GILGAMESH

Gilgamesh is regarded as one of the least accessible Canterbury acts. I have had the Gilgamesh albums in my record collection for the best part of one year without giving them a spin. Too jazzy/difficult, I thought. I was probably right because the music on this album is not easy to understand for me. I have my background in metal and rock.

The album is more or less straight fusion/jazz and more so than any other Canterbury band. Gilgamesh is still very much a Canterbury scene band. They have been compared to National Health and Hatfield & The North. I agree with that assessment. But Gilgamesh is more straigth than any of those two bands. They are also more straight than Soft Machine's Six and Seven albums. With straight, I mean less avant-garde and more fusion/jazz. That's why I think Gilgamesh is the band furthest away from Canterbury Cathedral if you get my drift.

The music here is entirely based on the sadly deceased Alan Gowen's tangent work. He dominates this album and that is in my books a good thing. He is helped by Phil Lee's guitars who has some excellent guitar solos. Jeff Clyne on bass and Michael Travis on drums is also doing an excellent job here. This makes this album a very good album. My only gripe is their lack of any excellent songs. I do not think this album is an excellent album. But it is a very good album, bordering to be excellent. I am looking forward to listen to the rest of their albums.

3.75 stars