Daevid Allen
Country of origin:
Australia
Type of music generally:
Psychedelic progressive. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
See also:
The Planet Gong site
Comparisons:
None, really, but see also: Gong, Planet Gong, Mother Gong, Magick Brothers, Soft Machine. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Daevid Allen and Gilli Smith have been the primary (but not sole) movers of the Gong phenomena. Both have done solo work, Daevid's being a bit more extensive. Daevid's music is most easily characterizable as "unpredictable" perhaps because they have really disconnected from "normal" causality into some "other" logic. Early '70s gong was doing the progressive rock thing (they are all amazing musicians), sort of like King Crimson on 10 doses of acid. But they have never felt constrained to any particular style, so any given album may contain everything from chants to jazz to folk to almost punk to eno-esque music, with lyrics tending to be about invisible and/or green flying teapots, or some such thing. Truly a unique experience. They are still putting out stuff on a variety of indie labels (info available from GAS). Lots of people have been involved across the ages, including (around 1976) Bill Bruford. There have probably been about 100 or so personnel changes, and as many as 3 bands called Gong at the same time. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
Recommended first album:
From Gong: Angel's Egg, Camembert Electrique (brni @ kappamaki . com)
Recordings include:
This list includes albums only up to about 1978:
- Magick Brother Mystic Sister
- Bananamoon
- Camembert Electrique
- Continental Circus
- Dashielle Hedayat's Obsolete
- One Side of Glastonbury
- Radio Gnome Invisible
- Flying Teapot
- You
- Greasy Truckers
- Shamal
- Good Morning
- Now is the Happiest Time of your Life
- GAzeuse (includes Alan Holdsworth)
- Expresso (includes Alan Holdsworth)
- Gong Est Mort
- Opium For the People (Planet Gong)
- Live Floating Anarchy (Planet Gong)
- What YOu See is What YOu Are (Here and now)
- Angel's Egg (1973)
Shamal
Comments:
Sorta new age jazz. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
Angel's Egg
Release info:
1973—Virgin—cdv 2007
Availability:
wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Daevid Allen
Gilli Smith
Steve Hillage
Comments:
A must try for anyone who likes all that hippyish early Yes music. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
Thanks to brni and Jens P. Tagore Brage for work on this entry.
