Gong-Gong Live, Etc (1977)

Gong were a surreal, cosmic band who created some of the most extravagant albums, distinguished by their long instrumental improvisations, spacey atmospheres, psychedelia, satirical lyrics, and eccentric, chaotic musicality. After releasing a series of works bordering on the absurd and outlandish, such as their acclaimed albums for fans of the most unique progressive rock the legendary "Flying Teapot", "Angel's Egg", "You", and "Shamal", they released the double live album "Gong Live, Etc", a perfect showcase of their wild shows, encompassing some of the material from their studio albums. However, the live versions of all this material, while somehow summarizing the strangeness and extravagance of the group, don't quite capture the musical magic of the madness revealed in the original albums. Even so, the listener is delighted to hear the driving rhythms of their stylistic philosophy, from Steve Hillage's guitar to Didier Malherbe's saxophone and flute, Tim Blake's ethereal keyboards, Pierre Moerlen's dissonant and talented drumming, and Daevid Allen's burlesque and sometimes off-kilter vocal antics. This live recording perfectly showcases the unprecedented eccentricity that this wild and talented British band displayed on stage.