Gash's sole album is truly an odd one, and not what you would expect from the Brain label (this early anyway). The album opens with the pedestrian blues/gospel rock number 'Angel and Mother' which offers little to recommend, perhaps recalling Dull Knife when playing in a similar manner. 'Twenty One Days' is a bit better, still in the blues rock camp, but the heavy Hammond organ goes a long way to begin gaining acceptance. 'In the Sea' is actually pretty good, and foreshadows Gash's more than capable progressive tendencies. It's biggest problem is it just simply sits at the end of a not-so-great side of music. But for Side 2, Gash threw out the rule book, and went for the gold medal, just as many of their contemporaries were doing. The three part side-long progressive suite is absolutely killer, similar to Nektar in composition, but even more crazed (thinking Message From Books and Dreams here). And from there it goes into insane off-the-rails Great Freaky Underground territory, and it's at that point you realize the album is simply great.
Even though it is inconsistent, and starts off rather badly, I'm bumping this up a point. One killer side deserves at a minimum to be called "Excellent".
I wonder if they have some other tracks like Side 2 sitting in a vault somewhere that are similar? What a fantastic archival release that would be!
Ownership: LP: 1972 Brain. Extraordinary gatefold cover. Acquired mail order from a dealer in Alabama (1989).
There remains no legit reissues on CD or LP as of 6/8/24. This album is a charter member of my original CD Reissue Wish List going way back to the early 90s. Now that Satin Whale's Desert Places has finally been reissued, I believe Gash remains the last significant Brain release without a reissue (along with RMO I hasten to add).
1989; 9/28/15 (new entry)
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