OFF: Shapeshifter (was: I'm waiting for my Hawks: recent acquisitions)

[Yuri Elik]

Hi!

Christian Mumford wrote:
> Gong - "Shapeshifter+" - Looks like the reconstructed Aellen line up are
>                 groping for something as good as the Radio Gnome stuff,
>                 and are not even coming near. Ok, IMO better than the
>                 Aellen-less (cold?) fusion stuff, but a far cry from
>                 old glories... ok listen, though disposable enough.

First, I think it make no sence to compare classical Gong to Pierre
Moerlen's Gong - in fact, it is absolutely different band despite of
their relations and the same name. Second, I think Shapeshifter is a
quite decent album; of course it can't be near (if you mean by this
SIMILAR to) their old stuff because times has changed as well as Allen -
and other guys - themselves, however I found it no less fresh and
creative than their old stuff (and it was definitely much more
interesting to me than another live album with the same RG-era stuff).
Shapeshifter has showed to me that 'ole Gong is not dead! It's a pity
they haven't made anything new since then. And, by the way, I was very
impressed with a Shapeshifter book (that I have ordered from GAS after
listening to an album); the story is absolutely amazing.

--
Yury Elik
=============================
mailto:uriah at pop.convey.ru
http://private.convey.ru/elik