I missed this first time round. Nice to discover it now as it's a little gem, recorded at his home in Majorca in 1975 and getting the repackage it merits, 24-bit remastered with bonus track and the pothead pixie's charming hand-drawn artwork resurrected.

Of course, it reeks of hippy whimsy, and Allen is apologetic for its production values: but he needn't have been - it's beautifully crafted with a sound that's warm, full and rounded.

Newly departed from his band on bad vibes grounds, Allen found a talent for writing songs for the single performer and while the spirit of Gong resides within these (and Gilli Smyth, Mike Hewitt and Pierre Moerlin are all here), they couch and complement a work that's more reflective and with a new found ambience and pastorality in Allen's writing.

Stylistically, it chimes with the contemporary solo output of his fellow Soft Machine members, Wyatt and Ayers, spiced with the doodling wordplay and electronic soundscapes of their late friend, Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy.

Sweet, smart and ultimately uplifting, it certainly was a good morning.

****

Review by Peter Muir