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Topic ClosedThe Beginning of Van der Graaf Generator Decline?
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Poll Question: From which album is Van der Graaf Generator work unacceptable for you?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
5 [8.47%]
7 [11.86%]
16 [27.12%]
5 [8.47%]
0 [0.00%]
2 [3.39%]
2 [3.39%]
2 [3.39%]
1 [1.69%]
0 [0.00%]
19 [32.20%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

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Gandalff View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 25 2012 at 18:14
Oh... dark, obscure, strange, too complex band for me. Very unique, but often monotonous and repetitive sound, unfortunately. I like actually only several albums from their beginnings with the climax in the album Pawn Hearts, but I know that their generally acclaimed peak is the following album Godbluff.
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o menel aglar elenath!
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Points: 16952 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2012 at 18:15
I've listened and thoroughly enjoyed their albums up to Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome. Haven't heard anything else.
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Points: 831 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2012 at 18:33
Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome I guess since that was their last album before the big split but I enjoy their new albums they've made as well. I guess the last choice fits better for me since I don't think they necessarily got 'bad'

also lol another case of the poll question being different from the topic, voted for Quiet Zone and immediately saw the actual poll quesiton, i should've definitely voted for "none". I don't think there is any VDGG record that is "unacceptable". They got a bit less exciting and more restrained, but they never pulled a Genesis or anything.




Edited by Sumdeus - December 25 2012 at 18:53
Sumdeus - surreal space/psych/prog journeys
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Points: 166178 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 25 2012 at 21:18
A grounding in numbers.


(Though I quite like ALT)
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Points: 5856 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 00:31
I'm afraid Still Life gets my vote. I really want to like that album, but I always end up listening to Godbluff instead.
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Points: 2444 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 01:40
Present was the first one I didn't like really
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Points: 7024 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 03:50

One of two well known 70s bands I just cannot get into at all (the other is King Crimson).

I quite like some of the music but, like Dream Theater, it's the vocals that kill it for me.
A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
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Points: 831 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 05:09
really? I guess I can see how Hammill could be hit or miss but the vocals have always been one of the reasons I love VDGG, he performs them so well
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Points: 16130 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 05:38
World Record. Still pretty good though. The only album I've not heard in full is Trisector. That didn't really inspire me.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 05:50
Never
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Points: 23993 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 06:08
I'd say World Record because it follows immediately after two masterpiece albums. But this decline is less obvious than that of Genesis from And Then There Were Three. VdGG has had their ups and downs (A Grounding in Numbers is ranked #8 in my top 10 of 2011) where Genesis has not made an album that I would rate 4 stars.
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Points: 4574 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 14:42
I think all of them have something to offer; none really suffer from lack of quality.
A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!!
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Points: 2444 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 16:15
I like World record and Quiet zone more than Still life and Pawn hearts
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Points: 12656 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 22:05

The Beginning of Van der Graaf Generator Decline?

Most likely when Peter Hammill first started singing. Wink
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Points: 16952 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 22:48
I think the only vocalist of the classic period that really did that was Ian Anderson. 
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2012 at 23:39
I'll go with the masses on this one. World Record - even though it has some great moments. 
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Points: 1199 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2012 at 11:07
I only know the albums from H to He to World Record, and all of them are perfectly acceptable, with no pattern of decline. I would say the weakest is Pawn Hearts and the strongest Godbluff.
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Points: 700 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 03 2013 at 08:52
I'd say that VdGG were at their best in their '75-'76 period. Still Life pips it for me, although Godbluff and World Record are both very strong.
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Points: 245 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 03 2013 at 18:54
Still Life for me.
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Points: 502 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2013 at 11:22

 I listen all this albums for 6 years and still I like all of them. Of course they are not all of equal quality but every album is interesting in its own way. 

 



Edited by Varon - March 19 2013 at 13:48
Would you catch the final words of mine?
Would you catch my words???
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