Gentle Giant - Front Row Center (US Dates 1976 - 1980) - 8 CD BOX + BOOK

AN ESSENTIAL 8CD COLLECTION CELEBRATING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVE LEGACY OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK VISIONARIES GENTLE GIANT

EIGHT HOURS OF RARE US CONCERT RECORDINGS FROM 1975–1980, INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING OF THE LEGENDARY CAPITOL STUDIOS SESSIONS WITH TWO PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS

FEATURING A NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED NOVEMBER 1977 NEW PALTZ, NY PERFORMANCE – NEVER EVEN BOOTLEGGED AND PRESENTED HERE AS A GENUINE ARCHIVAL DISCOVERY

THE FIRST-EVER CD RELEASE OF THE 1977 HEMPSTEAD CONCERT, AND A 60-PAGE HARDBACK BOOK FEATURING A NEW ESSAY BY ALAN KINSMAN AND BAND INTERVIEWS

THE PERFECT PARTNER TO THE SOLD OUT 'UNBURIED TREASURE' BOX SET

Few bands in progressive rock history earned a live reputation quite like Gentle Giant. 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 – with material ranging from recordings never previously released in any form to sought-after performances that have long been unavailable.

At the heart of the collection are the complete Live At The Bicentennial concert, recorded at New York's Calderone Concert Hall in July 1976, and the Capitol Studios sessions from February 1975. The latter is a particularly significant inclusion: originally circulated only as the very first Gentle Giant bootleg, Playing The Fool, the recordings presented here are taken from the session's original master recording and include two tracks that have never previously been released.

The collection also unveils a wealth of previously unavailable and hard-to-find live material. The New Paltz, NY performance from November 1977 has never been released before – and was never even bootlegged, making its appearance here a genuine archival discovery. The complete Hempstead, NY concert from November 1977 is presented on CD for the first time, having previously been available only on vinyl and never circulated as a bootleg. The 1980 Atlanta performance also makes its first-ever appearance on CD, while the Chester, PA concert, previously available only as part of the now sold-out Unburied Treasure box set, makes its return in this new collection.

Together, these recordings trace Gentle Giant through some of their most celebrated live periods, from the Free Hand and Interview eras of the mid-to-late 1970s through to the band's powerful 1980 performance in Atlanta. Across eight hours of music, the group's extraordinary interplay, multi-instrumental virtuosity and 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 and many more.

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 and stagecraft, alongside rare photographs and memorabilia.

Expertly mastered by Peter J. Reynolds from the best available sources, Front Row Center is a major archival collection of Gentle Giant's remarkable US live recordings – bringing together previously unreleased performances, the original masters of the legendary Capitol Tapes, first-time CD releases and sought-after material unavailable for years. It is an essential celebration of one of progressive rock's most original, adventurous and accomplished live bands.

Tracklist:
DISC 1 – Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall ‘Live At The Bicentennial’ 03/07/1976
1. Intro/Just The Same (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (07:40)
2. Proclamation/Valedictory (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (05:16)
3. On Reflection (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (06:53)
4. Interview (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (06:51)
5. The Runaway/Experience (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (10:37)
6. So Sincere (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (10:49)

DISC 2 – Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall ‘Live At The Bicentennial’ 03/07/1976
1. Excerpts From Octopus (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (17:11)
2. Give It Back (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (05:26)
3. Timing (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (13:14)
4. Free Hand (The Bicentennial, NY, 3 July 1976) (07:55)

DISC 3 – Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall ‘Live At The Bicentennial’ 16/11/1977
1. Two Weeks In Spain (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (02:58)
2. Free Hand (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (06:46)
3. On Reflection (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (07:12)
4. I’m Turning Around (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (04:10)
5. Just The Same/Playing The Game (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (10:11)
6. Memories Of Old Days (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (07:27)

DISC 4 – Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall ‘Live At The Bicentennial’ 16/11/1977
1. Betcha Thought We Couldn`t Do It (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (06:27)
2. Funny Ways (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (07:59)
3. The Face (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (16:13)
4. For Nobody (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (04:31)
5. Excerpts From Octopus (Calderone Concert Hall, NY, 16 Nov 1977) (16:02)

DISC 5 – Chester, PA – Widener College 18/11/1977
1. Two Weeks In Spain (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (03:00)
2. Free Hand (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (07:49)
3. On Reflection (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (06:09)
4. I’m Turning Around (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (04:08)
5. Just The Same/Playing The Game (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (09:51)
6. Memories Of Old Days (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (07:29)
7. Betcha Thought We Couldn`t Do It (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (04:20)
8. The Face (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (13:31)
9. For Nobody (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (05:25)
10. Excerpts From Octopus - Part 1 (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (06:05)
11. Excerpts From Octopus - Part 2 (Widener Collage, PA, 18 Nov 1977) (09:45)

DISC 6 – Atlanta, GA – The Agora Ballroom 29/05/1980
1. Convenience (Clean & Easy) (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (04:13)
2. All Through The Night (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (04:13)
3. Free Hand (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (08:22)
4. Knots (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (03:54)
5. Playing The Game (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (04:57)
6. Memories Of Old Days (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (08:12)
7. Giant For A Day (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (05:11)
8. Inside Out (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (06:35)
9. It’s Not Imagination (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (05:05)
10. Underground (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (11:22)
11. For Nobody (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (04:58)
12. The Advent Of Panurge (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (06:34)
13. Number One (The Agora, GA, 29 May, 1980) (07:35)

DISC 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Capitol Tapes February 1975
1. Cogs In Cogs (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (02:59)
2. Proclamation/Funny Ways (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (12:54)
3. Experience (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (05:27)
4. So Sincere (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (09:52)
5. The Advent Of Panurge (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (05:46)
6. Mister Class & Quality?/Peel The Paint/Valedictory (Capitol Studios, CA, 13 Feb 1975) (08:45)

DISC 8 – New Paltz, NY – NY State University 06/11/1977
1. Two Weeks In Spain (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (03:15)
2. Free Hand (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (07:39)
3. On Reflection (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (06:15)
4. I’m Turning Around (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (04:11)
5. Just The Same (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (05:07)
6. Playing The Game (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (04:51)
7. Memories Of Old Days (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (05:19)
8. Betcha Thought We Couldn`t Do It (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (02:38)
9. Plain Truth (Part) (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (06:32)
10. For Nobody (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (04:27)
11. Excerpts from Octopus (NY State University, NY, 6 Nov 1977) (14:52)