NIK TURNER'S SPHYNX: XITINTODAY

A 1978 concept album about the Pyramid's theme which involves most of the Gong family : Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Mike Howlett, Miquette Giraudy plus other musicians such as Harry Williamson -who collaborated a lot with Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth-, Nik Turner from Hawkwind is on flute and vocals. Recorded into the pyramids, (which feature a superb acoustic, judging by the album's sound) the compositions try to carry this esoteric mystic vibration one could expect from such concept. Alas, the inspiration is lacking and the music never really gets off. We have an improvised egyptian twirling flute all along the record, lovely Tim Blake's synthe and (too rare) Hillage's cosmic guitar interventions, but all that lacks focus and real mystery. Nick Turner's vocals are odd (seem that there are passing through a Vocoder machine, as it was the fashion in that year). Things are getting better from the piece « Isis And Nephthys » until the end of the album, with more rhythm, thanks to the drum. The almost 30 minutes bonus (2007 SPV CD release) is just Nik Turner's improvised flute. Pleasant, but not transcendent. This record proves that you can gather the best musicians around a great concept, but if inspiration is not at the rendez-vous.the result is just good.