New York Gong - About Time (Uk) [LP]

Gong goes Punk! A new set of artists and a new city in the history of Gong finds 60s sunshine hippie Daevid Allen fronting a band of 80s New York No Wave musicians, headed by a young Bill Laswell with Fred Maher, Bill Bacon, Mark Kramer & Michael Beinhorn among others. On here they're engaged with investing some exciting Avant-Garde energy into Allen's songwriting. Songs are short, melodic, full of craziness and vibrancy. The album is an odd hybrid of Psychedelia ('Preface'), New Wave ('I Am A Freud') and Punk ('Much Too Old'), with a lyrical sentiment reminiscent of early-70s Gong ('Jungle Window'). About Time is a fascinating musical collaboration which set the stage for Bill Laswell's own groundbreaking career, as well as keeping Allen's ticking over.