| Civilian | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Gentle Giant |
| Cover: | GentleGiant Civilian.jpg |
| Released: | 3 March 1980[1] |
| Recorded: | August–November 1979 |
| Studio: | Sound City, Van Nuys |
| Genre: | Hard rock |
| Length: | 32:41 |
| Label: | Chrysalis (UK) Columbia (US) |
| Producer: | Gentle Giant |
| Prev Title: | Giant for a Day! |
| Prev Year: | 1978 |
| Next Title: | Under Construction |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
Civilian is the eleventh and final studio album by the British band Gentle Giant, released in 1980.[2] It was recorded at Sound City Studios in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles with former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. Consisting mostly of short rock songs, it is closer to a traditional rock sound than the progressive style for which the band is best known. The album also marked a return to Columbia Records in the U.S. and Canada after an eight-year hiatus; the band's last album released with Columbia had been 1972's Octopus.
The album peaked at No. 203 on the Billboard 200.[3] Soon after the album's release, Gentle Giant played a final tour and then split up.
A previously unreleased track, "Heroes No More", has been included on some CD reissues of the album. Another track from the same period, "You Haven't a Chance", appeared on the compilation album Under Construction 17 years later.
Reviewing the 2006 Gentle Giant reissues, The Village Voice deemed Civilian "bland" and a bomb "that destroyed the band."[4]
All lead vocals by Derek Shulman, except "Shadows on the Street", sung by Kerry Minnear.