Daevid Allen

Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group). Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York. His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label. Allen returned in 1999 with Money Doesn't Make It, followed a year later by Stroking the Tail of the Bird. Nectans Glen also followed in 2000.

Double CD of unreleased alternative versions and different mixes of Daevid's first solo album - Banana Moon. Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group). Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York. His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label.

Mother Gong's first album Mother was released in 1978 and the band found Gilli Smyth collaborating with many musicians including Harry Williamson and various friends and family including on this album Owl In The Tree from 1990, former partner Daevid Allen. The album is split into two halves and both Allen and Smyth work well within the limitations set out by vinyl bearing in mind that the days of vinyl made for a more convenient division, which is defined, by the individual styles of both Allen and Smyth. The album is a mix of both styles including Allen's blissed out space rocker style and Smyth's more laid back fairy tale recitations and a smattering of typically Gong like instrumental work.

Mother Gong is basically the partnership of singer Gilli Smyth and multi-instrumentalist Harry Williamson along with various friends and family, including saxophonist Robert Calvert, who essays some lovely solos on "Unseen Ally" and "La Dea Madri." Their former Gong bandmate Daevid Allen, as the credits humorously suggest, is "a collection of sub-personalities held together by their friend"; the sub-personalities on display on his half of the split album The Owl and the Tree are that of the Incredible String Band-like psych-folk gnome (a word that he pronounces with the G in the charming "The Owly Song") and the blissed-out space rocker on the lovely 14-and-a-half-minute multi-part suite "I Am My Own Lover." Mother Gong's half of the record is equally fine, a combination of prettily meandering instrumentals and Smyth's familiar fairy tale recitations…

Daevid composed themes used in Self Initiation workshops - Limited release. Meditation and healing music invoked in the mountains behind Mullumbimby in upstate NSW, Australia. Later used in Self Initiation workshops held mostly in and around Glastonbury UK. Basically a wonderful Glissando guitar feast, though occasionally the recording is a bit hissy. These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the third of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed. Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group).

Historic pre-Gong performance. This is a recording of Daevid and Gilli's performance upon their return to the U.K., four years after Daevid was refused entry in 1967, which led him to leaving Soft Machine. The recording is a reasonable audience recording, regardless, this is an intriguing and historic performance and highly recommended to all Gong heads and Daevid Allen fans alike. The material was the recent spoken word/soundscape material at the time, but also brings forward new material which was to see new life in the Gong era. The band for this show is as follows: Daevid Allen (guitar,spoken word, tape loops), Gilli Smyth (spoken word and vocal improv - space whisper), Robert Wyatt (drums), Hugh Hopper (bass), and Elton Dean (sax).

You've got to love Daevid Allen. He might be in his '60s, but he's never lost or diluted his hippie sensibilities – instead he's just updated them musically as the years have passed. Playing with University of Errors (including former Pere Ubu keyboard player Tony Maimone), he has a harder sound than in the past (especially on tracks like "Skulls Of Our Enemies," which lives up to its hard name). And, overall, Ugly Music for Monica is a deeper meditation than much of his previous work – "Rich Men Eat My Voice" offers a caustic snub of the Rupert Murdoch's of this world, while "If You Die" is a speculation on what happens after. But there's still room for the old whimsical Allen. He brings out his old "Pot Head Pixies" theme song and dresses it up in new clothes for "PHP 2032," then dusts off Kevin Ayers' "Clarence In Wonderland" (a song that needs to be paraded around every few years). If you love the "Daevid Allen" of yore, this tougher edge might not sit easily. But if you appreciate someone who can remain curious and vital as he gets older, this is definitely for you.

This impressive, but rather underrated soundtrack album to documentary movie about motorcycle racing was taped by the classic Gong line-up in May 1971, at the very beginning of the recording sessions for their amazing "Camembert Electrique" LP and then released by French Philips at the end of the year. There's no keyboards or synthesizer parts at all, just extended guitar-dominated, heavy psychedelic and mostly instrumental jams (with occasional vocals and space whispers) filled with very intense and mind-blowing glissando guitar notes & vibrating sax noises against hypnotic & pulsating rhythm section.