THE MASTERS

The preceding review by Mr. Pajuniemi has it right, I'm afraid. So I, like him, say : warning, this is "un fond de tiroir", very poor quality, don't buy. If you buy it, you'll regret it. But you may borrow it, though. Yes, if you are a VDGG fan - but a real, kind of maniac fan - you should borrow this record (or Time Vaults, anyway it is the same stuff) and listen carefully, never mind the horrible sound conditions, especially to one track. But then, you will have to listen not only with your hears, but with your imagination.

This record is in fact a jam session by Van der Graaf Generator, a band that used improvisation as a means to composition. And composition that was still quite at an early stage when those tapes were recorded (clearly in someone's garage : "garage prog", one more subgenre to add to the list). Incidentally, all voices on the record are retrospective overdubs, save the track I'm refering to : the music was recorded in 1973, the voices were added in 1981. Why? Well, Mr. Hammill and his friends needed money, I'm afraid that's the most likely explanation.

As far as I can understand, this impro session was recorded by VDGG after Pawn Hearts, but before the band disbanded. So here you have the premices for the next VDGG album that was never made. And there is one track, titled "Roncevaux", that I find extremely promising. But then, as I said, you have to use your imagination, your "expertise" as a seasoned VDGG listener... What a waste that this moment of music was never developed into a full-fledged Van Der Graaf Generator song ! Mr. Banton develops an organ theme on this track that really makes me dream... Clearly to me a great VDGG song was lost. Or is it? After all, as you may know by now, there are still some new Van Der Graaf Generator recordings to come...