DO NOT DISTURB

Van der Graaf Generator returned in 2016 with Do Not Disturb. I've read some mixed messages online about whether or not this is officially the band's last album or not, but it has a sense of finality to it. The band is still together, and they're still touring, but they may not be recording anything new anymore. (Hammill, though, is still pumping out solo records.)

Do Not Disturb opens on the gentle, nearly-Floydian guitar of "Aloft". This calls to mind some of Pink Floyd's more pastoral moments, like "Fat Old Sun" or "Fearless". But Hammill's voice is unmistakable. When Banton's organ comes in, it's a classic Van der Graaf line. The melody is dark and distinctive, though I'm not crazy about the inclusion of the melodica(?). This track runs a bit long, but the underlying composition is strong enough to forgive the extended runtime.

"Alfa Berlina" starts with some strange vocal effects and ambient traffic noises. As the verse gets going, it's a simple arrangement of Hammill's voice over a basic backing of organ and drums. It's a bit bland, but not bad. "Room 1210" is piano-based and keeps a similar, slow pace to start. It eventually shifts to a more distinctively-Van der Graaf riff, and continues to move back and forth between this section and the prior piano passage for the rest of its runtime.

"Forever Falling" sounds almost like a Dire Straits song at first. The particular guitar and organ tones are quite Knopflerian. Harsh, dissonant passages cast that comparison aside quickly enough though, and jittering instrumental antics make the track feel much more distinct. 

Following the brief, airy instrumental "Shikata Na Gai", "(Oh No I Must Have Said) Yes" kicks off with a tumbling distorted guitar riff. Hammill's guitar suffers from its usual lackluster tone, but the underlying passage is decent. There's a quirky, early-Devo-like quality to parts of this track, balanced against the more trudging main theme. The song's midsection is much quieter and features some drawn-out guitar noodling before closing out on a reprise of the main riff.

The first half of "Brought to Book" is a somewhat dull, jazzy piano piece. As organ and guitar enter in the second half, it improves somewhat, but it remains generally unimpressive. "Almost the Words" is almost the same as the preceding cut, though I like it more.

Do Not Disturb ends with "Go". A somber organ is the main focus of this piece. There's a sense of gravity here, and though it doesn't stand out in isolation, it's a fitting way to end their career, if indeed that was their intention.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2023/07/10/deep-dive-van-der-graaf-generator/