Shapeshifter (Gong album)

Shapeshifter
Studio album by Gong
Released 1992
Recorded Sep 1991 - Jul 1992
Genre Progressive rock
Length 66:00
Label Celluloid, Lightyear
Producer Dino Watkyn, Nigel Gilroy
Gong chronology

Shamal
(1976)		 Shapeshifter
(1992)		 Zero to Infinity
(2000)
Alternative cover
Cover of the 1997 re-release
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Shapeshifter is a studio album by the progressive rock band Gong, released in 1992.

With main character Zero the hero, the album continues the Gong mythology, the central part of which was formed with the Radio Gnome Trilogy of albums,[2] comprising Flying Teapot in 1973, followed by Angel's Egg, 1973, and You in 1974.

“ In episode four in the album Shapeshifter (1992), Zero meets an urban shaman who agrees to take Zero to the next level of awareness on the proviso that Zero spends nine months on an airplane, travelling where he wants but not using money or eating anything other than airline food. Zero eventually dies in Australia under mysterious circumstances.[3][4] ”

—Gong, Facebook

Releases

Over the years since 1992, there have been different releases of the album with different numbers of tracks. On "the original as it was planned",[2] the Gong website lists #12: "Là Bas Là Bas" and #13: "I Gotta Donkey" - these are not found on the 1997 Lightyear release. That release[5] has a closing bonus track titled "Goddess Invocation Om Riff", recorded live at Ynys Witren at summer solstice 1992.[6]

Personnel

Guest personnel

Additional personnel on bonus track

In the Allmusic review[5] of the 1997 release and in its Discogs entry,[6] additional personnel is listed:

Track listing

  1. "Gnomerique" (Allen) − 0:07
  2. "Shapeshifter" (Allen, Malherbe) − 4:53
  3. "Hymnalayas" (Allen, Bailey) − 7:38
  4. "Dog-o-matic" (Maitra) − 3:00
  5. "Spirit With Me" (Allen, Ehrlich) − 2:27
  6. "Mr Albert Parkin" (Clark) − 0:17
  7. "Raindrop Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:21
  8. "Give My Mother a Soul Call" (Yogananda) − 4:30
  9. "Heaven's Gate" (Allen, Bailey) − 4:49
  10. "Snake Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:34
  11. "Loli" (Allen, Clark) − 5:09
  12. "Là Bas Là Bas" (Couture, Allen) − 4:06
  13. "I Gotta Donkey" (Allen) − 2:12
  14. "Can: You Can" (Malherbe) − 9:09
  15. "Confiture de Rhubarbier" (Pyle) − 1:18
  16. "Parkin Triumphant" (Clark) − 0:06
  17. "Longhaired Tablas" (Maitra) − 0:14
  18. "Éléphant la Tête" (Malherbe, Maitra) - 4:41
  19. "Mother's Gone" (Allen) − 1:12
  20. "Éléphant la Cuisse" (Malherbe, Clark) − 3:26
  21. "White Doves" (Viraj, Sunsinger) − 5:24
  22. "Gnomoutro" (Allen) − 0:27

Bonus track

"Goddess Invocation Om Riff" (Allen, Blake, Hillage, Howlett, Smyth)[5] − 12:58

References

  1. ↑ Nickson, Chris (2011). "Shapeshifter - Gong | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shapeshifter at the Gong website www.planetgong.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  3. ↑ Gong on Facebook
  4. ↑ Daevid Allen: Shapeshifter, product information on the companion book to Gong's album of the same name. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Shapeshifter at AllMusic
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shapeshifter (Lightyear Entertainment 54200-2, 1997) at Discogs

External links