Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant)

[Pekka]

The dark Chris Squire as someone put it, Ray Shulman played some amazing basslines for Gentle Giant. Punchy and complex but groovy and with a great sound.







The single they apparently hated:


More commercial from the later years but the bassline in the chorus is a bliss.


Ray was and is also a great guitarist and violin player. From "Octopus" (1972) onwards he used mainly a Fender Precision, played with a pick.

[jumbodbassman]

one of my favs for sure.   Gentle Giant - musicians' musicians......  so under appreciated....

Sweet sounding pbass too!!  They were tremendous live...

[Freuds_Cat]

I've never heard of him but its definitely a style I'm into. thx

[Pekka]

I've never heard of him but its definitely a style I'm into. thx

Never heard of Gentle Giant? Well, if I may recommend...

Octopus (1972)
In A Glass House (1973)
The Power & The Glory (1974)
Free Hand (1975)

...or the best "compilation": Live - Playing The Fool (1977)

[Barklessdog]

I always loved their quirky style. Wonderful bass playing.

[jumbodbassman]

I've never heard of him but its definitely a style I'm into. thx

well you have missed something special....early stuff especially... 

[Denis]

I always loved their quirky style. Wonderful bass playing.

Quirky is right. I like them and play them at the radio station but there's something definitely off kilter about their music.

[uwe]

They sounded a bit like the deformed child spawned from a wild sex night between Yes and Jethro Tull! But for all its cleverness, they played their music with heart and groove. Very popular among the proggies at my school in the seventies.

 

[nofi]

wow. i must admit i never heard these guys before although i saw their records everywhere. proclamation sounds like bits of col. bruce hampton's second late bronze age record and the first aquarium rescue unit album. go figure. i like it! it appeals to the non bombast prog side of me.