Downwind | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 9, 1979 | |||
Recorded | June–September, 1978 | |||
Genre | Jazz fusion, progressive rock, heavy metal | |||
Length | 40:06 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Producer | Pierre Moerlen | |||
Pierre Moerlen's Gong chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Downwind is the third album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong, although it was the first to be released under that name, the previous two having been released as Gong albums for contractual reasons. It was released in February 1979. [2]
Featuring a mostly instrumental jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of vibraphone, it has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the two bands share a common history.
Downwind marks a slight departure from the formula of the previous de facto Pierre Moerlen's Gong's albums, Gazeuse! and Expresso II . "Aeroplane" and "What You Know" are short-form pop songs with vocals, the only time that Moerlen would attempt this. The lengthy title track displays an emerging progressive rock influence and features lead guitar by Mike Oldfield (for whom Moerlen was also playing at the time), keyboards by Steve Winwood and saxophone by ex-Gong member Didier Malherbe. For the first time, keyboards augment or replace mallet percussion on some tracks.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | "Aeroplane" | Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O'Lochlain | 2:42 |
2. | "Crosscurrents" | Moerlen | 6:13 |
3. | "Downwind" | Moerlen | 12:34 |
4. | "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" | Babatunde Olatunji | 3:27 |
5. | "What You Know" | Moerlen, O'Lochlain | 3:44 |
6. | "Emotions" | Moerlen | 4:46 |
7. | "Xtasea" | Moerlen | 6:40 |
Gong are a psychedelic rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and space rock into their musical style. The group was formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. Band members have included Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, Pierre Moerlen, Bill Laswell and Theo Travis. Others who have played on stage with Gong include Don Cherry, Chris Cutler, Bill Bruford, Brian Davison, Dave Stewart and Tatsuya Yoshida.
Platinum is the fifth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 23 November 1979 on Virgin Records. It was Oldfield's first album to include shorter songs and music written by others. A modified version of the album was released in the United States and Canada and titled Airborn.
Didier Malherbe, is a French jazz, rock and world music musician, known as a member of the bands Gong and Hadouk, as well as a poet.
Time is the Key is the fourth album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It was released in late 1979 by Arista Records.
Pierre Moerlen's Gong was an instrumental jazz fusion band led by French drummer Pierre Moerlen which developed as an offshoot of the psychedelic progressive rock band Gong founded and led by Daevid Allen. It was notable for the prominent use of mallet percussion, particularly vibraphone, in a jazz-rock context.
Gazeuse! is the seventh album released under the name Gong and the de facto debut album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It was released in late 1976. The title was changed to Expresso for the U.S. release.
Expresso II is the eighth studio album released under the name Gong and the de facto second album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It released in February 1978.
Gong est Mort, Vive Gong is a double live album by the progressive rock group Gong, recorded on 28 May 1977 at the Hippodrome, Paris, France, and originally released in 1977 as a double LP by Tapioca Records, France.
You is the fifth studio album by the progressive rock band Gong, released by Virgin Records in October 1974. It is the last album by Daevid Allen's iteration of the group until 1992's Shapeshifter. Recorded at Virgin's Manor Studios in Oxfordshire, England, side 1 was mixed at Pye Studios, Marble Arch, London, while side 2 was mixed at The Manor. It was produced by Simon Heyworth and Gong "under the universal influence of C.O.I.T., the Compagnie d'Opera Invisible de Thibet", and also engineered by Heyworth.
Gong Live Etc. is a live album by Gong, recorded between 1973 and 1975 and originally released in 1977. It is a set of live recordings, studio out-takes and BBC session recordings spanning the years 1973 to 1975.
Pierre Moerlen was a French drummer and percussionist, best known for his work with Gong and Mike Oldfield and as Pierre Moerlen's Gong.
"Islands" is a song by English musician Mike Oldfield, featuring Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler on vocals. It features on Oldfield's 1987 album of the same name. It was written by Oldfield, who co-produced the track with Tom Newman and Alan Shacklock. The track was released as a single in September 1987 by Virgin Records.
Shamal is the sixth studio album released under the name Gong and was released by Virgin Records on 13 February 1976 The album, produced by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, was recorded in December 1975 by a unique line-up referred to later as "Shamal-Gong". It is usually regarded as a transitional album between Daevid Allen's incarnation of the band and the Pierre Moerlen-led fusion line-up of the late 1970s.
Fish Rising is the debut solo album by English progressive rock musician Steve Hillage, released by Virgin Records in April 1975. It was recorded just prior to Hillage's departure from the band Gong.
Benoît Moerlen is a French percussionist, best known for his work in Gong, Pierre Moerlen's Gong and a later offshoot Gongzilla.
Leave It Open is the fifth studio album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It was released in 1981.
Zero to Infinity (02∞) is the tenth studio album by Gong and the seventh album by the Daevid Allen version of the group, released in 2000. Like their 1992 album Shapeshifter, it continues the Gong mythology, the central part of which was formed with the Radio Gnome Trilogy of albums, comprising Flying Teapot in 1973, followed by Angel's Egg, 1973, and You in 1974.
25th Birthday Party is a recording of the Gong 25th Birthday concerts in October 1994.
Bruford were a band assembled and led by British drummer Bill Bruford, originating in the late 1970s.