King Biscuit Flower Hour review by Jeff Smith: Difference between revisions

Knots/The Advent of Panurge: On PTF, this is referred to as Excerpts from Octopus. This is, in fact, how Derek introduces it on the KB release. The versions are very different however. The PTF version starts with the recorded coin drop and Boys In The Band that is very true to the original Octopus release. The KB version starts right into Knots before breaking into Gary and Ray's acoustic guitar duo. While the acoustic guitar duo on PTF touches on more excerpts from Octopus (especially Raconteur Troubadour) the KB version is more of a jam although they do break into an acoustic version of Boys In The Band at one point. After the acoustic guitar jam, the band leaps back into Knots before moving onto The Advent of Panurge. This is the one tune where the bass mix is a little too loud, especially at the beginning of the recorder solo. The Yankee Doodle part present on the bootleg PTF is present here as well. At 3:59 into TAOP, you can hear someone yell out something but I can't make it out. It's very distinct because of a break in the music. Can anybody make this out?

King Biscuit Presents Gentle Giant comes in just under 45 mins. Short for a CD, but perfect for vinyl if it had been released in the 70's or 80's. If you've got all of GG's other stuff, you of course have to get this one. For those of you who don't, you'll find more tunes on Playing the Fool, but I think you'll find they sound better on the KB release. One thing I can't understand: with all the band pictures from the '75 era in the CD booklet, why the picture of Derek on the cover from the late 70s?