CD-Charts Position 1
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Gazeuse

by: Gong

Release Date June 11, 1990
While the rest of the Gong corpus drifts into the past and sounds more dated with each passing year (I know the diehards will hate me for that), both musically and in terms of the rather confused 'anarcho-social commentary' it espoused, this just grows stronger with time. Beautifully recorded, crystal clear lines despite very ambitious couterpoint, this is a marvel of absolute music. It also captures some of the best of the early Allen Holdsworth tunes, several of which are more relaxed reworkings of items from the very brief but extraordinary Velvet Darkness album. I wonder what happened to the rest of these extraordinary musicians. Certainly the subsequent Gong release was a lack-lustre mish-mash by comparison.

CD-Charts Position 2
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Camembert Electrique

by: Gong

Release Date March 12, 2001
This album had just been released as I entered High School. I remember it fondly and so had to get a CD version. My father called it 'Hippie Music', making the phrase a term of abuse. It may be hippie but the music doesn't abuse anything. Rhythms and themes are strong and Gilli Smyth's ethereal murmurings evoke the spaced out texture of the music.

And not far from the surface there is great musicianship: As a jazz devotee I realise why I enjoyed (and am enjoying again) it so much; this is free jazz-rock ... and really good too! No surprise that the talented Theo Travis (sax) plays in the latest incarnations of the band.

If you remember this album and feel the urge to acquire more Gong I would certainly recommend 'Egg' and 'You' - they ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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You: Radio Gnome Invisible Vol.3/Remastered

by: Gong

Release Date October 04, 2004
I will not waste time talking about the `Radio Gnome Trilogy', the previous heavy concept was completely absurd and quite amusing. 'You' is so much more serious as it ties up the characters who seem to be lost in hyperspace. The realisation is at the end of Angel's Egg that the Planet Gong is a figment of anyone's imagination, the conclusion at the end of the trilogy is that you am I and I am you. I hope that does not spoil the ending, but the journey is what is important and what a journey it is. 'You' just improves the more times you listen to it. Everything seems to stem from this album, space rock is one aspect especially the Steve Hillage factor where 'The Glorious Om Riff' is born and this is basically what Ozric Tentacles seemed to base their sound on. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Flying Teapot: Radio Gnome Invisible Vol.1

by: Gong

Release Date February 28, 2005
Don't buy "Flying Teapot". Avoid it. Don't touch it with a barge pole. I mean this. STEER CLEAR OF THIS ALBUM.

Right, now you're upset. But let me explain. I'm a huge Gong fan. I adore "Flying Teapot". It's always been one of my favourite albums. I've loved it since the early 1980s when I first bought the vinyl. It's rarely far from my stereo. But the CD is a DISASTER. I'm not talking about the old licensing issue, the two separate covers. The covers are different, but ALL the CD versions of "Flying Teapot" use exactly the same master tape. And ALL of them are terrible beyond belief -- and beyond redemption.

The problem is entirely with the title track, 12 minutes of pure bliss. At least in the original vinyl version. A soft, trippy, jazzy ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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Angel's Egg: Radio Gnome Invisible Vol.2/Remastered

by: Gong

Release Date October 04, 2004
This has been a long time coming! .The remastering of this and "You" has been on the cards for over a year and half as far as I can remember. But due to continual delays, the last being a wish to release these in time for Gong's latest planned tour which did not transpire, it is now at last we can enjoy the 2nd and 3rd part of the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy in fully remastered and expanded form. The first part, "Flying Teapot" is caught up in licensing red-tape and is only available in a poor version on a mid-price label which I won't mention here. I will mention that also planned as part of this set of releases was an expanded version of the excellent "Live Etc" album, possibly as a 3 CD box set, but no sign of that at the moment.

So, was the wait worth it. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Shamal

by: Gong

Release Date June 11, 1990

Anyone remember a show on Radio 3 in the mid seventies hosted by Derek Jewel? Despite the "classical" nature of the channel, some wonderful "prog" and "jazz-rock" music was played on his show and, through this show and presenter, I discovered all manner of new music by the likes of Brand X, Isotope, Alan Parsons and this excellent outing by (post Daevid Allen) Gong.

The whole album has a lovely "flow" with superb musicianship throughout. The vocals here and there don't really intrude, the lyrics on the first two tracks having a true meaning which is beautifully integrated into the tracks themselves. "Chandra" was the first track I ever heard from this album and it still remains a favourite of mine.

As a gentle introduction to the "Gong" vibe, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Expresso II

by: Gong

Release Date
Virtuose musicianship, novel time signatures and interesting arrangements make this a fasinating jazz/rock fusion, with the Reich-like vibraphone and xylaphone being of particular interest to fans of the keyboard-arrangements of the Ozrics. Yet it is not the Gong of David Allen, Flying Teapot and Camembert Electric -- if you've not heard the album before, use the Amazon track-preview option before you buy!

CD-Charts Position 8
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Arista Years

by: Gong

Release Date June 30, 2008
Virtuose musicianship, novel time signatures and interesting arrangements make this a fasinating jazz/rock fusion, with the Reich-like vibraphone and xylaphone being of particular interest to fans of the keyboard-arrangements of the Ozrics. Yet it is not the Gong of David Allen, Flying Teapot and Camembert Electric -- if you've not heard the album before, use the Amazon track-preview option before you buy!

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Very Best of Gong

by: Gong

Release Date September 26, 2005
Virtuose musicianship, novel time signatures and interesting arrangements make this a fasinating jazz/rock fusion, with the Reich-like vibraphone and xylaphone being of particular interest to fans of the keyboard-arrangements of the Ozrics. Yet it is not the Gong of David Allen, Flying Teapot and Camembert Electric -- if you've not heard the album before, use the Amazon track-preview option before you buy!

CD-Charts Position 10
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Magick Brother

by: Gong

Release Date June 21, 2004
Virtuose musicianship, novel time signatures and interesting arrangements make this a fasinating jazz/rock fusion, with the Reich-like vibraphone and xylaphone being of particular interest to fans of the keyboard-arrangements of the Ozrics. Yet it is not the Gong of David Allen, Flying Teapot and Camembert Electric -- if you've not heard the album before, use the Amazon track-preview option before you buy!