▁with ▁their ▁music . ▁ ▁The ▁character ▁is ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁those ▁from ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁tales ▁of ▁François ▁R abel ais . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁start , ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ▁was ▁a ▁particularly ▁flexible ▁band ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁exception ally ▁broad ▁musical ▁skills ▁of ▁its ▁members . ▁One ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ▁album ▁would ▁list ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁forty - six ▁instruments ▁in ▁the ▁music ian ▁cred its ▁— ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁played ▁by ▁group ▁members ▁— ▁and ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁members ▁sang , ▁en abling ▁the ▁band ▁to ▁write ▁and ▁perform ▁detailed ▁vocal ▁harm ony ▁and ▁counter point . ▁The ▁band ' s ▁approach ▁to ▁song writing ▁was ▁equally ▁diverse , ▁bl ending ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁ideas ▁and ▁influ ences ▁whether ▁they ▁were ▁considered ▁commercial ▁or ▁otherwise . ▁ ▁Early ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant : ▁the ▁debut ▁album , ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste ▁and ▁Three ▁Fri ends ▁The ▁band ' s ▁first ▁album ▁was ▁the ▁self - t itled ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁Com bin ing ▁the ▁collect ive ▁band ▁members ' ▁influ ences ▁of ▁rock , ▁bl ues , ▁classical , ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁British ▁soul , ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁immediately ▁challeng ing ▁effort , ▁though ▁sometimes ▁critic ised ▁for ▁a ▁slightly ▁disappoint ing ▁recording ▁quality . ▁ ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁by ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste . ▁This ▁second ▁album