I usually feel ambiguous about most compilations and often end up wondering what and who they are really for? This one dosen't really alter my general opinion of them. It's an fair enough random feeling selection of tracks, some great songs here of course, but there is no real discernable theme of any sort to the release. It hangs together well enough in a auditory way in that there is nothing that jars the senses uncomfortably (maybe it should do?), and personally I always find it interesting to hear a track out of the context of the album from which it comes - like having an mp3 or CD player on random.

I doubt daevid has had any real input into this release (I'll have to ask him), it just doesn't have his quirky stamp of creativity about it. He's seldom one to pass up the opportunity to have a little fun and enhance our visual and listening experience, even on a straight-forward compilation such as this - given the chance. One of the things, besides the flow of the chosen tracks that made me think that daevid probably wasn't involved is that I can't imagine that he saw the CD booklet liner notes, which are a single page vague history of daevid and Gong, with howlers like "Steve Hillage became the leader of Gong in 1975" (he hates that because it's so wrong), and "recordings made with African band Euterpe".

So what can I say - for completeists like myself - certainly (yes I know it's a disease), to catch new listeners - maybe but probably not - I can't see how it can encourage sales of the CDs from which the tracks come, as they aren't listed anywhere, to keep daevid's profile in the marketplace - I don't really know about all that stuff. So the original question still stands - what and who are compilations like this for?

Sorry if I'm not doing great job of selling this to you, but as I said before there are some very good tracks here, so if want to use this release as a sampler to help you choose what avenues of daevid's music to explore further I will be putting links to the source CDs below. You can also use the links to find out all the musicians involved who help make this music possible - including all the members of that most wonderful Spanish band Euterpe.

1. Flying Tea Service 1.12 (d. allen)
   From Gongmaison or Gentle Genie
   
   
2. The Voice Of Om 7.51 (Jagadamba Saraswati/E. Romaine)
   From Australia Aquaria or Gentle Genie
   
   
3. Magick Brother (with Euterpe) 7.26 (d. allen)
   From BMO001 - Studio Rehersal Tapes 1977
   
   
4. Perfect Day In Paradox (with Russell Hibbs) 6.42 (d. allen)
   From BMO004 - Bards of Byron Bay
   
   
5. Fohat (with Pip Pyle and Hugh Hopper) 9.40 (d. allen/Gilli Smyth)
   From BMO002 - Brainville Live in the UK
   
   
6. Where Have All The Flowers Gone 5.44
   From...
   
   
7. Deya Goddess 8.28
   From...
   
   
8. Sing Me Like A Song 6.40 (d. allen/D. Malherbe)
   From Live in '88 - The Return
   
   
9. Mystery School 5.45 (d. allen)
   From BMO003 - Self Initiation
   
   
10. Are You Ready? 3.32
    From Histories and Mysteries of Planet Gong
    
    

• Besides the ones mentioned above in the track titles no other musicians are listed in the CD booklet, please follow the links above to discover who they are.