VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

If we talk about Van Der Graaf Generator, I would say it's not my type of progressive rock band. Their music contains a lot of ideas, but not developed in the proper way. The case is not different with Godbluff, I suppose. It's an emotional and artistic album, but doesn't reveal extraordinary abilities, in my opinion, what are necessary for top rated album. I mean musicianship and songwriting! This is little harder record than Pawn Hearts and enters into a bit darker territories - in terms of both vocals and instruments. And yet, Godbluff contains some more cultivated sound than Pawn Hearts. I consider the last song - The Sleepwalkers. I think it's the most logical, completed and interesting composition on the album. The production of the album is a level above, than pre-breakup Van Der Graaf Generator. Generally recommened! 3 1/2 stars!

It's interesting how subjective is the human brain. I've read a lot of opposite reviews about the most famous album by Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts. Probably it's time for me to write a review, too! I've been attracted to this band, because of the high positions of their albums in PA. But I really cannot understand exactly the sense of this album. It's rated as a masterpiece, but don't feel it's even closer to a masterpiece. I'm lost in the compositions. When I listened to this album I cannot hold my attention very concentrated. I admit it's very artistic and interesting album, but I don't feel nothing extremely special. Pawn Hearts cannot change my mood. It can't make me glad, it can't make me sad, it can't make me curious or anger. I expect something to happen in the development of the ideas, but it never happens. The whole album is like an introduction to other that doesn't exist! Pawn Hearts is just nice tunes gathered in an album for emotional musical background. It's without enough special moments and containing some noisy, unpleasant and asynchronous themes in there!!! Not more than 3 1/4 stars!

"Lizard Play" Upbeat drums are the underpinning of a downbeat song. Peter Hammill sings bass underneath himself, matching each dramatic nuance of his higher voice more or less accurately.

"The Habit of the Broken Heart" Primarily an acoustic song, the organ offers a subtle but pleasing backing. The middle of the song consists of a fast tempo, book-ended by slower, gentler passages.

"The Siren Song" Light piano and Hammill's soft vocals eventually give way to some lively fiddling and flanged bass in the background.

"Last Frame" Violin accompanied only by an occasional chord introduce Hammill's semi-spoken vocal. The piece builds and becomes something more akin to middle-period Jethro Tull, but naturally the signature sound of the lead singer releases it from any semblance to pretty much anything else.

"The Wave" A droning vocal over a tender piano and violin makes for some easy listening. As is his fashion, Hammill still manages to find ways to squeeze as many syllables as possible in occasional places.

"Cat's Eye / Yellow Fever (Running)" Shifting to a more classical approach, this piece relies heavily on violin and bass. Hammill's vocals on this one are excessive, even to the point of being superfluous and distracting.

"The Sphinx in the Face" Was it even possible that disco was an influence on Van der Graaf Generator? Perhaps- this song reeks of funkiness, colorful floor lights, and people pointing their fingers up and down alternatively. Even that tale-tell falsetto chorus is so damned catchy. I feel like I am listening to the Scissor Sisters or something. I didn't say I didn't like it.

"Chemical World" Once again carried by acoustic guitar and Hammill's wailing vocals, this piece contains a violin solo and percussion that sound exotic in their own way, but the singing is almost extraterrestrial in places. Utilizing a variety of effects, this outlandish track should have been pared back in order to make it at least palatable. Despite playing well, even the violin sounds thin and dull.

"The Sphinx Returns" The falsetto a cappella ending of the piece before last fades back in, soon accompanied by the band, thus concluding the album.

As an introduction to the band, this album does not work. It is much far too eclectic and ambitious for any non-fans to get their head around in the first listen, and could very easily put a newcomer off VdGG for life if you introduce them with this Behmoth. My personal favourite VdGG album is Godbluff, you're probably much better off starting with that as it gives the exact same mood and emotional impression as this three song monument, in a much more accessable streamlined manner (without sacrificing 'progginess').

Pawn hearts certainly doesn't take the straightforward approach, but many prog fans will possibly feel familiar with the epic+two format which has yeilded stone-cold classic prog albums in the past, and as this suggests, it certainly is the most adventurous and daring. It just doesn't pull the punches, is all I'm trying to say- it's unlikely to convert any newcomers to the VdGG cause. The new listener should expect mind-rending on a high scale. (in all seriousness, i wouldn't recommend anybody of dubious or unstable mental state to listen to it on their own, especially not in the dark, or before going to bed.)

But Pawn Hearts is a masterpeice, well deserving of its five star rating (It has excellent performances from all musicians involved, via truly inspired songwriting) because it dares to tread where other bands rarely set foot, into the raging void, it stared straight into the dark abyss and shouts until it's collective throats are dry and bleeding. Lemmings eases you into the madness, Man-Erg tricks you and teases you with its insanity and Plague of Lighthouse Keepers attacks you, forces your head under and violently drowns you on its utter lunacy.

The maelstrom of my my memory is a vampire and it feeds on me, now staggering madly, over the brink, I fall.

I mean seriously, who writes stuff like that! Peter Hammil apparently. This is to me VDGG in their finest hour, even though there would be really great hours yet to come. The first two tracks on the album are fine listening, with Man-Erg to me being slightly more compelling. But then there is VDGGs Mona Liza, Ninth Symphony, Requiem; Plauge of Lighthouse Keepers.

My god this track takes my breath away everytime. I'm a huge Genesis and Yes fan but this track blows Supper's Ready and Close to the Edge out of the water. This track gets better everytime i hear it. It's so fantastic that my fingers shake when i write this review. Jacksons Sax is absolutley key here, Hammils voice is mystical and dark like the voice of a god. Evans drumming is exretmely tasty also. The organ riffs are like from a dream. All this in a track that has like 8 modulations and lyrics like: "Only life i feel at all, is the presence of the night", "Only to think what might have been, locked in silent monologue, in silent scream", and "What is freedom of choice, Where do i stand in the pagentry, whose is my voice?" Absolutley mindblowing stuff.

As an album Pawn Hearts probably shouldn't compete with consistent albums like Close to the Edge or Foxtrot. But man, is Plauge of Lighthouse Keepers something to listen to. I have to give this album 5 stars because Plauge is the best track ever written. NOTHING will ever top the musicianship, lyrics and composition of this track in the terms of prog rock.

Late sixties psychedelia listeners read this!

I've become a great fan of VdGG in 2009, but this album didn't got my attention until recently when my brother gave a vinyl copy for my 21th birthday. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on PA so I got pretty excited to hear it myself.

This record is in no way clumsy, immature, amateurish or simple. This is record made in '69 that sounds like it was made in '69. This is no symphonic or eclectic prog, it's pure late sixties psychedelia! Songs with nice atmospheres, strange lyrics, a distinctive sound and above all a (relatively) happy pre-VdGG sound. The recording of this record is perfect for the time being, really good! It was recorded in twelve hours, which is quite unbelievable.

On side two there are some promising long compositions 'Aquarian' and 'Octopus'. These two tracks may remind you of the later VdGG sound with heavy organs and drums and even some frenzied key-playing of Hugh Banton. The vocals of Hammill get darker during the last part of the album and it feels like you could listen to The Least we can Do right after the last song of this record.

Peter Hammill does a great job with his gentle vocals on this album, something rarely seen after this short period. Your friends won't even notice this is one of the most disliked vocalists of the genre! This makes it a good album to try for people who didn't get into VdGG earlier because of the vocals.

Hugh Banton plays gentle throughout, but rages on Octopus. His sound isn't quite like the later work of the band but you can hear he uses the right equipment on the right moments. Classic organ sounds always get me into the music.

Keith Ian Ellis plays bass and does a great job on the album. His wahwah bass sometimes sounds like acid music and give the music a powerful sound. It made my brother order a copy of this re-issue vinyl himself. The drums of Guy Evans are very effective and introvert most of the time, but the sixties recording gives it that magical vibe.

The lack of a wind section by our beloved Jackson is compensated by some nice flute sections by Jeff. Jeff who? No-one knows.

Conclusion. This is great material! An album with an own sound, that does not necessarily appeal to VdGG fans. It is however a very important sixties psychedelic record that should be tried by every-one that likes the genre. I myself am very happy to own this record. Three stars for progressive rock, but four-and-a-half stars for late sixties rock. Just try it!

I always find it useful to consider and compare classic English albums with what the competition were up to at the same time. In this case Pawn Hearts was recorded at roughly the same time as Nursery Cryme, Meddle, and Fragile. They certainly outdid Meddle and Fragile, and probably even topped Nursery Cryme by a hair. Pawn Hearts showcases a darker effort than Genesis however and this becomes apparent quickly as you sink into its embrace. The music of Pawn Hearts is deliciously dark and unpredictable, harsh, alienating, and yet completely satisfying as a listening experience. Led by a mass of swirling organ and saxophone, propelled by tight powerful drumming and deep bass, it is a perfect platform for the theatrical vocals of Peter Hammill. Hammill possesses all of the passion of Peter Gabriel but with more grit and danger to his persona. The three long tracks are all superb with "Lemmings" being the most challenging, pure insanity in spots, lurching you around like a ragdoll. "Man Erg" is so amazing, beginning in almost soothing balladesque fashion which becomes downright uplifting until the moment it snaps--you then hear the screams of children as the darkness descends. This moment of a man apparently falling prey to evil is replicated so beautifully by the ensuing sonic assault, very powerful, and almost disorienting due to the simultaneous stereo panning tricks. Surely one of dark prog's most memorable moments.

They then knock down Suppers Ready by delivering a better side long epic earlier, beating their rivals to the punch. 23 minutes of pure drift on the progressive winds, I just love the feeling of getting lost here. First, while there is plenty of space and openness, the various keyboard passages given time to ripen, the overall effect can be claustrophobic tempered with flute and brass. Desolation has never been more beautiful. Midway through Hammill's vocal will lock into the rhythm and punctuation in effect becoming an instrument, the runs of keys increasing in intensity to the point of pure chaos. And then they do break the tension with something lovely until we build again, an exhausting cycle but in a good way. Here piano comes in as well complimenting the murkier organ swells. VDGG excel in creating soundscapes that are dissonant and harsh on the surface, but the patient listener soon peels this back to the great beauty of what lies underneath. The fact that the sound flips back and forth with such swiftness is what makes it feel a bit dangerous. I'm not certain yet if this is their masterpiece as I still have other VDGG titles to hear, but it is a thrilling prog-rock album that will please anyone with adventurous tastes. I can completely understand why this band was so revered in Italy where this kind of boldness was just taking off and pollinating with the Italian traditions to create some of the following year's great RPI.

After the short brake-up of VDGG Godbluff came to be in 1975. The style of the band had changed a bit at the time the record was recorded. The vocals are less dominant on the foreground (Hammill is still screaming and growling from the back) and the compositions got 'mature'. No random sounds any-more, no out of key disturbances (I used to like..) and no psycho wind jams like on H to He and The Least. Instead VdGG is more concentrated, dosed and a bit distant. The whole album feels like a cold Sunday morning in November. Still VdGG is recognisable for it's anger moments, the subtle lyrics and vocals of Hammill, the great drums by Guy Evans and the wind-section by David Jackson (family?). The album has four tracks of seven to ten minutes.

The Undercover Man is an intimate theatrical opening with mainly vocals by Hammil and devoted chord progressions. The feel is very strong here and the tension in the song is strong. The moment of release is however in the great follow-up Scorched Earth. This is VdGG striking in the living room! Your family flees and you pets hide. The vocals of Hammill are extremely intense, but not very beautiful. At these moments the recording lacks the quality of Pawn Hearts. The great instrumental sections on the last part of the songs are great. This might be one of my favourite VdGG tracks, but the recording is not really helping here. Arrow has elements of the first two tracks of the album, though is also has a lot of silent moments. The Sleepwalkers is a also a very intense track. The main theme is as strong as it can get and the composition is very high throughout. In the ending the recording is again not very helpfull during the intense moments with powerfull vocals of Peter Hammill.

Conclusion. An album with four great progressive epics with only one real problem: the recording of the vocals and the intense moments of the music in general. Still this is one of the most important VdGG albums. It is an excellent addition to any prog collection, although it's not very accessible like most VdGG albums. INMHO it's less good then Pawn Hearts and H to HE, so I'll rate it four stars. 4.3 that is!

So why the masterpiece rating, you ask? The music.

It didn't take as long for the music to sink in here. The one thing that impressed me here was how heavy this album is, almost hard to believe since I can't remember any instance of a guitar anywhere on GODBLUFF (though Hammill is credited with playing it). That really thick, heavy sound that comes to the fore on ''Arrow'' has to come from a keyboard instrument, not the first thing you think of when you hear the term ''heavy music''. That heaviness makes the music much more engaging to my ears.

They also kept the compositions shorter here than on PAWN HEARTS, meaning that there isn't a whole lot of room to wander around. They try to wander on ''The Undercover Man'', but it's not for long and the band gets back into focus. All pieces have engaging bits layered with Hammond and saxophone, two instruments that will make any progster sleep better tonight, all under Guy Evans's subtle yet ferocious drum work.

Don't let the bland cover lead you to believe it's filled second rate horror movie music; this is the real deal, a great masterwork of prog rock. It got me back on track with Van der Graaf Generator after a year of road construction (metaphorically).

Last words: There's a keyboard line in ''The Sleepwalkers'' that reminds me of Magma.

A few songs save it from utter forgetfulness. Afterwards has a nice leading melody. With a slightly updated sound this might have fit well on Hammill's debut Fool's Mate. Most of the tracks are droning affairs however with strong 60's pop and psychedelic influences. But it never comes near to the quality of say The Nice's or Pink Floyd's debut albums. There's one track I need to single out. Necromancer is really an excellent tune with a droning march rhythm that doesn't sit too far from Can's debut. It also has a nice playful and dramatic chorus and good vocal harmonies.

This was not re-issued in the recent batch of VDGG and Hammill remasters. So either there's a dispute over the ownership of the master tapes or also Hammill doesn't really regard this as a true VDGG album. In fact it was supposed to be his first solo album.