RADIO GNOME INVISIBLE VOL. 2 - ANGEL'S EGG

The second Gong album with guitarist Steve Hillage, but, more importantly, the first album with virtuoso drummer/percussionist, Pierre Moerlin. When one hears the work of Pierre Moerlin one cannot help but notice. His timing and fluidity is on a par with only a handful of other percussionists I've ever heard. It's something extraordinary. It makes so many other drummer/percussionists seem/feel like horses, clods, and pugilists. What Pierre adds is special, effortless and otherworldly--as if we are privileged to call ourselves witnesses to his work. There is a lot of experimental work with sound engineering on "Angel's Egg"--employed with voice tracks, synths, saxophones, guitar tracks, flutes, etc. Gilli Smyth's performance on "Prostitute Poem" is absolutely brilliant, I just don't think it a very good "song."

Five star songs: 10. "Inner Temple" (2:34) (10/10); 9. "Outer Temple" (1:09) (4.5/5), and; 14. "Eat the Phone Book Coda" (3:09) (9/10)

Four star songs: 12. "Love Is How You Make It" (3:26) (8.75/10); 1. "Other Side of theSky" (7:39) (12.75/15); 3. "Castle in the Clouds" (1:10) (4.25/5); 8. "Oily Way" (3:38) (8.25/10); 13. "I Never Glid Before" (5:38) (8/10); 7. "Flute Salad" (2:10) (4/5); 6. "Selene" (3:43) (7.5/10); 4. "Prostitute Poem" (4:54) (7.5/10)

Politically relevant messages but a little too much silliness and dissonance for me.