For many years I was always just a huge fan of UK, Ponty and the Broof records. I never delved into his solo discography until I bought the box set recently. Now my interest turns to the Gong years. Which is the best. Do I need all 3 that he's on??? Proggers guide me!!!
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three albums??
Outside Gazeuse and Expresso II, I'm not aware of Allan on a third Gong album... Unless maybe in Pierre Moerlen's Gong, but I think not!!
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
If you're a Holdsworth fan, then yeah. If you're a Moerlen fan as well, start with Gazeuse!Originally Posted by progman1975
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
These two are great, especially Gazeuse.
He also plays on 'Time is the Key'. An ok album, but not nearly as memorable as Gazeuse & Expresso II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Is_the_Key#Personnel
Did he every play live with them?
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
I think I remember seeing a photo of him live with them. I would guess around 1976.
Yes he did.
There is a boot from the Gazeuse days with pretty lousy sound. If I remember correct, its from a gig in UK.
Probably locatable at Dimeadozen.
To the OP: have you heard Soft Machine Bundles? Another Holdsworth classic. I would get that one before the Gongs, if you haven't already.
I do have Bundles😊
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IMHO, "Gazeuse!" is one of the very best Holdsworth output, what he does with the acoustic guitar on "Shadows of" is mind blowing (and of course he always said that he couldn't play acoustic because it was not good enough....my god)
Holdsworth was with Gong from August-December 1976, which produced the "Gazeuse!" album. In the Summer of 1977 he sat in on the "Expresso II" sessions but I'm not sure if he ever appeared with them during that period (1977-78) - there were ads for an album release party concert in London with both him and Mick Taylor guesting but that was postponed and I've never come across any reports of said gig and whether Holdsworth (or Taylor) turned up. Next we have Holdsworth sitting in at The Venue in London, which the "Live" album released later that year was mostly taken from. He played on "Three Blind Mice" but refused to let that appear on the album. Interestingly, that track has been unveiled recently as part of the Gong-Expresso Kickstarter campaign. It's a rough mix but Allan's solo is pure Holdsworth as you'd expect. In the Summer of 1979 Holdsworth appeared on "Time Is The Key" (most conspicuously on "Arabesque"), which I believe was his finalement involvement with them until the 1994 Gongzilla project with ex-PMG members Bon Lozaga, Hansford Rowe and Benoît Moerlen, which featured several really tasty Holdsworth solos.
Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
Time is the Key is my favorite of the percussive Gong albums. But I love Gazeuse and Expresso II. Allan is such a wonderful foil to all of the percussion.
Gazeuse is amazing. I love that album. Can anyone clue me in as to the proper pronunciation?
The sound "eu" in french is impossible to transcribe in english. It's the same sound as the german ö.
The closest transcription would be gah-zuh-z but the "uh" isn't exactly right.
Gazeuse is an amazing record. Some insanely good playing on that one. I need to dust that one off and listen again.
+1 on Gazeuse. It is an amazing album with incredible playing from Holdsworth, Pierre Moerlen, and Francis Moze.
Merci!
Agreed. Way better than Expresso 2.
Expresso II is a classic. If you like a lotta vibes...
...and marimba and xylophone and glockenspiel and orchestral chimes and tympani and, well, you get the idea.
OK, my bad...
But the album is just OK
I much prefer Downwind to TitK... Downwind is worthy of Expresso II
Yup, I tend to even prefer Gazeuse to Shamal.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Found it on my shelves
Gong Reading festival London 1976/08/28 60 minutes 8 FM
Pierre Moerlen - Francis Moze - Allan Holdsworth - Didier Malherbe - Benoit Moerlen ? - Mireille Bauer ?
Sound - less than mediocre
Wait - what?
Was there anything recorded by this lineup? I have several Gongzilla albums but don't remember any with AH.
Yes - actually it wasn't a "line-up" in that it was purely a studio project, with several drummers (the initial plan was for it to be a Pierre Moerlen's Gong album with Pierre on drums). The album was called "Suffer" and came out in 1995.
More info : http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/cantdisco/index.html
Click G and scroll down to Gongzilla for complete info.
AH is on 4 tracks.
Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
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