|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, Glorious Finale to the GONG Trilogy, Sep 14 2009
"You" is the great and wonderful final installment of the infamous "Planet Gong" trilogy. As afficianados know, the Gong band, as listed here, is the "Classic Gong", sometimes called "The Original Gong" but that's not entirely accurate for Gong, as a band, existed with a slightly different and ever-shifting roster of players for a few albums before the famous Trilogy line-up.
That being said, THIS is the band that has the widest and most ardent following that spans several decades and continents. And it is "The Gong Trilogy" that earned that adoration.
Gong has always been helmed by one Daevid Allen, an Australian Beatnick, cum Hippie, cum Mystico Fanatico and Divided Alien... Allen is an extremely rare bird - a man with towering integrity, wistful and miraculous imagination and more musical chops and skills than have ever been credited to him. He professes an expansive and far-reaching mystical philosophy and is somewhat of a "gentle genie" of truly childlike benevolence. He can also skewer the power-mongers and planet destroyers with a deadly accuracy and directness that borders on the formidable. His love of the earth is singularly inspirational.
"You" was the summation of "The Planet Gong Trilogy" not only in terms of it being the 3rd and final part of the Trilogy, but also in its being the peak of Gong's many achievements, before or since. The previous two albums are "Flying Teapot" ( part 1 ) and "Angel's Egg" ( part 2 ).
With each subsequent Trilogy album, the Gong Family, as it was very much a communal family of fascinating and really unique talents, grew more and more into the characters of their creation and expanded their combined musical prowesses to reach the very high plateau of "You". The concept and story are completely the progeny of Allen's unique and multi-layered imagination.
This is HEADY stuff. Imagine something like the whimsy and fantasy of Tolkien, the absurdity of Monty Python, the mysticisms of Tibet and India, carried and transmitted by truly impressive jazz, rock and experimental electronica ... and you come close to the "mad" wonder that is Classic Gong.
"You"'s pieces are mostly longer ones - 3 big ones nicely bracketed by the shorts that carry most of the narrative. "Master Builder" coalesces around one of the most powerful riffs of all time, a recurrent but slightly shifting mode of awesome power and mystery. It is, in Gong Family circles, referred to as "The Glorious Om Riff". "A Sprinkling of Clouds", another of the longers, has some of the very best synthesizer and mellotron work of the 70's opening its massive thrust foward and upward. Tim Blake's synths are fluid, scintillating and evocative. Steve Hillage, of System 7 fame, provides intensely focused and searing guitar work. Didier Malherbe's saxes and "floots" can wipe up the floor with many jazz players of the day. "The Isle of Everywhere/You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever" brings "You" and the Trilogy to it's "right out there" conclusion and leads to the mystical "You" chant that we fade out on. "Isle" is where bassist Mike Howlett and jazz/rock drummer Pierre Moerlen shine, being the deadly "rythm section" most bands would kill for. Their earthy jazz/funk here is the base and structure of the piece. Gilli Smyth's trademark "space whisper" highlights. And of course this all effloresces around the "mad" genius of Allens vision, lyrics and own signature vocals.
"You" has it all: brilliant concept, breathtaking musical virtuosity, satsifying musical invention, humour, wisdom and a uniqueness that is so far beyond anything else in all of music. There is NOTHING like Gong at all, anywhere or when.
If you're adventurous in your tastes and NOT afraid to venture into a world so completely new and wonderful that it might disorient you at first and make you wonder, "What the?" ... then savour the exotic and intoxicating uniqueness that was Gong in the 70's, as best exemplified here, on "You". You may come to appreciate just why there is a Gong Appreciation Society ( GAS ), repeated Classic Gong reunions and a website like NONE on the whole of the internet.
"You are I and I am You"
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
