Shapeshifter (Gong album)

Shapeshifter
Studio album by Gong
Released 1992
Recorded Sep 1991 - Jul 1992
Genre Progressive rock, Space rock, Jazz rock,[1] World music
Length 66:00
Label Celluloid, Lightyear
Producer Dino Watkyn, Nigel Gilroy
Gong chronology
About Time
(1980)About Time1980		 Shapeshifter
(1992)		 Zero to Infinity
(2000)Zero to Infinity2000
Alternative cover
Cover of the 1997 re-release
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Shapeshifter is the ninth studio album by the progressive rock band Gong, released in 1992. It is the first proper album from Daevid Allen's Gong since You from 1974. It is the first album from the original group without founding member Gilli Smyth. Didier Malherbe and Allen are the only two returning performers from the previous album. Pip Pyle, who performed on Continental Circus and Camembert Electrique also returns.

With main character Zero the hero, the album continues the Gong mythology, the central part of which was formed with the Radio Gnome Trilogy of albums,[2] comprising Flying Teapot in 1973, followed by Angel's Egg, 1973, and You in 1974.

Releases

Over the years since 1992, there have been different releases of the album with different numbers of tracks. On "the original as it was planned",[2] the Gong website lists #12: "Là Bas Là Bas" and #13: "I Gotta Donkey" - these are not found on the 1997 Lightyear release. That release[1] has a closing bonus track titled "Goddess Invocation Om Riff", recorded live at Ynys Witren at summer solstice 1992.[5]

Personnel

  • Daevid Allen: Acoustic, glissando and lewd guitarplay, vocals, midwifery
  • Graham Clark: Violins, voices
  • Shyamal Maitra: Tablas, ghatam, djembé, darbuka, techno percs, programming. Drums on 13
  • Keith Bailey: Bass guitar, vocals: 2, 9
  • Didier Malherbe: Bass, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones. WX7, keyboards, dogs, piccolo, flutes
  • Pip Pyle: Drums, ten green bottles and scream

Guest personnel

  • Charlelie Couture: Vocals: 12
  • Tom the Poet: Instant radio poetry during US tour with Daevid: 13
  • Loy Ehrlich: Keyboards: 8, Kora: 5
  • Mark Robson: Keyboards and sportin' vocals: 22

Additional personnel on bonus track

In the Allmusic review[1] of the 1997 release and in its Discogs entry,[5] additional personnel is listed:

  • Mike Howlett: Bass
  • Peter Kimberley: Vocals
  • Steffi Sharpstrings: Guitar
  • Gilli Smyth: Space Whisper, Vocals, Whistle (Human)
  • Twink: Synthesizer

Track listing

  1. "Gnomerique" (Allen) − 0:07
  2. "Shapeshifter" (Allen, Malherbe) − 4:53
  3. "Hymnalayas" (Allen, Bailey) − 7:38
  4. "Dog-o-matic" (Maitra) − 3:00
  5. "Spirit With Me" (Allen, Ehrlich) − 2:27
  6. "Mr Albert Parkin" (Clark) − 0:17
  7. "Raindrop Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:21
  8. "Give My Mother a Soul Call" (Yogananda) − 4:30
  9. "Heaven's Gate" (Allen, Bailey) − 4:49
  10. "Snake Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:34
  11. "Loli" (Allen, Clark) − 5:09
  12. "Là Bas Là Bas" (Couture, Allen) − 4:06
  13. "I Gotta Donkey" (Allen) − 2:12
  14. "Can: You Can" (Malherbe) − 9:09
  15. "Confiture de Rhubarbier" (Pyle) − 1:18
  16. "Parkin Triumphant" (Clark) − 0:06
  17. "Longhaired Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:14
  18. "Éléphant la Tête" (Malherbe, Maitra) - 4:41
  19. "Mother's Gone" (Allen) − 1:12
  20. "Éléphant la Cuisse" (Malherbe, Clark) − 3:26
  21. "White Doves" (Viraj, Sunsinger) − 5:24
  22. "Gnomoutro" (Allen) − 0:27

Bonus track

"Goddess Invocation Om Riff" (Allen, Blake, Hillage, Howlett, Smyth)[1] − 12:58

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Nickson, Chris (2011). "Shapeshifter - Gong | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  2. 1 2 Shapeshifter at the Gong website www.planetgong.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  3. ↑ Gong on Facebook
  4. ↑ Daevid Allen: Shapeshifter, product information on the companion book to Gong's album of the same name. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  5. 1 2 Shapeshifter (Lightyear Entertainment 54200-2, 1997) at Discogs
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