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

THE PERFECT PARTNER TO THE 'UNBURIED TREASURE' BOXSET

SET FOR RELEASE ON MADFISH ON 27^th NOVEMBER

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 and 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.

PRE-ORDER GENTLE GIANT -

FRONT ROW CENTRE U.S. DATES 1975-1980

DISC 1

Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall

Live At The Bicentennial – 3 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

DISC 2

Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall

Live At The Bicentennial – 3 July 1976

Excerpts From Octopus – 17:11

Give It Back – 05:26

Timing – 13:14

Free Hand – 07:55

DISC 3

Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall

16 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

DISC 4

Hempstead, NY – Calderone Concert Hall

16 November 1977

Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It – 06:27

Funny Ways – 07:59

The Face – 16:13

For Nobody – 04:31

Excerpts From Octopus – 16:02

DISC 5

Chester, PA – Widener College

18 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

DISC 6

Atlanta, GA – The Agora Ballroom

29 May 1980

Convenience (Clean And 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

DISC 7

Los Angeles, CA – The Capitol Tapes

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 And Quality?/Peel The Paint/Valedictory – 08:45

DISC 8

New Paltz, NY – NY State University

6 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

www.madfishmusic.com