b o b

I did an out-of-print CDR trade with a guy who emailed me looking for copies of a few of Zappa's "Beat the Boots" discs. I told him to just send me something interesting in return, and this was one of the albums he picked. Having no idea what it was, I did a web search for reviews and found a lot of people heaping praise on the album, mostly because of the Gong involvement. I can't say I share their enthusiasm, although the album's not all bad if you like the occasional ultra-psychedelic freak out. Side one consists of three songs. The first is a six minute rambling jam, with Hedayat talking over top (in French), going on and on about a Chrysler. OK... maybe it would help if I spoke French. Moving on, the second track is more of the same, with the title repeated over and over while the guitar goes for broke in the background and Gilli Smythe adds some suggestive moaning. At least it's only a couple minutes long. "Long Song for Zelda" is the one part of side one that I like. It sounds a bit like Pink Floyd's mellow, folky stuff circa Atom Heart Mother, in particular the song "Fat Old Sun". The guitar even sounds like Gilmour's style of bluesy lead playing. The bass playing can't be mistaken for Waters however — it's too flashy and up front in the mix. Near the end of the song, the vocals break down into what sounds almost like barking. Side two is one long experimental piece built around a repetitive bass line. Over that we get tons of glissando guitar, sound effects like echoey water drops, moaning, wailing, sax solos, flute solos, lyrics recited in French and even a helium-squeaky voice asking "Why are we so high?" over and over. I think that last bit explains a lot about this album. Oddly, it all combines into a fairly good track that manages to maintain interest throughout its 21 minutes. This was probably an album created by stoners and intended for stoners, but I think anyone with a taste for the creative end of the psychedelic spectrum can probably enjoy this disc. At least the last two thirds of it. review by Bob Eichler — 5-14-05 —

j o e

If you're a Gong fan, here's your very own "long, lost album of X," for the Camembert Electrique line-up are on this one, recorded around the same time. Obsolete is one of the more outstanding relics from those lava lamp times. Dashiell Hedayat, as I understand it, was an artist in the band's circle des amis, and if I recall correctly, that's not his real name. Opening up the "Mushroom" suite on side one is "Chrysler," one of those mantra jams filled with chunky riffs and glissando from Allen, and a spastic recitative in French by Hedayat. This section may prove a bit overkill for some with its lengthy repetition, but oh well, I love it. "Fille de L'Ombre" is inconsequential but short, with some nice rated-R moaning from Smythe. "Long Song for Zelda" changes the mood to acoustic guitar, with some streetside balladeering from Hedayat. The side-long piece representing the album's other half is "Cielo Drive/17," which pushes the psychedelic meter further past the red ander, back around into the indigo. The basic foundation of the song is an infectious bass riff from Tritsch, with one bluesy detour in the middle, and a mellow, end-of-the-rapids conclusion. If you're wondering about William S. Burroughs and Robert "Sam" Wyatt, though the credits play them up, in actuality they probably inhabit about 10 seconds of this disc between the both of them. Ah, still, this one's a guilty, but not too guilty, pleasure. Don't know whatever happened to good ol' Dashiell, as I can't imagine this one skyrocketing to the top of the Parisian charts. As for the others, you can also hear Allen, Malherbe, Smythe, and Pyle together again over 20 years later on The Birthday Party, Gong's 25th anniversary album. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —