Album Reviews |

Gorkys Zygotic Mynci

Tatay 7 ( 1994 )
Them O Cartref / Beth Syn Digwydd I'r Fuwch / Tatay / Y Fford Oren / Gwres Prynhawn / Amsermaemaiyndd/Cinema / O, Caroline / Naw E Pimp / Kevin Ayres / When You Hear The Captain / O Caroline / Tatay / Anna Apera / Gegin Nos / Silff Ffenest / Backward Dog

Prog rock, medieval guitar, psychedialia and pop music. From wales. With much of their early material sung in welsh at a time when John Peel was the only DJ outside of Wales itself playing such music. Gorky's formed in the mid-eighties, releasing a 10" mini-lp called 'Patio' in the early nineties, with Euro Childs and Lawrence forming the heart of the group. They'd get better, yet even with such knowledge of events future to the indie-release of 'Tatay', we have some lovely moments here. Let's take a track such as 'Gwres Prynhawn'. It features some Psychedelic messing around, some lovely delicate guitars and vocals. Not speaking Welsh, as most people in the world naturally don't - I have no idea what the song is about. I've long had a preference for music over dissecting the meaning of lyrics, anyway. Does anybody REALLY listen to Dylan just for the lyrics? Dylan himself would say such a thing is nonsense, that he was writing nonesense, and point you to the musical value his compositions have. Zappa was very popular in countries that don't have English as their first language, another misunderstood composer. 'Naw E Pimp' goes from misundersood un-commercial music to a lovely vocal chorus that's extremely catchy. 'When You Hear The Captain Sing' is the sound of cheap synths and somebody shouting. By most peoples values, it is extremely unmusical, yet I adore the part it plays within this album release. During an age where every band you hear sound the same, it's no surprise that the king of finding the obscure or different, Mr John Peel, really liked Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.

Tatay ( Moog Mix ) - track 12 - is so lovely. It sounds like Joe Meek spending a holiday in a Welsh seaside resort 200 years in the future. The self explanatory 'Kevin Ayres' has some daft vocal moments, a loose musical feel and the track makes me wonder that perhaps, just perhaps, somebody in Gorky's is a really big fan of The Beach Boys 'Party' album. That's cool. I'm struggling to actually describe this album. It's rather messy, entirely unfocused, just the sound of a band doing what they do without even the remotest thought that what they are doing fits in with anybody involved with radio, at all.

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Never heard of them? You're missing out. Bands from Wales, UK, aren't generally heralded with being one of the most gorgeous beautiful bands of all time, but the Gorky's are exactly that. Welsh Choirs? Forget The Alarm! Please, forget them. The Manic Street Preachers? Lumbering simpletons compared to Gorky's. I'm not just inventing all of this. It's all avaliable in the grooves of this, and other Gorky's albums. The Beach Boys? One of the most beautiful bands around vocally. One man born in Wales, a Mr Euros Childs is a match for them. Maybe not technically, but emotionally he's on a par with Dennis Wilson, and Dennis Wilson provided some of the most emotional vocals of all time. Read the right magazines, articles and books, and you will see that this is true. This is a truly fabulous album. It's magical, one of those "how did they do THIS?" moments. 'Diamond Dew' opens with the Welsh English Folk vocals. Hang on? But yeah, that's what they sound like. And the lyrics are Kinks lyrics, but they aren't. But they are. Listen, buy, and you'll find out. Want me to make this easy? Forget it! Gorky's Zygotic Mynci deserve your money! And no, i'm not in their list of employee's, either. You'll find that out. A bit of speedier tempo's for 'The Barafundle Bumbler' but then this gorgeous vocal comes in accented by Violin, and what can you do? It's beautiful. 'Starmoonsun' is impossibly beautiful, 'Patio Song' the best song The Kinks never even could dream of writing. Apart from 'Waterloo Sunset'. Gorky's don't quite match that here.

'Better Rooms' and especially, ESPECIALLY 'Haywood Lane' are truly gorgeous vocal moments, acoustic guitars, very natural, very real in a period where albums sound like they were made from plasticine and stiched together with the strands of the remants of fifty dollar bills. Believe. The second half of this album isn't anywhere near as good as the first, but we forgive them. I forgive them. Plenty more gorgeous moments remain, although they are spread, and the songs imperfect. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci aren't genius, they just are. Believe, start a new religion!

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Readers Comments CountPsychocandy@aol.com Long live Gorky's Psychedelic Folk! nathew guitari2600@msn.com GZM rox0rz mah box0rz. Barafundle is an excellent album merely because of "Starmoonsun," "Patio Song," and "Heywood Lane."

this page last updated 10/06/07