▁show c ased ▁a ▁band ▁who ▁were ▁developing ▁rapidly . ▁Far ▁more ▁experimental ▁and ▁dis son ant ▁than ▁its ▁prede cess or , ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste ▁was ▁sh aped ▁primarily ▁by ▁Ker ry ▁Min near ' s ▁broad ▁classical ▁and ▁contemporary ▁classical ▁music ▁training . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁showed ▁the ▁band ▁expand ing ▁their ▁already ▁impress ive ▁instrument al ▁p alette ▁( although ▁many ▁years ▁later ▁D erek ▁Sh ul man ▁would ▁admit ▁" we ▁recorded ▁[ Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste ] ▁without ▁any ▁idea ▁of ▁what ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁like ▁before ▁we ▁got ▁into ▁the ▁studio . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁experimental ▁album ▁and ▁we ▁still ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁an ▁ult imate ▁direction .") ▁The ▁band ' s ▁sense ▁of ▁challenge ▁was ▁made ▁evident ▁in ▁the ▁l iner ▁notes ▁to ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste , ▁which ▁contained ▁a ▁particularly ▁lo fty ▁statement ▁of ▁intent ▁even ▁by ▁progress ive ▁rock ▁standards . ▁Produ cer ▁Tony ▁Vis cont i ▁has ▁claimed ▁author ship ▁of ▁this ▁l iner ▁note ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁" gi ant " ▁story ▁accomp any ing ▁the ▁first ▁album ▁ ▁After ▁Ac qu iring ▁the ▁T aste , ▁Martin ▁Smith ▁left ▁the ▁band , ▁apparently ▁following ▁disag re ements ▁with ▁both ▁Ray ▁and ▁Phil ▁Sh ul man . ▁He ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Mal col m ▁Mort imore . ▁ ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ' s ▁next ▁recording ▁was ▁Three ▁Fri ends ▁( 1 9 7 2 ). ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁band '