Daevid Allen & Russell Hibbs - Bards Of Byron Bay (2004) {Bananamoon Obscura No. 4}

Live acoustic gig with Daevid and Russell Hibbs. Two natural tune-smiths recorded live in front of a hometown audience as they take turns playing some of their favourite acoustic compositions. Great daevid tracks beautifully complimented by the Celtic-tinged songs by Russell of Nectan's Glen fame. Recorded in Byron Bay, N.S.W. Australia in 1995. These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the fourth of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed.

Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group). Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York. His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label. Allen returned in 1999 with Money Doesn't Make It, followed a year later by Stroking the Tail of the Bird. Nectans Glen also followed in 2000. In 2003 Allen formed a new version of Gong with members of the Japanese collective known as Acid Mothers Temple, as well as playing and releasing material with his California-based band University of Errors. He continues to release numerous live sets and one-off collaborations in limited editions on various independent labels under his own and various group names. A best-of, Man From Gong, which only scratches the surface of his lengthy discography, appeared from Snapper Music in 2006. After a battle with cancer, Allen died in Australia in 13 March 2015 at the age of 77. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music

This live recording has a shaky sound quality (it was recorded "on a dangling Walkman" and features some hiss and phasing), but it is largely counterbalanced by the charm of this casual session. Despite their very different styles, Daevid Allen and Russell Hibbs have been longtime friends and even associated in a few musical ventures (including Hibbs' first solo album). This concert took place at Byron Bay, Australia, in 1995, in front of a small hometown audience. Allen and Hibbs trade songs and poems, accompanying each other on guitar – Hibbs on acoustic and Allen on acoustic and glissando guitar. Both have a lot of fun commenting, embellishing, interrupting in and even disrupting the performances of the other. Their voices are also surprisingly compatible, to a point where someone unfamiliar with these singers could misidentify them. Allen draws from his solo acoustic repertoire, delivering spirited and cheerful renditions of "Come to Find Her," "My Penis Is Aging," "Relationship of Fooles" and "Let It All Go," among others (and the latter two providing two highlights). His warped sense of humor and legendary strangeness nicely contrast Hibbs' more typical folk- ish (even bard-esque) demeanor. His songs "Seasons of Glass" and "Lord of the Wild Places" are the other high marks of this unusual set. Other volumes in Voiceprint's limited-edition "Bananamoon Obscura" series feature rare pairings and/or sub-par sound quality, but Bards of Byron Bay stands as one of the true gems of the whole collection for which sound quality doesn't matter. Allen and Hibbs simply form an extremely likeable pair. ~ François Couture, All Music

Track List

01. Giday (R. Hibbs) [01:54]
02. Bellyful Of Telephone (Daevid Allen) [00:48]
03. Ring The Bells (R. Hibbs) [03:21]
04. Came To Find Her (Daevid Allen) [06:07]
05. Urban Shamen (R. Hibbs) [02:39]
06. I Am A Freud (Daevid Allen) [00:34]
07. My Penis Is Ageing (Daevid Allen) [03:38]
08. Seasons Of Glass (R. Hibbs) [02:51]
09. Relationship Of Fools (Daevid Allen) [05:33]
10. Ryokin (R. Hibbs) [02:56]
11. Perfect Day In Paradox (Daevid Allen) [06:40]
12. Mirrorman (R. Hibbs) [07:53]
13. Let It All Go (Daevid Allen) [06:19]
14. Watching (R. Hibbs) [03:13]
15. Lord Of The Wild Places (R. Hibbs) [07:23]
16. World Peace (Daevid Allen) [01:17]

Personnel

Russell Hibbs - acoustic guitar, vocals
Daevid Allen - acoustic and electric guitars, vocals