Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gong
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1973
Length: 45:14
Rating: 4.5/5
»Angel’s Egg« or »Angels Egg«, as Gong’s eccentric chieftain Daevid Allen titled this oddball album when it came out, was the second part of the infamous space rock »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy. Allen, who was answering to the bizarre name Dingo Virgin at the time, created the first chapter of the psychedelic Gong mythology on its predecessor »Flying Teapot«, released in May 1973, and it hit its artistic peak with the »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy. »Angel’s Egg« was an even more fun and sonically colorful affair than »Flying Teapot«, because that sly fox Allen had lured an outstanding rhythm section into Gong: Fijian-born bassist Mike Howlett, who later paved the way for the birth of the legendary The Police with his band Strontium 90, and who went on to leave a major mark on the eighties new wave scene, and French drummer Pierre Moerlen. The latter took over the reins of the band two years later and, after Allen’s return, led his own jazz fusion version of Gong.
Allen’s space rock crew of international musical talents, who left a strong stamp on »Angel’s Egg«, was rounded out by English guitar maestro and key Canterbury scene icon Steve Hillage, English keyboard wizard Tim Blake (later of Hawkwind), French saxophonist Didier Malherbe and French percussionist Mirreille Bauer (later of Art Zoyd). »Angel’s Egg« was the next chapter in the space rock misadventures of an anti-hero named Zero the Hero, who, with his flying teapot and in the company of the good witch Shakti Yoni, played by Allen’s partner Gilli Smyth, explores planet Gong, home to psychedelic gnomes in green caps. There’s no doubt that assorted intoxicating substances played a part in the creative process, and some sections of individual tracks were pure mantra-chanting with the bizarre noises of the ‘good witch’ Yoni. Instrumentally and arrangement-wise, though, thanks to the new, seriously strong rhythm section, the ‘angel egg’ was a step forward in the artistic evolution of the champions of the so-called Canterbury scene, compared to the predecessor »Flying Teapot«.
Jazz rock fusion elements, mostly thanks to Moerlen, slowly began to push their way to the front, but as far as the dominant style goes, »Angel’s Egg« was still first and foremost a space rock trip-out with a heap of psychedelic ‘séances’ and plenty of grotesque sounds. With Hillage’s increasingly important role as guitarist on »Angel’s Egg«, Allen himself stepped into the background a bit, but he still held the main role as lead singer and songwriter, and you can feel it on almost every track. Daevid’s peculiar sense of humor colors most of the lyrics, which are soaked in social criticism and a few erotic fantasies of a rowdy ‘uncle’ with a goofy look.
»Other Side of the Sky«, the opener and the longest piece on »Angel’s Egg«, is a space rock epic with a long, improvised intro, ruled by Smyth’s countless bizarre noises, Allen’s psychedelic mantra-chanting and some tinkering with synthesizers, while further in the initiative is taken over by Hillage’s guitar passages, Malherbe’s saxophone shenanigans and the eclectic rhythm section. Allen’s mischievous yet melodic vocal approach, which first shows up on »Sold to the Highest Buddah«, keeps the individual pieces lucid, and there’s no shortage of colorful psychedelic and jazzy improvisations that keep a steady flow of interesting creative ideas coming. In between you’ll find shorter, mostly instrumental compositions like »Castle in the Clouds«, where Blake gets to shine with his experiments on the electronically tinged VCS3 synthesizer.
»Prostiute Poem« is a fine example of a thoroughly ‘bawdy’ creation, with a saxophone arrangement with a strong whiff of French folk music up front, while the witch Yoni this time finds herself in the role of a thoroughly sozzled prostitute. »Selene« is ambient and one of the prettier pieces on »Angel’s Egg«, while »Future Salad/Oily Way«, thanks to its flute soloing, is a nice example of space rock mischief. Among the more sophisticated pieces is the instrumental »Inner Temple«, a clear example of the classic space rock Gong approach that marked their sound on later albums with Allen over the next two decades and more. With its gentle cymbal sound and Allen in the role of a psychedelic ‘garden gnome’, »Love Is How You Make It« is a fine example of how Moerlen was already starting to transform the Gong sound into percussion-driven jazz rock fusion back then. Too bad he and Allen never worked together like that again.
»I Never Glid Before«, a Gong classic and a regular in their live sets, is marked by a witty saxophone arrangement, clever time changes and Allen’s playful vocal giddiness. »Eat That Phone Book Coda« is in a similar vein, with no shortage of gallows humor and improvisational lunacy, including the laughter of invisible gnomes, while the CD bonus track »Ooby-Scooby Doomsday«, with its militaristic rhythms, ‘busted trumpet’, vocal grumbling and a brilliant guitar solo, is one of the wildest and funniest experiments in the entire history of Gong. The other bonus track, the tastefully rearranged »Oily Way«, with a hefty jazz rock fusion stamp and a melodic chorus, sounds almost commercial compared to most of the rest of the »Angel’s Egg« material.
»Angel’s Egg«, the core of the »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy, was one of the defining moments in Gong’s history, with Allen’s musical crew at the peak of their creative powers and wild ideas just pouring out on their own. Right from its release, »Angel’s Egg« had a major influence on the space rock scene, which at the time, partly thanks to Hawkwind, was becoming increasingly interesting to a non-traditional, somewhat less demanding audience. But the artistic evolution of these ‘space hippies’, led by the most eccentric Australian musician of his day, was far from over. The »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy found its conclusion with »You« (1974), a progressive rock masterpiece that still represents the peak of Allen’s Gong today.
Line-up
Daevid Allen – vocals, guitar
Gilli Smyth – space whisper
Steve Hillage – guitar
Tim Blake – VCS3 synthesizer, backing vocals
Didier Malherbe – tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, backing vocals
Mike Howlett – bass guitar
Pierre Moerlen – drums, percussion
Mireille Bauer – glockenspiel
Production
Gong and Giorgio Gomelsky
Track list
1. Other Side of the Sky (7:40)
2. Sold on the Highest Buddha (4:25)
3. Castle in the Clouds (1:09)
4. Prostitute Poem (4:52)
5. Givin’ My Love to You (0:43)
6. Selene (2:09)
7. Flute Salad (2:09)
8. Oily Way (3:37)
9. Outer Temple (1:09)
10. Inner Temple (2:34)
11. Percolations (0:46)
12. Love is How You Make It (3:27)
13. I Never Glid Before (5:36)
14. Eat that Phonebook Coda (3:12)
