''Expresso II'' is the eighth studio album released under the name
Gong and the ''de facto'' second album by
Pierre Moerlen's Gong
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 ...
. It released in February 1978.
Featuring an all-instrumental
jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of
vibraphone, it has little to do with the
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
space rock of
Daevid Allen's
Gong, even though the two bands share a common history. Although the album was issued by
Virgin Records under the "Gong" name for contractual reasons, and the name "Pierre Moerlen's Gong" would not be adopted for a few more months, the lineup involved and the nature of the music are that of the
Moerlen-led band.
This was the final Gong-related album released by Virgin; the band continued on
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
.
Track listing
Personnel
;Pierre Moerlen's Gong
*
Pierre Moerlen – drums,
vibraphone,
xylophone,
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone.
The glo ...
,
tympani,
tubular bells
*
Benoît Moerlen
Benoît Moerlen (born 6 February 1956) is a French percussionist, best known for his work in Gong, Pierre Moerlen's Gong and a later offshoot Gongzilla.
History
Moerlen studied the vibraphone at the Strasbourg Conservatory, where his elder broth ...
– vibraphone, marimba, percussion, tubular bells, glockenspiel,
claves, xylophone
*
Mireille Bauer –
marimba, vibraphone
*
Hansford Rowe – bass, rhythm guitar
(2)
;Additional personnel
*
Mick Taylor – lead guitar
(1)
*
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...
– lead guitar
(3, 4, 6), rhythm guitar
(1)
*Bon Lozaga – lead guitar
(2), rhythm guitar
(3)
*
Darryl Way – violin
(3, 5)
*François Causse –
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
s
In popular culture
The track "Heavy Tune" is featured on
Fusion FM radio in the game
Grand Theft Auto IV.
References
*Macan, E. L., Macan, E. (1997). Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Germany: Oxford University Press. p. 243
{{DEFAULTSORT:Expresso Ii
1978 albums
Gong (band) albums
Pierre Moerlen's Gong albums
Jazz fusion albums
Virgin Records albums