Psychedelia the way it should be!
loveweird | Fairview, NC United States | 01/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're tired of critics and other so-called "music experts" calling bland San Francisco blues psychedelic, well, pilgrim, take a listen to this amazing, innovative album released in 1969. This is the first record to be released under the GONG moniker, but it was mainly Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth's brainchild, and what a weird and wonderful child it is! Lots of phasing,loose playing and inspired moments make this disc one of my Top 5 favorite albums ever. I love other GONG albums like Flying Teapot and Angels Egg, but this one doesn't sound like any other GONG album or anyone else's album, for that matter. It's a wonderful example of what happens when inspired artists just create and don't worry about what something SHOULD sound like. Now this album was recorded onto the audio part of a 3-track videorecorder, so it is a bit "lo-fi", but I think that just adds to the charm and otherworldliness of it. An amazing sonic trip - psychedelic the way it should be!!!"
The very first Gong album
happydogpotatohead | New Orleans, LA USA | 06/25/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"And it all begins with an orgasm. Accompanied by space noises. At least that's what it sounds like. Which is highly appropriate for a band that was intent on ecstasy and its spiritual meanings, without being heavy-handed enough to say so.At this point the band consisted of Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth with a cast of characters who would disappear by the time of the second album, except for reedman extraordinaire Didier Malherbe. Recorded in a barn on a movie camera, the sound is rough but not too rough. Don't let that stop you; this is one of the most essential psychedelic records, period.After the orgasm we get Daevid coming in strumming away on an acoustic and telling us that we are the Magick Brothers and Mystick Sisters of the title, which is the basic message throughout. The music matches the message; Allen, Smyth and cohorts flip through folk-jazz, proto-fuzz, tape collages, psych-rock, free jazz and floating whimsy, without once sounding pretentious. There's a loose feeling to the music that shows its improvised origins, but once you listen closer there is a subtle focus and an open sense of fun, just as in all of Daevid Allen's Gong output.Yes, it is whimsical, but underneath the whimsy is a message. The famous Pothead Pixies make a cameo appearance, by the way, in "Gongsong." At the end it all sort of floats away rather than ending, which is perfectly appropriate for Gong."Magick Brother" is really a sketchbook for what later Gong would become, but like any good sketchbook it's filled with a lot of fascinating ideas and great images. It's very psychedelic, very "high," and very loose and free. I find myself returning to this CD over and over again in the years since I originally bought it, and I am rewarded with something new every time. Quite worthwhile for anybody who has an adventurous musical spirit."
Stands the test of time
Nathan Pease | Asheville, NC | 03/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a late 60's psychedelic classic, but the feel is proto-punk. It's raw; the songs are mostly three chord progressions; and it's seriously silly. I think of it as a genuine work of art."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1