Free Hand

Studio album by Gentle Giant

Released

July 21 or 28, 1975

Recorded

April 1975, Advision Studios, London

Genre

Progressive rock, Progressive folk

Length

36:50

Label

Chrysalis (UK)
Capitol (U.S.)

Producer

Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant chronology

The Power and the Glory
(1974)

Free Hand
(1975)

Interview
(1976)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Sea of Tranquility	^[2]

Free Hand is an album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant that was released in 1975. It also marked their first album under their new label, Chrysalis Records in the U.K. This album is noted for its high production values, and a less dissonant, more accessible feel than their previous album The Power and the Glory. It was their highest-charting album in the U.S. and the only one to crack the Top 50 on the Billboard album charts.

The 1990 CD version released by the re-issue label One Way Records of Albany, New York mistakenly used an alternate rough mix version of the album. This version revealed some different musical details. Alucard/EMI re-released the CD in 2009, "from the original 1/4-inch tapes through 24bit 96k Hi-Resolution transfer."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, and Ray Shulman, except where noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Just the Same"	5:33
2.	"On Reflection"	5:43
3.	"Free Hand"	6:14

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Time to Kill"	5:08
2.	"His Last Voyage" (R. Shulman, Minnear)	6:26
3.	"Talybont" (instrumental)	2:43
4.	"Mobile"	5:03

Bonus Track
No.	Title	Length
8.	"Just The Same" (Live) (on the 35th anniversary CD edition)	4:50

6 extra tracks added on 'I Lost My Head - The Chrysalis Years 1975-1980' LP
No.	Title	Length
8.	"1976 Intro Tape" (previously unreleased)	1:39
9.	"Just The Same" (BBC session John Peel)	6:05
10.	"Free Hand" (BBC session John Peel)	6:08
11.	"On Reflection" (BBC session John Peel)	5:42
12.	"Give It Back" (International 7" mix)	3:48
13.	"I Lost My Head" (7" mix)	3:29

Personnel

Gary Green – electric guitar (tracks 5-7), electric guitars (tracks 1-4), acoustic guitar (tracks 5, 7), descant recorder (tracks 2, 6), co-lead vocals on track 2
Kerry Minnear – piano (tracks 1-5, 7), Hammond organ (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7), Clavinet (tracks 3, 5-7), Minimoog (tracks 1, 2, 4), synthesizer (tracks 1, 3, 6), electric piano (tracks 3, 4), harpsichord (tracks 2, 6), Wurlitzer electric piano, honky-tonk piano (track 7), celesta (track 2), glockenspiel (track 2), vibraphone (tracks 1, 2, 5), marimba (track 2), tympani (track 2), harp (track 2), cello (track 2), tenor recorder (track 6), lead vocals on tracks 2-5
Derek Shulman – lead vocals on tracks 1-4 and 7, treble recorder (track 6), alto saxophones (track 1)
Ray Shulman – bass, electric violin (track 7), violin (track 7), viola (track 2), co-lead vocals on track 2
John Weathers – drums (tracks 1-5, 7),^[3] tambourine (tracks 1, 6, 7), bass drum (tracks 2, 6), tom-tom (tracks 6, 7), snare drum (track 2), triangle (track 2), cymbal (track 2), woodblock (track 3), cowbell (track 3), frame drums (track 7), percussion (track 2)

There are no instrument credits listed on the album.

Credits

Engineer – Gary Martin
Assistant engineer – Paul Northfield
Graphics artwork by – Richard Evans

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1975	US Billboard 200	48

Release history

Region	Date	Label
United States	July 21 or 28, 1975	Capitol Records
United Kingdom	August 22, 1975	Chrysalis Records

References

↑ Taylor, Robert (2011). "Free Hand - Gentle Giant | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
↑ Pardo, Pete (2011). "Review: 'Gentle Giant: Free Hand-35th Anniversary Edition (remaster)' - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
↑ Gentle Giant's website (www.blazemonger.com/GG/)

External links

"Free Hand - The Gentle Giant Home Page". www.blazemonger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
"Gentle Giant - Free Hand (LP, Album) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2009-09-01.

Gentle Giant

Gary Green Kerry Minnear Derek Shulman Ray Shulman John Weathers Phil Shulman Martin Smith Malcolm Mortimore

Studio albums	Gentle Giant Acquiring the Taste Three Friends Octopus In a Glass House The Power and the Glory Free Hand In'terview The Missing Piece Giant for a Day Civilian

Other releases	Playing the Fool In Concert-BBC Radio 1 Out of the Woods The Last Steps Under Construction King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Out of the Fire Totally Out of the Woods Live in Rome 1974 In'terview in Concert In a Palesport House Experience Artistically Cryme Endless Life The Missing Face Prologue Scraping the Barrel Playing the Cleveland Live in New York 1975 Live in Santa Monica 1975 Live in Stockholm '75 King Alfred's College Winchester Giant on the Box (DVD) GG at the GG (DVD)