▁the ▁complexity ▁and ▁s oph istic ation ▁of ▁its ▁music ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁varied ▁musical ▁skills ▁of ▁its ▁members . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁members ▁were ▁multi - inst rument al ists . ▁Although ▁not ▁commer cially ▁successful , ▁they ▁did ▁achieve ▁a ▁cult ▁following . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁stated ▁that ▁its ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁" expand ▁the ▁front iers ▁of ▁contemporary ▁popular ▁music ▁at ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁becoming ▁very ▁un pop ular ", ▁although ▁this ▁st ance ▁was ▁to ▁alter ▁significantly ▁with ▁time . ▁ ▁Gent le ▁Gi ant ' s ▁music ▁was ▁considered ▁complex ▁even ▁by ▁progress ive ▁rock ▁standards , ▁drawing ▁on ▁a ▁broad ▁sw ath ▁of ▁music ▁including ▁folk , ▁soul , ▁jazz , ▁and ▁classical ▁music . ▁Un like ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁progress ive ▁rock ▁contempor aries , ▁their ▁" class ical " ▁influ ences ▁r anged ▁beyond ▁the ▁Rom antic ▁and ▁incorpor ated ▁medieval , ▁bar o que , ▁and ▁modern ist ▁chamber ▁music ▁elements . ▁The ▁band ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁taste ▁for ▁broad ▁them es ▁for ▁their ▁lyr ics , ▁drawing ▁insp iration ▁not ▁only ▁from ▁personal ▁experiences ▁but ▁from ▁philosophy ▁and ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁both ▁François ▁R abel ais ▁and ▁R . ▁D . ▁La ing . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁they ▁were ▁recogn ised ▁with ▁the ▁lifetime ▁achiev ement ▁award ▁at ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Music ▁Awards . ▁ ▁Band ▁history ▁ ▁Pre history ▁( including ▁Simon ▁Dup ree ▁and ▁the ▁Big ▁Sound ) ▁The ▁core ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁Gent le