"Giant for a Day!" is the 10th studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant. The album was released in October 1978. Different from their other projects, "Giant for a Day!" showed an increased willingness to experiment with contemporary pop and rock styles and was indeed a stark contrast to their typical elaborate, complex, multi-instrumental arrangements seen in their previous albums.
Despite the distinct shift in musical direction, the album didn't garner much commercial success as anticipated and received mixed reviews from the band’s fans and critics alike. The album cover featured a hand holding a mask with a subjectively "happy" face implying the message of being a "giant for a day" which is open to various interpretations.
The band for this album comprised of members Gary Green, Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Ray Shulman, and John Weathers. The album had a total of 10 songs including the title track ‘Giant for a Day’. Sadly, the album marks a period where the band was suffering a professional decline, with their progressive rock style not aligning well with the emerging punk and pop trends of the late 70s. Thus, despite being pioneers in progressive rock, this album did not reflect the band's signature talent for intricate compositions and complex melodies.
