Playing the Fool

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Playing the Fool - The Official Live
Playingthefoolcover.gif
Live album by
Released18 January 1977
Recorded23 September – 7 October 1976 in Düsseldorf, Paris, Brussels and Munich
Genre
Length78:09
Label Chrysalis (UK)
Capitol (US)
Producer Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant chronology
Interview
(1976)
Playing the Fool - The Official Live
(1977)
The Missing Piece
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
Babyblaue Seiten14.33/15 link
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Playing the Fool - The Official Live is a live album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1977. The album contains versions of songs from all of the band's studio albums to that point except for Acquiring the Taste (although a section from the title track of that album is featured in "Excerpts from Octopus"). The original UK LP came with a 12-page booklet that has not been reproduced in any of the CD editions.

Contents

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, and Ray Shulman except where noted. The songwriting credits are taken from the studio albums the songs originally appeared on, which are noted for each track; the credits on Playing the Fool itself excised all songwriting credits for Phil Shulman, who had left Gentle Giant on bad terms in 1972.

Side one
No.TitleNotesLength
1."Just the Same/Proclamation" (from Free Hand / The Power and the Glory )Düsseldorf, 1976-09-2311:13
2."On Reflection" (from Free Hand )Düsseldorf, 1976-09-236:20
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
3."Excerpts from Octopus (The Boys in the Band/Raconteur Troubadour/Acquiring the Taste/Knots/Organ Bridge/The Advent of Panurge)" (from Octopus / Acquiring the Taste )Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, Phil Shulman Paris, 1976-10-0515:35
4."Funny Ways" (from Gentle Giant )Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, ShulmanMunich, 1976-09-258:35
Side three
No.TitleNotesLength
5."The Runaway/Experience" (from In a Glass House )Paris, 1976-10-059:31
6."So Sincere" (from The Power and the Glory )Paris, 1976-10-0510:22
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
7."Free Hand" (from Free Hand ) Brussels, 1976-10-077:40
8."Sweet Georgia Brown" Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard Brussels, 1976-10-071:15
9."Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head" (from Three Friends / Interview )Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, Shulman ("Peel the Paint")Paris, 1976-10-057:35

35th anniversary re-release edition

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Just the Same"5:57
2."Proclamation/Valedictory"5:18
3."On Reflection"6:20
4."Excerpts from Octopus"15:39
5."Funny Ways"8:30
Total length:41:44
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
6."The Runaway"3:56
7."Experience"5:36
8."So Sincere"10:20
9."Free Hand"7:40
10."Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown in Brussels)"1:21
11."Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head"7:32
Total length:36:25

The track listing and times differ depending on the specific release.

Personnel

Gentle Giant

Charts

YearChartPosition
1977US Billboard 200 89

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