On Reflection


"On Reflection" is a song by the progressive rock band Gentle Giant. It was released on their 1975 album Free Hand.

Composition

"On Reflection" is in the key of B-flat major.
Bruce Eder of AllMusic wrote that the song had "medieval-style a cappella vocals", while The Great Rock Bible described the song as a "folk rocker".

Reception

Robert Taylor of AllMusic wrote that "On Reflection" was revolutionary for its time, due to the band's vocal approach. Taylor also wrote that the song was one of prog-rock's defining moments.
Music webzine Sea of Tranquility called the song a classic, and wrote that "On Reflection" probably never appealed to non-progressive rock fans, but that most fans of the genre considered the song "a remarkable achievement."
uDiscoverMusic also commented on the song positively, writing that the song's opening four-part fugue remains one of Gentle Giant's and the progressive rock genre's defining moments.
Paul Stump in the 2005 book Acquiring the Taste wrote that the song was an example of the band's "mastery of writing and performing intensly complex contrapuntal music", and that it was an instant hit when they performed live.

Other appearances

A live performance of the song is also included on the 1977 album Playing the Fool.