Release date: 2004
Label: Musea Records
Production: Meehail Ogorodov & Vadim “dess” Sergeyev
Length: 61:25
Genre: progressive rock / jazz fusion
Rating: 9/10
The jazz rock fusion incarnation of Gong, led by French drum master Pierre Moerlen, came back after a long absence in 2004 with a new studio album called “Pentanine”, which would also be Moerlen’s last record before his death in 2005. After a short reunion with Daevid Allen in the second half of the nineties, Moerlen, encouraged by the fact that people were still interested in his music in the new century, recorded a new studio album for the first time since “Second Wind” (1988) and revived his own version of Gong, pulling in three Russian musicians.
In many ways “Pentanine” was a classic Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album. That meant it was fully instrumental, with all sorts of percussion up front and assorted ambient textures behind it, but with modern production and a few fresh sonic ideas. On it, Moerlen kept ‘packing’ a wide range of influences into his own take on jazz rock fusion, which he’d soaked up thoroughly as a former member of the space rock masters Gong and of Mike Oldfield’s backing band, where he picked up quite a few tricks for arranging ambient music.
That mix of influences was already audible on “Overture”, the opening track on “Pentanine”, which at times sounded like a slow ambient trip through faraway galaxies. “Airway to Seven” was a bit more of a rocker thanks to Arkady Kuznetsov’s tuneful guitar passages, while Meehail Ogorodov contributed some wonderfully subtle piano arrangements that really livened the track up. Through most of the “Pentanine” compositions, Moerlen swore by his xylophone and vibraphone, while his refined, intelligently timed work behind the drum kit was still a real feast for the ears.
Great jazz rock fusion tunes with a blend of remarkable subtlety, enviable eclecticism and energy, like “Pentanine Part One” and “AuChalet”, which featured a passionate guitar solo, were clear proof that Moerlen was back at the high level of quality he’d held until the early eighties. Among the highlights of “Pentanine”, which, unlike some of Moerlen’s eighties records, has no weak moments, was the composition “Trip a La Monde”, stuffed with all kinds of solo spots and incredible rhythmic color while ethereal ambient textures flowed in the background. “Reminiscense”, with its strikingly modern synth sound, also sometimes sounded like a forgotten track from the cult album “Shamal” (1976), a nice sign that Moerlen had managed to build a convincing sonic bridge between the past and the present.
Moerlen’s farewell, “Pentanine”, was recorded with three Russian musicians who were a complete enigma to most people before this album. Even so, it ranks among the best moments of his colorful, fascinating career. It was also a dignified goodbye, both to his music career and to a life that ended far too soon. In 2005 he started writing material for a new album with a brand-new band made up of young French musicians, but death caught up with him before he could finish it. Even though Pierre’s death meant the end of it all, his last collaborators decided to use Moerlen’s final recordings and add some of their own work, and in 2010 they released a posthumous Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album called “Tribute”.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Flying High (5:49)
2. Airway to Seven (4:37)
3. Pentanine (part one) (3:28)
4. Au Chalet (4:04)
5. Trip a la Mode (4:49)
6. Reminiscence (6:46)
7. Interlude (0:40)
8. Classique (7:12)
9. Lacheur (6:11)
10. Blue Nuit (3:54)
11. Pentanine (part two) (2:11)
12. Montagnes Russes (7:04)
13. Troyka (4:33)
Pierre Moerlen’s Gong:
Pierre Moerlen – drums, vibraphone, xylophone, programming
Arkady Kuznetsov – electric guitar
Meehail Ogorodov – keyboards, percussion
Alexei Pleschunov – bass guitar
Guest musician:
Alexander Lutsky – trumpet (12)
