Gong - 2032

Okay, apologies upfront to anyone with a deep-rooted love of late '60s progressive rock. As a particularly genial bunch of folk and notoriously devout musical aficionados, this will not sit well with you. To the rest of us, however, 2032 is pretty terrible. Yes, Gong may well be a cult outfit with nearly 40 years as a band under their belt, but that is no excuse for meandering weirdo opening track City of Self Fascination; even more unforgivable is the faux-rapping of How To Stay Alive. This is what happens when continental eccentricity meets hippy naivety. Having formed in France during the student riots of the late '60s, Gong have well over 30 records currently provoking ongoing heated debate amongst Acid Mothers Temple fans-in-the-know. Most other humans however will be left entirely cold by this wacky, fantastical nonsense. And don't even ask about the concept behind the album title.