ALT

This album reminds me of a funny story about four of my old high-school friends, at the start of a Soft Machine concert in the early 70's, engaging in furtive whispering about whether the music had started or the band were still tuning their instruments. VdGG's attitude in releasing this screwy album suggests the distinction is not always clear among bands themselves.

Personally, I generally appreciate truly experimental music; Can's 'The Lost Tapes', released in the same year as 'ALT', I regard as an enjoyable artistic triumph. The problem with 'ALT' is that it is not really experimental, just rather lame doodling. It's disappointing because I had quite high expectations for this one. In their classic material, VdGG have some incredibly powerful passages that push the musical envelope quite brilliantly, and the same has often been true throughout Peter Hammill's solo output.

That said, I do play 'ALT' from time to time, when I want some background music that is not too distracting. In my personal library, it probably has a near-three star rating. But I do not think it does this band a favour to suggest others might buy 'ALT'. If you do not know VdGG, avoid their latest album as a starting point. If you are a long-term fan of the band, equally, that is no reason to believe you will like 'ALT'. I can't really think of who to recommend it to.

Verdict: 'ALT' does prove that good experimental music requires artistic effort.