Gentle Giant
Civilian

Between August and September 1979, Gentle Giant traveled to California to record the tracks for their last official album. The music scene was moving away from dark and harsh punk themes and increasingly electronic sounds were emerging, which would later be defined as "New Wave." Released in the spring of 1980 on Chrysalis, "Civilian" is an album that brings the band back to the best of their creativity, always in line with the new trend, making rock easier to understand and compile.
The result is truly encouraging. The instrument that stands out the most throughout the LP is Gary Green's electric guitar, often distorted, which is absolutely comfortable with anthology-worthy riffs and solos. Ray Schulman's bass lines are genuinely impeccable also because "Civilian" uses an 8-string bass for the first time. In previous albums, Ray always used a Fender Precision. The American production, by the great Geoff Emerick, surely benefitted the Schulman brothers' group, who received the most commercial acclaim precisely in America.

The tracks are always of relative length, and the progressive threads are even further away than in the previous two studio albums. However, there is a sense of witnessing the maturation and complete transformation of the group into a grand phenomenon of classic rock. The songs are very intense, the rock is truly firm and at times hard. There are clear references to bands like "Who" or "Led Zeppelin," but the offering remains highly original. "Civilian" is enjoyable and unexpectedly engaging. It's an album filled with radio-friendly songs and chart-worthy singles (strangely none were officially released) of great impact and quality.
A new substantial chapter in Gentle Giant's history might have opened, yet at the end of the US tour, the group consensually decided to disband, leaving this truly valuable work in solitude. The album starts with "Convenience," characterized by a very aggressive sound and an interesting post-punk introduction led by drums and electric guitar. The classic and progressive threads have disappeared. Gentle Giant, in "Convenience," emerge as a very aggressive rock group of great impact. Green's guitar solos are truly remarkable. Just like in the following "All Through The Night," which is less aggressive than the previous but always driven by a catchy distorted electric guitar riff. Minnear's organ is also excellent, completing the scene impeccably, especially towards the end of the piece. A delicate introduction (somewhat recalling "Free Hand") by Minnear on piano offers moments and vague progressive memories in "Shadows On The Street," truly memorable is Kerry's voice, which always receives the highest praise in slow and sweet songs. One of the album's peaks. Side A closes with "Number One," where a return to more rock steps is in order. The track is certainly convincing, thanks to a clever mix of electric guitar and Minnear's keyboard layers. The refrain certainly sticks in your head, and it would have deserved greater exposure. Among the best in "Civilian" is undoubtedly "Underground," which opens precisely with the sound of the subway car approaching the station and stopping to let passengers aboard. The introduction and instrumental course are compelling, supported by a fantastic bass and electric guitar, here used more in a funky style than hard rock. Minnear, with the keyboards, offers spatial phrases and an incredibly colorful jam, almost at the end.
"I Am A Camera" also has an aggressive pace. Preceded by some unusual camera shutter clicks, it expands on hard shores perhaps less engaging than in other tracks on the album. However, it has the merit of emphasizing, once again, Derek's extraordinary vocal skills in fast-paced and very aggressive songs. It is worth noting individually that in the same year Yes released the album "Drama," and in the track "In The Lens" the phrase "I Am A Camera" is included. The track ends abruptly with yet another photo shutter click.
With a consistently convincing but less violent rhythm is the hypnotic "Inside Out" with a marble and memorable guitar riff. Weathers' drumming somewhat recalls Led Zeppelin's "In Through The Out Door." "Inside Out" lasts about six minutes, repeating in unison, but with interesting and different interweavings especially of keyboards and synthesizer, the initial rhythm. The refrain is composed of magnificent vocal interweavings that recall great madrigal-sung pieces or more closely, five or six-voice choirs. The album closes with the alternating "It's Not Imagination," which has a truly dense and firm musical structure, with drums and guitar drawing the best from the entire sound scene. Unfortunately, the vocal parts aren't up to the rest of the track, which remains a disorienting epitaph for the band.

Some vinyl versions and a few CD reissues feature a brief groove titled (albeit without an official header) "That's… All… There… Is…" These words are a collage taken from four tracks on the LP specifically: "That's" is taken from "I'm Your Security, That's What They Say" from "I Am A Camera," the word "All" is taken from "All Through The Night," the term "There" is extracted from "Now They're Mine No More" from the track "Heroes No More" and "Is" from "Everything Is Spinning 'Round" from "Inside Out." Precisely "Heroes No More" is a very beautiful track that remained strangely unreleased on LP but was added on the CD reissues by One Way Records and Terrapin Records.

Curiosity: On the cover, it is difficult to notice the title Civilian which is actually reproduced in red at the foot of the Gentle Giant inscription, in a brilliant optical effect.