RGG April 2015 - p.22
Rock band Gong's latest opus will delight fans of
their Radio Gnome trilogy yet it is welcoming
enough to entice new converts into their world of
aural delight For those unfamiliar with Gong they
deliver a blend of Syd Barrett like innocence with
a ribald blend of Rock and Jazz but this no flower
power hippy trip! Think Pink Floyd's Endless River
stripped of overblown stodge and replaced with
urgency and hunger
Lyrically Gong are not stuck in yesteryear as they
show with contemporary references to the occupy
(Wall Street) movement Wikileaks and
peacefully revolution Band leader Daevid Allen
has lost none of his musical prowess This is no old
rocker slumped over an acoustic guitar lamenting
past glories proof of this energy can be found on
the swirling anger of
Occupy
Throughout the
I See
You
album he is technically faultless (as is the rest
of the band) playing and singing with grit and
substance and an ear for melody Highlights
include the melodic rush of
The Eternal Wheel
the
breezy
Syllabub
the eco friendly
Pixelation
(complete with green planet pixie playfulness) and
the penultimate track
Thank You
Thank You
seems to acknowledge the Gong legacy and yet it
could be about letting go of the past or refusing
to let your enemies get under your skin!
The idea of Progressive Rock alienates many Rock
fans usually conjuring up bland never ending
noodling with
I See You
it just describes the
willingness to explore the myriad of textures that
music can summon up Even at their most complex
Gong never lose sight of keeping the audience on
board as they take you on a trip in the theatre of
sound and wonder with I See You like a moment
of bliss it never loses its appeal
/
It is with great sadness that Daevid Allen died in
March
meaning
I See You
was the last Gong
album to see the light of day while he was still
alive Gong but not forgotten he left the world on
a musical high with an album worthy of the Gong
legacy Time for a cup of tea!
Zak
More information on Gong can be found at:
www planetgong co uk
You who watch the skies and live by the moon… You who are each other… You who can fly…
You who are born of this world but do not belong… You who tell the future without knowing it…
You who speak to each other in silence… You who make love with your eyes…
You who speak with trees, respect the gnomes and you who can hear the grass grow…
You who have lived many lives and died many deaths…
Know that GONG is the planet where life is worth loving.
Welcome - where ya been?
Celebrating Years
r
gg
since
1995
