▁Mort imore ' s ▁extended ▁con val esc ence , ▁the ▁band ▁opt ed ▁to ▁formally ▁replace ▁him ▁with ▁We athers ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁April ▁tour . ▁ ▁Oct opus , ▁and ▁the ▁departure ▁of ▁Phil ▁Sh ul man ▁The ▁new ▁line - up ▁of ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ▁delivered ▁the ▁Oct opus ▁album ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁The ▁band ' s ▁hard est - rock ing ▁album ▁to ▁date , ▁Oct opus ▁was ▁alleg edly ▁named ▁by ▁Phil ▁Sh ul man ' s ▁wife ▁Ro berta ▁as ▁a ▁pun ▁on ▁" oct o ▁op us " ▁( e ight ▁musical ▁works , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁album ' s ▁eight ▁tracks ). ▁It ▁maintained ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ' s ▁distinct ive ▁broad ▁and ▁challeng ingly ▁integrated ▁styles , ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highlight s ▁being ▁the ▁intr icate ▁m adr ig al - sty led ▁vocal ▁work out ▁" K not s " ▁( wh ose ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁taken ▁from ▁various ▁vers es ▁of ▁poetry ▁from ▁R . ▁D . ▁La ing ' s ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ). ▁ ▁The ▁release ▁of ▁Oct opus ▁is ▁generally ▁considered ▁to ▁her ald ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ' s ▁peak ▁period . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Ray ▁Sh ul man ▁commented ▁"[ Oct opus ] ▁was ▁probably ▁our ▁best ▁album , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁perhaps ▁of ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste . ▁We ▁started