October 14, 2010 - "John Leamy and I are very pleased to begin touring next month with the one and only DAVID CATCHING on guitar, the Berliner ivorymeister MATHIAS SCHNEEBERGER on keys, and the abso-supernatural ABBY TRAVIS on bass. Now go buy your f*cking tickets, because THIS is the heavy shit." - Chris Goss

In August 2009, legendary rock drummer Ginger Baker (of Graham Bond Organisation, Cream, Blind Faith, Airforce, Baker-Gurvitz Army et al) miraculously reached his 70th Birthday. In October he also published his long awaited autobiography Hellraiser (pub: John Blake), a book that for various reasons has taken him over twenty years to complete. To coincide with these two momentous events a gig with special friends was held at London's Jazz Cafe on 4th November 2009.

This CD & DVD commemorates this historic & prestigious event and invites you to share the music and atmosphere of the venue. Ginger demonstrates his musical fluidity and prowess with a range of numbers spanning the back catalogue of his phenomenal career. He is helped in this by guitarist/singer Chris Goss (Masters of Reality), bassist extraordinaire Jonas Hellborg, percussionist Dodoo Abass, world renowned saxophonist Peter King, along with Ginger's daughter Leda Baker (Rubella Ballet/various) on guitar/backing vocals.

For the last two numbers Ginger is joined by his surprise guest and very special friend Steve Winwood in a moving reconciliation that sees them play two show-stopping Blind Faith numbers and rewinds time to when they last played together in Ginger Baker's Airforce in 1970.

The night keeps its intimate feel as it is introduced by Ginger's granddaughter Zara, Ginger includes the audience throughout, taking them on a journey through his musical discovery and finally Steve Winwood leads everyone through a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' before launching into his brilliant song 'Can't Find My Way Home'. Paradoxically, they have found their 'way home', back to their musical heyday and a balmy day in Hyde Park in June 1969 is readily evoked. Happy Birthday Ginger.

Chris has told us that "We'll be covering 45 years of musical selections that span the career of one of the century's most influential musical geniuses. It looks like we may be including a song or two from Masters of Reality's Sunrise On The Sufferbus as well."

The night before the jam Ginger will be honoured at a dinner hosted by Classic Rock magazine.

Goss adds "Since Ginger has been living in South Africa, this is a rare, mind blowing occasion to reunite with a dear friend and musical mentor that taught me so much."

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

"It was great poetry and great songwriting. The track 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' blew my mind, and it had the intelligence of a really well put-together Beatles album. I grew up in upstate New York and I could really relate to his sense of frustration. It was for the nerds and misfits everywhere. I love bands that tenderly approach that subject."

WILL BE HOOKING WITH MY FRIENDS THE EAGLES OF DEATH METAL AT LOWLANDS FEST, HOLLAND, AND ALSO AT PUKKELPOP, BELGIUM IN A WEEK OR TWO.  A GUEST APPEARANCE PERHAPS? VEE VILL SEE...

UPCOMING: NOVEMBER 4TH -- LONDON CELEBRATION OF GINGER BAKER'S 70TH BIRTHDAY PARTY and RELEASE OF HIS LONG AWAITED AUTOBIOGRAPHY W/SUPER JAMS FEATURING: Line up so far... (very probably) Eric Clapton, Jonas Hellborg (bass), Courtney Pine, Kofi Baker, Steve White (drums), Peter King (sax), Jon Lord (keyboards), Dodoo Abass (bongos), Chris Goss (guitar), Steve Winwood (keys), Charlie Watts (drums), Denny Laine (guitar) and John McLaughlin (guitar)

Masters of Reality New Album Release

Both improvisation and rhythm have always been major components of the unmistakable Masters of Reality sound. But on their fifth release for Brownhouse/Mascot Records, Pine/Cross Dover, the group pits the finer elements of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Public Image Limited against each other. The end result? A Masters of Reality album that rocks, rolls, and grooves like one devilish son of a gun.

"I did a rock n' roll record this time - I was able to exorcise a lot of different styles of music that are really important in my life," explains longtime Masters leader Chris Goss. "And not just Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Beatles, or Black Sabbath. It's a lot of everything on this record. But proud to say, not one acoustic guitar – it's all electric and very rhythm oriented." And the album's origins can be pinpointed to a simple question. "It was in 2008 that Ed van Zijl, who is the head of the label, wrote and said, 'Do you feel like doing another record?' So after a long period of recording it finally is done and I'm proud of it."

Joining Goss (who supplies vocals, guitar, and keyboards) was long-time band mate John Leamy on drums, as well as a host of special guests, including Eagles of Death Metal bassist Brian O'Connor and guitarist Dave Catching, Merle Jagger guitarist Mark Christian, background singers Shawnee Smith and Missi Pyle, as well as former Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Brendon McNichol.

The outcome is the first-ever Masters of Reality album to feature long-and-winding free-form instrumentals. "The first one is called 'Johnny's Dream', which is a little nod to John McLaughlin," explains Goss. "Because I've been listening to a lot of Mahavishnu in the last year. It's music that's been doing it for me lately. Pretty much improvised except for a melody figure that gets repeated. The last song on the record is called 'Alfalfa', and it's a twelve-minute improvisation. It was the four of us – Mark, Brendon, myself, and John. We'd never been in the same room before, and the twelve minutes that's 'Alfalfa', you'll hear it. Honestly, it's been a dream of my whole life to play music like that, the way it came out. There was no sketchbook, no plan whatsoever – we just plugged in and played, and what happens in that twelve minutes is a dream come true for me."

However, not all of Pine/Cross Dover is instrumental according to Goss, who picks two of his favorite rhythm-heavy tracks. "There's a song called 'Worm In The Silk', it's kind of a dub-bass piece. There's a nod to Public Image on this record – some of the ways the songs flow are bass and drum oriented like that. That song has a really long psychedelic chant on the end of it. There's also this song called 'Rosie's Presence', that swings like Presence-era Zeppelin."

HELL YEAH! IT'S HAPPENING! DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ONLY RELEASE WAS YESTERDAY... GO TO I-TUNES AND BUY "IT'S OK TO BE HAPPY" NOW. IT'S A REALLY GOOD RECORD--- HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO VOTE FOR SOMETHING HANDMADE, SWEET AND REAL. THANX, LOVE TO ALL, CHRIS G

Masters of Reality Return With 'Pine/Cross Dover'

Although Chris Goss is probably best known for his production/engineering talents (having worked with UNKLE, Stone Temple Pilots and, most extensively, Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age), since the late '80s, he has been issuing albums as the leader of Masters of Reality.

On the group's sixth studio release, Pine/Cross Dover, Goss wanted to approach his songwriting from a different angle. The set is tentatively due Aug. 28 via Brownhouse/Mascot Records.

"It's really rhythmic-oriented. I called [drummer] John Leamy, and said, 'Get ready to play, because the drums are going to lead the way on this one'," Goss tells Billboard.com. "And they did. It's almost a jazzier, funkier Masters of Reality. There's no acoustic guitars, there's not much 'Beatles' on this one. Which I'm proud of -- because I'm kinda tired of it!"

Instead, the group nods toward Presence-era Led Zeppelin on 'Rosie's Presence' and the Mahavishnu Orchestra on the improvised album-closing instrumental 'Alfalfa.'

Recording took place at the Hacienda in North Hollywood, where Goss also lived during the sessions. "It was engrossing to the point of a couple of months of waking up with my bathrobe and coffee, walking out to the back, sitting at the desk, and hitting play to hear what we did," he says. "I love that kind of focus -- there's no drive to the studio."

In addition to Goss (who supplies vocals and guitars) and Leamy, several other familiar names within the QOTSA axis lent a hand, including Eagles Of Death Metal bassist Brian "Big Hands" O'Connor and guitarist Dave Catching, as well as former QOTSA guitarist Brendon McNichol, among others.

Goss is eyeing several other projects as well, including a new album with Goon Moon, a duo he co-occupies with Twiggy Ramirez. "Twiggy is doing some work with Marilyn Manson right now -- when he's done with that and I'm done with this, I'm sure we'll start piecing together Goon Moon," he says. "Whenever we can, we post a song or two on Myspace. There's some new pieces up there now."

Goss is also hoping to collaborate again with QOTSA's Josh Homme again as the 5:15ers. [Greg Prato]

Chris Goss has announced the postponement of the new Masters of Reality release as well as the summer tour, due to the fact that he is still in the studio recording what he considers the best Masters of Reality record ever.

As Chris Goss quotes:
"I sincerely regret if the tour's delay is causing any inconvenience and disappointment. I can only say that I have not stopped and cannot stop writing new music for the album. I believe it is our best work to date. We will bring this on large and correctly; both in album form and in the live arena. The summer will bring the album. The autumn will bring a Masters of Reality tour of a quality I've waited my whole life to present to you."

"THE IDEA WAS TO GET A PHOTO OF US ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS ON THE BURNING GUITAR. IT WAS A 12 STRING. I TUNED THE STRINGS PRETTY HIGH HOPING THE TENSE STRINGS WOULD POP AND MAKE GOOD NOISES. WE SET UP A MICROPHONE AND RECORDED, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. OUR SPIRITS SHRIVELLED.

THEN JOHN AND I THOUGHT THE WOOD MIGHT EXPLODE, SPLASHING MOLTEN VARNISH ON US, OR PERHAPS THE FUMES FROM THE PLASTIC PICK GUARD WOULD KILL US. SO WE RAN. WE FORGOT TO BUY MARSHMALLOWS TOO."  

1.) GOON MOON "THE LICKER'S LAST LEG" -- IPECAC RECORDINGS

2.) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE "ERA VULGARIS" -- INTERSCOPE/UNIVERSAL

3.) UNKLE "WAR STORIES" -- SURRENDER ALL

AFTER THE LAST 2 YEARS IN THE STUDIO, HELPING TO CREATE THESE RECORDS, I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST TO QUALITY AESTHETICS AND ARTIST'S INTENTIONS TO SHIFT TO NEW, EXPERIMENTAL TERRITORIES. THEY ARE TRUE. THEY'RE FOR YOU.

AT AMAZON, ITUNES OR YOUR LOCAL RETAILER. VOTE FOR GOOD ART WITH YOUR DOLLAR.


"IN LIGHT OF THE AGE AND SOUND VIBRATION OF THE PLANET, ALWAYS WE GATHER."

BEST WISHES, CHRIS GOSS

February 08, 2007 - From Billboard:

Ex-Manson Bassist Goes Over The Goon Moon

Jeordie White (better known to Marilyn Manson fans as Twiggy Ramirez) has united once more with Masters of Reality singer/guitarist Chris Goss and Hella drummer Zach Hill for the second release by Goon Moon, Licker's Last Leg. Due April 28 via Ipecac, the disc isn't quite as strange as 2005's I Got a Brand New Egg Layin' Machine, but is certainly still quirky enough to be unmistakably Goon Moon

Most of the tracks from the new effort came from the same session as the debut. "Some of the music that was recorded on Licker's Last Leg was recorded before the debut, but then the vocals were just put on a few months ago", White tells Billboard.com. "We'd revisit it over a period of time, which was cool, because then it changes with the styles. If you record something years ago, you're influenced by a lot of stuff that's going on, then you revisit it."

Musically, the album is a true musical potpourri, which reflects the group's across-the-boards influences. Among it, according to White: "a lot of the stuff that is kind of going up in Sacramento -- the scene that Zach is from. A lot of the new folk stuff that is coming out -- Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart. And then a lot of the weirder stuff -- Deerhoof was a big inspiration for a lot of it. And then you can't help the fact that I was in Marilyn Manson for 12 years -- I wrote a lot of those songs, so some of it will sound like that. And Chris' influences as well -- some stuff you might say sounds a little Queens Of The Stone Age-y, but that comes from Chris because he was part of Queens for a period."

The disc also includes a cover of the Bee Gees' 'Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You', which White chalks up to being a "huge Britpop fan. Where all those influences came from is really early Bee Gees."

With White having just embarked on a European tour as the bassist for Nine Inch Nails, Goss hard at work producing the next Queens Of The Stone Age album and Hill about to launch a U.S. tour with Hella, a lengthy Goon Moon tour seems out of the question.

But White is confident the trio will be able to play at least a few shows in support of the new album. "The Nine Inch Nails touring schedule is not too thick, so I think there are going to be some holes where we're going to be doing some shows this year", he says. [Greg Prato]

August 8, 2006 - While things may have appeared quiet on the Masters front since the one-off 5:15ers show back in February, Chris Goss has been working non-stop with a number of artists since last autumn. Right now, it can be revealed that Chris was in London during the spring, adding to the new UNKLE record. Mixing is nearly complete, and collaborators/co-writers include Goss, Josh Homme, 3D, Dave Catching, Ian Astbury, Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez), The Duke Spirit, and a few surprises to be announced. Chris also found time to cut a track with The Duke Spirit in Joshua Tree around the time of their appearance at the Coachella festival.

Also, Goss has been secretly esconsed in a Hollywood recording studio for the last few months tracking material for the next Queens Of The Stone Age record which he reports, "is gonna be shattering".

Work on the Goon Moon full length album is almost complete, and now that Jeordie White has completed touring duties with Nine Inch Nails, the plan is to finish it between breaks from the QOTSA recording.

And, as if that weren't enough... a number of other exciting projects are in the works, with collaborators old and new. Details will follow... stay tuned!

February 6, 2006 - From Billboard:

Goss, Homme Ready To Roll As 5:15ers

As tipped here last month, longtime pals Chris Goss and Josh Homme will make their live debut together later this month as the 5:15ers. The group will appear Feb. 26 as part of Arthur magazine's Arthurball at Echo in Los Angeles.

"We've actually had [the idea] for 10 years," Goss tells Billboard.com about the collaboration with Homme. "My friend Jay Babcock at Arthur magazine called a month or two ago and said, 'Do you want to play ArthurBall, which is happening in the spring time?' So I called Josh and I said, 'It's time for 5:15ers, right?' And he said, 'Yeah.' So this is the debut of the whole idea."

It also appears that the 5:15ers will not be a one-shot deal, as Goss reports, "There will be one show and more to follow. We're focusing on the show, but we have talked about doing a record." However, Goss is in the dark as much as anybody as to what the 5:15ers will actually sound like, as the duo has no songs written at this time. "I don't know yet -- we've never done it before. I think there will be some improv involved," he says. "Perhaps some covers, we're thinking."

Goss and Homme have worked alongside one another since the early '90s, when Goss produced several albums for Homme's pre-QOTSA band Kyuss. Goss has also participated in a number of Homme's ongoing Desert Sessions projects.

Still, he's adamant that the 5:15ers sound nothing like either member's main bands. "[It will be] something that's neither Masters of Reality or Queens Of The Stone Age. This one will be more 'art fag'," Goss says with a laugh.

In the meantime, Goss is also finishing up work on the next UNKLE album as well as the debut album from Goon Moon, a collaboration with former Marilyn Manson/Perfect Circle bassist Twiggy Ramirez. "The EP [last year's I Got a Brand New Egg Layin' Machine] was kind of like a really last minute thing that we threw out together just to plant a seed," he says of the project. "But in the meantime, we just worked on it last week, and [there's] more work to come on that too." [Greg Prato]

August 19, 2005 - From Kerrang!:

Go see... The Dwarves

"I understand that Nick Oliveri is back in the band, which means that absolutely anything can happen. The thing that's really amazing, though: Nick is one of rock's best musicians ever. He doesn't need to swing that big dick around or breathe fire or do any of the extraneous stuff he does. Playing that damn bass and singing like the badass he is would be quite enough, but he always finds a way to comically go over the edge. Bless his big crazy heart. I advise anyone to go see this human tornado any chance they can."

Chris Goss, Masters of Reality

January 11, 2005 - A message from Cynthia Goss:

Dear Friends,
Chris is now recovering at home, and he wanted me to let you know how 'blown away' he was by the thousands of get well messages, letters and prayers he received.

Although he'll be resting at least a month, he's already writing and making musical plans for the rest of the year.

Your love and prayers were truly felt.
Thank You.

Sincerely, Miss Cyn
Mistress of Reality