Compilation of tracks drawn from daevid's Voiceprint releases. 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 a fair enough random-feeling selection of tracks - some great songs of course, but no real discernable theme. It hangs together well enough in that there is nothing that jars the senses (maybe it should?), and I do find it interesting to hear a track out of the context of the album from which it comes.

I doubt daevid had any real input into this release; it just doesn't have his quirky stamp of creativity about it. He was 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 liner notes - a single page vague history of daevid and Gong, with howlers like "Steve Hillage became the leader of Gong in 1975", and "recordings made with African band Euterpe".

So what can I say? For completeists like myself, certainly. To catch new listeners, maybe not. I can't see how it can encourage sales of the albums from which the tracks come, as they aren't listed anywhere. So the original question stands.

Works as a sampler to help choose what of daevid's music to explore - links to the sources below, where you can also find all the musicians, including all the members of that most wonderful Majorcan band, Euterpe.

• tracks 63m12s
  1. Flying Tea Service 1m12s daevid allen Gongmaison | Gentle Genie
  2. The Voice Of Om 7m51s Jagadamba Saraswati/E. Romaine Australia Aquaria | Gentle Genie
  3. Magick Brother (with Euterpe) 7m26s daevid allen BMO001 Studio Rehersal Tapes 1977
  4. Perfect Day In Paradox (with Russell Hibbs) 6m42s daevid allen BMO004 Bards of Byron Bay
  5. Fohat (with Pip Pyle and Hugh Hopper) 9m40s daevid allen/Gilli Smyth BMO002 Brainville Live in the UK
  6. Where Have All The Flowers Gone 5m44s
  7. Deya Goddess 8m28s
  8. Sing Me Like A Song 6m40s daevid allen/Didier Malherbe Live in '88 The Return
  9. Mystery School 5m45s daevid allen BMO003 Self Initiation
  10. Are You Ready? 3m32s Histories and Mysteries of Planet Gong

• no musicians listed other than those mentioned above