DASHIELL HEDAYAT 'OBSOLETE' 1971 MISSING 'GONG' LP

	£		63
	$		83

This is going to be one of those Holy Grail moments for one or two reading this and for those that already know of the existence of this LP I suspect at least an exciting one.  This is an original 1971 copy of the missing Gong LP, DASHIELL HEDAYAT'S 'OBSOLETE' Shandar Records, SR 83 512.   What makes this one even more unusual and desirable is the line-up.  Along with Daevid Allen, the cast is further enhanced by William Burroughs (one song) and Sam Wyatt. 

The sleeve and vinyla re in excellent condition though there is a very small, single, pink spot, price-type sticker attached to the record label.    My apologies for the strange layout of the text which follows.  Couldn’ t get it to load properly.  It’s all there, though.

Here's another Gong album no one seems to know about, as this is basically Gong plus poet/musician Dashiell Hedayat (otherwise known as Melmoth). Evidently the lyrical content (especially on the suite "Eh, Mushroom will you mush my room?") is drug related, it, and the back cover of the CD urges the listener to listen to the album "as stoned as impossible."

Regardless, if you are an early Allen-period Gong fan, you are sure to love this one as it is CLASSIC 1971 Gong replete with Malherbe sax solos and killer gliss guitar. Hedayat proves to be a good guitarist (the album was too early for Hillage) and keyboard player, and the long 20 minute track here is an incredible space flight. This album was exteremely groundbreaking as parts of it resemble the Kosmische music label such as Sergius Golowin's "Lord Krishna Von Goloka" yet it was years before. The best comparison would be to Timothy Leary and Ash Ra Tempel's "Seven Up" with its delerious lyrics (the opener sounds very similar to the "Downtown" part of "Seven Up") as it is an incredible parallel to the album.             

    If you're a Gong fan, here's your very own "long,

                              lost album of X," for the Camembert Electrique

                              line-up are on this one, recorded around the same

                              time. Obsolete is one of the more outstanding

                              relics from those lava lamp times. Dashiell

                              Hedayat, as I understand it, was an artist in the

                              band's circle des amis, and if I recall correctly,

                              that's not his real name.

                              Opening up the "Mushroom" suite on side oneis

                              "Chrysler," one of those mantra jams filled with

                              chunky riffs and glissando from Allen, and a

                              spastic recitative in French by Hedayat. This

                              section may prove a bit overkill for some with its

                              lengthy repetition, but oh well, I love it. "Fille

                              de L'Ombre" is inconsequential but short, with

                              some nice rated-R moaning from Smythe."Long Song

                              for Zelda" changes the mood to acoustic guitar,

                              with some streetside balladeering from Hedayat.

                              The side-long piece representing the album's other

                              half is "Cielo Drive/17," which pushes the

                              psychedelic meter further past the red ander, back

                              around into the indigo. The basic foundation of

                              the song is an infectious bass riff from Tritsch,

                              with one bluesy detour in the middle, and a

                              mellow, end-of-the-rapids conclusion.

Mantra (Mantra 075)
France 1971

Dashiell Hedayat, vocal, guitar, keyboards; Daevid Allen, lead guitar; Didier Malherbe, sax, flute; Christian Tritsch, bass, acoustic guitar; Pip Pyle, drums, guitar; Gilli Smythe, vocal; with Robert Wyatt, voice; William S. Burroughs, voice

Tracklist:
1.  Eh, Mushroom, Will You Mush My Room?
     a.  Chrysler — 6:40
     b.  Fille de L'Ombre — 2:18
     c.  Long Song for Zelda — 7:44
2.  Cielo Drive/17 — 21:09

total time 37:56