Post subject: [2013-07-29] Gentle Giant "Memories Of Old Days" 5-CD rarities collection (EMI UK)
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 4:36 am
Music from the 60s & 70s and a bit of the 80s
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26 Jan 2007
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4368
Location:
Australia
Disc: 1 1. Just the Same (Studio Excerpt - Instrumental Backing Track) 2. On Reflection (Studios Excerpt - Instrumental Clavinet Composing/Improvising) 3. Free Hand (Studios Excerpt - Piano Composing/Improvising) 4. Time to Kill (Studio Excerpt - Instrumental Backing Track) 5. Mobile (Studio Excerpt - Instrumental Violins) 6. On Reflection (Live - White Plains, New York 1975) 7. Proclamation (Live - White Plains, New York 1975) 8. Free Hand (Live - California 1975) 9. Interview (Rehearsal) 10. Another Show (Instrumental Hammond Hi Notes) 11. Empty City (Instrumental Acoustic Guitar) 12. Empty City (Instrumental String Machine) 13. Timing (Rehearsal) 14. I Lost My Head (Composing 2) 15. I Lost My Head (Rehearsal) 16. Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head (Live in Sweden) Disc: 2 1. As Old As You're Young (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 2. The Face - Plain Truth (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 3. For Nobody (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 4. Free Hand (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 5. Funny Ways (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 6. Just the Same/Playing the Game (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 7. Memories of Old Days (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 8. On Reflection (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 9. The Runaway/Experience (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 10. So Sincere (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) 11. Winning (Pinewood Tour Rehersals 1977) Disc: 3 1. Memories of Old Days (Guitar) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 2. I'm Turning Around (Rehearsal) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 3. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (Guitar) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 4. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (Moog Solo 1) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 5. Mountain Time (Piano) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 6. Winning (Rehearsal) (Rehearsals & Studio Excerpts) 7. Opening (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 8. Two Weeks in Spain (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 9. Free Hand (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 10. On Reflection (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 11. I'm Turning Around (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 12. Playing the Game (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 13. Memories of Old Days (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 14. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 15. Funny Ways (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 16. The Face (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) 17. For Nobody (Live in Cleveland, Ohio) Disc: 4 1. Two Weeks in Spain (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 2. Free Hand (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 3. On Reflection (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 4. I'm Turning Around (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 5. Just The Same (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 6. Playing The Game (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 7. Memories of Old Days (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 8. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 9. Funny Ways (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 10. For Nobody (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 11. Mountain Time (BBC Sight & Sound in Concert) 12. Words from the Wise (Demo) 13. Thank You (Demo) 14. Spooky Boogie (Demo) 15. Little Brown Bag (Demo) 16. It's Only Goodbye (Demo) Disc: 5 1. All Through the Night (Rehearsal) 2. It's Not Imagination (Rehearsal) 3. Convenience (Clean and Easy) (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 4. All Through the Night (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 5. Free Hand (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 6. Knots (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 7. Playing the Game (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 8. Giant for a Day (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 9. Inside Out (Live - New Haven, CT 1980) 10. It's Not Imagination (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 11. Underground (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 12. Five Man Drum Bash (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 13. Band Introductions (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 14. For Nobody (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 15. The Advent of Panurge (Live - Roxy, CA 1980) 16. Number One (Live - Roxy, CA 1980)
Post subject: [2013-07-29] Gentle Giant "Memories Of Old Days" 5-CD rarities collection (EMI UK)
Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:56 pm
Music from the 60s & 70s and a bit of the 80s
Joined:
26 Jan 2007
Posts:
4368
Location:
Australia
GodsComic wrote:
Just got my copy. So far have only listened to disc 1, and that may be the last time I listen to that disc as it seems more for hardcore completists.
After playing these 5 CDs I must agree 100% with you. It is for extreme fanatics only. I am very disappointed. I have included my review here to help anyone else decide to buy this set.
This is a 5 CD box set of Audience recorded bootleg material, studio try-outs, recording session instrumental sessions, rough demos and 'some' soundboard sourced live material. After some exhaustive playing I can now write a review that will help any potential buyer. The 1st CD mostly contains audience recordings, a few rough demos from 1975/1976. This disc is one of those you play once, nothing really stands out for me. CD2 is a great rehearsal SBD from Pinewood 1977. Some Has been available on DVD, some great music. CD3 has more studio tryouts and another concert with slightly better sound for an audience recording. Not that great. CD4 is the BBC concert also available previously on DVD. Great show and sound. Not stereo it seems. Then a few rough demos thrown in at the end. CD5 contains Gentle Giants final concert in audience recording sound and a few demos. This is a great show but has ordinary sound.
The problem I have with this set is the fact Progressive Music is meant to be heard in crisp 'clear' stereo sound to truly enjoy the complex musicianship, vocals and musical movements. Hearing Gentle Giant like its recorded in a tin can does not give the full listening pleasure. This is why the vocals sound awful, the audience sound does little to help any vocal sound. The demos are unlistenable and the studio session material is good but at times tedious. If you are a Gentle Giant fanatic then you may get something out of this. I am a fan and have all their studio albums but these 5 CDs are mostly fragments of the brilliance. Most of it is not something you would put on and sit back to listen to. The package has been put together as a complete collection of what was available from 1975 to 1980 warts and all.
Overall I felt disappointed with this set, not up to the standard I expected.
Post subject: [2013-07-29] Gentle Giant "Memories Of Old Days" 5-CD rarities collection (EMI UK)
Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:38 pm
Joined:
23 Jul 2006
Posts:
17632
Location:
Florida
I have only listened to disc 4 and was OK with it. But after reading your review of the other discs I can see why this was so cheap. Being such perfectionists I expected the sound to be killer. What happened?
Post subject: [2013-07-29] Gentle Giant "Memories Of Old Days" 5-CD rarities collection (EMI UK)
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:36 am
Music from the 60s & 70s and a bit of the 80s
Joined:
26 Jan 2007
Posts:
4368
Location:
Australia
Rick A wrote:
I have only listened to disc 4 and was OK with it. But after reading your review of the other discs I can see why this was so cheap. Being such perfectionists I expected the sound to be killer. What happened?
Rick A.
Maybe they had a contract to fulfill with EMI, maybe its pure greed. This set is not (in my opinion) up to commercial standard. Its mostly a bootleg that is being sold as a mainstream release.
The Donovan 60s box set and Barclay James Harvest box sets were priced the same and are far superior.
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