Gentle Giant-Civilian (1980)

"Civilian", released in early 1980, was the last album recorded by the legendary Gentle Giant, a work that shows little trace of the band's glorious progressive past. On this release, the quintet of Derek Shulman (vocals), Gary Green (guitars), Kerry Minnear (keyboards), Ray Shulman (bass, guitars, and vocals), and John Weathers (drums and vocals) aimed for a lighter, more accessible sound, with a conventional American rock style. While not as challenging as their previous releases, the band remained in a comfortable zone, creating catchy melodies within an atmosphere reminiscent of 1980s new wave and melodic rock, as demonstrated by songs like "Convenience (Clean and Easy)", "Shadows on the Streets," and "Inside Out," and the classic arena rock of "Number One," "I Am a Camera", and "All Through the Night". With this eleventh release, Gentle Giant brought their brilliant career to a close, producing an epitaph in the form of a commendable and solid classic rock album.