Back in the days when pocket money dictated the length and breadth of my expanding musical horizons (and record collection), the humble budget LP played a key role. 'The Faust Tapes' and Gong's 'Camembert Electrique' were welcome additions to the household in 1973, the two of them combined coming in at just over a quid. Amon Düül II's 1969 debut album 'Phallus Dei' was also repackaged and reissued at around the same time, on the otherwise largely middle of the road Sunset label, at around 69p. My pals and I swooped on it it, how could we resist that far out sleeve? We each took our copies home, later re-grouping to share our thoughts. At the tender age of 13 or thereabouts, we of course had no immediate frame of reference for the proto-Krautrock racket coming out of the tiny mono record players in our respective bedrooms, though when we listened to the LP together, I vividly recall that we particularly enjoyed singing along to the '...give me a lamp...it's going to be weird...' line at just shy of the 4½ minute mark on 'Luzifers Ghilom'.
If you're of a similar vintage to me, chances
are that I can name two LPs that, at some
point in your youth, made an appearance in
your record collection, however briefly. 'The
Faust Tapes' and Gong's 'Camembert
Electrique' were both marketed by Virgin at
59p each, the price of a single, and were
gratefully snapped up by fiscally challenged
kids the length and breadth of the country.
These two records (along with the Sunset
budget reissue of Amon Düül II's 'Phallus
Dei') became early far-out favourites for me
and my little gang of musical adventurers. We
weren't always sure what exactly was going on within the grooves of these LPs, but we were
totally thrilled by the strange new noises we
were hearing.
There are no doubt a few battered old copies
of 'Camembert Electrique' being dug out and
dusted off today, following yesterday's sad
statement from Daevid Allen, original Gong main man and co-founder of The Soft Machine.
In case you haven't seen it, I quote this
from his website;
'Hello you Kookaburras,
OK so I have had my PET-CAT scans (which is
essentially a full body viewing gallery for
cancer specialists) and so it is now
confirmed that the invading cancer has
returned to successfully establish dominant
residency in my neck. The original surgery
took much of it out, but the cancer has now
recreated itself with renewed vigor while
also spreading to my lung.
The cancer is now so well established that I
have now been given approximately six months
to live.
So My view has Changed:
I am not interested in endless surgical
operations and in fact it has come as a
relief to know that the end is in sight.
I am a great believer in "The Will of the Way
Things Are" and I also believe that the time
has come to stop resisting and denying and to
surrender to the way it is.
I can only hope that during this journey, I
have somehow contributed to the happiness in
the lives of a few other fellow humans.
I believe I have done my best to heal, dear
friends and that you have been enormously
helpful in supporting me through this time
So Thank you SO much for being there with me,
for the Ocean of Love and Now, importantly,
Thank you for starting the process of letting
go of me, of mourning then transforming and
celebrating this death coming up - this is
how you can contribute, this would be a great
gift from those emotionally and spiritually
involved with me.
I love you and will be with you always -
Daevid xxx -'
Awful news indeed. We can only send good
vibes, hope for a miracle and celebrate the
music Allen leaves us with. Here's a
fantastic piece of footage from 1973,
featuring a live performance of 'I Never Glid
Before', originally released on that year's
'Angel's Egg' LP.
