GONG - Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 1) (1973-1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Produced by Giorgio Gomelsky, notable for his work with the Yardbirds, Brian Auger, and Magma, this relatively early Gong project is a great representation of the Daevid Allen-era Gong. Though not as intricate as its follow-up companion piece, Angel's Egg, The Flying Teapot is more of a true prog/space rock outing, where hippie-trippy lyrics and space whispering abound, as evidenced in the opening track, "Radio Gnome Invisible." The following cut, "Flying Teapot," is the sprawling highlight of the album. At times reminiscent of some early Weather Report jams, though not as jazzy, the tune features prominent bass, standout percussion/drums, and space whispering courtesy of Smyth. Improvisational groaning and percussion bring this jam to a close. "Pothead Pixies" is a fun pop (pot?) tune which probably received very little, if any, airplay due to the lyrics, followed by Blake's brief synth interlude, "The Octave Doctors and the Crystal Machine." "Zero the Hero and the Witch's Spell," another lengthy composition, features Malherbe's sax playing, which, at this early point in the Gong evolution, is credited for most of the jazz sounds heard in the music (remember, Pierre Moerlen has yet to join the band). This cut becomes quite heavy near its end before making a clever transition into the final cut, "Witch's Song/I Am Your Pussy." Here you hear Smyth's strange, sexually explicit lyrics, which she embellishes with ethereal voicings and cackling. This, combined with a jazzy sax from Malherbe and some very groovy musical lines near the closing, make for another fun tune. by David Ross Smith 

Tracklist:
1 Radio Gnome Invisible 5:32
Written-By – Daevid Allen
2 Flying Teapot 11:51
Written-By – Daevid Allen
3 The Pot Head Pixies 3:02
Written-By – Daevid Allen
4 The Octave Doctors And The Crystal Machine 1:51
Written-By – Tim Blake
5 Zero The Hero And The Witch's Spell 9:37
Written-By – Christian Tritsch, Daevid Allen
6 Witch's Song, I Am Your Pussy 5:08
Written-By – Daevid Allen, Gilly Smith
Credits
Bass, Piano – Francis Bacon
Congas – Rachid Whoarewe
Design [Cover Design] – Dingo, Maggie, Tom Fu
Drums, Percussion – Lawrence The Alien
Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – The Good Count Bloomdido Bad De Grass
Guitar – Stevie Hillside, The Submarine Captain
Guitar, Vocals – Dingo Virgin
Vocals [Spacewhisper], Organ – The Good Witch Yoni
Synthesizer, Vocals – Hi. T. Moonweed

GONG - Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 2) (1973-2015) Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The companion piece to The Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg is not your usual progressive rock album. Very quirky, with many, mostly brief compositions, the album is a tad less spacy than Teapot, with just a few psychedelic-inspired lyrics, and it's very technically adept. Angel's Egg opens with a true space rock cut (one of the few on the album), filled with the usual Gilli Smyth space whispering and Daevid Allen voicings, then leads into the cleverly titled "Sold to the Highest Buddha," with Steve Hillage and Didier Malherbe prominent figures. The instrumental "Castle in the Clouds" finds Hillage coming into his own, with a sound identical to his solo work. "Givin' My Love to You" sounds like a bar song, with no music and a cluster of seemingly drunken fellas trying to sing. The instrumental "Flute Salad" gives way to "Oily Way," a showcase for Malherbe's jazzy flute. "Inner Temple," an instrumental space rock track, moves along with a jazz edge, provided by Malherbe's sax. The final three tracks are the real highlights on Angel's Egg. "I Never Glid Before" is a fantastic prog rock tune, replete with blistering Hillage solo, primo Allen lyrics and vocal, and the precise percussion of new bandmember Pierre Moerlen. This eclectic composition travels through several movements and time changes, and comes across as a perpetually progressing piece. The imaginative and jazzy "Eat That Phone Book Coda" brings the album to a close.  by David Ross Smith  
Tracklist:
1 Other Side Of The Sky 7:40
Written-By – Allen, Blake
2 Sold To The Highest Buddha 4:25
Written-By – Allen, Howlitt
3 Castle In The Clouds 1:09
Written-By – Hillage
4 Prostitute Poem 4:53
Written-By – Smyth, Hillage
5 Givin' My Luv To You 0:42
Written-By – Allen
6 Selene 3:38
Written-By – Allen
7a Flute Salad 2:09
Written-By – Malherbe
7b Oily Way 3:37
Written-By – Allen, Malherbe
8 Outer Temple 1:09
Written-By – Hillage, Blake
9 Inner Temple 2:34
Written-By – Allen, Malherbe
10 Percolations 0:46
Written-By – Moerlin
11 Love Is How Y Make It 3:26
Written-By – Allen, Moerlin
12 I Niver Glid Before 5:37
Written-By – Hillage
13 Eat That Phone Book Coda 3:09
Written-By – Malherbe
Credits
Bass – T. Being Esq
Drums, Vibraphone, Marimba – Pierre de Strasbourg
Glockenspiel – Mirielle de Strasbourg
Lead Guitar [Lewd Guitar] – Sub Capt Hillage
Producer – Gong
Synthesizer, Vocals [Lady Voce] – T. Moonweed
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Vocals [Bi-Focal Vocal] – Bloomdido Bad de Grass
Vocals [Local Vocals Aluminium Croon], Guitar [Glissando Guitar] – Dingo Virgin
Vocals [Space Whisper & Loin Cackle] – Shakti Yoni

GONG - You (Radio Gnome Invisible Vol. 3) (1974-2015) Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

You is the final installment in Gong's legendary Radio Gnome Trilogy, and it marks an important turning point for the band. By 1974, the psychedelic hippie/folk-rock element of the sound that was leader Daevid Allen's most important contribution was beginning to disappear. In its place was a more sophisticated musical vision that owed as much to jazz-rock fusion as to fellow space rockers like Pink Floyd and Hawkwind. Ironically, this is Gong's most "spacy" album, full of extended, ethereal passages that would inspire future generations of space rockers. The sound was equally defined however, by the jazzy flights of saxophonist Didier Malherbe and the sinuous rhythms of bassist Mike Howlett and drummer Pierre Moerlen (the band would eventually become the fusion-oriented Pierre Moerlen's Gong). Allen's songs still provide a crucial link to the rest of the trilogy, though the conceptual/mythological aspect is less crucial to You.  by Rovi Staff
Tracklist
1 Thought For Naught 1:30
2 A P.H.P.'s Advice 1:37
3 Magick Mother Invocation 2:11
4 Master Builder 6:09
5 A Sprinkling Of Clouds 8:42
6 Perfect Mystery 2:25
7 The Isle Of Everywhere 10:21
8 You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever 11:24
Credits
Bass Guitar – Mike Howlett
Illustration [Scandalous Mandalous On The Back] – Daevid Allen
Lead Guitar – Steve Hillage
Percussion – Benoit, Mireille, Pierre Moerlen
Synthesizer [Moog And EMS Synthesisers], Mellotron [Mellowdrone] – Hi T Moonweed
Vocals [Vocal Locust], Guitar [Glissandoz Guitar] – Dingo Virgin
Voice [Poems], Vocals [Spacewhisper] – Shakti Yoni
Voice [Wee Voices], Backing Vocals [Chourousings] – Bambaloni Yoni
Wind [Wind Instruments], Vocals – Bloomdido Bad de Grass
Written-By – Gong

GONG - Gazeuse! (1976-2015) Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Gazeuse! was the first in a successful line of strictly jazz-rock sessions for percussionist Pierre Moerlen and company -- compositions that stressed jazz more than rock and which generally strayed away from lyrical content. This 1976 recording, also released under the title Expresso, was the band's first completely instrumental album, a companion piece to the later, somewhat warmer Expresso II, which is quite similar in sound and structure. To say Gazeuse! is percussive is an understatement. Drummer Moerlen is accompanied by brother Benoit and Mireille Bauer on vibraphones with Mino Cinelu playing other assorted percussion. "Percolations" is a showcase for this foursome: Part one, a display of beautiful vibes and xylophones; part two, a technically superb drum solo. Pierre's playing is fierce in this second part, exhibited by some truly volatile drumming near the close. Allan Holdsworth is the sole guitarist on the album and contributes two of his own compositions. His "Night Illusion" is a standout and reminiscent of Bill Bruford's Feels Good to Me on which Holdsworth collaborated around the same time. Longtime Gong member Didier Malherbe adds spice to the proceedings with jazzy flute on "Shadows Of" and prominent sax on the slightly funky "Esnuria." by David Ross Smith  
Tracklist:
1 Expresso 5:58
Written By, Drums – Pierre Moerlen
2 Night Illusion 3:42
Written By, Electric Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
3 Percolations 10:02
Written By, Drums – Pierre Moerlen
4 Shadows Of 7:48
Written By, Electric Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
5 Esnuria 8:02
Written By, Drums – Pierre Moerlen
6 Mireille 4:13
Written By, Bass Guitar – Francis Moze
Credits:
Bass, Piano, Gong – Francis Moze
Congas, Percussion – Mino Cinelu
Drums, Vibraphone, Marimba, Glockenspiel – Pierre Moerlen
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Saxophone, Flute – Didier Malherbe
Vibraphone – Benoit Moerlen
Vibraphone, Marimba, Glockenspiel – Mireille Bauer

GONG - Live Etc. (1977-2015) 2 Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The essential Live Etc. sports incredible live versions of material from four Gong albums (Camembert Electrique, Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg, You) and one studio track which had been recorded in 1974 as an attempt at a single. The live material, recorded 1973-1975, consists of performances from several different incarnations of the band, making this an excellent starting point for anyone interested in sampling Gong. Abundant and overflowing with infusions of space, prog, and jazz, this melting pot of a band stands alone in its eclectic delivery of the goods. Highlights include Moerlen's percussion solo on "Flying Teapot," Malherbe's sax solo on "Zero the Hero...," and Hillage's guitar work on the spacy "Radio Gnome Invisible." "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is Gong's attempt at a single; while somewhat mainstream, even this piece pushes the envelope for the airwaves. "6/8 Tune" is a superb jazzy instrumental, a kind of foreshadowing to the CD's final four tracks, which are for the most part instrumental and very progressive. The tracks blend together to form the climax and highlight of this great live album, and exhibit the jazziness that would become an integral sound in the band's future releases. Recorded after Allen's departure, this is the personnel that would go on to record Shamal, though no tracks from that album show up here. Live Etc. originally ended with the tune "Ooby-Scooby Doomsday" (another attempt at a pop hit), but at 79 minutes, the CD format could not hold it, and it has been tacked on to the end of the Angel's Egg compact disc release. by David Ross Smith   
Tracklist 1:
1. You Can't Kill Me 5:56
2. Zero The Hero And The Witch's Spell 11:05
3. Flying Teapot 6:31
4. Dynamite / I Am Your Animal 5:43
5. 6/8 Tune 3:48
6. Est-Ce Que Je Suis 4:16
7. Ooby-Scooby Doomsday Or The D-day DJ's Got The D.D.T. Blues 5:09
8. Radio Gnome Invisible 7:35
Tracklist 2:
1. Oily Way 3:21
2. Outer Temple 1:03
3. Inner Temple 5:14
4. Where Have All The Flowers Gone? 3:04
5. Isle Of Everywhere 10:24
6. Get It Inner 2:30
7. Master Builder 5:57
8. Flying Teapot (Reprise) 2:05
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Mike Howlett
Drums – Pierre Moerlen, Rob Tait
Flute, Percussion, Saxophone, Vocals – Didier Malherbe
Guitar, Vocals – Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage
Keyboards – Patrice Lemoine
Keyboards, Vocals – Miquette Giraudy
Percussion – Mireille Bauer
Percussion, Vocals – Diane Stewart
Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals – Tim Blake
Vocals – Gilli Smyth

GONG - Expresso II (1978-2015) Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

As interesting and fun as the Daevid Allen period was, the name Gong became more meaningful in the context of the music as percussionist Pierre Moerlen assumed the role of bandleader. An emphasis on percussives of all sorts became clear on Gazeuse!, the band's first completely instrumental album, and the music became much jazzier, though never considered jazz. Expresso II finds Pierre Moerlen's Gong at their peak. Like their previous studio release, Gazeuse!, the album is instrumental, the music is very polished, the sound very clean. Vibes and xylophone dominate on this album, somewhat reminiscent of the sound Zappa achieved through Ruth Underwood on One Size Fits All just three years earlier. The first two tracks, "Heavy Tune" and "Golden Dilemma," are the highlights here, partially due to the fact that the rest of the cuts all blend together and sound quite similar. The listener is pleasantly assaulted with a barrage of vibes, yet what a unique sound it is when heard on a rock-oriented album. Guitar combos rarely get much better than on "Heavy Tune," as Mick Taylor rips out leads over Allan Holdsworth's grinding rhythm guitar. The collective guitar sound achieved is one of restrained power; however, the piece can comparatively be considered a rocker. Gong shifts to a different gear with the following track, "Golden Dilemma," a faster-paced, jazzy piece with incredible solos from guitarist Bon Lozaga. Formerly of Curved Air, Darryl Way's violin is a highlight on "Sleepy" and "Boring" (neither of which apply). "Sleepy," which combines Way's violin with Holdsworth's guitar leads, prefigures the sound of the first U.K. album (Holdsworth went on to form U.K. with violinist Eddie Jobson). A very short album, Expresso II is possibly the strongest of the post-Allen Gong, and an essential album. by David Ross Smith  
Tracklist:
1 Heavy Tune 6:22
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Drums, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone – Pierre Moerlen
Lead Guitar – Mick Taylor
Marimba – Mireille Bauer
Rhythm Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vibraphone – Benoit Moerlen
Written-By – Pierre Moerlen
2 Golden Dilemma 4:51
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Congas – Francois Causse
Drums, Xylophone – Pierre Moerlen
Guitar – Bon Lozaga
Marimba – Mireille Bauer
Vibraphone – Benoit Moerlen
Written-By – Hansford Rowe
3 Sleepy 7:17
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Bass Guitar, Soloist [Dr. Q] – Hansford Rowe
Congas – Francois Causse
Drums – Pierre Moerlen
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vibraphone – Mireille Bauer
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion – Benoit Moerlen
Violin – Darryl Way
Written-By – Mireille Bauer
4 Soli 7:37
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Congas – Francois Causse
Drums – Pierre Moerlen
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Soloist [Vibraphone] – Benoit Moerlen
Vibraphone – Mireille Bauer
Written-By – Hansford Rowe
5 Boring 6:23
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Congas – Francois Causse
Drums, Timpani, Tubular Bells – Pierre Moerlen
Marimba – Mireille Bauer
Vibraphone – Benoit Moerlen
Violin – Darryl Way
Written-By – Mireille Bauer
6 Three Blind Mice 4:47
Bass Guitar – Hansford Rowe
Congas – Francois Causse
Drums – Pierre Moerlen
Vibraphone, Marimba – Mireille Bauer
Vibraphone, Tubular Bells, Glockenspiel, Claves, Xylophone – Benoit Moerlen
Written-By – Benoit Moerlen

PIERRE MOERLEN'S GONG - Downwind (1979-2010) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The impressive Downwind is the first release from the band under its new moniker, Pierre Moerlen's Gong, as Moerlen assumes creative control and dominance. The release marks a return to vocals/lyrics, which proves only partially successful. Moerlen's voice is a hit on the opener, the rocking "Aeroplane," and the collective vocals on the fast-paced, percussive "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" (popularized by Santana) are right on target. His singing is weak, though, on "What You Know" and detracts from the song's quality. Mick Taylor makes his only appearance here with an exceptional guitar solo. Downwind is also a return to compositions dominated by rock structures and styles, the jazz element minimal this time around. The instrumental cuts are sublime: "Emotions" and "Xtasea" are relaxing; "Crosscurrents" and "Downwind" are energetic and exciting. The title cut is easily the highlight of the album, featuring guest appearances by Steve Winwood (Moog, synth) and guitarist Mike Oldfield. At almost 13 minutes, this thrilling composition resembles the early work of Oldfield, particularly strains of "Tubular Bells, Pt. 1," and specifically the section used for the film The Exorcist. On "Downwind," Moerlen's percussives are ablaze, recalling his "Percolations" performance from Gazeuse. Bassist Hansford Rowe is prominent, and saxophonist Didier Malherbe, a longtime Gong staple, makes his only appearance on the album. by David Ross Smith 
Tracklist:
1 Aeroplane 2:39
2 Crosscurrents 6:11
3 Downwind 12:30
Co-producer – Mike Oldfield
Flute – Terry Oldfield
Guitar, Bass, Drums – Mike Oldfield
Saxophone – Didier Malherbe
Synthesizer – Steve Winwood
4 Jin-Go-Lo-Ba 3:24
Written-By – M. Olatunji
5 What You Know 3:40
Lead Guitar – Mick Taylor
6 Emotions 4:44
7 Xtasea 6:39
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Hansford Rowe
Congas, Marimba – François Causse
Drums, Vibraphone, Timpani, Cowbell, Timbales, Percussion, Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer, Vocals – Pierre Moerlen
Guitar, Vocals – Ross Record
Producer – Pierre Moerlen
Tape Op – Jess Sutcliffe
Vibraphone – Benoit Moerlen
Violin – Didier Lockwood (tracks: 1, 6, 7)
Written-By – Pierre Moerlen (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 7), Ruan O'Lochlain (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 7)