GIRAFFE-GIRAFFE

Giraffe-Giraffe (1999)

1. Overture
2. This Warm Night
3. Because of You
4. New Patriots
5. In Every Line
6. Imagemaker
7. The World Just Gets Smaller
8. Power Reprise
9. Home
10. Progress
11. From Here To There
12. All Fall Down
13. The Way Back Home
14. Holding On With Both Hands
15. Airdance
16. Welcome Home
17. This Warm Night (live)

This is an out of print compilation of the 2 Giraffe releases, The Power of Suggestion (1987) & The View From Here (1988). The band was formed and fronted by singer/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert who would go on to form Toy Matinee with producer Patrick Leonard (whose 1991 album Toy Matinee was rereleased in 2001) and help inspire Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club as well as co-write more than half the songs on that CD. Kevin won a Grammy for co-writing All I Wanna Do.

Giraffe is considered progressive rock, but to me it sounds more like ambitious pop. Considering that the albums came out in the late 80's anything that didn't sound like Def Leppard or Tiffany was labeled as progressive. Considering these were independent releases, the sound and production is great. Most of the songs have a funky rock feel with a lyrical bent towards environmentalism. They only hint as whats to come. Bonus trivia:
Giraffe won 1st prize in 1988 in the Yamaha Soundcheck Competition in Los Angeles

Kevin Gilbert's band & solo albums are mostly out of print and very hard to find. He passed away in May of 1996, but left a wealth of great music for us to enjoy. Start here!