Playing the Fool/Civilian [Import, Live, Original recording remastered]

Gentle Giant | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import, Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Bgo - Beat Goes on
• ASIN: B00000I7GA
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,512 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Just the Same/The Proclamation

2. On Reflection

3. Exceprts from "Octopus"

4. Funny Ways

5. The Runaway/Experience

6. So Sincere

7. Free Hand

8. Sweet Georgia Brown

9. Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head

Disc: 2

1. Convenience (Clean and Easy)

2. All Through the Night

3. Shadows on the Street

4. Number One

5. Underground

6. I Am a Camera

7. Inside Out

8. It's Not Imagination

Editorial Reviews

This two-fer includes the originally double live album Playing the Fool, plus Civilian. ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Before and After, July 15, 2001

By 

Sylvan "sylvanmigdal" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing the Fool/Civilian (Audio CD)

This set is a good example of what happens when a great band attempts to go commercial. Disc one is Playing the Fool, showcasing the live band at the top of their form. This is an amazing recording. All the players here are amazing multi-intrementalists, and they effortlessly mix straight rock with recorder breaks, glockenspiel trios and electric violin, all played in freakishly complex rhythms and with amazing vocal interplay. Listening to the second disc, then, you wonder where all that went. It's straight guitar-keyboard rock here. There's still a Gentle Giant flavor here, and this is definitely not a bad album, but the unadventurousness is disappointing. It's easy to see why they broke up after this album was released. Overall, the set is highly recommended. The amazing Playing The Fool far outweighs the relatively weak Civilian.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Civilian wasn't that bad, April 9, 2000

By 

pete Yarbrough (Mountain View Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing the Fool/Civilian (Audio CD)

I'm pretty hardcore Giant, I learnt to play bass from Glass House, FreeHand (+Crimso). I think that, despite being a beat-oriented, semi-new wave offering, Civilian had a good sound and some good moments, particularly Underground. I really liked it better than Giant for a Day and Missing Piece, 2 of their other more 'commercial' offerings. I saw this tour as well, at Bill Graham's Old Waldorf. They stuck to the new stuff, but I thought it worked, although I felt sad that they did sort of have to try to 'sell out', but those were tough days for progrock. Remember Asia and Kayak?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5stars/2stars, March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing the Fool/Civilian (Audio CD)

Playing The Fool is Gentle Giant's finest recorded live performance. Recorded in 1977 it presents material from the band's finest era. Each cut is terrific as are the performances. Civilian, recorded in 1980, is the weakest in G.G's catalogue. Very little of value here other than perhaps Shadows In The Street. The quality of the this two-fer is, unlike the ONE WAY RECORDS version, terrific. Playing The Fool is highly recommended, Civilian is not...Simon