Release details

  • 1971, UK, Vertigo 6360 041, release date July 16, 1971, LP
  • 1971, UK, Vertigo 6360 041, release date ? ? 1971, Cassette
  • 1971, US, Vertigo VEL 1005, release date August 1971, LP (with gatefold cover)
  • 1971, US, Vertigo VEL 1005, release date ? ? 1971, Cassette
  • 1997, UK, Vertigo 842 917-2, release date ? February 1997, CD
  • 1997, US, Polydor 8429172, release date ? February 1997, CD
  • 2005, UK, Repertoire REPUK1072, release date 28 November 2005, CD (limited edition reissue)

    • Songs

    1Pantagruel's Nativity6:50
    2Edge of Twilight3:48
    3The House - the Street - the Room6:04

    References

    Acquiring the Taste Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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