In 1970, the world got its first taste of the original pothead pixie,
Daevid Allen's
Gong, as
Magick Brother was released in France on the
BYG label.
Allen's wife,
Gilli Smyth, penned all the tunes on the album, and
Allen's now-classic
"Ph.P." drawing style graces the inside of the gatefold. Leaning a little toward the pop end of the spectrum,
Magick Brother is a fairly light album, devoid of the blatant psychedelic/hippie qualities which shine through so brilliantly on the later
Camembert Electrique.
Smyth's "space whispering" makes its debut on the opening track, though the album is not as spacy as it is ethereal.
"Gong Song" is a highlight, with lyrics describing a pothead pixie who came down from the planet
Gong to sing his green song -- the roots of the
Gong myth.
Allen's guitar sound is a bit flat and hollow throughout the project, dynamics taking a back seat in most of these recordings. He relies on distortion and various guitar augmentations, but this all works quite well in the context of the collective sound. Much of the vocal harmonizing on the album is typical of many '60s pop troupes and sounds fairly dated today.
Didier Malherbe's sax and flute playing spices up this mostly pop-oriented prog rock outing, helping to make this a cut above the radio norm. Although this is an interesting release, especially for its status as the first
Gong project, it is not typical
Gong and is not recommended as a starting point for sampling the band's recordings. ~ David Ross Smith
![A Storm in Heaven [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602547865380_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "A Storm in Heaven [LP]")
![Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada [EP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0666561000615_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada [EP]")
![No Come Down: B Sides & Outtakes [RSD 2024]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602458644371_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "No Come Down: B Sides & Outtakes [RSD 2024]")
