The Beginning of Van der Graaf Generator Decline? |
Post Reply | Page 123> |
Author | |
Gandalff
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 07 2007 Location: Middle-Earth Status: Offline Points: 4214 |
Topic: The Beginning of Van der Graaf Generator Decline? 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.
|
|
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
|
Horizons
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: January 20 2011 Location: Somewhere Else Status: Offline Points: 16952 |
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.
|
|
Sumdeus
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 23 2012 Location: SF Bay Area Status: Offline Points: 831 |
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
|
|
Man With Hat
Collaborator Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team Joined: March 12 2005 Location: Neurotica Status: Offline Points: 166178 |
Posted: December 25 2012 at 21:18 |
A grounding in numbers.
(Though I quite like ALT) |
|
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
|
Eria Tarka
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 17 2011 Location: BC, Canada Status: Offline Points: 5856 |
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.
|
|
dr prog
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 25 2010 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 2446 |
Posted: December 26 2012 at 01:40 |
Present was the first one I didn't like really
|
|
Hercules
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 14 2007 Location: Near York UK Status: Offline Points: 7024 |
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.
|
|
Sumdeus
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 23 2012 Location: SF Bay Area Status: Offline Points: 831 |
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
|
|
Sumdeus - surreal space/psych/prog journeys
|
|
Blacksword
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 22 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 16130 |
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!
|
|
Snow Dog
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: December 26 2012 at 05:50 |
Never
|
|
someone_else
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Offline Points: 23996 |
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.
|
|
|
|
Wanorak
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 09 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 4574 |
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!!!
|
|
dr prog
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 25 2010 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 2446 |
Posted: December 26 2012 at 16:15 |
I like World record and Quiet zone more than Still life and Pawn hearts
|
|
The Dark Elf
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: February 01 2011 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 12690 |
Posted: December 26 2012 at 22:05 |
The Beginning of Van der Graaf Generator Decline?Most likely when Peter Hammill first started singing. |
|
...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... |
|
Horizons
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: January 20 2011 Location: Somewhere Else Status: Offline Points: 16952 |
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.
|
|
Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15916 |
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.
|
|
HarbouringTheSoul
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 21 2010 Status: Offline Points: 1199 |
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.
|
|
Kirillov
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 03 2011 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 700 |
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.
|
|
QuestionableScum
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Edmonton Status: Offline Points: 245 |
Posted: January 03 2013 at 18:54 |
Still Life for me.
|
|
Varon
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 06 2010 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 502 |
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??? |
|
Post Reply | Page 123> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |