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Expresso II is the eighth studio album released under the name Gong and the de facto second album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It released in February 1978.[2]

Expresso II
Studio album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong
Released	March 1978
Recorded	July–August 1977, Pye & Matrix Studios, London
Genre	Jazz rock
Length	37:17
Label	Virgin
Producer	(Pierre Moerlen's) Gong, John Wood
Pierre Moerlen's Gong chronology
Gazeuse! (1976) Expresso II (1978) Downwind (1979)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Featuring an all-instrumental jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of vibraphone, it has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the two bands share a common history. Although the album was issued by Virgin Records under the "Gong" name for contractual reasons, and the name "Pierre Moerlen's Gong" would not be adopted for a few more months, the lineup involved and the nature of the music are that of the Moerlen-led band.

This was the final Gong-related album released by Virgin; the band continued on Arista Records.

Track listing

Personnel

Pierre Moerlen's Gong

• Pierre Moerlen – drums, vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, tympani, tubular bells
• Benoît Moerlen – vibraphone, marimba, percussion, tubular bells, glockenspiel, claves, xylophone
• Mireille Bauer – marimba, vibraphone
• Hansford Rowe – bass, rhythm guitar (2)

Additional personnel

• Mick Taylor – lead guitar (1)
• Allan Holdsworth – lead guitar (3, 4, 6), rhythm guitar (1)
• Bon Lozaga – lead guitar (2), rhythm guitar (3)
• Darryl Way – violin (3, 5)
• François Causse – congas

In popular culture

The track "Heavy Tune" is featured on Fusion FM radio in the game Grand Theft Auto IV.

References

• Macan, E. L., Macan, E. (1997). Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Germany: Oxford University Press. p. 243

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