Search - Gentle Giant :: Out of the Fire: Live on the BBC 1973-78

Betcha Didn't Think We Could Stink So Bad

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 06/29/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 2 CD set consisting of BBC performances. The first disc is from 1973, and the second is from 1978. The first disc is only 34 minutes, but is very good (but only fair sound quality). It comes from period when they were at thier creative best. There is alot of energy in their performance and the material is excellent. The second CD is surprisingly bad in sound quality, in the performance and in the songs. It is as if they didn't care anymore. Listen to the difference in "Funny Ways" between the first and second disc. The only song of any value is "Memory Of Old Days". Near the end of the seventies, progressive music was dying out, due to the backlash from the over indulgences of groups like Yes and ELP, and general nastiest from rock critics. Many groups tried to switch formats in search of a hit. It was a bleak time. Yes came out with "Going For the One", Genesis released "...Then There Were Three" and ELP had "Love Beach". But, Gentle Giant went farther over the deep end than any other group. The second CD starts out with the excrutiatingly bad song "Two Weeks In Spain". Then we get into "Betcha Didn't Think We Couldn't Do It/Betcha Didn't Think We Stink So Bad". Gentle Giant did rebound a little in the early eighties. They went a different direction on the studio albums, but their live shows were better, capturing the old sound and energy. I haven't heard a CD from that time period, but they may be worth checking out.I would give the first CD 4 stars and the second CD 1 star. With the first CD being so short, it is hard to justify buying this set. You would be better off with some other live CD, such as Playing the Fool.Note that there is a CD floating around called "In Concert". It contains most of the material from the second CD and isn't worth buying either."