Gazeuse!

Gazeuse!
Studio album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong
Released	1976
Recorded	The Manor Studio
Genre	Jazz rock, progressive rock
Length	39:46
Label	Virgin
Producer	Dennis MacKay
Pierre Moerlen's Gong chronology
Gazeuse! (1976) Expresso II (1978)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Gazeuse! is the de facto first album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong, issued in 1976. The title was changed to Expresso for the U.S. release.

The album features an all-instrumental jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of mallet percussion, which has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the two bands share a common history. Although the album was issued by Virgin Records under the "Gong" name for contractual reasons, and the name "Pierre Moerlen's Gong" would not be adopted for a couple of years, the lineup involved and the nature of the music are that of the Moerlen-led band.

Writing credits are split between Moerlen and journeyman guitarist Allan Holdsworth, except the for final track, which is by early Magma and Flying Teapot bassist Francis Moze.

Style

Allmusic has described the album's sound as jazz-rock, and its compositions as stressing the jazz elements of the band's sound.^[1]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Expresso" (Pierre Moerlen) – 5:58
2. "Night Illusion" (Allan Holdsworth) – 3:42
3. "Percolations (Part I & II)" (Moerlen) – 10:00

Side two

4. "Shadows Of" (Holdsworth) – 7:48
5. "Esnuria" (Moerlen) – 8:00
6. "Mireille" (Francis Moze) – 4:10

"Shadows Of" is a reworking of Allan Holdsworth's "Velvet Darkness" from his 1976 album of the same name.

Personnel

• Pierre Moerlen – drums, vibraphone, marimba, timpani, glockenspiel
• Didier Malherbe – tenor sax, flute
• Allan Holdsworth – guitars, violin, pedal steel
• Mireille Bauer – vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, toms
• Benoît Moerlen – vibraphone
• Francis Moze – fretless bass, gong, piano
• Mino Cinelu – percussion

References