Downwind

Downwind is an album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong, issued in 1979 (see 1979 in music). Like the other Pierre Moerlen's Gong albums, this is predominantly jazz fusion and has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the bands share a common history. Downwind was released in February, 1979 and marks a slight departure from the formula of PMG's previous records Gazeuse! and Expresso II. While this album still feat... more

Downwind is an album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong, issued in 1979 (see 1979 in music). Like the other Pierre Moerlen's Gong albums, this is predominantly jazz fusion and has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the bands share a common history. Downwind was released in February, 1979 and marks a slight departure from the formula of PMG's previous records Gazeuse! and Expresso II. While this album still features the synthesis of fluid guitars, virtuostic drumming and percolating marimba/xylophone melodies that this version of Gong is very much defined by, it also marks the beginning of a move back towards conventional pop/rock. Two songs, "Aeroplane" and "What You Know", are short-form pop songs featuring lead vocals by Moerlen, the first time vocals appear on a Gong record since 1975. Included here also is a cover of the Santana classic "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba". Keyboards augment or even replace mallet percussion on a few tracks, some of which are... less