Octopus (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Octopus
Type = Album
Artist = Gentle Giant


Released =
Recorded = July 24 - August 5, 1972, Advision Studios, London
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 34:24
Label = Vertigo
Columbia (US/Canada)
Producer = Gentle Giant
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4s820rnac48n link]
*Prog Archives rating|5|5 [http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=3727 link] | Last album = "Three Friends"
(1972)
This album = "Octopus"
(1972)
Next album = "In a Glass House"
(1973)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = album


Lower caption = US release.

"Octopus" is an album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1972. It marked a change in drummers from Malcolm Mortimore to John Weathers.

Track listing

#"The Advent Of Panurge" – 4:40
#"Raconteur Troubadour" – 3:59
#"A Cry For Everyone" – 4:02
#"Knots" – 4:09
#"The Boys In The Band" – 4:32
#"Dog's Life" – 3:10
#"Think Of Me With Kindness" – 3:33
#"River" – 5:54

All songs composed by Shulman, Shulman, Shulman and Minnear.

Personnel

*Gary Green - Guitars, percussion
*Kerry Minnear - All keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, cello, Moog, lead and backing vocals
*Derek Shulman - Lead vocals, alto saxophone
*Phil Shulman - Saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, lead and backing vocals
*Ray Shulman - Bass, violin, guitar, percussion, vocals
*John Weathers - Drums, percussion, xylophone

Miscellanea

*The UK release of the album featured art by Roger Dean, but the US release featured a different cover by Charles White.

* The song "The Advent of Panurge" is inspired by the books of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais.

*The song "A Cry For Everyone" on the album is inspired by the work and beliefs of the Algerian-French writer Albert Camus.

* The song "Knots" is inspired by the book "Knots" by Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing.