GAZEUSE!

Fans of the wacky, psychedelic, Allen-era Gong may not be thrilled with this Gong, unless they already love Jazz/Fusion. The band, now led by Pierre Moerlen, is an instrumental Fusion group, but one that is far from ordinary. What makes this group special is their percussion ensemble. This may be the only drummer-fronted group I've heard that actually puts some extra emphasis on the percussion. Percolations, a two part, 10-minute piece played entirely by percussive instruments, is the highlight of this album as you get to hear the capabilities of a full percussion section in a brilliantly composed composition. The rest of the album is all at the same high level of quality, featuring more great percussion, and the smooth guitar phrases of Allan Holdsworth. This album has got to be in the top-tier of Fusion albums ever produced, and I would say of all drummer-led albums that I've heard, none compare (yes, I am saying this is better than Bill Bruford's solo work).