The sequel to Giant on the Box is here, GG at the GG-Sight & Sound in Concert, featuring more live video of Gentle Giant from the archives. The main portion of this DVD/CD set was recorded in front of a live studio audience at the Golders Green Hippodrome in London and Broadcast over BBC television in January of 1978. Hot on the heels of their then new album The Missing Piece, the set contains a healthy dose of that album, along with a few older numbers. It's an hour's worth of energetic Gentle Giant, well shot and with great audio, and this collection also features some of the band's videos from the Interview and Giant For a Day albums, plus some rare film footage, hilarious audio commentary from all five members, and some stunning new music from Kerry Minnear on the main menu. For those who wish to have audio of the main show on the DVD, this set includes a bonus CD with the entire show to enjoy in your stereo or car.
The BBC set is a fun watch, with the band extremely energetic as they try to get the audience, who did not know which band they were going to witness (this was a regular thing with the BBC show), into the concert, which they certainly did. While many longtime fans find The Missing Piece album to be one of Gentle Giant's weaker albums, the songs from that release come across well live, especially "Two Weeks in Spain", "For Nobody", and the gorgeous "Memories of Old Days". Classics like "Free Hand", "On Reflection", "Just the Same", "Playing the Game", and "Funny Ways" are given fabulous treatment, as the band mixes complex arrangements with elements of classical, jazz, and rock. Despite the hokey and dated outfits the band are wearing during this show, the set really cooks with all the members really locking in with each other and delivering the goods. Make sure to watch the show with the commentary track on, as all five members look at the show with fond memories, and have no problem cutting on themselves a little for their choice of wardrobe, facial gestures, and stage movements. It's quite funny and entertaining, yet also somewhat thrilling at the same time hearing all five speaking to each other.
The bonus materials are fun as well, especially the videos, which show the band lip synching to select songs from the Interview and Giant For a Day albums. The former are pretty cool, basically the band on a studio stage rocking out, while the latter are cheesy story based/performance clips to coincide with three ordinary songs off the bands worst album. The clip from the Old Grey Whistle Test is amazing, despite the bad quility, as the band rips through a short "Octopus" medley, and the raw 35MM footage from Germany is brief and sub-par quality, but they did a good job synching up the film with the audio so there is at least something presentable. The selection of photos from Gary Green's collection are a nice addition as well, some being quite old and worth seeing. Hearing the new music from Kerry Minnear during the main menu once again will make fans yearn for some more from the keyboard ace as well as any kind of reunion from the band.
While Giant on the Box contains older material and more classic Gentle Giant songs, this one here has material of better quality. Both are an essential purchase for any fan of the band, plain and simple.
Track Listing
BBC Sight & Sound in Concert-Golders Green Hippodrome, London 1978
- Two Weeks in Spain
- Free Hand
- On Reflection
- I'm Turning Around
- Just the Same
- Playing the Game
- Memories of Old Days
- Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It
- JP Weathers Presents...
- Funny Ways
- For Nobody
- Mountain Time
Videos-London 1976
- Interview
- Give It Back
- I Lost My Head
Videos-Los Angeles 1978
- Words to the Wise
- Thank You
- Giant For a Day
Old Grey Whistle Test: Octopus Medley-bonus
Photo Gallery 1
Munster, Germany 1974-raw bonus footage
Gallery 2
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