Daevid Allen Divided Alien Playbax 80 + Alien in New York Snapper SNAP237CD || 27.06.2005 || £6.81  $ € ¥  + p+p +tax Click for big pic Didgi-pak reissue with 'Alien in New York' EP tracks & new booklet Influenced by the cutting edge musical experiments that abounded in late '70s New York Daevid radically changed direction from his previous acoustic troubadour style. Utilising the then embryonic sampling & video technology he radically cut-up, re-mixed and over dubbed the New York Gong LP 'About Time' to produce 'Playbax 80'. It resulted in this stunning & at times assaulting set. It's still way out there (some hate it) and has a couple of my personal top ten Daevid tracks. The basis of the first two of the Alien in New York tracks originate at Mrs Pottinger famous reggae studio in Jamacia where Daevid went to get the backing tracs. These were then overdubbed by some more familar musicians in the wide span of Daevid's recording history. Tracks 3 and 4 are constructed from loops of New York Gong sessions and therefore in a slightly more mellow way continue Daevid's 'Playbax 80' experiments. The gatefold didgi-pak reproduces all the bits of original LP artwork in some form or other and the 8 page booklet has some historical liner notes. All in all a good release for the buyer gathering together as it does the various New York Gong 'treated' tracks in one cheap, good sounding package. Note: Unfortunately the musicians can expect no royalties on sales or publishing from this release. The only way they benefit in any way from sales this CD is if you buy it here. Track Listing: Total Runtime 54.16 When 8.06 Well 1.28 Bell 1.03 Boon 1.07 Dab 1.46 Gay 2.14 Rude 1.50 Disguise 1.08 Pearls 2.39 Bodigas 0.57 Froghello 2.37 Fastfather 5.10 Smile 9.06 Alien in New York Bananareggae 4.22 (Allen) Are You Ready 3.31 (Allen) Oo La La 3.26 (Allen) Side Windo 3.40 (Allen) Playbax '80 Musicians: Source tapes: Fred Maher: Drums Bill Bacon: Drums, Percussion Bill Laswell: Bass Michael Brainhorn: Synth Playbax '80 Musicians: Overdub stage: Daevid Allen: Guitars, Voices Mars Williamson: Bass Sax Cliff Cultreri: Verbal Inspiration