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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gong - 'Shapeshifter', October 3, 2004
Hard to believe this 21-track CD by Gong is of mostly new/er material with the exception of "OM Riff",which is a live remix.I was somewhat stunned to hear just how fresh and lively these veteran cosmic rockers STILL sound.I truly believe that the formula for a good Gong album requires the combined efforts of vocalist/guitarist/founder/zany frontman Daevid Allen and woodwind instrumentalist Didier Malherbe.Tunes that I liked best were the title track "Shape Shifter","Dog-O-Matic","Give My Mother A Soul Call","Elephant La Tete" and the live snippet performance of Malberbe's "Can You:You Can".On the previously mentioned "OM Riff",there's a twelve-minute jam with the entire 'classic' Gong line-up of Allen,Gilli Smyth,Malherbe,Tim Blake,Mike Howlett and long-missed guitarist Steve Hillage.Trippin'!!A great reunion effort.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gong shapeshifts again!, January 16, 2004
A really nice piece of work, and proof that Daevid Allen and Gong have continued to evolve and grow while remaining true to their musical vision. As others have said, it does have a somewhat inconsistent quality, but this is partly because it utilizes so many diverse musical idioms. Let's face it: some albums we approach as if to a meal, and others we approach as if it were the appetizer table. This album is the latter. And appetizers abound here! Gong shifts shape from one song to the other, and as far as I'm concerned, that's its main strength.But what really strikes me about the album is its sense of whimsy , and its lighthearted --yet serious-- outlook on life. And there are space jams a-plenty to satisfy fans of Teapot-era Gong, like myself. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to Gong newcomers as a first taste of this great, always-evolving band.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice to see Gong return to their roots, December 22, 2001
Gong had eventually turned in to a big mess. You (1974) was the last of their great space rock albums. Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, and Tim Blake left after that masterpiece. Shamal (1976) was still quite good because it still had heavy ethnic overtones, but after that, the band had not one original member (Didier Malherbe left by 1977), they just turn in to a rather mediocre fusion band without much charm to it. But in 1992 something happened to Gong that's for the better: Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe, and Pip Pyle had returned, and the result is Shapeshifter. I am rather amazed to see the band return to their space rock roots. In fact it sounds like the Radio Gnome trilogy with even more of an ethnic bent, and perhaps a few more modern elements. Shapeshifter isn't perfect. There are three acoustic pieces that I can't stomach at all: "Spirit With Me", "Loli", and "White Doves" (a cheesy sounding violin on those cuts sure don't help either). Also I can't stand "Dog-O-Matic" because it's that generic techno I can't stand, it just seems so out of place on that album. But the rest is what Gong should have been doing all along, but hadn't since 1974! So if you love Gong's best material from 1971-1974, you will be mostly happy with Shapeshifter.
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