The last studio album released by Gentle Giant was “Civilian” in 1980, yet authorized and bootleg live recordings and unreleased studio material continues to be unearthed some 25 years later. But due to the patchy sound quality associated with many of these archival recordings they are strictly for the avid collector and completist.
This latest release from Glasshouse Records, “Gentle Giant – Live In New York 1975” falls into that category. The performance was captured live at White Plains Music Hall in White Plains New York on October 3, 1975 . The band was as astounding as ever, displaying their extraordinary talent and mastery of an arsenal of musical instruments - plus that unmistakable vocal style unique to Gentle Giant.
The soundboard recording quality is better than average, but doesn’t come close to matching the overall dynamics of the 1977 release “Playing The Fool”, which features nearly the same set list. “Live In New York 1975” should delight the target market it’s aimed at - completist and Giant aficionados, but offers little else (other than the opening tune “Cogs In Cogs”) to those who already have “Playing The Fool” in their collection.
Reviewed by Joseph Shingler on Novemeber 27th, 2007
