Flying Teapot [CD]

Don't buy "Flying Teapot". Avoid it. Don't touch it with a barge pole. I mean this. STEER CLEAR OF THIS ALBUM.

Right, now you're upset. But let me explain. I'm a huge Gong fan. I adore "Flying Teapot". It's always been one of my favourite albums. I've loved it since the early 1980s when I first bought the vinyl. It's rarely far from my stereo. But the CD is a DISASTER. I'm not talking about the old licensing issue, the two separate covers. The covers are different, but ALL the CD versions of "Flying Teapot" use exactly the same master tape. And ALL of them are terrible beyond belief -- and beyond redemption.

The problem is entirely with the title track, 12 minutes of pure bliss. At least in the original vinyl version. A soft, trippy, jazzy drift, laid back, humorous, warm and sweet as heaven. Delicious, and Gong's signature tune. But at some point in the 1980s, Daevid Allen (as far as I can tell) decided to remix the track, perhaps to try to jump on the rave bandwagon. It wasn't just a remix, though -- possibly he re-recorded parts of the track too. The new version of "Flying Teapot" was a characterless, charmless, spiritless piece of pretend dance music lacking energy or warmth or psychedelic flavour. It sounded horrible -- and nothing AT ALL like the original track.

Unfortunately, EVERY release of the album on CD has used the 1980s version of the track. Every one. That includes all released versions of the "Flying Teapot" album, including the early trilogy box, and all appearances of the track on EVERY compilation. Don't even bother looking among Russian or Far Eastern versions of the album -- they're all the same. There is no indication on any release that this is the case, and most new fans probably aren't even aware they're not getting the real thing.

So if you've never heard the album, how do you know you're not listening to the remix? Answer 1: if you're listening to the track on CD, it's the remix. Answer 2: listen to the track immediately following the "have a cup of tea" refrain. If you don't hear a loud surge of glissando, you're hearing the remix. The ONLY way to hear the beautiful, fabulous original "Flying Teapot" is to find it on vinyl. And beware of vinyl reissues, some of which may have used the CD masters.

This is not a "slightly different flavour" problem. The track is COMPLETELY different in the remixed version. Gong's would-be curators, GAS, seem not to care about the problem, and since the album is mired in contractural problems, there is unlikely to be a resolution soon.

All is not lost. The rest of the CD is uncontaminated, so if you can source a vinyl version of the title track, you can just strip it into a CDR. But do NOT play the CD version of the album and expect it to sound anything like the original, fabulous release. It's not -- and what you're hearing is effectively just a 1980s cover version. How shameful that a track of such glorious, trippy power is reduced to this. And how terrible that most would-be Gong fans don't even know they're being fooled.

I have a different perspective than the other guys posting here, so maybe this'll help. I got the CD as like most, I don't have a turntable, and it's a brilliant album. I've also listened through the old LP as a couple of (less rabid) mates have it and yeah, it's better and noticeably different.

The ethics of messing with old recordings aside (yeah, I agree, never do it - remastering old stuff to suit modern sensibility is a pretty stupid move to say the least - at least leave the original mastering on the disc as a bonus so that it can be reprogrammed eh!) it's still fantastic and obviously, a necessary listen if you're new to Gong and want to hear the trilogy through in sequence.

I've had this CD a year, so why the review? Gong have recently toured and released an outrageously good new album, so if ever people are going to be digging around the classic period stuff it'll be now. It's all very well giving it 1 star (!!!) in a publication more suited to fiercely critical listeners, say Wire or Julian Cope's Head Heritage, but here on Amazon, the other reviews here are simply going to stop most people getting into Gong at all. Unless they're expected to buy vinyl playing equipment simply to get it right!

Enjoy a great album and if you really enjoy it, go get some nicked decks from Cash Converters and stroke that beard to yer hearts content.

I can't say whether this is the best album Gong ever made because I haven't heard the majority of them, but in my opinion this is one of the less-heralded full-on classics of the 1970s. It has that characteristic feature of all classic albums, a soundworld of its own, one which is removed from any other album. Its sequel, "Angel's Egg", is regarded by some as a better album and I'd agree that it's very good but it has a feel that's a little closer to mainstream rock. "Flying Teapot" is more anarchic in nature and that is an important part of its appeal.

From the buzzing, burbling voices that surface at the beginning you sense that you've entered a realm that has its own culture. Indeed, if you can uncover it, this album is full of Daevid Allen's philosophy. The rules are that there are no rules to tie us down but there is a strategy, a vision that enables Planet Gong to steer its own wobbly course. The great thing about "Flying Teapot" is therefore that it is experimental but accessible, unique yet endearing. There is so much good humour and cheer in the proceedings that you can't help thinking that this is how Madness might have sounded had they been hippies, though they would have needed rather more musical talent. This isn't prog, it's a happy riot.

The first half of the album is not as free in form as the second half but the false endings are characteristically teasing. The breathy female intonations of the final track are wonderfully outrageous for their era. I don't imagine that there was much chance of it being given regular airplay on the BBC in those days.

It's tempting to make the obvious pun that the album would not be everybody's cup of tea, but why? It's fun.