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BaldFriede 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 02 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10266
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 Posted: December 29 2005 at 20:20 |
 meurglysIII wrote:
Biggles wrote:
I've known and liked them for a while, but I'm
starting to really love them now. I think it's great how they have two
completely different sounds. Pierre Moerlen's Gong is as good as fusion
gets; with people like Allan Holdsworth and Moerlen's INCREDIBLE
drumming (just listen to "Golden Dilemma") you can't really go wrong,
but I also love the Allen stuff.
I managed to download a video of a fairly recent Gong concert on
SoulSeek. I managed to pick out Allen (his guitar playing has gotten
much better... I thought he was Hillage before the camera zoomed in!),
Smyth, Howlett, and Malherbe, but I don't know who the other
saxophonist, the drummer (he looks much younger than the rest, so I
don't think it's Moerlen), and the keyboardist are. Anyone know what
members Gong has been touring with in recent years? It's a brilliant
show, anyway, and it's made me appreciate Gong even more. I also love
Hillage's "Fish Rising," which is the only Gong member solo album I've
heard so far. |
Get Daevid Allen's solo album Good Morning, you won't be disappointed!
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I haven't seen the video, but the sax player is most likely Theo Travis. The drummer is probably Orlando Allen, the son of Gilli Smythe and Daevid Allen. The keyboarder is Gwyo Zepix. Pierre Morerlen sadly died of a heart attack May 3rd 2005
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 BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: December 29 2005 at 20:02 |
Biggles wrote:
I've known and liked them for a while, but I'm
starting to really love them now. I think it's great how they have two
completely different sounds. Pierre Moerlen's Gong is as good as fusion
gets; with people like Allan Holdsworth and Moerlen's INCREDIBLE
drumming (just listen to "Golden Dilemma") you can't really go wrong,
but I also love the Allen stuff.
I managed to download a video of a fairly recent Gong concert on
SoulSeek. I managed to pick out Allen (his guitar playing has gotten
much better... I thought he was Hillage before the camera zoomed in!),
Smyth, Howlett, and Malherbe, but I don't know who the other
saxophonist, the drummer (he looks much younger than the rest, so I
don't think it's Moerlen), and the keyboardist are. Anyone know what
members Gong has been touring with in recent years? It's a brilliant
show, anyway, and it's made me appreciate Gong even more. I also love
Hillage's "Fish Rising," which is the only Gong member solo album I've
heard so far. |
Get Daevid Allen's solo album Good Morning, you won't be disappointed!
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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Biggles
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 18 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 705
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Posted: December 29 2005 at 19:59 |
I've known and liked them for a while, but I'm starting to really love them now. I think it's great how they have two completely different sounds. Pierre Moerlen's Gong is as good as fusion gets; with people like Allan Holdsworth and Moerlen's INCREDIBLE drumming (just listen to "Golden Dilemma") you can't really go wrong, but I also love the Allen stuff.
I managed to download a video of a fairly recent Gong concert on SoulSeek. I managed to pick out Allen (his guitar playing has gotten much better... I thought he was Hillage before the camera zoomed in!), Smyth, Howlett, and Malherbe, but I don't know who the other saxophonist, the drummer (he looks much younger than the rest, so I don't think it's Moerlen), and the keyboardist are. Anyone know what members Gong has been touring with in recent years? It's a brilliant show, anyway, and it's made me appreciate Gong even more. I also love Hillage's "Fish Rising," which is the only Gong member solo album I've heard so far.
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The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe.
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ANDREW
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 21 2005
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 3064
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Posted: December 29 2005 at 19:56 |
GONG is a great space-rock / Canterbury scene band, i admire them.
I have "Camembert Electrique", "Radio Gnome Invisible Vol.1 - Flying Teapot", "Radio Gnome Invisible Vol.2 - Angel's Egg", "Radio Gnome Invisible - You", "Shamal", "Gazeuse", "Expresso II", "Time Is The Key", "Live 2 Infinitea".
My favorite GONG album is YOU.
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BaldFriede
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 02 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10266
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Posted: December 29 2005 at 04:55 |
Olias wrote:
If you like GONG, you will be surprised by CLEARLIGHT "Symphony" (1973) wich features Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage & Tim Blake...and a monster called Cyril Verdeaux.
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It also features Steve Hillage's "little brother" Christian Boulé (on side 2 of the original vinyl; Hillage is the guitar player on side 1), whose style is almost identical to the style of Steve Hillage. No wonder Hillage recruited him for his touring band (as can be heard on "Live Herald" and "BBC Radio Sessions"). Chirstian Boulé sadly died in 2001. He recorded 2 solo albums in the late 70s, "Photo Music" and "Non-Fiction", which are both worth a listening, especially "Photo Music". Their style can be described as "Gongish": Space-influenced jazz-rock or jazz-influenced space-rock, however you want to put it.
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
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Froth
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 19 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 461
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 23:02 |
Winter Wine wrote:
Well i really do love the first of the trilogy, the third part needs a few more listens! I'd love to get angels egg.  |
You is quite a leap from Flying Teapot. Really it helps to know Angels Egg, which most people regard as the bands finest hour. Believe it or not their is a part 4 and 5 to the trilogy (dunno how that works?) but i havent heard those
Clearlight Symphony, by the way, is amazing. if you have ears you owe it to your self to listen to it.
Edited by Froth
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Olias
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 23 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 96
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 21:20 |
If you like GONG, you will be surprised by CLEARLIGHT "Symphony" (1973) wich features Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage & Tim Blake...and a monster called Cyril Verdeaux.
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Flemdido
Forum Newbie
Joined: November 03 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 19
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 19:48 |
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Gong is GREAT!!! My collection includes almost everything done by Allen,
and a few of the Moerlen influenced albums with the Gong name. They
are quite clearly two distinct styles. Allen's humor and spaced-weirdness
influences dominated when he was the leader. I'll second the earlier
nomination for Angels' Egg - some of the best humor and spaciness of
the trilogy there. Excellent musicians in the band, esp Hillage on axe and
Didier Malherbe (aka Bloomdido) on sax and flute.
The PM-led jazzy post-Allen Gong is also quite good but distinctly
different, no spacey stuff or weird humor, just good fusion jams with very
good percussion, if you like that type of stuff. Shamal was a transition
album between the two, and while much of that album is just okay, there
are a couple of standout tracks there (Cat in Clark's Shoes always makes
me laugh, and Mandrake has an excellent flute track and an oriental
flavor).
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GonG is one and one is YOU
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:34 |
I disagree with him about Soft Machine too  !!!
Their later releases are still rewarding to me, even more so than the
PM Gong material. Softs is a masterpiece..to me at least-the best album
of under Jenkins. I also find Land of Cockayne very rewarding (see my
review), but I think that it and Rubber Riff should have been released
as Jenkins/Marshall collaborations and/or Jenkins solo albums.
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition
Joined: April 10 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3928
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:22 |
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I generally think that Hendrix828's opinion holds for me too, albeit not as strongly. However, albums such as 'Expresso II' and 'Downwind' for Gong are nowhere near as enjoyable or creative to these ears as the Allen squired version was; rather, the Moerlen albums present an in my opinion, rather stagnant take on jazz rock. They aren't bad, but not terribly innovative to these ears.
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Hendrix828
Forum Groupie
Joined: November 19 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 63
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:15 |
meurglysIII wrote:
Hendrix828 wrote:
meurglysIII wrote:
^I disagree, they changed their musical direction under Moerlen...it's different, but still very rewarding IMO! |
No,
They sucked after Allen left.
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Just curious, what albums have you heard from this period?
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Well considering I have all of their albums,and I have every bootleg they recorded from 69-75,and a few boots from 99-2002,and I have alot of the GAS Tapes,I think I know my Gong
And just as with Soft Machine,I think they sucked after Wyatt left,I think Gong sucked after Allen left. Their reunion gigs were good from 77 and such. It's just they were a totally different band without Allen.
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:09 |
Hendrix828 wrote:
meurglysIII wrote:
^I disagree, they changed
their musical direction under Moerlen...it's different, but still very
rewarding IMO! |
No,
They sucked after Allen left. |
Just curious, what albums have you heard from this period?
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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Hendrix828
Forum Groupie
Joined: November 19 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 63
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:07 |
meurglysIII wrote:
^I disagree, they changed their musical direction under Moerlen...it's different, but still very rewarding IMO! |
No,
They sucked after Allen left.
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:06 |
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^I disagree, they changed their musical direction under Moerlen...it's different, but still very rewarding IMO!
Oh yes, and Howlett took over if I remember correctly for a very short
time, not Hillage. Hillage left to do his first solo album and appeared
as a guest on Shamal.
Edited by meurglysIII
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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Hendrix828
Forum Groupie
Joined: November 19 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 63
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:05 |
Gong,
They were good until Hillage took over the band,in late 74. Everything before then is really good. One of my favorite bands!!
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 18:03 |
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If you like Gong, you should also check out Daevid Allen and Steve
Hillage's solo careers (the Hillage albums are easier to get).
Edited by meurglysIII
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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Winter Wine
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 12 2005
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1140
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 13:52 |
Drew wrote:
I thought Gong was a TV show |
Well it is an instrument! 
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My computer's broke
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Drew
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2005
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 12600
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 13:31 |
I thought Gong was a TV show
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Hemispheres
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 22 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 533
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 13:28 |
Pylo wrote:
I have "Camembert electrique", "Flying teapot", "Angel's egg", "You" and "Live etc" they're all good albums, but my favourites are "Camembert electrique" and "Flying teapot". |
 feel the same way great band
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oliverstoned
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 26 2004
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 6308
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Posted: December 28 2005 at 13:20 |
Cosmic style is Hillage's one.
He inspired french guitarist Christian Boulé from Clearlight (musical community parallel to Gong)
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Gong, the musical experience
