Gentle Giant BBC 1978 - Free Hand

[Stany89]

8 people still have not free hands... :p

[JamesWaton]

man THAT IS SO JAZZY FUNKY PROGGY, HIPS SHAKIN' I COULD DEFF FUCK TO THIS

[marteloto1]

One of my favourite rock songs ever....best live performance ever....jajajaja

[chuckles9605]

These guys were so great that they use to bring entire crowds to their feet all at once just because the crowd was overwhelmed with emotion. To see such a band that was so damned great at dynamics and instrument mastery and creativity and and and all of the above and then some! Long live the Giant!

[BenjamminClark]

Dat keyboard setup. Holy shit that has to cost so much.

[BackToTheBlues]

I just came from a 1974 vid of Funny ways to this - where's all the hair gone! I love this track, that great jazzy piano riff gets stuck right in my head but I don't mind.

[williamgatesenson]

never heard this live before, sounds just as good as the album if not better. amazing

[TimyCovert]

This is amazing stuff, hidden (unfortunately) treasure of 20th century music.

[etkearne]

Ray's bass tone is simply beautiful here live. I never thought that his tight bass tone would be just as good live as it is on the albums (which is amazingly precise and great-sounding), but I would say he actually sounds better!

[missyrestless]

OMG I am creaming my pants. I love you. Please everyone let's make this happen somehow somewhere again now.

[mrprogjazzgto]

WOW.. this is the High Octane version....! How much coffee did this guys consume before

playing?? LOL

[EspJulio]

King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator and Gentle Giant are in an upper league with respect to the other prog bands......

[IwanttoliveinParis]

What's up with the Oakland A's gear?

[79steelymatt]

If you cannot appreciate this band get off this page and go listen to Tupac or Justin Timberlake or whatever garbage you like.Gentle Giant kicks serious ass and is meant for serious musically knowledgeable human beings.John Weathers shreds and so does Ray Schulman-so do not "dis" these cats homey- they are freakin' incredibly awesome!!

[SherrifOfNothingham]

If you are a bass player, learn Ray Schulmans parts. If you can, you will be an exceptional player.

For example, the riff at 1:54 is basically impossible. He is one of the most astounding bass players ever.

They were all incredible, I never tire of their music.

[ProgDogMan]

Eargasm... gosh. My ears.. wow speechless ...

[BenjamminClark]

Oh my fucking christ, that bass tone is so clear and loud. How does he do it? I WANT TO KNOW.

[Aidanloveskeyboards]

at my request, my science teacher played this in science class today. although i liked it, everyone else said they were high and stupid. :/

[pantalaemon]

@Aidanloveskeyboards Fuck Dat Sheit. They are lucky to have basked in the glory of real music for even a few minutes. Mere mortals can't be expected to grasp the greatness of the gift.

[Gairlochan]

@Aidanloveskeyboards: sign of the tmes… sad, very sad.

[1359401]

@Aidanloveskeyboards Those punks need to go to the real deal music rehab 101 and one day, maybe latter when they grow up to be real men and women will realize the greatness.

[davimundo]

escuchar a Gentle Giant es casi orgásmico

[MystikG777]

Great song and amazing guitar solo! Gary Green rules!

[JanF1957]

Loved this band! Saw them live in Norman, Oklahoma in the mid-late 70s.

[klinkerkk]

If only The Gentle Giants could see our comments!. I'm very sure that most of one from us would pay ANYTHING to see them live just ONCE ON A LIFE TIME!.

[mensamoo]

you really have to be grateful these guys never tried to fit into a genre. Bloody difficult, yet they persevered. Quality

[Hotelmotelkfc]

Saw them at the massive Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto Canada. Was amazing! Show started with a film of the Gentle Giant mascot peeking from behind a curtain. just the eye then eventually revealing itself to a rather stoned crowd in the mega-thousands that just lost it. Followed by the best musicians of the 70's GG themselves. Glad to see the Prog mags bringing the crowd back to the real prog masters.

[davesantos]

love you derek

[chriselsworthy]

mind=blown

[jacksdrums1]

is it 75 or 78??

A+ musicians, so tight , when I saw GG I was in awe, thanks for posting

[3xcs]

@jacksdrums1

This show is a BBC show from 1978

The song freehand is from the album with the same name released 1975

[mellowloops]

Super melody. Thanks for my joy.

Come olso to my channel if want.

[brunoaunvfx]

IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS... this is the REAL DEAL

[ulmerkott1]

And I who thought this was from 1978. Are you sure it's from 1975?

[cesarindf1]

Simplemente...magnifica !!!

[Gino62750]

Love GG,so underrated unfortunatelly...



[rickk4art]

IN-FUCKING-Credable!!! They are sooo great!

[MrsThistimearound]

epic, amazing, wonderful, intelligent, majestic, beautiful. talented, great ......... just GG

[fistjitsu]

Gentle Giant's live performances show the true genius of the band. This is waaaaay more enjoyable than the studio version, IMO. Greatness from all angles.

[flyingninja92]

first time i've ever heard gentle giant. my dad told me to listen to it while i was playing dream theater (quite a jump eh?). i absolutely love this!!!

[doors1122]

@flyingninja92 keep it up

[alucardisdumb]

that studly goddamn beard.

[FulhamFcNate98]

I think my ears just had an orgasm.

[adamejuliette]

This is wonderful by itself... however, to know the original one and be able to notice all the twists they gave it live is just an amazing experience. Truly work of geniuses!

[1359401]

@adamejuliette Well stated.That is just one of the many great facets that make this band the greatest and most underated ever.

[Trubba001]

MrHistorian123 In live recordings, if you listen to GG side by side with Yes, there's waaaay more precision and accuracy with GG. Steve Howe is actually a pretty sloppy player - whey you listen to live tracks, you can tell what he meant to play, but he's not actually playing it a lot of the time. GG nails it consistently, and with much more challenging material. King Crimson and Genesis were great live, but their material was not as demanding as GG material. GG is still hard to watch, though.

[philWynk]

It's not just the complication of the music, it's how tight they are while they're doing it. Pretty astounding performance.

[marko511d]

I saw Gentle Giant in the late seventies, not sure what year but they were incredible. could not have been any better

[lmelnick100]

I would love to have seen GG, KC and Van der Graff Gen. play together. ecclectic prog at its finest!

[kennywowie]

Derek is pretty hyped up. I think his jumpsuit thing should have been more in the direction of a tuxedo, or, a medieval jester, or maybe a pirate. A Swashbuckler would have been better than the airplane mechanic thing. Alas. It was the times. Who knew how to dress in the late 70's anyway? Ray nailed it, and Gary looks great, too. Weathers as an Oakland A...love it.

[MrAlpierce]

GREAT MUSICIANS!!!

A UNIQUE STYLE WHAT THEY PLAYED!!

WISH THEY COME BACK!!

[danypoor]

No band beat them

[PubliusDiamond]

why have they all tried to dress trendy?

[VIBRATO1]

Saw GG opening for Humble Pie at the Hampton Coliseum 1974.... What an unbelievable group of talent...

[warriors6411]

Is there more from this concert?

[cristyannedwyer]

The Best. Period.

[celticbro28]

How could anybody dislike this song? Unless they're just not into prog or ultra-prog snobs! This is classic GG!!! :)

[ivory1029]

Love how they changed the arrangement from the studio album...these guys ROCK!

[1359401]

@ivory1029 That is just one of the many atributes that makes these guys the greatest ever.Both versions kick ass.

[ivory1029]

Kerry Minnear is God

[maximiliancohen]

Megachops ! all of them !!!

[corkskrewclubhouse93]

badass bass playing

[1359401]

@corkskrewclubhouse93  One of my favorites and greatest ever.He is definetly criminally underated

[EtienneMcDuff]

Two words: KICK ASS!

[cccguzman]

Gary was so damned hot!

Why is he not recognized?

The Shulman brothers, John Weathers, Kerry Minnear... played circles around most other bands of their day (including Genesis and Yes)

[MrHistorian123]

@cccguzman "The Shulman brothers, John Weathers, Kerry Minnear... played circles around most other bands of their day (including Genesis and Yes)"

I respectfully disagree. Gentle Giant are amazing musicians and I love them to bits, but Genesis and Yes are also collectively virtuosos on their instruments and are comparable in quality.

I could add Gryphon and Camel to that list too. All 5 bands are amazing. Nothing matches prog rock for skill other than classical.

[Wormtongue13]

No other band brought such soul and funk to the prog-rock genre. Absolutely awesome live recording here.

[dadoo1617]

malheureusement déja en plein déclin (sucks punk's invasion !) ...

[SIXXTEENDAGGERZ]

I hit the like button everytime I listen to this masterpiece.

[kingcrim]

Jack Black stole all his moves from Derek Shulman :)

[djrivera1987]

Awesomeness

[Ichnos76]

AWESOME.

[67maura]

Gentle Giant autentica e creativa potenza progressiva. Very beautiful e musicisti eccellenti

[forkv]

Holy shit, that jam session in the middle was mindblowing. Imagine if they made the studio version like that!

[klongyaw7]

God,you have to love the 70's.Best musical decade ever.

[Islwynpaul]

Funniest thing on youtube, hilarious.

[guglhupf12]

@Islwynpaul I have to disagree. You´re not the funniest, but the oldest fart.

[Islwynpaul]

@guglhupf12 I didn't get personal all I said was that it was capable of making me laugh. But GG fans have no sense of humour obviously.

[guglhupf12]

@Islwynpaul Crazy combination, man, GG fan and humour. How could I? It´s just I got a little drunk in the night cause of my lack of humour and stumbled upon one of your ignoble comments on my loved ones. So don´t take it too seriously. You don´t like the band? That´s allright. Have a good laugh. So long!

[Islwynpaul]

@guglhupf12 respect, have a good life and prosper.

[FiveHundo500]

@Islwynpaul A lot of their music is immortal, but there's no denying that a lot of what the band produced is just straight up comical.

[teddingtontcu]

@FiveHundo500 You listen with your ears you dumb arse hole this is pre image mongery.

[angio89]

best f**kin' band EVAR!

[1359401]

@angio89 OH god yeah,fuck yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrprogjazzgto]

Hey GG... PLEASE do a Tour for your fans...!

You can call it The GGGT.. Gentle Giant Geriatric Tour 2011

[DarksideOFcollages]

WOW WHAY A QUALITY!!!!



[Deepwatermusic]

6 idiots didn't like this!

[muzaklover78]

5 people need to get their hearing or vision checked. or both.

[maiko60]

UNbelievable !!!!!! They are the best of the best!!! No one better than GG !

[StromboliKicks]

when I hear this I don't think we are evolving, as nowadays there are nothing like this!

[Burt472]

Fantastic.... Thanks.

[litlgrey]

The band that had it all and that BROUGHT IT. The Art of the Possible with no regrets and no holding back!

[runner305]

Gentle Giant. Most original, complex musical content of ANY band, EVER. Yet, their music is still catchy! Most versatile and talented musicians, PERIOD. Best band EVER!!!

[1359401]

@runner305 Oh god yeah fuck yeah-the greatest and most underated of all time

[PhysicsForTheFuture]

Saw them on this tour! I remember Weathers Oakland A's jersey. Staggering musicianship!

[mrprogjazzgto]

@PhysicsForTheFuture LOL.. I love that Weathers wore lots of USA sports jerseys while performing

[Garraliposker]

gorgeous!

[perolasdepadua]

Gentle Giant é simplesmente espetacular. Seus músicos são competentes e suas

canções surpreendentes. O ritmo, a diversidade de sonoridades, o colocam num patamar único da música pop contemporânea.

[MrMamowi]

Gracias

[beeroosterm]

Love the smattering of applause after this most awesome version of "Freehand"...

[thegerrie19561]

They made only good albums. Where did they go?

[beeroosterm]

@thegerrie19561 They broke up in 1980. They have a huge website maintained by rabid fans - go and look.

[iade38]

Ray is gon on bass

[dharmaseed]

Fucking AMAZING how Kerry could play both of those intro parts at the same time.

[beeroosterm]

@dharmaseed Agree. That's tough...

[JoeSzilagy]

The most complex band I've ever seen in my life! We've still got some of the original members of the band in the great "Three Friends" who usually play once or twice in Quebec during the summer!

[JoeSzilagy]

The most complex band I've ever seen in my life! We've still got some of the original members in the band in the great "Three Friends" who usually play once or twice in Quebec during the summer!

[VSNROCKS]

It is a shame the world wasn't ready for these guys.

[MidnightCarp]

This is just brilliant - thanks

[Goosenghast]

its a shame the keyboards are so low!

[TheNolanFest]

i wish i coulda seen these guys live

[beeroosterm]

@TheNolanFest Best that you didn't, because those of us who have miss the shit out of them. I only saw them once, and it was on this tour. They kicked ass!!!!!

[TouchingYou]

he didn't quite get it with the beard line covering up his double chin.

[Ramedexy]

One the best solo's of Gary green ! Its a great performance !

[1359401]

greatest band of all time

[Intubeanton]

Great, great, great. This band die the best modern music Performance ever. Iti is now 2011 and we still can`t believe it ! The best of thebest !

[den3311]

The dislike should be made illegal on every gentle giant especialy on this song.

[BenfordFX]

@den3311 no need to make it illegal! 6 people disliked lost in an ocean of 591 likes hehehehe. Gentle Giant is so awesome!

[ilooking4u]

@den3311 Yes/No I get a jolly good feeling knowing that I just might meet that person and put them to rest.

[ufodrums85]

I agree! 8 assholes... :-)

[Tuvadog]

@den3311 It´s impossible to dislike GG!!

[shornedo]

Another phenomenal track from GG.... these guys should have gotten more acclaim than they did.... Drummers can appreciate the change in time signatures throughout

[shornedo]

Another phenomonal track from GG.... these guys should have gotten more aclaim than they did.... Drummers can appreciate the change in time signatures throughout

[thegerrie19561]

Fantascis,can I get some more?

[Omnidoomed]

Shitters, some troll actually wading into this GG collection and going off over Lady Gaga?!!

Great shades of Satan -

Fuck off back to VH1 and slide into your pop heaven. If I ever have a serious head injury or a make-over lobotomy, perhaps I might then think about listening to 21 century manufactured pop.

[alucardisdumb]

@Omnidoomed @Omnidoomed you come off like such a dweeb.

i was defending gaga and her ilk because people like you have no appreatiation for surrealism or pop art or mainstream musical theater and just shows what kind of fuck wits like you jack off to progressive rock music.

had you the gumption to click my name you might see that your observation about me is not only wrong but also makes you look like an even bigger tool.

[jasonology]

That was fully awesome. I was on the edge of my seat.

[mcclane12000]

Nice solo Gary Green!

[DanDelvis]

Mr Histoian  no offense,but you probably are not a musician

[2202533]

Alguem sabe como consaigo dvd desse show . Mto otimo

[MrHistorian123]

They could never succeed in the modern world because they are (quite deliberately) utter fashion disasters and nowadays, image is everything. The fact that they play breathtakingly brilliant music wouldn't matter a damn. Could you REALLY see Lady Gaga, Beyonce or any of the modern crop of talentless, manufactured "stars" creating anything as magnificent as this??

[alucardisdumb]

@MrHistorian123 well just fyi lady gaga was writing the singles that put the pussy cat dolls in the charts and even before that she was a classicly trained jazz pianist.

those pop stars you mentioned bust their ass as hard for the whole package [image/music/chorography/media hype] more so than gentle giant has had to.

gentle giant might be more technicly proficiant with their tools but that doesnt mean they could write a single that would chart in todays music climate.

[MrHistorian123]

@alucardisdumb

Oh the Pussycat Dolls, the true pinnacle of music. If she wrote for them and can play jazz piano, she must be a genius.

Clearly Gentle Giant, with their Royal College of Music credentials, are no match for this icon of brilliance.

And Gentle Giant wouldn't write a single that would chart today for one simple reason: they wouldn't want to write shit. They never did.

[alucardisdumb]

@MrHistorian123 whatever prog fag keep sucking their dick because they can play sssoooooooo well.

you said: "Could you REALLY see Lady Gaga, Beyonce or any of the modern crop of talentless, manufactured "stars" creating anything as magnificent as this??"

and i refuted saying it does take talent to do pop music because you have to look at pop stars and everything that goes with them the same way you would look at a theatre production house.

but of course pops talentless right?

[MrHistorian123]

@alucardisdumb

You show you've lost the argument when you start slinging mindless insults.

Anyway, go crawl back under your rock; this is for intelligent discussion by people who know about music. You don't qualify.

[alucardisdumb]

@MrHistorian123 yeah ok.

assuming i dont know about music.

i know the music i listen to doesnt constantly wank its instruments into a jumble of self indulgent pap.

not to say gentle giants has done any of that persay judging by this performance but from what i've heard of prog in general its pretty much been the afor mentioned.

how boring.

the goal is to make music not sound orriented math equasions.

[underagedpickle]

@alucardisdumb bullshit! I write prog its not all math equations. it requires feeling, creativity and good musicianship. Progressive rock should not be judged any more or less than any other music, its all art.

[alucardisdumb]

@underagedpickle pssssssssssssh tell that to the dave mathews band or the mars volta then.

gentle giants alright, but they're about the only prog i can listen to more than once without being bored to tears.

if i wanted actual good prog aside from GG i'd go to the source [see: frank zappa]

[Ichnos76]

@alucardisdumb You are surely DEAF.Or simply you haven't taste in music. I used to listen this song when i was just a kid of 16 years old.I still consider this band amazing and superior to any other in the planet.

[alucardisdumb]

@Ichnos76 yeah if your and old person who's impressed by prog music then year.

im neither of those and dontreally have a need to watch some rock band pretend their jazz artists.

[maxslamer]

@Ichnos76 I don't think alucar is deaf. I believe he has SOME taste in music but maybe not the right one. You can say the same about me. If this is the superior band on the planet approx 7 billion people ARE deaf. Me included. But almost every person interested in music believe they've got the best taste in the world lol. I'm not sure if it is the department of exquisite taste who decides.As George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm": "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others"

[alucardisdumb]

@MrHistorian123 spoken like a true close minded elitest.

gentle giants an ok band but their fans are pretentious as fuck.

[Lord88Sidious]

In 1978 the write and paly such beautifull and complex music...do you still think that dream theater are good?

[srsomario]

Possibly one of the best live performances of one of the best written prog rock songs of all time. The live version sounds better than the recorded. Beautifully videotaped and recorded as well. If anyone knows of any performance approaching this show of raw musicianship and energy and originality, please advise! (my other favorites: Dream Theatre, ELP, Yes...)

[beeroosterm]

@srsomario No one approaches the live performances of Gentle Giant. I saw them during this winter 1978 tour at Woolsey Hall (Yale University) and it was mind-blowing. Super tight. And Ray just killed. They all killed.

[butuh13]

This is awesome. I never expected to find this on YouTube. But I REALLY didn't expect to see the drummer dressed in an Oakland A's uniform.... Totally weird...

[holdersteven]

The time tricks,are executed with utter precision.....................­.......unbelievable

[VIBRATO1]

Hampton Coliseum 1973...Opening for Humble Pie...Unforgettable concert...How another musical outfit would dare take the stage following their performance was unimaginable...Also notable at that show,my brother Larry had his MGB ripped off from the parking lot with all his ODU school books inside...

[obboatman]

saw them in some pub in boston mid 70's.they blew the doors in.

[TROME76]

impressive!  tight, compact

great performers

[gryphonlaments]

Awesome song, but I don't like the guy's voice.

[LeDoctoer]

Wow! I don't believe I've seen this version before. Thanks for posting.

I've been a fan since the early days and had the privilege of seeing the band live one time, in 1977. They "opened" for Renaissance and both bands could not get off the stage. The audience was totally blown away.

[pizzeffichi]

Sontuosa!

[mysterybug]

the three people who did not like this video must not like quality. a shame for them.

[MrDrumdweeb]

The best of prog....... I wish i'd been there.

[zavaloide]

of course is ray shulman in the bass

[fsuleyman1965]

as musician and composer i think that these performances are a slap on face to all the journalists (not few) that thought that Gentle Giant were only recording-studio creatures... they are still unattainable.

better of my words read what said the great Chick Corea..."what clever they were" (translation by itialian reviw "tastiere" (keyboards)

F. Suleyman

[fsuleyman1965]

as musician and composer i think that these performances are a slap on face to all the journalists (not few) that thought that Gentle Giant were only recording-studio creatures... they are still unattainable.

better of my words read what said the great Chick Corea..."what clever they were" (translation by itialian reviw "tastiere" (keyboards)

F. Suleyman

[gogorox93]

Who's the bassist in this concert? Surely... that can't be Ray....?!

[AshDrums7]

@gogorox93 It doesnt look like him, but it is. cant you tell by his retarded groove face lol

[beeroosterm]

@gogorox93 That is indeed Ray Shulman. They had all just cut their hair. Ray kicks ass. All well-read bass players know of his legendary chops...

[gogorox93]

@beeroosterm Aha I see, he is so much skinnier here than I thought he was haha!

[gabbiexotic29]

!!!!!!!! wwoooowwww !!!!!!!!

esta rola y un acido y a viajar!!!

gracias por compartirlo

[popgrubbs]

Gentle Giant is to rock what parabolic geometry is to math.

[helstontvx]

Wow thank god for punk

[roijax801]

@helstontvx and for country and western too right!

[roijax801]

@helstontvx and for country and western too right! And disco and Madonna... how about anything else really simple? I know, teletubbies tunes!

[AshDrums7]

@helstontvx ??? GG is awesome