Professional ratings| Review scores |
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| Source | Rating |
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| Allmusic |   link |
| Babyblaue Seiten | 14.33/15 link |
| Sea of Tranquility | link |
Playing the Fool – The Official Live is a live album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1977. Its release and title were prompted in part by the circulation of live bootlegs in the preceding year, most notably Playing the Foole – A Stake in the Heart. 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 was issued with a 12-page booklet that has not been reproduced in any of the CD editions. The track "Sweet Georgie Brown" was an on-the-spot performance, played while Kerry Minnear's keyboards were being repaired during a concert.
In 2025, the band issued an expanded and remixed edition as a double CD, triple LP and Dolby Atmos Blu-ray mix (including song visuals). This version restored the songs to their original running order and included additional material from the band's most recent studio album at the time, Interview.
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 1973.
Side two| Title | Writer(s) | Notes |
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| 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, 1976-10-05 | 15:35 |
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| 4. | "Funny Ways" (from Gentle Giant) | Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, Shulman | Munich, 1976-09-25 | 8:35 |
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35th Anniversary Edition
Disc one| Title |
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| 1. | "Just the Same" | 5:57 |
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| 2. | "Proclamation/Valedictory" | 5:18 |
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| 3. | "On Reflection" | 6:20 |
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| 4. | "Excerpts from Octopus" | 15:39 |
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| 5. | "Funny Ways" | 8:30 |
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| Total length: | 41:44 |
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The track listing and times differ depending on the specific release.
The Complete Live Experience (2025)
Disc two| Title | Notes |
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| 8. | "Excerpts from Octopus" | | 16:00 |
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| 9. | "Band Introduction" | | 1:32 |
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| 10. | "Funny Ways" | (°) | 8:51 |
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| 11. | "Timing / Violin Solo" | (§) | 11:40 |
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| 12. | "Free Hand" | | 8:13 |
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| 13. | "Peel the Paint / I Lost My Head" | | 8:01 |
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| Total length: | 54:17 |
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(§) track not included in the original release
(°) different live performances than the original release
Personnel
- Gentle Giant
- Gary Green – electric and acoustic 6- and 12-string guitars, backing vocals, alto and soprano recorders, percussion
- Kerry Minnear – electric piano, backing vocals, clavinet, Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, cello, vibes, tenor recorder, percussion
- Derek Shulman – lead vocals, alto saxophone, soprano recorder, bass, percussion
- Ray Shulman – bass, backing vocals, violin, acoustic guitar, soprano recorder, trumpet, percussion
- John Weathers – drums, backing vocals, vibes, tambourine, percussion
Charts
References
| Authority control databases | |
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