REAL TIME (ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL)

This jumped straight to the the top of my must have list when I heard it was going to be released. VDGG were one of the true pioneers of the progressive form and this live release shows just how pioneering they were. And still are! There is no one else that makes this kind of music. VDGG took the boundaries of the day and exploded them so far that the rest of the music world is still trying to catch up.

What we have here is an ideal representation of their output, drawing tracks from almost all their studio releases. These versions are pretty true to the originals but exude a raw energy that the studio never quite captured. Peter Hammill's delivery is as powerful and dramatic as ever and the playing by the whole band is tight and disciplined, though it still amazes me that they all manage to remember their parts - theirs being the most complex of compositions.

Everyone should have a copy of this album in their collection. Fans of the band will have this one anyway but for the newcomer it gives the best introduction possible to a band who have influenced so many even some among the late 70s punk-rock wave who were in part reacting against prog rocks self-indulgence.