Often hailed as Gentle Giant’s last good album, or hated for being their first bad album Interview sure does sit uneasily in the Gentle Giant catalogue. Released after the popular Free Hand album in 1976 the concept album based around band interviews is wonderfully produced and the level of skill and musicianship contained within is nothing short of great.

I like the album a lot and would recommend giving it a few listens with an open mind before making any judgements. For me, the best songs are the rocking ‘I Lost My Head,’ and the great ‘Empty City.’

Throughout the whole album Derek’s voice is awesome and the songs are creative and interesting. Where the album sometimes draws criticism however is for being too similar to its aforementioned predecessor Free Hand. Every Gentle Giant album before this had been wildly different from what came before it and so some fans were disappointed that this was comparatively safe.

While this may seem true on first listen however, it soon becomes apparent that Interview is an original and well written album. In fact if you haven’t heard Free Hand there’s really nothing to complain about at all. Gentle Giant’s overall aesthetic is there to be enjoyed, that the common link of excellence that can be between all their albums. Furthermore the music is still a lot more diverse, spirited and complex than the majority of other bands and Derek’s fantastic voice is still holding up strong eight albums into their career.

Overall, Interview is a wonderful album that is often overlooked and if you like Gentle Giant, its worth at least a test listen as you sure could find yourself loving it. If you’re new to Gentle Giant perhaps try albums like Free Hand or Octopus before moving on to the likes of Interview but if you are into the band already it is a worthy addition to your collection.