 Limited 8 CD Box Set documenting the band's live US performances.
Format: CD / Cat No: SMABX1335 / PRE-ORDER Release Date: 23/10/2026
Track Listing: The Bicentennial, NY - 13th July 1976: Intro - Just The Same (07:40) / Proclamation - Valedictory (05:16) / On Reflection (06:53) / Interview (06:51) / The Runaway - Experience (10:37) / So Sincere (10:49) / Excerpts From Octopus (17:11) / Give It Back / Timing (13:14) / Free Hand
Calderone Concert Hall, NY - 16th November 1977: Two Weeks In Spain (02:58) / Free Hand (06:46) / On Reflection (07:12) / I'm Turning Around (04:10) / Just The Same - Playing The Game (10:11) / Memories Of Old Days (07:27) / Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It / Funny Ways (07:59) / The Face (16:13) / For Nobody (04:31) / Excerpts From Octopus (16:02)
Widener College, PA - 18th November 1977: Two Weeks In Spain (03:00) / Free Hand (07:49) / On Reflection (06:09) / I'm Turning Around (04:08) / Just The Same - Playing The Game (09:51) / Memories Of Old Days (07:29) / Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (04:20) / The Face (13:31) / For Nobody (05:25) / Excerpts From Octopus - Part 1 (06:05) / Excerpts From Octopus - Part 2 (09:45)
The Agora, GA - 29th May 1980: Convenience (Clean & Easy) (04:13) / All Through The Night (04:13) / Free Hand (08:22) / Knots (03:54) / Playing The Game (04:57) / Memories Of Old Days (08:12) / Giant For A Day (05:11) / Inside Out (06:35) / It's Not Imagination (05:05) / Underground (11:22) / For Nobody (04:58) / The Advent Of Panurge (06:34) / Number One (07:35)
Capital Studios, CA - 13th February 1975: Cogs In Cogs (02:59) / Proclamation - Funny Ways (12:54) / Experience (05:27) / So Sincere (09:52) / The Advent Of Panurge (05:46) / Mister Class & Quality - Peel The Paint - Valedictory (08:45)
NY State University, NY - 6th November 1977: Two Weeks In Spain (03:15) / Free Hand (07:39) / On Reflection (06:15) / I'm Turning Around (04:11) / Just The Same (05:07) / Playing The Game (04:51) / Memories Of Old Days (05:19) / Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (02:38) / Plain Truth (Part) (06:32) / For Nobody (04:27) / Excerpts From Octopus (14:52)
More information: Renowned for translating their astonishingly intricate studio recordings to the stage with remarkable precision, imagination & musicianship, they delivered performances that remain among the most celebrated of the era.
'Front Row Center (US Dates 1975-1980)' presents an extensive document of that legacy, bringing together eight CDs of rare American performances spanning the band's classic years. From the celebrated 'Live At The Bicentennial' concert recorded at New York's Calderone Concert Hall in July 1976, through the acclaimed 'Playing The Fool' touring period of 1977, to a powerful 1980 performance from Atlanta, and the superb Capitol Studios recordings from 1975, this collection captures Gentle Giant at every stage of their evolution as a live band.
Across these recordings, the group's extraordinary interplay, multi-instrumental virtuosity & fearless arrangements are showcased in full, featuring definitive performances of classics including 'Free Hand', 'Proclamation', 'On Reflection', 'The Advent Of Panurge', 'Just The Same', 'Playing The Game', 'The Face', 'Funny Ways', 'Knots', 'Memories Of Old Days', extensive 'Octopus' excerpts & many more.
Housed in a deluxe 8 CD Earbook edition, 'Front Row Center' also includes a 60-page hardback book featuring a substantial new essay by Alan Kinsman, drawing on extensive interviews with the band to explore Gentle Giant's unique approach to live performance, touring, musicianship & stagecraft, alongside rare photographs & memorabilia.
Expertly mastered by Peter J. Reynolds from the best available sources, 'Front Row Center' is the most comprehensive collection yet of Gentle Giant's remarkable US live recordings - an essential archive celebrating one of progressive rock's most original, adventurous & accomplished live bands.
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