Expresso

Pierre Moerlen was born in Colmar, France, in 1952. A star pupil at Conservatoire Régional de Strasbourg, one of his earliest rock groups, Hasm Congélateur included future Magma guitarist Gabriel Fédérow. During his tenure in Gong, Moerlen took more than one sabbatical for a parallel career in classical music—as a percussionist with the Percussions de Strasbourg. Thus, when he set out to recruit a new lineup for Gong, it was obvious which direction he would take-percussive! With only Mireille Bauer returning from the Shamal band-the two had known each other since they were teenagers-Moerlen added two other percussionists: his brother Benoît and Mino Cinelu. The lineup was rounded out with former Gong (and Magma) bassist Francis Moze, returning after a three-year absence, and guitarist Allan Holdsworth, fresh from a stint with The New Tony Williams Lifetime. Entitled Gazeuse! (roughly French for "Sparkling"), the album was produced by Dennis MacKay and saw release in early 1977. Both "Expresso" (also the US title of the album) and "Night Illusion" open with the guitarist's signature tone, and reveals a jazzy band underneath. Clearly, the emphasis is on rhythm; Moerlen and company provide a densely-arranged fusion, with Moze's fretless bass a superb complement. True to its name, "Percolations" is the percussion tour de force on the album, and also features Benoît's vibraphone. The second side contains another two numbers that feature Holdsworth's huge guitar riffs: "Shadows Of" first appeared as the title track on the guitarist's 1976 album, Velvet Darkness, while "Esnuria" would feature one last contribution from a lingering Didier Malherbe. Throughout, Moerlen delivers his powerful and unique take on fusion, which mostly accentuates the "rock" in jazz-rock. However, the Gong reunion concert in Paris in May (where most Gongs past and present took the stage), would signal changes for the band.