By 1976 Giant had been at it for 6 years, working so hard in such obscurity,
endlessly touring as opening acts for bands that were earning millions and millions, many significantly less talented, while they were plugging away making a living wage and not much more than that. In addition the entire Prog genre was receiving mounting criticism and scorn from the by-now fully developed DIY movement (and in many cases rightly so). Out of this comes their last great studio album, Interview.
Interview is considered by many a concept album, I guess you could call it that but I tend to think of it as a theme album (IMO there is a difference). The title of the album, and the opening track, explains the entire theme (or concept if you prefer), they are being interviewed. And they really let the interviewer have a piece of their mind.
The title track opens with some of the ANGRIEST tones and lyrics in the entire Giant catalog. The music still comes first, of course, they accentuate the loud pissed-off verses with delicate instrumental fills. But make no mistake, they are fed up with every stupid question they've been asked all over the world for the past 6 years. There is even an instrumental bridge beginning at 3:27 that appears to reflect the dolting, slack-jawed idiocy of the music press, more dumb questions being whispered behind the goofy notes
The anger of the title track gives way to tired resignation in "Give It Back", the full trademark Giant instrumental interplay and off-time signatures are all here, especially in the bridge section, the lyrics overshadow this with a palpable frustration
The resignation gives way to utter despair in the centerpiece of the album, one my absolute favorites in all the Giant catalog. "Design" IMO outdoes even "Knots" and "So Sincere" as to the signature Giant dissonance. Interesting to notice that the pre-MTV performance videos that were made for many of the songs on this album were not made for "Design", I'm certain that they knew this track had zero chance of any wide mainstream acceptance, yet they made this the centerpiece, ending side one. This is simply great art for the sake of it. And without question, "Design" is depressing. Great art very frequently is.
"As Years Drift By / And Future Dies"
I can't even begin to explain the love that I have for this piece of music.
Unfortunately, side two opens with the first song in the entire Giant collection (since "The Queen" at least) that I didn't like at all, on any level (although in my next two reviews there will be an abundance of this). "Another Show" is just BITTER. Yes, they had been unmercifully touring touring for six years with very little return in investment, and they were sick of it (even losing one of their members, the third Shulman, Phil, in the process), and I get that the music is meant to reflect that, but OMG is this song unpleasant to listen to. Their chops are all still there, but yikes...
Fortunately the next track is wonderful, "Empty City"
"Timing" is another solid track, reflecting the good-news-offset-by-bad-news story that was their entire career
"I lost My Head" closes this last great Giant album, and the live album aside this is the last truly great song Giant ever released. Absolutely love this, especially the way it stomps on the LOUD pedal at 3:03
Up next, my sad duty to review the single most disappointing album of my life, The Missing Piece.