Gong Essentials

Though he got his musical start as an early member of Soft Machine, Daevid Allen will forever be known for his work with the long-running psych-prog-jazz group Gong. Through numerous lineup changes and permutations, he remained the sole original member, sticking with the project right up until his passing in 2015. Gong's other constant was a joyous sense of humor that cut through everything they did. They were serious musicians but refused to take the self-important prog scene they were part of very seriously, gleefully poking fun at peers like Pink Floyd and King Crimson.