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Rating: Finally, after long waits and exhausting searches among unofficial recordings (often of poor audio quality), Gentle Giant decided to release an audio document capable of confirming that their proverbial mastery and inimitable instrumental capability is not just the result of studio artifices, but is directly reproducible, and even more evident, in live performances.
With "Playing The Fool," released by Chrysalis, the English band closes the circle of record production, which so far has not known any decisive missteps and has been a slow but increasingly convincing crescendo. Those who had attended the group's concerts over the years spoke of performances of great depth, and indeed this double live album fully confirms it. Resulting from the 1976 intercontinental tour, which also touched Italy, this live document is a stunning restatement of the classics of the great "Gentle Giant." The albums could have been three or four, and the final product would have only benefited from it, given the phenomenal live ability of the group and the gigantic repertoire from which to draw memorable pages of progressive rock. The album presents the same material, in the same order as it was proposed at the concerts of the period, except for the pieces derived from "Interview" (only "I Lost My Head" is performed together with "Peel The Paint" in a medley) which were not included in the tracklist because of the last album released before the aforementioned live album. The track that opens the show is "Just The Same," introduced by a special recorded base that makes it indistinguishable from the original. It follows with "Proclamation," slightly revised and devoid of the delicate midsection present on "The Power And The Glory." Through some notes of "Valedictory," not mentioned in the tracklist, it moves from "Proclamation" to the wonderful "On Reflection." In this track, the variations are more pronounced, starting with the introduction of an instrumental quartet composed of violin, harpsichord, vibraphone, and synthesizer, with a delightful arrangement taken from the second part of the original studio version, the one preceding the astounding four-part choir. Wonderful is the extract, always included in "On Reflection," where the two Schulmans, Green, and Minnear all play the flute together, in one of the many moments of superlative class performance. Truly applause-worthy.
In "Excerpts From Octopus," we are faced with a suite, over fifteen minutes long, which excellently reprises some passages from the "Octopus" album but also from "Acquiring The Taste." This collage of impactful tracks is a distinct example of the versatility of Gentle Giant that includes in a single medley many tracks initially unrelated to each other. It starts with a thrilling version of "The Boys In The Band" and then moves to an instrumental version based on Green's acoustic guitar of "Raconteur Troubadour." "Acquiring The Taste" is also rearranged for acoustic guitar, while the fantastic "Knots" is performed absolutely extraordinarily live, even in the very difficult madrigal vocal interweaving. This long suite then closes with two truly engaging and impeccable parts of "The Advent Of Panurge." The first album closes with the oldest track among all those proposed in this live double: "Funny Ways" from the distant "Gentle Giant" from eight years prior. The result is frame-worthy; its delicacy is intact, and the piece is extended to almost nine minutes by a celestial vibraphone solo by Minnear.
The second LP opens with a medley faithfully and without particular revisions, from "In A Glass House," including "The Runaway" and "Experience" excellently fused and performed. "So Sincere" from the album "The Power And The Glory" presents a different scenario. The beginning mostly follows the studio version, but soon one is enveloped in a fantastic percussion orgy, the famous "Five Men Bash Drum," where the five musicians are engaged simultaneously and for several minutes on percussion ranging from the drum, to the vibraphone, to the xylophone, to the cowbells. One of the most important and famous moments of the entire album, confirmed by the general ovation at the end of the performance. With "Free Hand," the vigorous and powerful rock performances return, even more engaging live.
"Breakdown in Brussels" is actually the classic rock and roll "Sweet Georgia Brown," strangely included in the setlist. Indeed, this track is a true improvisation that the group produced in an attempt to allow the roadies to desperately restore an electrical fault in the equipment during the Brussels concert. In practice, it is a real document highlighting the technical caliber of Ray Schulman and his violin and Gary Green with his acoustic guitar.
The final medley "Peel The Paint / I Lost My Head" features two memorable tracks, the first extracted and briefly performed from "Three Friends" and the second from "Interview." The performance of "I Lost My Head" is one of the most important parts of the live show. Conducted in a notably more solid and superb manner than studio, it closes this irrefutable manifesto of the great skill of Gentle Giant.
Some curious notes on the album packaging: the cover features an improbable poster showing a date on the Gentle Giant tour for September 31st, in Summerland, when it is well-known that September only has 30 days! Additionally, the cover features a photo of the Palace Theatre in Manchester (UK) where, however, Gentle Giant never had the honor of playing. A great live album from one of the most technical and virtuous progressive bands of all time.
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 Proclamation (03:41)
You may not have all you want or you need
all that you have has been due to my hand,
it can change, it can stay the same,
who can say, who can make their claim
The situation we are in at this time
neither a good one, nor is it so unblest
it can change, it can stay the same,
I can say, I can make my claim.
Hail ........ Hail ........ Hail
Unity's strength and all must be as one,
confidence in you hope will reflect in me
I think everyone not as my nation for
you are my people and there must be no change
It can change, it can stay the same
I can say, I can make my claim
Hail ........ Hail ........ Hail
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Day by day.
You may not have all you want or you need
all that you have has been due to my hand,
it can change, it can stay the same,
who can say, who can make their claim
Unity's strength and all must be as one,
confidence in you hope will reflect in me
I think everyone not as my nation for
you are my people and there must be no change
It can change, it can stay the same
I can say, I can make my claim
Hail ........ Hail ........ Hail
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Hail to Power and to Glory's way
Day by day
04 Valedictory (01:39)
And though all the hard times,
are really due to me, it is still in me,
to wave all this unrest
Things must stay,
there must be no change,
anyway, time to rearrange
You must believe, that there's
been no betrayal all that I've done,
I've really done for you
Things must stay,
there must be no change,
anyway, time to rearrange
Hail, to power and to glory's way
Hail, to power and to glory's way
Must be a reason why plans
have turned around not only in me,
must also be in you
Things must stay,
there must be no change,
anyway, time to rearrange
hail ...
06 Octopus (medley): The Boys in the Band / Raconteur Troubadour / Acquiring the Taste / Knots / Organ Bridge / The Advent of Panurge, Part 1 / The Famous Recorder Quartet / The Advent of Panurge, Part 2 (15:39)
07 Funny Ways (08:31)
I'm sorry to have been so much of a bore
But in my own funny way I find I learn much more
I realise what you think from your eyes,
But in your own funny ways I find I learn much more
My ways are strange
They'll never change
They stay, strange ways
I'm sorry to have been so close from the start,
But for all that I cared we could be miles apart
I understood that you never would
Understand a way of life that I never could
My ways are strange
They'll never change
They stay, strange ways
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
Go your own way or wait for me
And so you see what happened to me
Since the time when I judged my life in nights and days
I realised that my life was lies
So you see what I mean with all my funny ways
I'm sorry to have been so much of a bore
But in my own funny way I find I learn much more
Funny ways, Funny ways, Funny ways, Funny ways
08 The Runaway (03:54)
He is the runaway, Lie low the wanted man
Mask his elusive face, Soon he will getaway and free is his
future no more aimless time to spend
And evading, he's escaping
Four dirty walls and a bed in a cage his home no more.
Run in the underwood, Cover and hide the trail
Senses like sharpened sword, Guards for the shadow on his
tail.
And yet his joy is empty and sad.
All thoughts are scarred with the prison cell and freedom
seems like freedom's hell
Hopes stained with strange regret, His dreams are dreams
for that he cannot get.
And yet his joy is empty and sad.
Lose all identity, Vanish in own denial
Seeks only lies and hide, Truth never brought to trial.
And caught in his own net, he looks to find endless life and
evading, he's escaping
Four dirty walls and a bed in a cage his home no more.
Run in the underwood, Cover and hide the trail
Senses like sharpened sword, Guards for the shadow on his
tail.
09 Experience (05:37)
Once I was a boy, an innocent to life and my role in it,
This world played my game, and anyone a clown or foil for
myself
The harmless affairs, and no-one seemed to care for any
meaning
My life was my own, The debt I paid, I paid it only to
myself
The unseeing youth, how can it be so shallow and short-
sighted
These years passed me by, to realise the folly of these unripe
years
Now I am a man, I realise
My unworldly sins pained many lives
Yet I heard, heard with ears that wouldn't listen
And still I watched and I saw with blinkered eyes
But with age the conscience slowly dawns and bonds of
duty gently tied
All my sins, seen through now there is experience and
recollecting act in virgin guise.
Master inner voices, making the choices
Once I could rebel and consequences then had no reflection
And I am a man, And I am bound by adult age discretion
now
10 So Sincere (05:16)
Hear, he'll do it all for you, you will see it,
wise and knowing what to do, what to be
and every word is ........
Lies, he only tells the truth, for he means it,
means, not anything he says, eyes unseen,
but everything is ........
So sincere, so sincere, so sincere, so sin
Yes, that is to say no, understanding
wrong, he makes his promise right, with your hand
you'll never know why
So sincere, so sincere, so sincere, so sincere
So, sincere his thoughts so full, always empty
Good, or maybe things are bad, so sincere,
and every word is ........
So sincere, so ........
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