GILLI SMYTH

In the history of ‘Canterbury’ music in general, there exists a few key players who maybe never quite got the credit they deserved for their musical skills. Probably the prime example of this is Gong’s Gilli Smyth, whose body of work over the years reveals her not only a major talent as a singer, but also as a seriously underrated composer and musical chef, and in the case of her first solo album, she revealed an Orb-like talent for assemblage in addition to the other musical roles involved. She’s an essential component in the sound of classic Gong, and her trademark ‘space-whisper’ is as much an integral part to the sound of that band as Daevid Allen’s glissando guitar, or Tim Blake’s synthesizers. Never afraid to break new musical ground or embrace new musical styles, she is the proud possessor of a whole host of group-involved and solo projects over the years, and these all stand the test of time as an embodiment of the female spirit within and without the Gong family. The albums featured here are the ones that are still around – some of her eighties solo work is due to appear later in the form of a box set, but for the purposes of this feature it’s too early to include it, so more on that one later. From what is on offer here, we are sure that you’ll be surprised to find just what a musical impact she has had on the ‘Canterbury’ scene.

This is Gilli Smyth, our favourite Gongstress, doing what she does best, and in a context that, after all these years, is the perfect vehicle for her musical ideas. To explain this further, and assuming you know her history (or at least the classic albums), this is very much a hybrid of the female side of Gong, as evidenced on the original ‘Mother’ album. It’s not produced in a psychedelic or jazzy framework – it’s set in the more modern worlds of ‘Techno’, ‘Ambient’ and ‘Trance’ as created to great effect on the Goddess Trance and Glo projects. Take track 6 as a starting point, with its rip-roaringly heavy rhythmic foundations, heavenly choirs, searing electronics, ambient backdrop and Gilli’s heart-melting vocal - this is just stunning stuff, guaranteed to blow you away. The next track reveals a rhythm-less setting on a sea of layers, samples, glissandos and spoken-word, and here you’re cast away in an altogether more cosmic environment, space-whisper and all. The mid-section of this track covers an earlier work from the classic 70’s Gong line-up, before returning to its original theme. With so many full-sounding layers of synths, guitars, glissando (yes, Daevid Allen is here too), bass and drums/programmes, plus Gilli’s magical sounding voice, this glorious piece of music moves through ‘Ambient’, ‘Ambient Dub’, ‘Techno’ and ‘Trance’ styles with the utmost of ease, grace and fluidity. The sound is strong and full of warmth and depth. It is surprisingly accessible, bearing in mind the content and the artist involved, but a lot of this is down to the superb arranging talents of Orlando Allen, and this is clearly the future of the Gong family tree.

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Weight: 150.00 g

We expected this to be good but I didn't expect it to be THIS good!!!  It’s a stunning set of soundscapes from masses of electric and glissando guitars, with Gilli Smyth space whispers, all set to a huge range of musical environments from rhythmic ambient through to cosmic sound sculpting with echoes of 1970's Gong and space music with a difference. Some of these tracks are fantastic to the point of leaving you breathless with joy at the soaring nature of the high flying and surging musical travelogue. It really is that good - An indispensable purchase for Ambient and Canterbury fans alike, proving that Gilli & Steffy had taken their influences and shot into the 90's with a vengeance.

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Weight: 150.00 g

Extraordinary!  But that's not all - the music on this CD is totally 1990's, totally magical and totally fresh, yet doesn't abandon those special constructions, atmospheres and sounds that made the spaciest Gong/Mother Gong such an awesome sound in the 1970’s. For a start, it's a mix of styles with Gilli Smyth's gorgeous vocals and space whisper styling (mostly the latter you'll be pleased to hear), converging with guest appearances from Daevid Allen on glissando guitar and Mark Hewins on textural guitar, to name but two. Together they create really beautiful soundscapes and melodies. This is all underpinned by a variety of rhythmic bases from the main hero of the musical arrangements, namely one Orlando Allen. It is the sheer depth, variety and vari-paced nature of these percussive and electronic rhythmic foundations that counterpoint the flowing top layers, effects and melodies to superb effect. For ‘Ambient’ music and rhythmic ‘Ambient’ music fans with a penchant for psychedelia and the heady days of 70's Gong, this is a recommended release.

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Weight: 150.00 g

This limited edition is clearly not going to be around forever, so, should you snap it up before is disappears? Well, the answer is basically YES... As long as you like the idea of drums-led trance rhythms put to what can only be described as classic Gong-like music. There are some glorious Gong textures from Gilli Smyth's space whisper as well as some excellent glissando work from Daevid Allen, allied to the guitar and flute work of the Goddess Trance band themselves. The rhythms are present throughout the album, but thankfully they are more varied than just an hour of kick drums. The shuffling rhythmic bases actually fit perfectly into the context of all the songs, helping you get into, and used to, the soundscapes you are hearing. Anyone who got off on the excellent ‘Even As We Glo’ album by Glo, and I would imagine, any Gong fans who have made the transition into the rhythmic ‘Ambient’ realms of the 90's synth bands such as Eat Static and Banco, will enjoy this trip from start to finish, and for a long time to come. ‘Godess Trance’ is a varied and consistently interesting variation on the ongoing theme of Gong-meets-‘Trance’.

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Weight: 150.00 g

It is a double album that encompasses tracks from all the major 1970's albums, featuring the classic ‘You’ line-up minus Steve Hillage and Pierre Moerlin, but iit does have 70’s-era Gong drummer Pip Pyle and Here & Now’s guitarist Steffy Sharpstrings instead, so much so in the later case, that at no time do you notice the absence of Hillage. Musically, it’s nearly 110 minutes of vintage Gong recorded at the 1994 reunion concerts in London, with everyone on sparkling form. All the songs and instrumentals are performed with enthusiasm and passion, and we're in soaring guitars, shimmering glissandos and high-flying synthesizer territory here, all ably underpinned by the ever varied rhythm section, and it’s all coloured by Gilli Smyth's space whispers and angelic vocals. Also included is a full-colour 12-page booklet with tons of photos and sleeve notes.

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Weight: 250.00 g

Live album documenting their ‘Y2K’ tour of Europe, with a line-up from the last studio album expanded to include ex-Zorch synth player Gwyo Zepix. With the lion’s share of the lead work still from the sax players, Daevid Allen’s lead guitar is effective enough, but there’s no Steve Hillage, so you might think this would not sound so great, but you’d be horribly wrong! This is absolute vintage Gong that’s every bit as good as their classic early 70’s albums. It’s quite amazing how the band sound almost exactly the same as they did over twenty five years ago, right down to Daevid & Gilli’s vocals, particularly Gilli Smyth’s trademark space-whisper vocal - still is the finest heavenly vocal style around. The band is on top form, with the sax players stealing the show, while Allen’s lead, rhythm & glissando guitar parts fill out the sound to perfection. The rhythm section does everything expected of it, and effortlessly at that, while the synth parts are kept more to dynamic effect more than anything else, and personally, I could have done with more of the keyboard sounds in there, but this will do just nicely for starters. Across a selection of 14 tracks, old and new, this is a Gong band back with a vengeance, making you feel there’s not only life in the old dog, but there’s more to come – and I for one, can’t wait!

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Weight: 150.00 g

What a stunning CD this is! Like the Can album of Peel sessions, it represents a live and live-in-the-studio Gong at the peak of performance. It has a couple of classic tracks recorded from a session that featured Kevin Ayers as a Gong member, and others from a radio session that was actually part of a live concert from Paris. Finally, you get a studio session, which features one of the best ever renditions of the 'Oily Way' suite, and as an added bonus, there’s a previously unreleased live track from the Pierre Moerlen version of Gong. But it will be the music from the Daevid Allen-Gilli Smyth & cohorts combination that will make most people want to own this CD, which is one of the most essential additions so far to any Gong collection.

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Weight: 150.00 g

I'm on my fourth play and I still don't believe it... This is a real Gong album - I mean a REAL Gong album! Technically, in terms of its subject matter, this is the follow-up to the ‘You’ album. But, musically, it's like the last 25 years had never happened, as we are transported back to the 1970’s classic Gong line-up, with the added swing and crispness of the rhythm section allied to all the trademark soundscapes and arrangements that still make the original ‘Radio Gnome’ trilogy of albums so timeless. All the elements are here - the glissando guitars, the ever glorious space-whsiper, sharp and tasty lead and rhythm guitars, some totally inspired sax work, the sense of humour, the mix of styles and the spot-on bass & drum work that drives it all forward, maintaining a tight, yet fluid rein on proceedings, and at the centre of it all is Daevid Allen's spirit. Even the balance of songs and instrumental stretches mirrors the way it used to be; and yet the whole thing sounds so fresh and alive - the music of yesterday frozen in time and then tweaked about with, to become the music of today. For any fan of the classic Gong line-up, of which most are present here, this has to be essential listening - With Cipher member Theo Travis partnering Didier Malherbe on synths and saxes, Chris Taylor doing an amazing Pierre Moerlen job in the drum department, while Gilli Smyth, Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe & Mike Howlett do their stuff, seemingly effortlessly. A truly remarkable comeback, not that they ever went away, but this is something very special indeed.

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Weight: 150.00 g

Absolutely amazing... this album contains some of the band’s finest performances that have ever been committed to the recorded medium, and these tracks are way better than anything they have previously released. Played by the classic line-up, this CD features all previously unreleased songs and jams (with six lengthy tracks from six to sixteen minutes long) and they all sound superb. In a great many places, this could almost be a lost live Steve Hillage or Gong album from the early-mid 70's, with trademark electric guitar and swooping space synths dominating the lead instrumental framework, as well as plenty of that gorgeous glissando guitar sound. The electric guitar solos are just fantastic and done in best Hillage vein, while the inclusion of a sax player and Gong's Gilli Smyth on the final sixteen-minute track leads you to close your eyes and think of Gong. As the sleeve notes say, this really does reflect the feel and spirit of the mid-1970's free festival era. Each and every track is a gem, and anyone into this whole side of music cannot fail to fall head over heels in love with the incredible album. All this plus an excellent 32 page booklet and a stunning picture disc too, make this a total package that’s worth every penny you pay to get your copy.

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Weight: 150.00 g

This is one of the best ways to get into the whole world of Gilli Smyth's Mother Gong project. It is acompilation of material from various discs by Mother Gong, the groups perform their highly original brand of Gong-inspired songs and musical backings that covered a range of styles through psychedelic, progressive and jazzy. The dominant feature of the songs feature sung, whispered and narrated vocals set to music that ranges from jazzy through quirky to more psychedelic. There is a flow to the album that encapsulates the whole sound and feel of the band in one neat package.

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Weight: 150.00 g

This is a Digi-pak reissue of the Gillli Smyth album featuring a selection of songs showcasing her vocal talents and the oboe/sax work of Hawkwind’s Nik Turner. Guitarist Harry Williamson helped Gilli with the music for the compositions that she was narrating and had composed (‘Wassilissa’, ‘The Three Tongues’ and ‘The Pied Piper’) for the ‘Fairy Tales’ album. The mix of the spacious and delicate guitar and keyboard-led arrangements with Gilli Smyth’s hypnotic voice makes for an even more tender, warmer sounding album.

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Weight: 150.00 g

Full-length, sixty-two minute CD that is more like the jazz-backed Mother Gong we know and love. Musically based around sax, drums and bass, with keyboard/guitar embellishments, it isn't a particularly surprising sounding album, but Gilli Smyth is in particularly superb form. This is a good place to start if you've never tried out Mother Gong before and it’s certain to please all those who are already fans too.

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Weight: 150.00 g

Her first and finest solo album complete with many of the musical references that made her such an integral part of the classic Gong sound. Vocally, lyrically and in terms of atmosphere alone, this rich and varied set of songs and narratives is excellent. Gilli Smyth’s space whisper is there too, backed by familiar Gong style instrumentation, albeit with a slightly softer approach. This really is an excellent album that is not in any way as self-indulgent as some of the subsequent albums.

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Weight: 150.00 g