The labyrinthine convolutions of Gong's approach to recording contracts has given rise to a number of confusions over the years, including the near-simultaneous release of their best-known albums by both Virgin and Charly during the early to mid-'70s. It is a confusion that led many collectors to... [+] Expand

The labyrinthine convolutions of Gong's approach to recording contracts has given rise to a number of confusions over the years, including the near-simultaneous release of their best-known albums by both Virgin and Charly during the early to mid-'70s. It is a confusion that led many collectors to buy both, hoping to secure alternate visions (or, at least, mixes) of some of the era's most seminal albums -- in fact, the only differences are the labels, and today, it is the numerical scarcity of the Charly issues alone that encourages fans to seek them out. Recorded within the fire of enthusiasm and glee that surrounded the critical (and cultural) impact of the preceding Flying Teapot album, the second installment in Daevid Allen and Gong's trilogy continues (of course) the sprawling narrative of its predecessor, albeit with less of the overtly psychedelic elements. At close to eight minutes, the opening "Other Side of the Sky" is the only appreciable epic in sight, a gently burbling patchwork of Gilli Smyth's space whisper and Tim Blake's crystal machine that bleeds gently into the pulsing mantra of "Sold to the Highest Buddha." However, while a breakdown of the other tracks makes many appear as little more than snippets ranging in length from 43 seconds to a couple of minutes, the seamless blend could as easily have been rendered as just two or three long, unbroken pieces of music, highlighted by the space-cadet wizardry of "Castle in the Clouds," the vaudeville swing and breathless seduction of Smyth's "Prostitute Poem," and the gently percussive affirmation of "Love Is How Y Make It." There is also a partial reprise of "Selene," one of the highlights of the pre-trilogy Camembert Electrique album, realigned as the sort of soundtrack you might find on a super-hip documentary about tropical fish (of course). ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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