H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

After a few months from their progressive debut, Van Der Graaf Generator released a new album that is similarly based on the two sides of "The Least We Can Do": 1) anguished/scary song 2) melodic ballad 3) dramatic song or suite with many changes. In the second side of "From H to He", however, "Lost" summarizes the distressing and melodic song before "Pioneers", that is a mini- suite, arrives.

Side A. "Killer" is a powerful song, very rhythmic and aggressive, very structured (verse-chorus), with an instrumental interlude where we listen to a throbbing solo of Jackson's electronic sax, that are sounds that are unparalleled in progressive. Hammill's extraordinary voice and Evans's overflowing drums do the rest (Banton is on the bass but here Potter would have done better). After Darkness (The Least We Can Do), again an absolute masterpiece as incipit. Rating 9.5.

"House With No Door" is a wonderful piano ballad, with melodic openings to the flute, and with a certain prog restlessness that has the merit of not making it monotonous; in the ending Hammill's voice touches more acute notes, the listening becomes sublime and gives way to the beautiful tail with the variations of the piano. Gorgeous, masterpiece, as far as it doesn't reach the superlative level of Refugees. Rating 8.5.

"Emperor" has got verses with dreamlike atmosphere punctuated by organ and flute that create a very beautiful space-rock mood, it seems to be suspended in space, then chorus with rhythmic progression and dramatic voice by Hammill, which are repeated twice, then bridge, then again verse and chorus that are repeated twice, and new bridge, then variation with largely instrumental interlude where you finally hear Fripp's electric guitar and Banton's overflowing drums, but to punctuate the rhythm there is always the mighty bass played by Potter, then the verse and rhythmic progression with Hammill's voice becoming more dramatic, and a greater sound orgasm, until the slight ending. Very studied and structured song in a controlled way. Rating 8.5.

Side B "Lost" begings well rhythm, with great work by Banton, followed by a wider part, where Hammill shows off his expressionist singing, let's call it chorus, then another verse and chorus, then instrumental variation dominated by Jackson, I would say almost bandistic; it returns Hammill's dramatic voice, the an interlude with Hammill touching the high notes, it follows pause with organ and sax (we are halfway, 5'30''), Hammill expresses his solitude ("truly lost") and returns to sing with an unfolded voice, it seems we are coming to the climax but... this is prog, and then again the instrumental banding digression comes back that extinguishes the emotion for give pleasure to the brain, until finally the voice of Hammill returns that concludes this tiring epic by desperately singing " love you" It's a melodic song of love, dramatic, potentially with a lot of pathos, which could have been developed more linearly reaching probably a greater intensity and instead Hammill wanted to offer these continuous variations in prog style that take away some of the emotional intensity but that in a certain way go hand in hand with the emotional ups and downs of the artist, of the lyrics, making the emotional experience more complex and articulate. Rating 8.5/9.

"Pioneer over the C" starts slowly, starring Banton, then Hammill explains that the pioneers who travel beyond the speed of light left Earth in 1983, and then the bass, here again played by Banton, inaugurates a new passage where Hammill sings "It's all dark around" and the music, like a symphonic poem, describes well the emotional state of the singer, with all his ups and downs; the rhythms change continuously while Hammill proclaims "We are the lost ones, we are the pioneers", Hammill's astral journey traces his solitude in the world, Banton's bass returns for another progression that leaves space for new atmospheres suspended in the space followed by dissonances and here the piece becomes a suite that, like the last song of The Least We Can Do, constitutes the sum of the whole record, summing up the whole music heard so far in a synthesis that also assumes avant-garde connotations thanks to experimental sounds to the sax, atonal, followed by a jazzed space-rock diversion, which fades while the voice of Hammill returns; finally, for the third time the bass turn, confirms that this piece must be heard as a sung symphonic poem, until the dissonant ending arrives. Rating 9.

"The Least We Can Do" and "From H to He": We are facing the second consecutive absolute masterpiece by Van Der Graaf Generator (difficult to choose which is the best), surely, in my opinion, the two best English albums released in 1970. Compared to "The Least We Can Do", compositions are on average less melodic and more elaborate, i.e. progressive. We have seen in this album, starting from the first two pieces, the deconstruction of the song form to arrive at increasingly longer and more articulated pieces, composites, with various melodic and instrumental passages assembled together to finally arrive with "Pioneer over the C" to the mini suite that describes a journey with music and lyrics representing a program music, a symphonic poem sung. Hammill marvels at his state of inspiration, his ability to transform in music the mood of his verses and confirms himself as one of the most gifted songwriters of all time, with exceptional intelability and depth.

Rating album 10/10. Five stars (and more).