English progressive rock band Gentle Giant, active from 1970 through 1980, was made up of multi-instrumentalists who lived to “expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular.” The group’s dozen albums combine a range of musical styles – jazz, pop, classical, British soul, rock, blues, medieval, pop and blues. Less complex than what followed, Gentle Giant’s eponymous 1970 debut contained much-loved pieces such as “Funny Ways” and “Alucard” that served notice of a unique talent that would soon become more fully realized.
