In 1973 Gong was possibly one of the few bands specializing in psychedelic rock that kept the psych flag flying, in the age of progressive rock and jazz fusion, both idioms that were becoming increasingly more virtuoso-centric while phasing out the mentally expansive idealism of the late sixties. Even though Gong also flirt with prog and jazz-fusion leanings here, it's less about instrumental show-offs or overbearing seriousness. If anything, the level of musicianship from musicians like drummer/percussionist Pierre Moerlen, highly inventive guitarist Steve Hillage and sax/woodwind master Didier Malherbe; enhances the druggy, surrealist and off-beat humorous vibe and elevates it on an entirely another level. Then again, wherever Daevid Allen went, a lot of deranged aura of weirdness would be present. As a result, Angels' Egg, the second album from the Radio Gnome Trilogy, is all over the place. It offers everything from odd tracks like the drunkenly sang "I'm giving all my loving to you" to deranged pop tunes like "Oily Way" and the lovely vibes-led "Love Is How Y make it", but also lengthy tantristic space-rock jams like the opening cut "Other side in the Sky". Daevid Allen, just like Syd Barrett (who influenced Allen) several years before, is a confirmatory example that the best kind of psychedelic rock comes from genuinely eccentric minds.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Gong - Angel's Egg
In 1973 Gong was possibly one of the few bands specializing in psychedelic rock that kept the psych flag flying, in the age of progressive rock and jazz fusion, both idioms that were becoming increasingly more virtuoso-centric while phasing out the mentally expansive idealism of the late sixties. Even though Gong also flirt with prog and jazz-fusion leanings here, it's less about instrumental show-offs or overbearing seriousness. If anything, the level of musicianship from musicians like drummer/percussionist Pierre Moerlen, highly inventive guitarist Steve Hillage and sax/woodwind master Didier Malherbe; enhances the druggy, surrealist and off-beat humorous vibe and elevates it on an entirely another level. Then again, wherever Daevid Allen went, a lot of deranged aura of weirdness would be present. As a result, Angels' Egg, the second album from the Radio Gnome Trilogy, is all over the place. It offers everything from odd tracks like the drunkenly sang "I'm giving all my loving to you" to deranged pop tunes like "Oily Way" and the lovely vibes-led "Love Is How Y make it", but also lengthy tantristic space-rock jams like the opening cut "Other side in the Sky". Daevid Allen, just like Syd Barrett (who influenced Allen) several years before, is a confirmatory example that the best kind of psychedelic rock comes from genuinely eccentric minds.
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