Pictures From An Exhibition - ELP/Camembert Electrique - Gong

[jake shields]

How many of us bought these albums round about the same time as the Faust Tapes - largely because they were cut-price releases? Still love both albums.

[Alan Holmes]

Yes... price was a big consideration for a school kid with very limited pocket money. In addition to these three, I also got Can's "Limited Edition" because it was cheap.
Can't say I listen to Pictures at an Exhibition much these days, although I do still have it, but the other three all opened up new paths that I'm still exploring over 30 years later.

[Maeyc Hewitt]

Yes, and there was Fripp and Eno's No Pussyfooting as well.
I still listen to ELP from time to time but they are very much like the curates egg. All that classical stuff turns me right off (PaaE is alright though) but I'm quite in rapture to the sound. I guess I'm a sucker for the organ.
The Faust Tapes was the one though. I championed this to all who would listen and some who wouldn't and I still reckon this to be one of the best records ever - second only to the magnificent clear LP.
And Camembert Electrique is the best ever Gong record... aah, those were the days.

[Nick M]

"I guess I'm a sucker for the organ."

Double entendre of the day, I think.

Anyway- I haven't listened to PaaE for donkey's years, but it was one of my favourite ELP albums when I did listen to them (which was the mid-80s, me being relatively youthful). But Camembert Electrique- what an album, awork of twisted, unfettered genius- I agree it's Gong's best- it doesn't have the musoid chops of the Radio Gnome Trilogy but it has a rawness and edge that only the darkest of Allen's later solo work (and some of the University Of Errors stuff) can match.

[jake shields]

That's right I forgot about No Pussyfooting and Limited Edition - I had them too. I agree Camembert was Gong's best - and ELP are good in parts - like someone said on the VDGG thread when they are good they are great, but when they are bad they are awful. Funny i never got the Clear and So Far albums until about 1978-9 - I seemed to have a threshhold for how much I would pay for an album until I had more than just "pocket money" from my parents - in fact I spent my first year university grant on Faust, VDGG, Peter Hammill, Gong and Yes albums - and I ended up selling most of them when I was broke after I graduated and landed on Thatcher's unemployment line for 3 years.

[Chorlton Radiophonic Workshop]

I bought The Faust Tapes and my mate, Pete, bought Camembert Electrique. Later I bought No Pussyfooting and I think the more recent Equatorial Stars collaboration is brilliant, but, I've said this before, you have to listen on good headphones.
I also got Nowamowa - The wasted Lands (Phil Manzanera's budget output).