Gong

Genre: Space Rock

Grade: B

Gong is pretty well known in prog rock circles, so it might seem kind of redundant to give them all the praise that I'm going to give them, here; but hey, the blog is called 'the best and forgotten', and Gong's among the best.

The band's leader and most well-known member, Daevid Allen, was a Soft Machine alumni before going on to create Gong. Due to a visa complication, he was denied entry to the United Kingdom and was dispelled into France. There, he met Gilli Smyth, with whom he created the first incarnation of the group. With a vocalist and a flautist on hand, Gong was finally a working unit by 1968.

That is, until the student revolution of '68, which forced them to flee to Majorca. There, unbelievably enough, they found their saxophonist, Didier Malherbe.

The rest is history. Well, maybe it isn't 'set-in-stone' history, but their development is so absurdly complicated that it would be pointless to drone on and on and on about their musical evolution.

Alright, now onto the music.

Gong's music is a very quirky, unique amalgamation of rock music, jazz music, traditional English music, and just about every other conceivable type of music you can think of. Their material defines the word 'eclectic'. A lot of prog bands of the '70s, I've noticed, seemed to find one style and stick with; Gong, however, experimented with anything and everything. Although their quirkiness is immediately evident upon listening, none of it sounds truly 'similar' upon closer examination.

The best way I can describe it is Syd Barrett on acid, on acid. Without acid.

It's something you have to experience for yourself.

Their whimsicality is one of their more pronounced features, so if you're not into the Canterbury, Robert Wyatt-ish stuff, this probably isn't the band for you.

If you like the earlier Soft Machine, these guys should be right up your alley, wherever your alley is.

There's really so much to cover with Gong, that it can't be accomplished in this single post. Look them up on the inta'net. I mean, there was Pierre Moerlan's Gong, which was a completely different entity, and...well, like I said. Inta'net.

The quote that sums up their entire career:

"Stranger and stranger, that's why you do it."

Essential recordings: Camembert Electrique (1971), Angel's Egg (1973), Gazeuse! (1976) (With Pierre Moerlan...a very different incarnation of the group).

Other recommended recordings: Flying Teapot (1973), You (1974), Shamal (1975)

Stay away from these: Magick Brother (1970)

Ratings:

Diversity - 9.4/10

Gong is not only one of the most diverse bands in prog, but one of the most diverse bands in rock. From the cool jazz-fusion of Pierre Moerlan to the quirky, eccentric space rock of Daevid Allen, there's almost nothing that this group hasn't experimented with.

Listenability - 7.3/10

Listening to Gilli Symth's 'space whispering' and drawn-out 'ooooo's becomes incessant, at times, but the excellent instrumentation, songwriting, and interesting lyrics keep it well-balanced.

Originality - 9.2/10

Maybe the Soft Machine and Caravan preceded them slightly, and maybe they drew a lot of influence from Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, but their sound is almost completely unlike anything I've ever heard.

Quality - 8.6/10

Not every release is consistently good with them, but their best is among the best in prog history.

Importance - 7/10

Being a space rock band is tough work. You have to create unique music while dealing with the burden that you're the only group that will ever sound the way you do....

Overall: 8.3 out of 10.

Thus, an B on the scale.