Magma vs Van der Graaf Generator

Magma grabbed me big time.

Van der Graaf are yet to...

Magma!

YESESIS wrote: Dellinger wrote: YESESIS wrote: Dellinger wrote: YESESIS wrote: Wow, this is getting to be a blowout here. Maybe I need to give VdGG another chance.. I don't know what you have heard from this band, nor if my selection would work the same for you, buy my particular very favourite songs from this band are: "Darkness", "Man-Erg", "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" (first half for me, after that it gets a bit too messy for my taste), "The Sleepwalkers", and "La Rossa". You might add "Refugees", though it's a bit too poppy for a band like this, but just because of that it can be a rather good gateway song for someone having trouble digesting their music. Ok, I'll have to check out those songs. I was listening to H to He and liked the first two songs, but the lyrics seemed pretty dark idk.  Actually, it seems you chose the album I liked the least from the first albums I got from them. And yeah, those songs you mention are the ones I liked better, but for me the ones I wrote before were better. Perhaps you should have started with "The Least we can do"... also the first two songs are the better ones, but so much better to get one into the band than those from H to He. As for the lyrics, I haven't payed so much attention to them, but indeed they seem to be somewhat dark... and very well thought... some of the better ones from prog, but indeed I should check them out and analize them better. However, I don't see why these dark lyrics should be a detriment for the music, it's not like he's trying to convince people to do atrocities and all. Crimson's first album has lyrics at least as dark as these ones (what darker lyrics could you want than "Epitaph"?). And the lyric for Killer are actually rather silly, talking about a shark wanting to have friends and every fish in the ocean trying to escape him. Yeah, I guess you have a point.. I probably shouldn't let the dark lyrics stop me. Karn Evil 9 has some dark lyrics lol(and other obvious songs by them). But somehow with this band it seems more serious(just the way the guy sings.. a lot of passion I'll give him that). Anyway, I'll try to get to those songs you recommended. Thanks for your input.

Peter Hamill is for me a force to be reckoned with in prog, and a very unique singer. He just doesn't go the obvious way, and that makes it difficult for some people to like him, but I do apreciate his unique aproach at singing. There are times that it seems there's at least two different singers in the same song, while it's all him.

YESESIS wrote: Dellinger wrote: YESESIS wrote: Wow, this is getting to be a blowout here. Maybe I need to give VdGG another chance.. I don't know what you have heard from this band, nor if my selection would work the same for you, buy my particular very favourite songs from this band are: "Darkness", "Man-Erg", "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" (first half for me, after that it gets a bit too messy for my taste), "The Sleepwalkers", and "La Rossa". You might add "Refugees", though it's a bit too poppy for a band like this, but just because of that it can be a rather good gateway song for someone having trouble digesting their music. Ok, I'll have to check out those songs. I was listening to H to He and liked the first two songs, but the lyrics seemed pretty dark idk.

Actually, it seems you chose the album I liked the least from the first albums I got from them. And yeah, those songs you mention are the ones I liked better, but for me the ones I wrote before were better. Perhaps you should have started with "The Least we can do"... also the first two songs are the better ones, but so much better to get one into the band than those from H to He. As for the lyrics, I haven't payed so much attention to them, but indeed they seem to be somewhat dark... and very well thought... some of the better ones from prog, but indeed I should check them out and analize them better. However, I don't see why these dark lyrics should be a detriment for the music, it's not like he's trying to convince people to do atrocities and all. Crimson's first album has lyrics at least as dark as these ones (what darker lyrics could you want than "Epitaph"?). And the lyric for Killer are actually rather silly, talking about a shark wanting to have friends and every fish in the ocean trying to escape him.

Dellinger wrote: YESESIS wrote: Wow, this is getting to be a blowout here. Maybe I need to give VdGG another chance.. I don't know what you have heard from this band, nor if my selection would work the same for you, buy my particular very favourite songs from this band are: "Darkness", "Man-Erg", "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" (first half for me, after that it gets a bit too messy for my taste), "The Sleepwalkers", and "La Rossa". You might add "Refugees", though it's a bit too poppy for a band like this, but just because of that it can be a rather good gateway song for someone having trouble digesting their music.

YESESIS wrote: Wow, this is getting to be a blowout here. Maybe I need to give VdGG another chance..  Also I realize now that I should have included a third option like, "I'm too passionate about both bands! I just.. I can't choose. I won't!" This is literally my first poll on here so I'm still learning, but in the future some third option like that will be included.

I don't know what you have heard from this band, nor if my selection would work the same for you, buy my particular very favourite songs from this band are: "Darkness", "Man-Erg", "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" (first half for me, after that it gets a bit too messy for my taste), "The Sleepwalkers", and "La Rossa". You might add "Refugees", though it's a bit too poppy for a band like this, but just because of that it can be a rather good gateway song for someone having trouble digesting their music.

I know many who think I am a psychopath when I put on some VdGG and Magma.

There's one dude, a long time ago, at a party who completely freaked out when he heard 'A Louse is not a Home'. The poor guy wasn't amused at all.

Edited by Barbu - August 09 2017 at 19:08

While most fans I know who are into Magma are also fans of VdGG, I know many who love VdGG who don't care much for Magma. Quite a few people don't like either band, as well.

VDGG

VDGG, no contest.