Gong, the musical experience

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' 

Edited by Winter Wine

Gong is an amazing band.  I think you have to realize that, especially during the Daevid Allen era, they used a lot of humor in their songwriting.  I think humor bothers some progressive rock listeners for some reason.  Steve Hillage is one of the the most accomplished guitar players with a truly unique style.

Cosmic style is Hillage's one.

He inspired french guitarist Christian Boulé from Clearlight (musical community parallel to Gong)

I thought Gong was a TV show

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

^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

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?

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.

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).

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