Customer Reviews

Time Is the Key

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my favourite recordings of this incarnation of Gong. (This is Pierre Moerlin's Gong). The range of versatility demonstrated here is remarkable. What I really like about this jazz/fusion style recording is that all the talents demonstrate their remarkable abilities without overdoing it. This is a group effort, not just someone's ego with a back up band. Also, if you like this, I would highly recommend Expresso and Expresso II as well!

Le mélange de percussion (marimba, timbales, batterie, etc...) est très impressionnant. La dextérité des musiciens est étonnante, emplie d'une étonnante mélodie bien orchestrée. À posséder absolument!!!

"Time is.." augments PMG's instrumentation with keyboards, and basically, it sounds like a more accessible and lighter version of 1978's virtuos "Expresso II". However, the songwriting isn't as varied and strong as on "Downwind", and the vibraphone melodies are always the same throughout the whole album. The line-up features some members of the "Expresso"-outfit (Moerlen, Rowe, Holdsworth, Lozaga), but also a couple of new players. Rowe's funny, pumping bass and Lemer's crystalline synth sounds provide the most interesting parts of this album. The first few tracks are a bit too lightweight and repetitive. The second half is much stronger, containing such fine songs as the richly textured "The organ grinder", the furious rocker "The bender", the airy "Esnuria part II", and "Arabesque intro/Arabesque", which casts a clever eye back to the Eastern flavor of 1975's "Shamal". Moerlen's drumming is more focused than ever before, and amazingly, the music still manages to sound fresh and uplifting today. It's even palatable for people who usually don't care about fusion and jazz-rock.

In the same category like downwing,perhaps stronger and less experimental . A must have album, SHOWING MOERLENs awesome drumming abilities and composition skills .A landmark recording in the jazz fusion field and an excellent album which sounds fresh to a certain degree even today.