Daevid Allen

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Allen founded whimsical space rock collective Gong, on heels of co-founding prog-jazz-rock band Soft Machine, both forever linked with beloved Canterbury Scene. His solo output is minimal, less recognized than his Gong work, but more lyrical and introspective.

Older than most music peers (born 1938), Allen discovered Beat literature at Melbourne bookshop, added an “e” to his first name, and subsequently pursued itinerant, avant-garde life in Greece, then Paris (moving into room vacated by Allen Ginsberg and learning tape looping under minimalist composer Terry Riley), then Kent, England. Here, he rented room owned by mother of 15-year-old Robert Wyatt, then hooked up with Beat author/icon William S. Burroughs, while also dabbling in free jazz. This prompted first recordings (1963) with Daevid Allen Trio.

Appeared as an extra, with Wyatt, in minor Spanish film Playa de Formentor (1965). In 1966 he formed Soft Machine with Wyatt (drums), Kevin Ayers (bass) and Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Allen himself contributing rudimentary guitar. Softs alternated stage shows with nascent Pink Floyd at underground psych club UFO, Allen developing a liquidy, “glissando” guitar technique – using an echo box and rubbing a metallic object over guitar body (not the neck) – inspired by erstwhile Floyd guitarist/leader Syd Barrett. He appears on early Softs demos and single “Love Makes Sweet Music” / “Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’,” but left group prior to debut LP due to a visa denial.

First post-Softs work was Magick Brother, made with wife Gilli Smyth – who contributed trademark “space whisper” – and labeled as “Gong,” but essentially an Allen solo affair. (Original French, vinyl copies are rare, and major collectors’ items.) First official solo LP, Banana Moon, released on French Byg Actuel label, was less psychedelic and decidedly goofier than Magick, and listed by David Bowie as one of his favourite albums. Highlights include the steaming “It’s the Time of Your Life,” and “All I Want is Out of Here” (both written by future Gong guitarist Christian Tritsch), plus “Stoned Innocent Frankenstein,” and probably the best of several versions of Softs bassist Hugh Hopper’s mood piece, “Memories,” vocals here by Wyatt.

After Gong “flying teapot” album trilogy, which immortalized mythical planet Gong and green “pothead pixie” hero, Zero (inspired by mix of Dadaism and philosophies of Bertrand Russell), Allen vacated Gong and did two solo albums at his “Bananamoon Observatory” in Deia, Mallorca. Both have distinct folk-poet elements, Allen only lightly referencing Zero. The all-acoustic, drummer-less Good Morning employed Spanish group Euterpe as backup. Now is the Happiest Time of Your Life brought Allen’s hippie-poet muse to full fruition, notably on lyrically caustic but musically gentle “Poet for Sale” and title-explanatory “Why Do We Treat Ourselves Like We Do?” Also interesting are  “Only Make Love if You Want To” and 11-minute, meditative “I Am.”

N’existe pas! was last of Allen’s 1970s solo releases, title translating to “Does Not Exist.” The Planet Gong website calls it “one of (Allen’s) finest and most poignant albums,” while noting that the only favourable reviews came from, strangely, the U.S. Allen’s entire organic beat-hippie philosophy might be summed up in key album lyric: “Don’t be afraid to live what you believe.”

***

Although a fan of the Canterbury Scene from way back, it took me awhile to get into Gong, and even longer to discover Allen’s great solo records, and I’m not sure why. There’s nothing ominous or avant-garde here. Maybe it’s the English-French-Spanish hybridism, which can be off-putting to a parochial Yank with corncobs in his ears. His solo records are far from what one might call “experimental” and are closer to mildly psychedelic, pastoral folk-rock. His lyrics have insight but are sung with playfulness and are easily assimilated.

I had the opportunity to see Daevid in Cleveland in 1993, “opening” for Kevin Ayers, and I’ll always remember, after the show, his sitting cross-legged on the stage floor, politely chatting with us admirers whilst signing our LPs. All lanky six feet, four inches (193 cm) were clothed in white, and with his flowing white hair and ever-present, beatific smile, it was like sitting in the glow of an amiable space alien. On my copy of Banana Moon, he drew a little cartoon.

Daevid Allen was a rare one. Whatever the validity of Planet Gong and his claim of meeting a space alien in the back of a London taxi, he had a leg up on 99 percent of Planet Earth: he really did live what he believed.

Selected Solo Albums*:
Magick Brother (1969, credited to Gong)
Banana Moon (1971)
Good Morning (1976)
Now is the Happiest Time of Your Life (1977)
N’existe pas! (1979)

*Allen made and participated in numerous albums with multiple variations of Gong, and with other musicians, until his death in 2015.

Gryphon

Band Personnel:
Richard Harvey: recorders, crumhorns, glockenspiel
Brian Gulland: bassoon, crumhorns
Graeme Taylor: bass, guitar
David Oberlé: percussion, vocals

One of the more musically erudite artists in the English folk and progressive rock milieus, Gryphon is remembered for its hearty embrace of medieval and Renaissance music and use of exotic instruments like crumhorn, bassoon, and recorder. Above personnel is core of several lineups.

The group formed in 1972 in London and signed to independent label Transatlantic Records, known for its British and American folk and blues signings. Both Harvey and Gulland were classically trained at Royal College of Music, joined later by Taylor and Oberlé. First self-titled album established their unusual pre-classical leanings. Gryphon is tastefully humorous affair featuring winsome vocals and compositions with titles like “Three Jolly Butchers.”

Second album Midnight Mushrumps saw bassist Philip Nestor’s arrival, with group dropping the vocals and stretching their compositions. Second side, in fact, is one long piece commissioned for a National Theatre production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Third LP, Red Queen to Gryphon Three, was first release in America, on Arista subsidiary Bell Records, whose roster normally concentrated on pop fluff like Barry Manilow and Tony Orlando and Dawn. Red Queen was highlighted by extended (10:45) piece “Lament.”

Fourth album Raindance saw a return to vocals (by Oberlé) and shorter songs. Treason was their last record of initial run. But by this time – and like so many bands with “progressive” inclinations – Gryphon had shifted toward more commercial rock territory, their stock declining with rise of punk rock…a genre for which Renaissance-inspired prog rock was anathema. Band split after Treason for this reason and due to Harvey’s time-consuming solo projects. (He completed his own LP of classical recorder music, has composed scores for over 80 film and TV soundtracks, and played on The Lion King, The Da Vinci Code, and one Harry Potter film. In 1991 he won a BAFTA award for a project with Elvis Costello.)

But you can’t keep a good band down. Continued interest in Gryphon’s singular brand of antiquated folk has resulted in numerous compilation albums. Additionally, in 2016 they performed at Fairport Convention’s annual Cropredy Convention, and they reconvened for two albums in 2018 and 2020, the first of which included all four original members.

***

Gryphon’s medieval folk-rock was far too niche to ever garner anything approaching mass appeal. Nonetheless, they can boast of the rare honour of appearing on all four BBC radio programs in one week, arranging and performing the title theme for the rock festival documentary, Glastonbury Fayre, and maintaining a friendship with and supporting Yes on tour. (Like Harvey and Gulland, Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman attended Royal College of Music.) All the members were gifted instrumentalists, but they weren’t show-offs, playing with taste, restraint, sprightliness, and even humour (note the title Red Queen to Gryphon Three). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock fittingly noted Gryphon’s unique talent of “bringing together the gutsy, bright, rhythmic qualities of early, pre-classical music with a folk-rock approach.”

Original Albums:
Gryphon (1973)
Midnight Mushrumps (1974)
Red Queen to Gryphon Three (1974)
Raindance (1975)
Treason (1977)
ReInvention (2018)
Get Out of My Father’s Car! (2020)

Richard Harvey:
Divisions on a Ground: An Introduction to the Recorder and its Music (1975)

Single:
Spring Song / The Fall of the Leaf (1977)

Compilations:
The Collection (1991)
The Collection II (1995)
About as Curious as It Can Be (2002; BBC radio sessions, 1974-’75)
Glastonbury Carol (2003; BBC radio sessions plus Glastonbury Fayre film theme)
Crossing the Styles: The Transatlantic Anthology (2004)
Raindances: The Transatlantic Years (2018)

Top Critics’ Rock Album Choices

Today’s featured critic is Mike Miller of Ticket to Ride. Mike is from Lawrence, Kansas, USA, near Kansas City, home of Charlie Parker and Pat Metheny, among other jazz legends. I joke that Mike and I are twin sons of different mothers, because we seem to share so many interests: music, old movies, books, classic sports, political leanings, and we have lovely wives. (Mike was recently wedded.)

He is also an accomplished poet…something that eludes yours truly. Mike said his top 10 could really be in any order. Since I closely follow his blog, I anticipated his list would be hefty with ‘70s rock. I wasn’t disappointed:

1. The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
2. Jethro Tull, Aqualung
3. Steely Dan, Aja
4. Genesis, Selling England by the Pound
5. King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King
6. Yes, Close to the Edge
7. Carole King, Tapestry
8. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon
9. The Beatles, Abbey Road
10. The Who, Who’s Next

These are all albums that would do any collection proud. Five progressive rock (prog) albums? Yeah! The two that jump out for me are the Genesis and King Crimson LPs. Even though my breath doesn’t smell and I don’t wear Coke-bottle glasses (yet), I love high-quality prog, and the two platters Mike lists are arguably the best by either band, and best in the entire genre. (Though Genesis’ Foxtrot is also pretty darn good.) They’re also adorned with sleeve paintings by Betty Swanwick (Genesis) and Barry Godber (Crimson) that are the stuff of dreams…or maybe nightmares.

Mike on In the Court of the Crimson King: “Jagged, distorted, ethereal and cosmic. An amazing blend of jazz, folk, hard rock and progressive, a sonic masterpiece. King Crimson pushed progressive rock beyond the boundaries where other musical pioneers were awaiting. It doesn’t sound like anything else.”

And Selling England by the Pound: “Another progressive rock masterpiece. Sterling writing and performance, this album is a master class in blending diverse musical ideas into a sweeping, yet intimate, listening experience. Creatively, the band never topped this.”

I could be wrong…and nothing against Phil Collins, one of rock’s greatest drummers…but it doesn’t require brain salad surgery to surmise that most critics here probably prefer Peter Gabriel-era Genesis.

But now for Mike’s numero uno, the Stones’ Sticky Fingers. Better than Jim’s Exile on Main Street? Lacking continuity, maybe? Mike makes a good case for his selection: “This album had everything the Stones were known for. Ballads, soulful blues, funky grooves and incendiary guitar interplay. The Stones set the urban sound with this album: sweaty, druggy, raw, jiving and unapologetic.”

I dig both Sticky and Exile, and I can think of at least two more Stones LPs of comparable quality. For me, what absolutely make this album are Sir Mick’s “Brown Sugar” and not-Sir Keith’s, Mick Taylor’s, and Bobby Keys’ impromptu guitar and sax extravaganza on “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.” But look what else it offers: “Bitch,” “Wild Horses,” “Dead Flowers,” “Sway,” and more. To top it off, a fucking Andy Warhol cover with metal zipper! (Always keep the fly open, folks; yet another reason why CDs suck.)

Great choice, Mike. Now, how ‘bout a poem ‘bout Mick and Keith?

Next week I’ll feature another top rock critic and his or her list of favorites. It’s looking like classic rock is dominating our lists. Will next week prove differently? Will “cult,” indie, punk, grunge, or – dare I say it – Phil Collins make appearances? How about fifties favorites like Chuck, Buddy, or Elvis? Hmm. Could get interesting. Thanks again, and if you haven’t already done so, get me your list!

Peace,
Pete

Egg

If I ever find
What I’m looking for
I will be absorbed
And never write again

Egg, “I Will Be Absorbed”

Band Personnel:
Dave Stewart: organ, piano, tone generator
Hugo Martin Montgomery (Mont) Campbell: bass, vocals
Clive Brooks: drums

Solidly ensconced in progressive rock’s beloved “Canterbury Scene” (due to later associations), Egg was actually hatched in London as a four-piece known as Uriel, above lineup plus flash guitarist Steve Hillage. The latter quit to attend University of Kent, other three changing band name and signing with Decca’s prog-rock label, Deram. Issued quirky, punningly titled single “Seven is a Jolly Good Time” b/w “You Are All Princes” in August 1969, but not before ex-Urielite Hillage briefly returned, group making one-off psychedelic LP as “Arzachel” for a tiny fly-by-night label (members using creative assumed names and bios for contractual reasons, and all only 17 to 19 years old). The original vinyl of Arzachel has attained legendary status and today exchanges hands for a king’s ransom.

Self-titled debut Egg album recorded October 1969, blues producer/historian Neil Slaven overseeing. A power trio with singer Campbell’s Stravinsky-inspired compositions providing bulk of material, Hammond organ chops by Dave Stewart (no relation to the Eurythmics musician), and Brooks’s dextrous drumming, comparisons to Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were hardly surprising. Egg, however, were much less flamboyant as performers, seemingly more interested in challenging audiences – and themselves – with complex arrangements and meters.

Second album, The Polite Force, continued the dark, dense vibe of the debut, with mix of short melodic pieces featuring Campbell’s erudite singing and long, faux-classical instrumentals. The multi-segmented opening cut “A Visit to Newport Hospital” dealt lyrically with an early residency on Isle of Wight and became a favorite amongst fans. Though major commercial success would remain elusive (Egg seemingly priding themselves on being enigmatic), critics held band in fairly high regard.

L to R: Brooks, Campbell, Stewart

But lack of label support mixed with restlessness of members effectively cracked Egg after only two albums. Drummer Brooks joined The Groundhogs. Campbell became a plumber and graphic designer and studied mysticism. Stewart joined Canterbury all-star group Hatfield and the North (which later transitioned into National Health, Campbell also briefly contributing to this band in beginning). A reunion LP, The Civil Surface, appeared in 1974, comprised of tracks Campbell had composed prior to breakup. A confident effort, it nonetheless indicated band moving away from earlier intriguing prog arrangements and closer to complex electronic fusion typical of late-period Canterbury Scene.

Stewart has since achieved major success with wife Barbara Gaskin (ex-Spirogyra), their 1981 cover of Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party” hitting #1 in U.K., and has authored music books and articles. Brooks became drum technician for Pink Floyd percussionist Nick Mason, before passing away in 2017. Campbell received music degree, became expert on ethnic wind instruments, and has done film soundtracks and two solo albums as “Dirk” Campbell, supplementing music activities with political and environmental activism and work. (He was in national news in 2018 after daughter, Anna, was killed by Turkish air strike in Rojava, Syria while fighting for the Kurds.)

***

My favorite prog is the Canterbury Scene: Soft Machine, Caravan, Gong, and their multiple offshoots. I find this music mature, clever, and melodically rewarding, with occasional dollops of sly humor and without the pseudo-profundity of many other prog bands. Mont/Dirk Campbell, along with Kevin Ayers, Richard Sinclair, and Robert Wyatt, is in my view one of the Scene’s (and prog’s) most talented composers/writers. For some reason, though, Egg seemed to fall through the cracks and are deprived of the accord they richly deserve. If you aren’t put off by rock music that leans toward sophistication, or you appreciate classical-influenced groups like ELP or Renaissance, or the organ tones of early Soft Machine, I highly recommend you sample some Egg. It’s highly addictive (in a good way), and sonically nutritious.

Single:
Seven is a Jolly Good Time / You Are All Princes (1969)

Original Albums:
Arzachel (as “Arzachel,” with Steve Hillage) (1969)
Egg (1970)
The Polite Force (1971)
The Civil Surface (1974)

Compilation Albums:
Seven is a Jolly Good Time (first album plus single) (1985)
The Metronomical Society (archival live) (2007)
Arzachel Collectors Edition by Uriel (remastered Arzachel LP plus demos) (2007)

A Young Person’s Guide to Progressive Rock

February was a somber month for fans of the progressive rock music genre.  Both Ian McDonald of King Crimson and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum died.  Although the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aims a jaundiced eye at progressive rock (fondly called “prog rock” or just “prog”), this music coincided with my hormones becoming jumpy and has enhanced my life. 

Brooker was the lead singer and main arranger in Procol Harum, and multi-instrumentalist McDonald was the chief musical force behind King Crimson’s first and best album, In The Court Of The Crimson King.  (He later helped start Foreigner.  For me, that’s like going from champagne to club soda.)

Prog rock might loosely be defined as music that evolved from Sixties psychedelic and that mixed straight rock with classical, jazz, folk, ambient sounds, or tape looping, often with an English or European veneer.  Arrangements became longer and more complex than previously, and lyrics—if there were any—flowed with florid poetry, science fiction, fantasy, and the mythological.  Electric guitar was still prominent, but keyboards, Mellotron, brass, woodwinds, and strings became equally important. 

Debate continues as to when and where prog began, but I date it to the Moody Blues’ Days Of Future Passed album and Procol Harum’s grandiose single “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” both from the year 1967.

Prog fell out of fashion starting in the mid-1970s.  The biggest groups, like Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, and Genesis, began overreaching themselves.  Punk rock also helped deflate the balloon, with its return to short, fast-paced songs and simple chords and lyrics.  Today, there’s a small but enthusiastic cult of prog-rock fans who help keep the flame burning. Most of them, like me, have thick eyeglass lenses and thinning hair.

In honor of Messrs. McDonald and Brooker, here are my 15 favourite progressive rock albums, in order of increasing obscurity. (Note my British spelling of “favorite.”):

Pink Floyd, Dark Side Of The Moon (1973).  A powerful album, musically and lyrically, and a sonic wet dream that no respectable record collection should be without.  A rock-music masterpiece. If you’re a young person, DO NOT listen to this album with the songs digitally splintered up. It flows, like a river.

Genesis, Foxtrot (1972) or Selling England By The Pound (1973).  Peter Gabriel was still the focal point of Genesis at this time, especially onstage.  Early Genesis emphasized melody and were like a musical version of Lewis Carroll, which is why I love them.

Emerson Lake & Palmer, Emerson Lake & Palmer (1970).  THE supergroup of prog, with a sinister and heavy edge. Keith Emerson had fronted the Nice, Greg Lake was King Crimson’s original singer, and drummer extraordinaire Carl Palmer was with hard rockers Atomic Rooster.  ELP’s first four studio albums are prog classics.

King Crimson, In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969).  Some say true prog-rock started here.  Guitarist Robert Fripp was the only constant in the ever-changing Crimson, but arranger Ian McDonald is all over this stunning debut, which Pete Townshend of the Who called “an uncanny masterpiece.”

Procol Harum, Shine On Brightly (1968) or A Salty Dog (1969).  Why Procol isn’t in that museum in Cleveland is, well, “beyond these things.” Procol has a sound all its own. Imagine Mary Shelley married to Howlin’ Wolf. These two classic LPs feature guitar-god Robin Trower, who went on to a successful solo career.  (I saw him four times and my ears still ring.)

Renaissance, Ashes Are Burning

Renaissance, Turn Of The Cards (1974).  Renaissance came closer to a straight classical sound than any other prog band.  Lead singer Annie Haslam has a voice like a bell. Notable song on this LP: the timely ”Mother Russia.” I also recommend Ashes Are Burning.

Van der Graaf Generator, Pawn Hearts (1971).  Led by histrionic vocalist Peter Hammill, Van der Graaf was more dark and apocalyptic than other English prog bands.  Pawn Hearts was produced by King Crimson’s Robert Fripp.

Caravan, In The Land Of Grey And Pink (1971).  Caravan was part of the “Canterbury Scene,” which grew out of a musical collective in Kent called Wilde Flowers.  The Canterbury Scene musicians were more ingenuous and witty than their non-Canterbury peers.  Serious prog fans know of them; why others do not is as mysterious as why David Crosby is still alive.

Soft Machine, Volume Two (1969) or Third (1970).  The first Canterbury band to record, they got their hallucinogenic start at Joe Boyd’s underground club UFO along with Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd.  Volume Two is more psych-sounding, while Third is a double album of very heavy prog.

Kevin Ayers, Joy Of A Toy (1969).  A founder of Soft Machine along with Robert Wyatt and Daevid Allen (Gong).  Some Ayers fans think his third album, Whatevershebringswesing, is his best.  It’s excellent, but I prefer this solo debut, more whimsical and psychedelic than most prog, and with shorter songs.

Egg, Egg (1970) or The Polite Force (1971).  An organ-dominated three-piece (no guitars!) with a Goth sound not unlike ELP’s.  Bass player and singer Hugo Montgomery (Mont) Campbell wrote most of their best music.  They’re on the fringes of the Canterbury Scene, so they have to be good.

McDonald and Giles, McDonald And Giles (1970).  Very under-appreciated spinoff from King Crimson.  Crimson lost its melodic element when Ian McDonald split, taking inventive percussionist Michael Giles with him.  If you love Crimson’s first album (see above), you must get this, which continues the pastoral side of Crimson.

Curved Air, Second Album (1971).  Critics didn’t like this band much, but their second album is quite good, very dreamlike.  Key musicians were singer Sonja Kristina and violinist Darryl Way.  A later lineup included drummer Stewart Copeland of the Police.  (He and Kristina married.)

Jade Warrior, Floating World (1974).  A two-man group, their all-instrumental albums on Island Records are the best, with lots of Oriental flourishes.  Both Kites and Waves are also good, the latter with Steve Winwood guesting on ivories.

Gryphon, Gryphon (1973).  This unique and obscure band once opened shows for Yes.  Their musical zeitgeist were the Renaissance and Middle Ages, and they played every instrument in the cosmos.  (Ever hear of a crumhorn?)  I prefer the eponymous debut to their other records because it has playful lyrics and vocals.

***

Why no albums by Yes, some of you ask?  Good question.  Yes might be prog’s signature group.  I liked Yes in high school and college, especially the Close To The Edge album.  Maybe I became oversaturated with their music, plus I discovered lesser-known artists who intrigued me much more.  I will admit, they were masters of their respective instruments.  But these days, instrumental virtuosity doesn’t float my boat like it once did. I just like a good song.

There are many other progressive rock groups, most of them British: Moody Blues, Nice, Hawkwind, Family, Strawbs, Colosseum, Henry Cow, Slapp Happy, Eno, Phil Manzanera/801, Gentle Giant, Electric Light Orchestra (which evolved from the Move), Barclay James Harvest, Camel, and Canterbury offshoots like Daevid Allen/Gong, Steve Hillage, Hugh Hopper, Mike Oldfield, Robert Wyatt/Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, Gilgamesh, and National Health. 

Germany produced denser, more machine-like bands (not surprisingly): Nektar, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Faust, Can, and Amon Düül. 

Italy had Premiata Formeria Marconi (P.F.M.).

France spouted Magma (and Gong lived communally in France).

Holland had Focus, featuring guitarist Jan Akkerman.

Japan had Stomu Yamashta and Far East Family Band.

North America produced Kansas, Styx, and Happy the Man (all U.S.) and Audience (Canada). 

Johnny-come-lately progressive rockers include Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, The Alan Parsons Project, Kate Bush, Sky, Marillion (a Genesis clone), Klaatu, Starcastle, Porcupine Tree, supergroups U.K. and Asia, and Rush, who began as a hard-rock trio.

Some folks consider Jethro Tull, Traffic, and Frank Zappa to be progressive rock, though I might question that categorization.  Same thing with “glam” bands like Roxy Music, Queen, and David Bowie.  Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Al Stewart, Roy Harper, and Lindisfarne might be classified as prog, but I’ve always considered them English folk rock. 

Did I leave any out?  What are some of your favorite progressive rock bands?

Lastly, thanks for the music, Ian and Gary. Here’s a prog-rock taste test: a demo of King Crimson’s beautiful “I Talk to the Wind,” written by McDonald and lyricist Pete Sinfield. The singer is Judy Dyble, formerly of Fairport Convention. (Greg Lake would soon replace her in Crimson.)