Downwind, even though Holdsworth isn't playing on it is, is a fantastic album from this era of Gong. The title track is my favorite Gong track. The drums, percussion, and mallet instruments are absolutely incredible.
Had a mate in Jr high drop the needle on an LD titled IOU. I really love Alan's early work and It was not until several years ago I got into Tony Williams, Gong and U.K. CHEERS!
"Gazeuse" was the first time I heard Holdsworth. I bought it because I loved Gong "You". Of course, I had never heard anyone play like that before. Simply amazing. Made me go out and get Ponty's "Enigmatic Ocean" just because he was on it. Of course from there I had to find everything that Holdsworth played on. Loved that he wound up in Bill Bruford's band (my personal drum god, BTW) and UK. I was fortunate enough to see him play live on the "I.O.U." tour. Agree that Pierre Moerlen is criminally underrated as a great prog/fusion drummer.
I remember going to the record store and buying Gazeuse here in the US it is titled Expresso and was apprehensive about this album . I did not here it yet and only knew Flying Teapot, You and Shamal. What a delight it was and still is. Your analysis nailed it.
I saw them live in a club in Boston, minus Holdswort. Being a drummer/mallet percussionist, I have to say this the finest rock tuned percussion ensembles other than Frank and Ruth. But they walk different paths. I used to use this album for drum practice and put myself to the test every now and then. The nice thing is that when Gong divided, they did so amicably with Pierre and Dider taking the jazzy vibraphone aspects of Gong to continue, while Daevid was able to continue the psychedelic philosophical Gong to the very end, while Steve Hillage continues in the same vein today. Been listening since the Trilogy came out. Cheers!
Gong truly were a fantastic band... and Gazuese is a real departure... it's top notch fusion, with loads of marimba! An incredible album that everyone must listen to. And Pierre Moerlen is absolutely a much underrated drummer.
Thanks Paul...this group with Holdsworth has been perhaps forgotten a little. Please tell us more what it was like seeing them live. Was it Reading? that one is on RU-vid now...
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer l saw them at Manchester university 76 l was a bit disappointed l couldn’t hear Allan to many xylophones, congas, and the bass and drums completely drowned him out, but l made up for it in 2006 when l was 10 feet away from him, also at Manchester 😁
My fav Gong lps … Allan Holsworth was so fenomenal … My uncle gave me a musicassette TDK for let me know Santana on Side A … quite good, but on Side B there was Gazeuse and … wtf! Allan playing on it was so different, so cool, I became an instant fan of him. And Pierre Moerlen playing in Percolations … amazing
Gazeuse is either the quality of differents planets that does have gas over the surface, or a sparkly drink, such as perrier or san Pellegrino. By the way, many thanks for sharing your love for those incredible albums !
I have both versions of Gazeuse; the one you have shown that appears on European releases and the US release entitled "Expresso" with the flying expresso machine. This is a great fusion album and is my second favorite Gong album, just behind "You". "Gazeuse" is my favorite Holdsworth album, followed by the first UK album and "Bundles" by Soft Machine.
I was a fan of the Radio Gnome trilogy well before I ever heard of Holdsworth; later, as a Holdsworth-collector, fell in love with Gazeuse but haven't explored Expresso II so much or Time is the Key at all. In other words, thanks for both of these "Gong trilogy" videos!
Expresso too is not far off Gazeuse, well worth checking out. Time is The key has three tracks with Holdsworth on but only two solos. They are both corkers. On Esnuria II he plays through and octave pedal and plays incredibly fast and atonally. They are the last three tunes on the album. I think the compositions are a little weaker too perhaps....
Another great video. Have you been at my record collection again? That tatty copy of Gazeuse looks like mine! And my Gong collection started with Shamal. So chuffed to see the new Gong with Kavus recently, as well as Steve Hillage and Utopia Strong. Took my son and he loved it All the best
Thanks for the video. I enjoyed going down the memory lane. Haven't listen to PMG for while now. Time to change that. I think my first album from this era was actually Downwind (the one with Oldfield). But since Holdsworth is my fav guitarist, I do tend to be partial to those records where he appears.
Even after this video, I saw "PMG" and thought Pat Metheny Group for the first second! I like the reminder that Downwind featured Oldfield -- I'll have to revsit that one too.
Andy my thoughts exactly! If Gazeuse! is a 10 than Espresso II is a 9.5. That's how I always felt about these two albums that are very similar in style. Almost like twin albums, just like Demons & Wizards and The Magician's Birthday by Uriah Heep.
I'd never heard Gazuese as I thought Gong were a kind of weird comedy band, how wrong I was.....it is GREAT. First time AH used his Strat/Dick Knight guitar I believe.
A lot of people bag shamal because it's not like the earlier Gong, but personally it's one of my favourites. for mine most of Allen's stuff hasn't stood the test of time.
I'd choose Shamal, Gazeuse! and Expresso 2 as the trilogy and call it Pierre's golden period of Gong, including AH. I think these albums have the strongest post Daevid compositions. On Shamal, Steve Hillage played on two tracks, and superbly, and Didier Malherbe's solos were outstanding. Since Shamal retains some quirky aspects of DA Gong, it's often dismissed as a transitional album, but every track has amazing passages and playing.
One of my very first gigs as a young sheltered 17 year old. Was seeing Gong play at the Hammersmith Palais in 1975. Weird and mind-altering to say the least. That was due to the yellow pungent smoke wafting around the venue. I still have fond memories of seeing Gong play at the Roundhouse and some place in South Kensington... But the truth is I prefer Pierre Moerlen's version of the band. I love the jazz rock vibe and lack of vocals.. I find Daevid Allen's comedic hippy pot head pixies and zero the hero malarkey lyrically naff.
My favourite Gong album by far, though at the time of release the "This isn't the real Gong" brigade didn't like the change from the adolescent fantasy/stoner version, which has its charms, but these were serious musicians finally off the leash with added Holdsworth and he's brilliant on it. I was going to slate the inclusion of a drum solo, even though it is very 'musical', but as you're a drummer I'll shut up ...
