Acquiring the Taste was the second album of English progressive rock band Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...

, released in 1971.
This was a departure from the blues and soul styles found on their self titled debut. It was more experimental, more discordant, and with more varied instrumentation. In the sleeve text, the band made this famous declaration:

"...It is our goal to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of being very unpopular. We have recorded each composition with the one thought - that it should be unique, adventurous and fascinating. It has taken every shred of our combined musical and technical knowledge to achieve this. From the outset we have abandoned all preconceived thoughts of blatant commercialism. Instead we hope to give you something far more substantial and fulfilling. All you need to do is sit back, and acquire the taste."

Most versions of this album (both LP and CD) have a mastering defect at the beginning of the title track. The first two notes of the synthesizer are heard at the wrong pitch before the correct pitch stabilizes. This error probably caused by an analog tape recorder coming up to speed. The correct version of this track can be found on the remastered 2 CD Gentle Giant collection titled The Edge of Twilight released in the U.K. in 1996 as well as the original U.K. Vertigo (swirl and spaceship) label vinyl pressings.

The album cover has some innuendo in that it is made to look like a tongue licking an anus. However, when opened completely, it is actually a tongue licking a peach.

The recording was made at the following studios

• Advision Studios – (Engineers: Martin Rushent
  Martin Rushent
  Martin Rushent was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and The Buzzcocks.- Early life :Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father was a car salesman...
  
  , Big A & Garybaldi)
• A.I.R. Studios, London – (Engineer: Bill Price
  Bill Price (record producer)
  Bill Price is a producer and engineer famed for his work with The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Nymphs and The Waterboys....
  
  )

Track listing

All songs written by Shulman, Shulman, Shulman and Minnear and arranged by Gentle Giant.

Side One

1. "Pantagruel's Nativity"  – 6:50
2. "Edge of Twilight"  – 3:47
3. "The House, The Street, The Room"  – 6:01
4. "Acquiring the Taste"  – 1:36

Side Two

1. "Wreck"  – 4:36
2. "The Moon Is Down"  – 4:45
3. "Black Cat"  – 3:51
4. "Plain Truth"  – 7:36

Personnel

• Gary Green
  Gary Green
  Gary Green is a British musician. During the 1970s, he was the guitarist for the progressive rock band Gentle Giant. Green was with the band from the debut album Gentle Giant all the way to the last album Civilian. Green's style was different from most of his peers, being a more "blues" based...
  
   – 6 string guitar, 12 string guitar, 12 string wah-wah guitar, donkey's jawbone, cat calls, voice
• Kerry Minnear
  Kerry Minnear
  Kerry Minnear is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who played in the innovative progressive rock band Gentle Giant during the 1970s....
  
   – electric piano, organ, mellotron, vibraphone, Moog, piano, celeste, clavichord, harpsichord, tympani, xylophone, maracas, lead vocals
• Derek Shulman
  Derek Shulman
  Derek Shulman is a British musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive...
  
   – alto sax, clavichord, cowbell, lead vocals
• Phil Shulman
  Phil Shulman
  Phil Shulman , was a member of the progressive rock group Gentle Giant from 1970 to 1972 and performed on their albums Gentle Giant, Acquiring the Taste, Three Friends and Octopus....
  
   – alto & tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, piano, claves, maracas, lead vocals
• Ray Shulman
  Ray Shulman
  Raymond Shulman is a British musician, and the youngest of three brothers in progressive rock band, Gentle Giant.Born in Portsmouth, Shulman's father was a trumpet player in a jazz band, and that was the first instrument he learned to play...
  
   – bass, violin, viola, electric violin, Spanish guitar, tambourine, 12 string guitar, organ bass pedals, skulls, vocals
• Martin Smith
  Martin Smith (musician)
  Martin Smith , was a drummer for Gentle Giant and Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. He played on the first two Gentle Giant albums, Gentle Giant and Acquiring the Taste, before being replaced by Malcolm Mortimore...
  
   – drums, tambourine, gongs, side drum

Guest musicians

• Paul Cosh – trumpet, organ
• Tony Visconti
  Tony Visconti
  Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
  
   – recorder, bass drum, triangle
• Chris Thomas
  Chris Thomas (record producer)
  Chris Thomas is an English record producer who has worked extensively with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pulp and The Pretenders. He has also produced breakthrough albums for The Sex Pistols and INXS.Thomas is quoted as saying -Early life:Thomas was...
  
   – moog programmer

Release details

• 1971, UK, Vertigo 6360 041, release date July 16, 1971, LP
• 1971, UK, Vertigo 6360 041, release date ? ? 1971, Cassette
• 1971, USA, Vertigo VEL 1005, release date August 1971, LP (with gatefold cover)
• 1971, USA, Vertigo VEL 1005, release date ? ? 1971, Cassette
• 1997, UK, Vertigo 842 917-2, release date ? February 1997, CD
• 1997, USA, Polydor 8429172, release date ? February 1997, CD
• 2005, UK, Repertoire REPUK1072, release date 28 November 2005, CD (limited edition reissue)