SHAMAL

While the band felt they could make excellent music with Daevid and Gilly gone (on break), and should have been able to, this album demonstrates just how important they were to the band in every way. Musically, the music is no longer zany and playful, but becomes more jazz-rock-fusion, and much less musical. But the real kicker is the singing. Daevid Allen not only wrote wonderful, fun, lyrics, but he was a great singer. The singing on this album is horrendous, and the lyrics are just as bad. This album would have been better as an instrumental, at least that way it would have been listenable all the way through (even if boring). Nick Mason produced this, and I am surprised he didn't make the band re-think the singing/lyrics here. As it is, songs like "Wingful of Eyes", "Bambooji" and "Shamal", which could have been decent enough, become unlistenable. I was almost tempted to give this 1 star, but there is some good musicianship in places here, and Steve Hillage's guitar solos are always great. But to think that this followed right after You - the two albums are so completely in different leagues in every way. Daevid Allen would thankfully return to the band, and they would make some great live albums in the late 1970s (and reform in the 1990s, and continue until his death). This album functions mainly to show how much of a contribution he really made. On balance, I give this album 4.0 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 2 PA stars. Only for true fans of the non-Allen Gong.

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