A quiet progressive rock outfit with strong jazz fusion leanings,
Gilgamesh emerged from the fringes of the fertile and beloved "Canterbury scene" as sort of an astute kid brother to
Hatfield and the North.
Amanda Parsons also contributed crystalline backing vocals to both groups. With
Gilgamesh, keyboardist
Alan Gowen attempted to erase the division between composed and improvised music, placing emphasis on texture and mood. The band broke up after one album, after which
Gowen jumped between various Canterbury-related projects (Canterburians never staying in any one place too long).
In 1978
Gowen joined
National Health, then re-formed
Gilgamesh for a reunion LP, Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into. This second effort featured the talents of legendary
Soft Machine bassist
Hugh Hopper.
Gowen teamed with
Hopper for several more albums, most notably
Two Rainbows Daily. In 1982,
Gowen succumbed to leukemia.
National Health dedicated their third release to his memory. Entitled D.S. al Coda, it included compositions by
Gowen that were written but had not yet appeared on an album -- until the release of the
Playtime CD by the
Cuneiform label in 2001.
Cuneiform also released a
Gilgamesh archival compilation entitled Arriving Twice in 2000, featuring previously unreleased tracks from three separate incarnations of the group between 1973 and 1975. ~ Peter Kurtz