I See You See

Four-hour, 72-track anthology of the Laurel Canyon music community that became a dominant worldwide force in the late 60s/early 70s. Tracing the scene's development from The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love and The Doors through to early country-rock and the singer/songwriter boom that defined the early 70s. By the end of the 60s, the international music world's nexus had shifted from such previous hotspots as Liverpool, London and San Francisco to Laurel Canyon, a rural oasis in the midst of the bustle of Los Angeles. Just minutes from Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and the LA record companies/studios, Laurel Canyon became home to a folk, country, rock and pop hybrid that encompassed everyone from early players The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield to The Doors, Frank Zappa, Glen Campbell and manufactured pop kingpins The Monkees.

After almost a half-century, the multinational band of freaks known as Gong keeps making noise. I See You sounds more cohesive and listenable than it deserves to - especially considering that co-founder, vocalist and chief lyricist Daevid Allen turned 77 years old in January and wrote the album while battling cancer. Longtime fans will find plenty here to wrap their heads around, including “Syllabub,” the catchy, off-kilter nod to Frank Zappa; a spoken-word poem called “This Revolution,” which addresses political frustrations and name-drops Gil Scott-Heron; and the swaggering 10-minute epic “Thank You.” Gong’s Wikipedia page lists more than 30 different lineups and more than 45 band members, and Allen’s five current and capable psychedelic pranksters do not diminish the legacy.

Original issue was called "Lady Of The Stars". Donovan re-recorded some old hits - "Season of the Witch" and "Sunshine Superman" - and cut some new songs for this independent label release. The result is a pleasant, but inconsequential, effort.

In music and love, routine can be deadly. The exquisite stillness of the xx's music was so distinctive and influential that, by the time of Coexist, it felt dangerously close to confining them instead of defining them. Given the half decade between that album and I See You, change wasn't just necessary, it was inevitable.