Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gong
Label: Madfish
Release: 2016
Length: 59:41
Rating: 5/5
Australian cosmic visionary Daevid Allen left this earthly ‘vale of tears’ for good on March 13, 2015, hopping aboard his ‘flying teapot’ for the ‘Gong dimension’, where since August 22, 2016 he’s been keeping company with his longtime partner and musical collaborator Gilli Smyth. Even before his final farewell, Daevid managed to record his last album with Gong, »I See You« (2014), after which he told the remaining members of the legendary prog rock group to keep making new music, despite the approaching departure of the key architect of the Gong universe.
The rest of the international band, that is guitarist and (now) lead singer Kavus Torabi (Cardiacs, Knifeworld, Guapo), second guitarist Fabio Golfetti (Violeta di Otuno), bassist Dave Sturt (Jade Warrior), sax/flute player Ian Eeast and drummer Cheb Nettles, decided to honor Daevid’s last wish, so they recorded a new Gong album with the deeply fitting title »Rejoice! I’m Dead!«, and it’s not hard to picture Allen ecstatically yelling those very words and giggling with his musical buddies from some Gong dimension invisible to the naked eye. Well, even in death Daevid is still present on the album, since his vocals were used on the tracks »Model Village« and »Beatrix«, which will delight all the longtime devotees for whom the only real version of Gong was always the one with Allen.
Extra relevance for the new Gong comes from guest appearances by two former, longtime (and at times still occasional) members: guitar grandmaster Steve Hillage, who played the solo on »Rejoice!«, and woodwind player Didier Malherbe, who contributed duduk on »Model Village« and »Through Restless Seas I Come«. It’s not the first time Gong have found themselves without Allen, who left them back in 1975, after which drummer Pierre Moerlen (sadly also no longer with us) had to take the lead for a while and steered them in a jazz fusion direction, until Daevid took the reins of the main band again in 1990 and held them right up to his death. Still, before the album came out, there was a fair question hanging in the air: could the remaining Gong members carry on without such an unpredictable songwriting genius and sonic visionary as the legendary Daevid?
There was no need to worry at all, because »Rejoice! I’m Dead!« is in every respect a classic, utterly unpredictable, astral Gong album, with Allen’s stamp still noticeable on most of it, while the updated production with a slight retro touch brings some interesting novelties to their very particular blend of space rock, psychedelia, folk, avant-garde and jazz rock fusion, which will surely win over a few younger fans of experimental music too. What’s more, Gong haven’t sounded as energetic, fresh and modern as they do on »Rejoice! I’m Dead!« since their classic era, when they were among the most important names in prog rock.
It seems Allen’s farewell spurred them on even more while making »Rejoice! I’m Dead!« to create an album the late Gong chieftain would be more than proud of. The toughest job undoubtedly fell to guitarist Torabi, who stepped into Daevid’s shoes as lead singer and did the job well. Their voices are fairly similar, so the vocal transition was surely easier to pull off. When it comes to guitar harmonies and unpredictable variations, he’s nicely complemented by Golfetti, who is no lesser master, while Gong can boast one of the most dynamic and eclectic rhythm sections in modern prog/space rock.
The opener, »The Thing That Should Be«, recalls classic Gong from the days of the unforgettable »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy, except the guitars are far more upfront, while Ian East keeps delighting with his witty woodwind variations. »Rejoice!«, with its gorgeous multi-voice chorus, broken, chaotic rhythms, crazy sax passages and psychedelic instrumental sections, is one of the album’s peaks, and Hillage’s guest solo is a story in itself — fully living up to his reputation, it adds a whole new dimension to the track. Allen was known as a sharp social critic, who in his seemingly ‘harmless’ mantras about flying teapots and good witches always aimed plenty of pointed arrows at the capitalist order of the world. »Kapital«, steeped in a dark atmosphere, angry singing and chaotic jazz fusion variations, and with its socially critical lyrics, proves that the new Gong haven’t forgotten that side of their music.
Uncle Allen checks in for the first time from the Gong ‘beyond’ on the mystical, astral-tinged »Model Village«, saying a few words about the rotten nature of capitalism. After a short political speech comes his trademark psychedelic vocal, which blends superbly with the mystical guitar harmonies and witty sax passages, and you’d swear the gray-haired artist is floating around the Gong universe as he sings. On the short guitar, bass and sax improvisation »Beatrix« Daevid says a few words in French, which became his second language after he spent a good chunk of his life in France. »Visions« is a dark, psychedelic instrumental wrapped in a mysterious ambient haze, with spectacular improvisations that freeze the blood in your veins.
At almost twelve minutes, »The Unspeakable Stands Revealed« is the longest piece on the album and, as you’d expect from Gong, also the most eclectic and rowdy, with plenty of instrumental and solo detours. The rhythmic and vocal variety is outstanding, while the tense and at times astral atmosphere shifts from second to second. The punchy guitar passages in between, which keep seizing the initiative amid the wild sax interjections, wouldn’t embarrass even a prog metal band. »Through Restless Seas I Come« opens with a shattering, dystopian mood, where Torabi’s almost icy vocals shine over sax improvisations. That’s followed by a brilliant transition into an instrumental section with mighty guitar passages and witty sax variations, combining the psychedelic lucidity of the old version of Gong with the untamable elan of the modern one. The album closes in perfect style with the space rock cataclysm »Insert Yr Own Prophecy«, another brilliant track that, with its grimacing, cynical singing, mocking sax passages and crazy guitar variations, recalls classic Gong from the »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy era.
Daevid Allen has been gone for a while now, but even without him at the helm, Gong have managed to make one of the best albums of their long and turbulent history with »Rejoice! I’m Dead!«, one the late creator of new astral worlds would surely be immensely proud of. It’s no exaggeration to declare »Rejoice! I’m Dead!« one of the prog rock highlights of 2016 already. The album is so good that few fans will miss the ‘witchy’ sounds and cackling of the late Gilli ‘Mother Gong’ Smyth while listening to it — this review is dedicated to her, for all her musical and conceptual contributions to developing and sustaining the Gong family. The band, for their part, dedicated the album to their departed chieftain, whose giggling spirit will always watch over them. Most fans were convinced the Gong story ended with Allen’s farewell, and never dared imagine that the eccentric trickster had, right before his death, given the remaining members of the band his blessing to keep the Gong spaceship alive (and, so far, more than successfully).
Line-up
Kavus Torabi – vocals, guitar
Fabio Golfetti – guitar, backing vocals
Dave Sturt (Jade Warrior) – bass, backing vocals
Ian East – saxophone, flute
Cheb Nettles – drums, backing vocals
Daevid Allen – vocals (4, 5)
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Steve Hillage – guitar solo (2)
Didier Malherbe – duduk (4, 8)
Graham Clark – violin (1)
Production
Gong
Track list
1. The Thing That Should Be (03:34)
2. Rejoice! (10:17)
3. Kaptial (3:21)
4. Model Village (6:43)
5. Beatrix (2:54)
6. Visions (4:29)
7. The Unspeakable Stands Revealed (11:49)
8. Through Restless Seas I Come (6:58)
9. Insert Yr Own Prophecy (9:36)
