Customer Reviews

Playing the Fool/Civilian

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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?

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

I Have yet to hear "Civilian", but "Playing The Fool' is one of the most astounding pieces of live music I've ever heard. I chose to put my review on this double package release over another issue of PTF because this is the one that everyone has told me has superior sound quality. I hear the other one is attrocious. Gentle Giant was one of the best prog rock acts, much more influneced by King Crimson as opposed to Yes Or ELP. They had the dissonance of KC with a dash of a medievil folk sound that made them very unique. PTF is by far what I would recomend first for anyone looking to check this band out. The live versions of these songs are even better than the originals. Highly recomended

"Playing the Fool: The Offical Live Album" captured GG just with the material they recorded before going "commercial" (for the most part)in their attempt to broaden their American audience. "Playing the Fool" catches the band in great form. It provides a nice cross selection of some of their finest material (although the highlights from "Octopus" shorts that terrific album).

"Civilian" actually is quite good. It's better than the other two "mainstream" rock albums the band recorded. Although it's missing much of the complex interplay of previous albums, the solid songwriting and melodies make it a memorable final gasp from this once grand, great prog rock band. I have fond memories of "Civilian" probably because I caught them on their last tour to support it at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. I seem to recall that they announced it was the last show of their tour (although they did do one in Los Angeles a couple of days later). Maybe I just misunderstood and they said it was going to be "one of their last shows". Anyhow, despite the fact that they had all had quite a bit to drink (as I recall I did, too), they played a nearly flawless set.