Playing the Fool

Playing the Fool – The Official Live is a live album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1977. 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 came with a 12-page booklet that has not been reproduced in any of the CD editions.

Playing the Fool – The Official Live
Live album by Gentle Giant
Released	18 January 1977
Recorded	23 September – 7 October 1976 in Düsseldorf, Paris, Brussels and Munich
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	78:09
Label	Chrysalis (UK) Capitol (US)
Producer	Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant chronology
Interview (1976) Playing the Fool – The Official Live (1977) The Missing Piece (1977)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Babyblaue Seiten	14.33/15 link
Sea of Tranquility	link

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Notes	Length
1.	"Just the Same/Proclamation" (from Free Hand / The Power and the Glory)	Düsseldorf, 1976-09-23	11:13
2.	"On Reflection" (from Free Hand)	Düsseldorf, 1976-09-23	6:20

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

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Notes	Length
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
4.	"Funny Ways" (from Gentle Giant)	Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, Shulman	Munich, 1976-09-25	8:35

Side three

No.	Title	Notes	Length
5.	"The Runaway/Experience" (from In a Glass House)	Paris, 1976-10-05	9:31
6.	"So Sincere" (from The Power and the Glory)	Paris, 1976-10-05	10:22

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Notes	Length
7.	"Free Hand" (from Free Hand)		Brussels, 1976-10-07	7:40
8.	"Sweet Georgia Brown"	Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard	Brussels, 1976-10-07	1:15
9.	"Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head" (from Three Friends / Interview)	Minnear, Shulman, Shulman, Shulman ("Peel the Paint")	Paris, 1976-10-05	7:35

35th Anniversary Edition

Disc one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Just the Same"	5:57
2.	"Proclamation/Valedictory"	5:18
3.	"On Reflection"	6:20
4.	"Excerpts from Octopus"	15:39
5.	"Funny Ways"	8:30
Total length:		41:44

Disc two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"The Runaway"	3:56
7.	"Experience"	5:36
8.	"So Sincere"	10:20
9.	"Free Hand"	7:40
10.	"Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown in Brussels)"	1:21
11.	"Peel the Paint/I Lost My Head"	7:32
Total length:		36:25

The track listing and times differ depending on the specific 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

Year	Chart	Position
1977	US Billboard 200	89

References

• The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides Ltd. 1999. p. 424.
• https://www.allmusic.com/album/playing-the-fool-the-official-live-mw0000201185