Pierre Benoit

After the departure of founder Daevid Allen the group Gong went through a rapid series of personnel changes with drummer/percussionist Pierre Moerlen becoming the de facto leader. The music evolved away from the psychedelic sound of the Allen-led era into jazz/rock fusion. By the time Expresso II (1978) was recorded Moerlen had assembled an almost entirely different group with a very different sound. With the completion of Gong's contract with Virgin Records the group name was changed to Pierre Moerlen's Gong to differentiate it from the other Gong offshoots and the original band.

« Ce qu'elle a fait, c'est en quelque sorte la Révolution tranquille culinaire », dit le sociologue en gastronomie Jean-Pierre Lemasson à propos de Jehane Benoît, qui a fait paraître en 1963 L'encyclopédie de la cuisine canadienne. Selon la nutritionniste Hélène Laurendeau, cet ouvrage est un legs inégalé à ce jour. Elle le considère comme un réel objet culturel. De la bisque aux homards à la soupe de quêteux en passant par les recettes au micro-ondes, les idées de cuisine de Jehane Benoît ont influencé plusieurs générations. …

Esoteric Recordings announce the release of a newly remastered and expanded edition of this acclaimed album by PIERRE MOERLEN’S GONG. By the late 1970s Percussionist Pierre Moerlen had taken over the leadership of GONG and had steered the band away from Psychedelic Space Rock and took the band into a Jazz Rock direction, one in which the band excelled. After recording several albums with VIRGIN, with the band now featured Hansford Rowe on bass, Ross Record on guitar, Benoit Moerlen on vibes and Francois Causse on percussion. Moerlen signed with Arista Records in 1978 and recorded this excellent album partially in Mike Oldfield’s studio. Oldfield guested on the superb lengthy title track with fellow guest Steve Winwood, whilst Mick Taylor appeared on the Tracks.

After "Breakthrough" (1986), Pierre Moerlen's Gong mostly returned to the jazz-rock fusion sound that made them so enjoyable in the late '70s and early '80s on "Second Wind". Benoit Moerlen, who had departed after "Downwind" (1979), is back for this album, with stalwarts Pierre Moerlen and bassist Hansford Rowe forming the stable core of the band. Ake Zeiden, who had joined for "Breakthrough" adds some fine guitar work to this album and talented keyboardist Frank Fischer is a welcome addition.

The album "Live" can be regarded as a 'best of' with tracks from the albums Downwind, Gazeuse and Espresso II (1978), amongst others. Bassist Hansford Rowe snorts and frets with all his might, guitarist Bon Lozaga has clearly found his proper place in the band, brother Benoit Moerlen mistreats the vibraphone as if Sunday will never come, new boy Francois Causse hits everything he can get his hands on, while chief Pierre keeps pushing the music with his excellent drumming. When Mike Oldfield and Didier Malherbe join the party in opener Downwind in order to play extended soli, the fun reaches new heights.