H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

Would Give a 4.5 But Can't. Hot off the trail of their second album "The Least We Can Do...", Van Der Graaf Generator comes at the listener with full force in this epic 45 minute album. Although it is still a little rough around the edges, this album can be considered as one of VDGG's best. Song topics include feelings of depression and loneliness (aka an everyday walk in the park for Hammill).

Killer starts off the album, and it does so flawlessly. This track, about a shark who kills everything and then gets lonely, is considered a staple of the band's live set, and a staple of their discography in general. Its a jarring, proggy mini-epic that deserves all the recognition it gets.

The House With No Door slows things down a bit, though still discusses the same depressing topic as Killer. I personally prefer this track over the former, but both are amazing. This track is piano and vocal-led, and features some of Hammills best vocal performances to date.

The Emperor in His War Room is the next track, and an epic one at that. Fun Fact: This track features King Crimsons Robert Fripp on guitar, and boy does he play his guitar. The inclusion of Fripps searing, epic solo was a smart choice on the bands part to evolve the sound of the song that much further. The song itself has an interesting topic matter: It is about an emperor who tortures people and starts wars, but the ghosts of those he killed come back to haunt him. Amazing track.

Lost is another great track, if not a little too long. It may drag at times, but man, this track is amazing, Featuring some of Hammills most straightforward songwriting, the band had to go back and add instrumental passages to add to the song length and depth. An amzing and strange track, but like I mentioned, they could have cut the song length by 2 minutes and still gotten the point and effect of the song across.

Pioneers Over c is a nice epic and a great way to end an amazing album. I have the same problem with this track as I do with Lost, though, I feel it can drag a bit at times. Nevertheless, it is a great track and a great addition to the album.

I hope you enjoyed my review of H to He, Who Am the Only One! - Scorpius