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Daevid Allen & The Magick Brothers
Live at the Witchwood 1991

Voiceprint Records (VP107CD)
UK 1998

Daevid Allen, vocal, acoustic guitar, glissando guitar; Mark Robson, keyboards, vocal, flute, didgeridoo; Graham Clark, violin

Tracklist:
1.  Zero Theme — 1:54
2.  Why Do We Treat Ourselves Like We Do? — 7:08
3.  I Am My Own Roadie — 3:53
4.  Herbacious Border — 5:50
5.  Have You Seen My Friend — 5:16
6.  Wayland Smithy — 8:44
7.  Trial by Headline — 11:36
8.  Isle of Glass — 4:05
9.  Children of the New World — 3:50
10.  Wise Man in Your Heart — 12:43
11.  Magick Brother — 8:17

total time 73:15

Links:
see all daevid allen & the magick brothers reviews at ground & sky
planet gong
buy this cd from amazon.com

j
o
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A pared-down, predominantly acoustic set with Gong founder and leader Daevid Allen, joined by comrades Mark Robson (Kangaroo Moon) and Graham Clark (Gongmaison). This album was recorded in Manchester in November 1991, with some additional material taken from a London show the month previous. Plenty of pot-head pixie dust to go around, with a fair share of early solo Allen and Gong oldies, countered by more the secular concerns of "Trial by Headline" (nothing too surprising, though, if you are at all familiar with Allen's anarchic leanings) and a few originals by Robson.

The pros of the disc are its intimate vibe and a twinkling version of "Why Do We Treat Ourselves Like We Do?", which in my more giddy moments I can almost picture Shane MacGowen singing as a poignant Pogues ballad. Most of the remaining material is decent, and for just three people, there is enough variation in the instrumentation to keep things moving along. As far as cons, certain tracks drag painfully, like "I Am My Own Roadie" and Robson's monotonous "Herbacious Border."

Though it's not a bad album, unless you are a full-fledged Allen nut you could probably put this one in the rearview mirror without too much regret. Otherwise, this recording makes an enjoyable consideration for casual inspection amongst established Gong fans.

review by Joe McGlinchey — 10-12-03 —

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