In a Glass House

In a Glass House is the fifth album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released on 21 September 1973. The album is allegedly a concept project based on the aphorism "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones".[3] The record begins and ends with the sound of breaking glass. It is the first album released by the band following the departure of Phil Shulman.

In a Glass House
Studio album by Gentle Giant
Released	21 September 1973
Recorded	July 1973
Studio	Advision Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock experimental rock
Length	38:08
Label	Vertigo/WWA
Producer	Gentle Giant, Gary Martin
Gentle Giant chronology
Octopus (1972) In a Glass House (1973) The Power and the Glory (1974)
Singles from In a Glass House
"In A Glass House" / "An Inmates Lullaby" Released: 1973

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Hippyland	[2]

Release

One of Gentle Giant's most popular albums (although the band themselves were not happy with it at the time, having to work under the pressure of Phil Shulman's departure),[4] it was available in the United States and Canada only as a [5] high priced import until 2004 when a digitally remastered CD was released. This was because their US label Columbia Records rejected the album as uncommercial. As a result, Columbia dropped the band from the label which contractually allowed the band to take ownership of the original master recording and all rights to it. This cleared the way for the first "official" release of the title in the United States on compact disc on the band's own Alucard label.

The 2004 release had two live recordings from the tour as bonus tracks. The album was reissued in 2005 and distributed by Derek Shulman's DRT label with 1 bonus live track as part of the 35th Anniversary reissue series of the band's back catalogue. In 2009, In a Glass House became available for the first time as a digital download with bonus live recordings (these recordings differed from the original 2004 and 2005 release of the album) remastered by Fred Kervorkian under the supervision of Ray Shulman. In a Glass House received a physical release on CD as part of a 40th Anniversary series of reissues this time without any bonus tracks with plans to release vinyl versions of all the band's albums from In a Glass House through Giant for a Day in late 2010.[6]

The final track of the album is hidden. Following the song "In a Glass House", there is a delay then a brief recapitulation of every other track on the album. The song is named "Index" in LP releases but not marked in the cover of the CD releases. The album cover had a black and white lithograph of the group covered with clear plastic ("glass") on a die-cut.

Track listing

All lead vocals by Derek Shulman and Kerry Minnear, except "A Reunion", sung by Kerry Minnear.

All tracks are written by Derek Shulman, Ray Shulman, and Kerry Minnear.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Runaway"	7:15
2.	"An Inmate's Lullaby"	4:39
3.	"Way of Life"	8:04

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Experience"	7:50
2.	"A Reunion"	2:11
3.	"In a Glass House" "Index" (On CD-pressings this small song including samples from each of the album's other songs is included in the end of In a Glass House)	8:09

Bonus tracks on remastered CD

No.	Title	Length
7.	"The Runaway/Experience" (Live 23 September 1976 at the Philipshalle in Düsseldorf, West Germany)	10:01
8.	"In a Glass House" (Live 5 April 1974, at the Münsterlandhalle, Münster, West Germany)	9:49

• 35th anniversary disc contains only "The Runaway/Experience" bonus track with a length of 9:43

Personnel

Musicians

• Gary Green – 6 string electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6), 12 string acoustic guitar (1, 5, 6), steel guitar (6), mandolin (6), tambourine (6), treble recorder (3)
• Kerry Minnear – Moog (1, 3, 6), Hammond organ (1, 3, 4, 6), piano (3, 4, 5), Clavinet (1, 4, 6), electric piano (1, 4), Thomas Organ (3, 4), clavichord (4), RMI 368 Electra-Piano and Harpsichord (6), celesta (2), glockenspiel (2), marimba (2), vibraphone (2), tympani (2), cello (5), descant recorder (1, 3), co-lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 6), lead vocals (5)
• Derek Shulman – lead vocals (1-4, 6), alto saxophone and soprano saxophones (6), descant recorder (1)
• Ray Shulman – bass guitar (1, 3-6), acoustic guitar (6), violin (3-6), tambourine (4), backing vocals (1, 6)
• John Weathers – drums (1, 3, 4, 6), bass drum (5), cowbell (6)[7]

Production

• Arranged By Gentle Giant
• Produced By Gentle Giant & Gary Martin
• Recorded & Engineered By Gary Martin
• Mixed By Dan Bornemark

References

1. Eder, Bruce (2011). "In a Glass House – Gentle Giant | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
2. Miller, Ben (2011). "Gentle Giant: In a Glass House (1973) – Hip Music Reviews – Hippyland". hippy.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
3. In A Glass House (1973) – Gentle Giant web site Archived 2008-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
4. Nick Logan & Bob Woffinden, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock (New Musical Express), 2nd ed., Salamander Books-Harmony Books NY-London, 1977, p.92
5. The Rolling Stone Record Guide (first edition, 1979, p. 147) does not list the LP among nine Gentle Giant albums up to Giant for a Day. Also absent from the list are the first self-titled LP, and the compilation albums Giant Steps and Pretentious.
6. "Progressiveland" interview with Derek Shulman Archived 2010-07-19 at the Wayback Machine by Wayne Klein, 17 February 2010
7. Gentle Giant's website (www.blazemonger.com/GG/)