Gentle Giant – Free Hand
Tracklist
| Transfer From The Original Master Tapes | |||
| A1 | Just The Same | 5:34 | |
| A2 | On Reflection | 5:41 | |
| A3 | Free Hand | 6:14 | |
| B1 | Time To Kill | 5:08 | |
| B2 | His Last Voyage | 6:27 | |
| B3 | Talybont | 2:43 | |
| B4 | Mobile | 5:05 | |
| Steven Wilson 2021 Remixes | |||
| C1 | Just The Same | 5:34 | |
| C2 | On Reflection | 5:41 | |
| C3 | Free Hand | 6:14 | |
| D1 | Time To Kill | 5:08 | |
| D2 | His Last Voyage | 6:27 | |
| D3 | Talybont | 2:43 | |
| D4 | Mobile | 5:05 |
Companies, etc.
- Pressed By – Optimal Media GmbH – BL39701
- Lacquer Cut At – Optimal Media GmbH
Credits
- Engineer – Gary Martin (3)
- Engineer [Assistant] – Paul Northfield
- Graphics – Richard Evans (7)
- Lacquer Cut By – KR*
- Mixed By [Remix By] – Steven Wilson (tracks: C1 to D4)
- Producer – Gentle Giant
Notes
Black vinyl release. Red vinyl pressing seen here Gentle Giant - Free Hand
White vinyl pressing seen here Gentle Giant - Free Hand
Catalogue # on spine and sticker: ALUGGV066
Catalogue # on labels: ALUGGV66
White vinyl pressing seen here Gentle Giant - Free Hand
Catalogue # on spine and sticker: ALUGGV066
Catalogue # on labels: ALUGGV66
Barcode and Other Identifiers
- Barcode (printed): 8 04471 00069 5
- Barcode (scanned): 80447100695
- Matrix / Runout (Side A): ALUGV066 BL39701-01 A1 KR
- Matrix / Runout (Side B): ALUGV066 BL39701-01 B1 KR
- Matrix / Runout (Side C): ALUGV066 VI BL39701-02 C1 KR
- Matrix / Runout (Side D): ALUGV066 VI BL39701-02 D1 KR
Other Versions (5 of 69)
View All| Title (Format) | Label | Cat# | Country | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recently Edited | Free Hand (LP, Album, Red Rimtext) | Chrysalis | CHR 1093 | UK | 1975 | ||
Recently Edited | Free Hand (LP, Album, Winchester Pressing) | Capitol Records | ST-11428 | US | 1975 | ||
New Submission | Free Hand (LP, Album) | Chrysalis | 6307 556 | Italy | 1975 | ||
Recently Edited | Free Hand (LP, Album, Stereo) | Capitol Records | ST-11428 | Canada | 1975 | ||
New Submission | Free Hand (LP, Album) | Chrysalis | CHR 1093 | France | 1975 |
Recommendations
Reviews
Edited 3 years agoI'm comparing LP1 of this with my 1975 original right now. Immediately apparent is how sparing they've been with any limiting. If anything it seems lower in volume than my original copy. Just a smidge, not massive, but enough to notice.
Secondly the upper frequencies are slightly rolled off (evident on hi-hats, crashes, tambourine) compared to my 1975 copy....which is altogether more lively to my ears.
How peculiar in this day and age! Invariably reissues are hotter and brighter. Not this one! But then they DO say 'transfer' rather than a remaster. True to their word, blimey!
On to the other disc, the SW remix....sure enough, he's made everything sound more expensive. Less muddy. There's more air. It's wetter (too wet, on 'On Reflection'?). The vocals, the tambourine, the ride, snare (not the hi-hats, strangely enough) are all sharper.
Typically the genius has done a good job but it does sound more modern. More tiring on the ears. Like a CD.
All this is further confirmation that, much as I like to get well-pressed, clean reissues of things whose original pressings are out of my price range eg, Can, Wigwam...I'm SOOOO glad I've kept my original pressings of Giant and Floyd, Beatles, Zeppelin, etc.etc.- 2 cracks at this after being so frustrated to find Optimal are pressing this one... gone from being an excellent plant to a joke of late (BN 80ths and Classics, my It Bites reissues etc). 1st attempt....side 1 is scratched from a small chunk of sharp break off. Side 3 is non filled like its from MPO or Rainbo. .
2nd copy more like the optimal of a few yrs ago.... both flat as, no groove defects and quiet for it, cant complain this time. YMMV
I look forward to a direct A/B with the 2012 edition i own. 
Is lp1 all analogue? Add six more words to post
Release
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