Gilgamesh - 1978 - Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into

Gilgamesh

1978

Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into

01. Darker Brighter (5:40)
02. Bobberty-Theme From Something Else (10:41)
03. Waiting (2:25)
04. Play Time (7:14)
05. Underwater Song (7:04)
06. Foel'd Again (1:50)
07. T.N.T.F.X (2:54)

- Phil Lee / guitars
- Alan Gowen / keyboards
- Hugh Hopper / bass
- Trevor Tomkins / drums

Gilgamesh's second album is certainly more accessible than its debut. With a different rhythm section, one could not fear for the music's nature too much, certainly so as Hugh Hopper was now free of Soft Machine, but involved in the Soft Heap projects (see the Esoteric reissues). The music here can be best described as a typical example later-70's Canterbury music, as we are never far away from a cross of jazz-rock/fusion and more conventional ECM-type jazz but always remaining calm and determined. While the two frontmen have remained, the rhythm section sees the arrival of the adore-mentioned Hugh Hopper, but also the ex-Rendell-Car Quintett drummer Trevor Tomkins

However, this album is definitely Alan Gowan's vehicle especially with his electric piano on the 10 min+ Bobberty where he shows his full ability on KB, and that track is relatively representative of the album. Although the quartet might appear very aloof-sounding in its approach, they are a very tight unit, as shown on Play Time and Underwater Song. I can only recommend Gilgamesh's second album to confirmed Canterbury fans, but if you are one, this album although not essential, it is very worthy of your investigations. To others, I suggest you start with the debut or the posthumous release.

The tragic death of Alan Gowen at the age of just 33 would rob the progressive rock world of one of it's more refined talents and ultimately overshadow a career that both promised and delivered much. A highly-skilled keyboardist and composer, Gowen's career would start with brief stints in both Afro-rock outfit Assegai and his own, short-lived jazz group Sunship, before joining the blossoming Canterbury movement during the early part of the 1970's. Like many of his peers, Gowen's membership with groups such as National Health and Gilgamesh was fluid - he would move between both several times for both artistic and financial reasons - yet the best of him would be seen in Gilgamesh, a complex, instrumental jazz-prog outfit that released two excellent albums of delicately-wrought music that, although retrospectively popular with both fans and critics, failed to make any serious commercial headway. Featuring guitarist Phil Lee, Soft Machine alumni Hugh Hopper on bass and drummer Trevor Tomkins, this 1978 release would be the second-and-final Gilgamesh album - and undoubtedly their most impressive - yet in truth it probably arrived far too late in the day to make any real impact on the then rapidly-developing music scene. The light jazz touch prevalent here is beautifully- executed, streaking through a series of lushly-realised compositions, yet with punk barking away it seemed that Gilgamesh were fighting a losing battle that no-one was really watching. The complexity of the music and the poverty of the musicians involved also made touring unrealistic, and Gilgamesh would dissolve before really getting the chance to shine. It's a sad tale as this was a band who deserved so much more, particularly as they were just as good as any of their fellow Canterbury contemporaries, groups such asCaravan, Soft Machine, National Health & Hatfield & The North. However, despite the lack of success you shouldn't be put off. 'Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into' is a dazzling jazz odyssey, and an album that should definitely be investigated by all classic prog lovers. Here's to you Alan. You deserved so much more.