Acquiring the Taste

Infobox Album | Name = Acquiring the Taste
Type = Album
Artist = Gentle Giant


Released = 1971
Recorded = January - April 1971, Advision Studios & A.I.R. Studios, London
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 39:26
Label = Vertigo
Producer = Tony Visconti
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:zx5m964o3ep3 link]
*Sea of Tranquility rating|4|5 [http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5194 link]
Last album = "Gentle Giant"
(1970)
This album = "Acquiring the Taste"
(1971)
Next album = "Three Friends"
(1972)

"Acquiring the Taste" was the second album of English progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1971.__NOTOC__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 various instrumentation.

The recording was made at the following studios
*Advision Studios - (Engineers Martin Rushent, Big A & Garybaldi)
*A.I.R. Studios, London - (Engineer Bill Price)

Track listing

*Disk - total time 39:16
#"Pantagruel's Nativity" – 6:50
#"Edge of Twilight" – 3:47
#"The House, The Street, The Room" – 6:01
#"Acquiring the Taste" – 1:36
#"Wreck" – 4:36
#"The Moon Is Down" – 4:45
#"Black Cat" – 3:51
#"Plain Truth" – 7:36

All songs written by Shulman, Shulman, Shulman and Minnear and arranged by Gentle Giant.

Personnel

*Gary Green - 6 string guitar, 12 string guitar, 12 string wah-wah guitar, donkey's jawbone, cat calls, voice
*Kerry Minnear - electric piano, organ, mellotron, vibraphone, Moog, piano, celeste, clavichord, harpsichord, tympani, xylophone, maracas, lead vocals
*Derek Shulman - alto sax, clavichord, cowbell, lead vocals
*Phil Shulman - alto & tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, piano, claves, maracas, lead vocals
*Ray Shulman - bass, violin, viola, electric violin, Spanish guitar, tambourine, 12 string guitar, organ bass pedals, skulls, vocals
*Martin Smith - drums, tambourine, gongs, side drum

Guest musicians

*Paul Cosh - trumpet, organ
*Tony Visconti - recorder, bass drum, triangle
*Chris Thomas - moog programmer

Miscellanea

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

Release details

*1971, UK, Vertigo VE 1005, Release Date July 16, 1971, LP
*1971, UK, Vertigo VE 1005, Release Date ? ? 1971, Cassette
*1971, USA, Vertigo VEL 1005, Release Date August 1971, LP (with gatefold cover)
*1971, USA, Vertigo VEL 1005, Release Date ? ? 1971, Cassette
*1997, UK, Vertigo 842 917-2, Release Date ? February 1997, CD
*1997, USA, Polydor 8429172, Release Date ? February 1997, CD
*2005, UK, Repertoire REPUK1072, Release Date 28 November 2005, CD (Limited Edition reissue)