VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

The recent trio lineup of Van Der Graaf Generator re-emerged after a COVID-enforced pause on live performances to bring us this fascinating twelve-song live set from Bath Forum. The newer material has had a chance to be thoroughly road-tested by this point, whilst older material has had to be rethought somewhat to suit the new lineup, and the end result has a cohesiveness of sound which really helps encapsulate the whole VdGG story to date. Some songs, if anything, have only become more relevant with the passage of time - just listen to the venom in Peter's voice during Every Bloody Emperor (the line about "his hand up history's skirt" in particular) and I think you'd be able to guess who he's thinking of.

Do we need this when we also have Real Time, from a few months prior, also capturing Van Der Graaf Generator's classic lineup as they toured for the Present reunion album? Mmmmaybe, maybe not; the set list is extremely similar, after all. Then again, a few more months on the road seems to have added a little pep to the step of the Present material, and the classic songs on the setlist are evergreens which it's always good to hear. On balance, I'd say that if you only really need one live album from Present-era VdGG, either this or Real Time will do, and since Real Time was on the recent boxed set of the reunion-era material (Interference Patterns) that means most listeners will be best advised to go for that, but if you love VdGG enough to want to double-dip on a particular era of their live performances then both albums are worth it.

After a three year hiatus, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR make one of the greatest, if not the greatest comeback album in progressive rock history. Rather than try to top or recreate Pawn Hearts, they just played music, and they played well. The result, a masterpiece (almost) as good as Pawn Hearts.

All four songs on this album are classics. While not as chaotic, the music here is better arranged but just as complex and jazzy. "The Undercover Man" is a classic ballad about madness that segues into "Scorched Earth", a much heavier masterpiece. "Arrow" has an incredible, jazzy intro with solid drumming. The album closes with it's greatest masterpiece, the mighty 10 minute "The Sleepwalkers" with it's sophisticated melodies, dreamy organ work, and heavy breakdown in the second half. VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR is as dark as ever here. They might not have evolved their sound as much as many other bands (apart from The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome) but their unique, innovative sound driven by organ and sax makes up for it.

The most interesting VDGG album. Despite being criticized for being incomprehensible and obscure, it is undeniable that it has a special place in the minds of most VDGG fans. It was the band's last album before they broke up in 1972 and is widely regarded as their best album. The album only has two songs, and the entire B-side is monopolized by a 23-minute long song. I have to admit, it sounds fantastic. Interestingly, the band's previously critically acclaimed "H to He" didn't seem to work well live, and the band couldn't stand the pressure anymore after a high-intensity tour, so it took them just a few months to produce the legendary electric prog album.

I am probably a level 1 for this, as I have heard "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" before, but not the other two songs. I have heard some of the bonus tracks, but as has been my practice throughout this journey, I am sticking with the songs from the original release. It is my understanding, however, that the bonus tracks were intended to be part of the album as the band wanted to do an Ummagumma style double album. The record company refused, however. So, we have a format similar to that later used by Yes on Close to the Edge and Relayer, albeit in reverse, with the "shorter" songs on side one and the sidelong on side 2.

Track 1 - Lemmings (Including COG)

We fade in with a pulsing rhythm along with various sounds including a trilling flute. Hammill begins singing at around 20 seconds. Drums kick in after the first verse and we keep building in dramatic intensity. At around 50 seconds, the feel changes and a riff begins to play on the horns. As always Hammill and company are very intense and dramatic. At around 2 minutes things calm down briefly with a clam organ chord, but we dive right back in. We calm down again after the 3-minute mark. There is a sax melody at around 4:20, that turns into an Avant-garde type of solo. Things quiet down again before the 5-minute mark. Then there is an explosion of indeterminate noises. This one really reminds me of early KC. It is very "free form" at around 7 minutes. They come back together at around 7:30. I like David Jackson's horn parts at around 8 minutes. I also like the peaceful section at around the 10-minute mark. As the song reaches conclusion there are some ambient sounds. It has its moments, but this has not been the most enjoyable VDGG track to my ears.

Track 2 - Man-Erg

This one begins with some piano chords and Hammill joins in on vocals. This one has a more traditional ballad feel to it. So far (one minute in) it is reminding me of the song Refugees from the band's second album. There is still lots of song left, so let's see if it remains so. I like the drum fill that happens at around 1:40. I like when Hammill does this half-sung/half-spoken thing. Beautiful organ happens at 2:45. Then, however, things do indeed shift away from a ballad format. By 3 minutes they begin rocking out. Distorted organ and interesting vocal effects are going on here. By 4:35 an electric piano takes over with a moderate drumbeat behind it. Organ comes back, however, as Hammill begins singing again. There is a mellow instrumental part, primarily featuring saxophone. The intensity increases again after the 7-minute mark. By 7:40 though we go back to the ballad feel. Things are feeling grand and majestic at around 9:15. The heavy organ riff returns and then we work our way toward the big finish. I like it better than Lemmings, but still not going to be one of my all-time favorites.

Track 3 - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers

This is a 10-part suite (or medley) as follows:

a. "Eyewitness" ? 2:25

b. "Pictures/Lighthouse" (music: Banton, Jackson) ? 3:10

c. "Eyewitness" ? 0:54

d. "S.H.M." ? 1:57

e. "Presence of the Night" ? 3:51

f. "Kosmos Tours" (music: Evans; lyrics: Hammill) ? 1:17

g. "(Custard's) Last Stand" ? 2:48

h. "The Clot Thickens" (music: Hammill, Banton, Evans, Jackson; lyrics: Hammill) ? 2:51

i. "Land's End (Sineline)" (music: Jackson; lyrics: Hammill) ? 2:01

j. "We Go Now" (music: Jackson, Banton) ? 1:51"

(Above copied from the Wikipedia page)

We begin with electric piano at a slow tempo, quickly joined by Hammill's vocals. He goes into a falsetto shortly afterward. Then returns to a normal register. By 2:40 things quiet down with sounds that suggest the ocean. The song is literally about a lighthouse keeper who witnesses disasters at sea and the depression it causes, so that makes sense. There is some foreboding music at around 4:40 on the organ. At around 5:30 a 6-8 rhythm returns. Hammill certainly has a unique vocal style; I'll give him that. I like the horn parts at around 7:45, though perhaps I should refer to them as "porn harts" as David Jackson jokingly called them as he was about to record some of them. The joke led to the name of the album. There is a quieter section around the 10-minute point dropping to nearly nothing by 10:35 before it starts to build back up. By 11 minutes Hammill is in full vocal hysterics. I am enjoying the chaotic middle instrumental section that begins around 11:30. By 13 minutes it has gotten a bit much- Perhaps the lighthouse keeper is going insane? The ensuing lyrics seem to indicate such: "The maelstrom of my memory is a vampire, and it feeds on me/ now, staggering madly, over the brink I fall." Things go suddenly quiet after that dramatic line. Then piano and organ begin playing more calm chords. Nice arranging at around 14 minutes. Hammill's vocals are nice at around 15 minutes. It's very dramatic (again) after the 16-minute point. The music and vocals that follow sound like a deranged circus band. I do believe this is the music of someone going insane. Suddenly the cacophony comes to a close at around 19:10 and piano chords begin. Hammill begins singing again. Nice harmonies around 21:00. The ending section is building a dramatic crescendo to close the song. I actually like it more than the side one songs, but it can get a bit much at times for me.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I don't know that VDGG will ever be one of my favorite bands. I do enjoy some of it, but other times it's just not for me. They are very talented, and Peter Hammill is a singular creative force. However, they get a little too atonal and free form for me sometimes. That said, I'll give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars, as I do think there is a lot to enjoy in APOLHK.

Clicking 3, but really 3.5!

So here we are with another relatively short album?.4 tracks?just under 36 minutes. I'll say I am a level 1 here. I may have heard some of the tracks before, but not the whole thing straight through.

Track 1 - The Undercover Man

Flute with delays and stereo panning starts us off. A high-hat & tambourine establishes the rhythm, and a subtle organ joins the flute. Hammill, as I mentioned in the review of "Still Life" always sounds more German than English to me in his singing style. He is in a low register at the start of this song. In the second verse, the instrumentation begins to build, and Hammill goes to a higher register. The drumbeat becomes more steady as we reach the bridge. There is a slow climb of intensity as the song progresses. At around 3:30 things come back down and there is what sounds like timpani roll behind the voice. There is a short instrumental section, then the vocals return, and become more intense. (Intense is a word I often use when discussing VDGG.) We close with a sustained organ chord, but then there are a few subtle electric piano chords, which lead us into?

Track 2 - Scorched Earth

We carry over from the previous track, but things build up fairly quickly. Hammill's vocals are as urgent as ever. Lots of odd meters in this one. The instrumentation thins briefly before building to a bit of a cacophony around 3:20. An instrumental section follows, with lots of rhythmic twists & turns. A huge crescendo happens around 4:40 before a very complex scalar type of run. The meter turns to a steady rocking 4-4 at around 6 minutes. Every time I think it gets as intense as it can, it gets moreso! Tempos and dynamic levels keep increasing. Things back off around 8:30 but then build again. A bit of guitar feedback closes us out. Wow, what a ride!

Track 3 - Arrow

A drumbeat fades in with some additional sounds, Bass guitar joins in and a rhythm is established. Free blowin' jazzy sax joins in, then wild keyboard sounds follow. Things settle down for a moment and a new musical theme is established. The rhythm slightly reminds me of the opening guitar chords on the theme from MASH. Then Hammill's intense vocals join in. There is nothing easy going about Mr. Peter Hamill when it comes to his singing! Of course, Jackson, Banton & Evans' instrumental contributions cannot be discounted (as well as Hammill's guitar and keyboard playing). A powerful minor key instrumental section closes out the song with a major chord (known as a Picardy third for my music theory inclined friends). Another heart pumping, exciting, musical track.

Track 4 - The Sleepwalkers

A nice proggy odd meter intro ushers in the vocals. Instead of more cowbell, we get woodblock as a turnaround between verses. The woodwind parts are more "composed" sounding and less improvised on this song. Even when Hammill sings quietly it is still "intense" (lol). Then we get a bit of a drunk-merry-go-round part! The rhythm changes so frequently it's sometimes hard to find the downbeat, but I believe it's intentional as the band is very tight. At around 4:35, we get an organ-led dreamy/floaty feel. The rhythm gets rock-steady at around 5 minutes for an instrumental segment. A sax solo takes over at around 6:40. The sound is very full and rich, as Hamill scream-sings over the top of it all. VDGG music is always theatrical in its approach. Swirling-panning sounds bring us into the fade out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I would never recommend VDGG as chill-out get ready for bed music. I'm not always great at interpreting lyrics on a first listen, as I am a more music-oriented listener than a lyric listener, so I'm not always sure what Pete is going on about, but he always sings it with conviction. I have been moderately familiar with VDGG's sound for a while, but this & Still Life are the first two VDGG albums I've listened to start-to-finish. They are not for the faint of heart. The album may only be about 36 minutes long (not including bonus tracks), but that's all they need to take you on a powerful journey. I'm putting VDGG close to King Crimson on the prog-style spectrum, but not quite as gymnastic musically. They really carve out their own niche. I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 stars, as it is quite good, but not something I could listen to frequently.

This album is another goose-egg for me going in. I have heard other VDGG songs, (so I have a clue of what to expect) but nothing from this album. I will be limiting my review to the 5 studio tracks, although since the 2005 reissue there is a bonus live version of the song called "Gog."

Track 1 - Pilgrims

We begin with Hamill's vocals following an organ melody. The rest of the band follows his vocal fermatas at the end of some of the lines. Then a drumroll on the floor tom, and possibly a bit of mellotron. Lots of long held notes. The beat becomes steady at around 2:20. The song is gradually building, then drops back down around 3:15. We return to the fermata type of vocals, but with a second vocal part joining in. Instrumentally, the organ is continuing to lead the way, with a tight rhythm section underneath. We get a big drum fill at around 5:50, followed by layered saxophone and other wind instruments. Solid opening track

Track 2 - Still Life

The vocals and organ start cold on low tones and dynamics. We have a slow build again starting with the second verse. Hamill has mastered the half talk-half sing vocal style. The band kicks into a moderate tempo groove at around 2:45. Hamill's voice becomes gruff. Hugh Banton's organ seems to be the musical foundation again, while David Jackson's horn parts provide the icing on top. If I didn't know better, I'd say Peter Hamill was German, not British? His singing always gives me German vibes. Nice instrumental textures with a piano close out the track nicely.

Track 3 - La Rossa

The VDGG organ & vocal foundation continues here. I might be detecting a little rhythm guitar here. The song becomes more rhythmic at about 40 seconds in. Oooh, cowbell! (lol..about 1:30). Nice 6-8 rhythm. Bluesy chord changes around 2:45. Nice intensity in the song. The level drops back down around 3:50. Guy Evans' drumming is mostly unassuming but is the glue holding everything together. At around 6:15, the rhythm changes and begins accelerating. Dynamic Changes are what MAKE a great VDGG song, and this one is chock full of them, along with tempo changes. I love the SOUND of this album. Great track

Track 4 - My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)

This time sax leads us in, with a gentle piano and rhythm section groove. Hamill shows us the lower part of his range on the opening verse. He goes to a higher register in the second verse. The arrangement is sparse so far. The intensity starts to build about at the half-way point, about 4 minutes in with a sax solo. Then it drops back down following the solo. If I am not mistaken, this is the first track on the album where a bass guitar handles the low end instead of keyboards. Then the song goes into a closing instrumental section featuring sax and piano. The final seconds though are filled with what gives the impression of a far-off alarm or siren. Are we being warned about the closing track?

Track 5 - Childlike Faith in Childhood's End

The closing epic (a prog hallmark) at over 12 and a half minutes long. We begin with vocals over a wind ensemble sound before the beat kicks in. We switch to organ at 1:30, before the wind instruments take over. Then we get a bit more steady rockin'. Hamill's more gruff voice returns at about 3:30. The instrumentation gets thicker, and guitar is featured for the first time on the album. We bring it back down again around 5:20. A bit of a half-time feel at around 6:30 with very intense vocals. Then marching style snare drum after the 7-minute mark leads to an odd meter instrumental section. Distorted guitar in the mix around 8:45. Then the vocals return in a very intense way following that. The rhythm changes back to half-time after 10 minutes in. Big vocals are leading us towards the ending. But things calm back down at around 11:25. Vocals over organ build back up to the big finish!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

A very good album. VDGG aren't my favorite band, but I do like their music. Hamill is a very intense guy, for sure, and I don't always need that intensity for long periods of time. Still, this band is indeed talented and made a good album here. 4 out of 5 stars.

It is a true world record, creating three albums within a span of eighteen months. The idiosyncratic British band Van Der Graaf Generator (VDGG) achieved this feat with the albums "Godbluff","Still Life" and "World Record" around '75-'76. Moreover, all these albums have become classics within the progressive genre.

After this productive but primarily creative period, saxophonist Jackson and organist Banton left the band, making "World Record" the last album in the classic VDGG lineup consisting of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton, David Jackson and Guy Evans. Under the shortened name Van Der Graaf, the band continued for a few more years with a rough-er, guitar-oriented sound, but the magic of the past was no longer there. That is extremely unfortunate because "World Record" is a phenomenal record that deserved an equally sensational successor.

"World Record" overwhelms you and as always with VDGG, the music either speaks to you or repulses you. "World Record" is a hurricane of persuasion. If you are open to it, hold on tight because the five songs here will truly blow you away. Not so much with physical force but with an unprecedented wealth of creativity.

The creative points lie in Hammill's immense voice and the interplay between the organ and saxophone. Hammill sways from emotion to emotion, from grand to subtle, from tender to raging. The saxophone plays highly thematic parts that are so different from the norm. At times punctuated, at others extended, but always full of expression. This is not a case of randomly throwing in a saxophone. In my opinion, this is the ultimate saxophone playing. Banton's organ playing is like a Siamese twin linked to the saxophone, both supporting and playing alongside each other. One cannot exist without the other, a perfect symbiosis.

The A-side (and why should we stop talking about an A-side and a B-side with an album of such a title) consists of three songs dominated by vocals and the organ-saxophone combination. These songs, When She Comes, A Place To Survive and Masks, each deserve to be played on repeat. They bear some resemblance to each other. They all start relatively calmly and evolve into mid-tempo songs with strong themes and plenty of resolving organ chords that guarantee the typical VDGG atmosphere. However, I feel that "World Record" shines a bit brighter than its predecessors.

In When She Comes the keys take on a triumphant edge and Jackson delivers a satisfying solo. At one point Hammill introduces the piano which shifts the atmosphere. The theme of A Place To Survive is joyously repeated by the saxophone at 2:51 minutes. The enthusiasm bursts forth. It comes across quite accessible. The same cannot be said for the cacophonic minutes at the end of this song. On the other hand, Masks is the mildest of the three. It was released as a single back then for a reason, although the song also carries an unmistakable VDGG signature in terms of complexity.

The electric guitar only assumes a significant role in the fourth song: the twenty-minute-long Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild). By that time, in the era of LPs, the album would have already been flipped. This album lacks a bass guitar, but there is no cause for concern. The foot pedals that Banton has extracted from his modified organ are top- notch and with Guy Evans being such an infectious drummer, the foundation leaves nothing to be desired. Even the reggae rhythm towards the end of Meurglys III is acceptable. It is astonishing how the band creates an enjoyable piece of music here. Attention is drawn to Hammill's guitar antics and although he knows how to strike the right chord, he is far from a guitar god. No, let Hammill stick to singing because he can do that in an impressively remarkable way. Just listen to the beautiful Wondering, co-written by Banton. Hammill's falsetto is chilling, incredibly chilling. Banton, who comes from an organist background, showcases his skill in this song with pastoral chord progressions.

David Jackson also makes a significant contribution to the beauty of this song with his flute. At times, I can't help but be reminded of Genesis' I Know What I Like, but no, Van Der Graaf Generator is an entirely unique band and on "World Record", it is at most a bit of a copy of itself.

Van Der Graaf Generator has influenced many and an album like "World Record" has not gone unnoticed by me as a prog-obsessed teenager. Especially the saxophone work of Mr. Jackson has been a guiding thread in my development as a novice amateur saxophonist. It goes without saying that I awarded this album a gold medal back then.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

3.8 Stars, rounded to 4!

Another genuine prog album in the 00's?? Unfortunately I struggle with progs after somewhere around the 2000's, I've come to think of a massive bulk of it as cold 'tribute prog'. This is a real prog album, not a tribute to golden days that once were, while proving VDGG's 3rd period has as much a valid existence as those before!

My primary concern coming into this album was the amount of guitar there could be, a main thing for me in the Graaf is the exclusion of guitars, thankfully it's somewhat sparingly used and infrequently dominant the mix. I do find occasionally something is missing, obviously it's Jackson, but they've not filled the void he left with much (I'd take this over more guitar!) and I'm guessing so they can perform the material faithfully with just the three of them? Anyway's, the material is brilliant with the album picking up nicely after the middle track Drop Dead, I think is a low point on the album along with opener, The Hurlyburly, both track's feature guitar and both remind me of mid-quality Atomic Rooster. The last half and main chunk of the album is pure class VDGG!

The production quality is ok, if not a bit little disappointing for 2008, a step back from Present's very live uncompressed sound, I think mix suffers when things start getting rather heavy and hectic, especially the drums and bass get gobbled up in the multitude of keyboardlike things. A proper quality re-mix and master on this album would do a world of good.

If Drop Dead wasn't sat in the middle of an amazing flow of tracks, this might be 4 stars.

4.3 Stars, rounded down to 4!

I held off getting this album for many years because of it's ultra high rating, and Pawn Hearts is my favourite prog album so I kind of wanted to save the best for last. I saw the recent Charisma release as a sign it was time to get my face smashed off by the ultimate VDGG album!

I feel like this album is a step backwards from the hyper monster Pawn Hearts, though I have no idea where they could have possibly gone after? Godbluff is kind of a reset album, where they move back to a sure footing after reaching the absolute edge with Pawn Hearts, it feels like they reset a fair way back with the opening track, then make up massive ground through the album

It's taken a bunch of listening and thinking to give this album some of the love it deserves, as I was expecting a further progression of what they were building all the way to 'Pawn Hearts' (more [%*!#]ed up jagged darkness) so on hearing the rather straight forward opener 'Undercover Man' I was off to a sour start, and found the rest of the album initially disappointingly tame and a bit normal (By VDGG standards), but now I've reeled my expectations back, and thought about how this album sits in relation to Pawn Hearts and Peters solo releases in-between, I think it does what it was supposed to do very well, and I think I can see clearer why some would take this over Pawn Hearts.