GODBLUFF

Well Godbluff has a power and an attack that the earlier VdGG releases just don't have, and the combination of an agressive, tight sound and reflective, intelligent lyrics (not to mention inspired, excellent vocal delivery) makes this (for me) the best VdGG album, bar none.

The album has four tracks, the first two being two halves of a whole, and they all hold together remarkably well, definately crossing the line from a collection of songs to very much an album. Not many bands can do this well, it should be mentioned, and that is what contributes to this being such a masterpeice. Sometimes I could hardly contemplate listening to a Godbluff track in isolation, the running order & production being so perfect!

So, fans of Pawn Hearts might be oversome by the blatent agression, and they might say that Godbluff is dissapointing because it is less complex or dynamic. Tosh! Just because it doesn't have a multi-part suite as its flagship track, doesn't make it any less cerebral or deep. It just has the kind of music that you could rock out to if you're not feeling as intellectual as usual, and it has much, much more singable songs on it- I find myself singing along all the way through, from Undercover man to Sleepwalkers, wheras on Pawn Hearts I'd probably just sing along to Man-Erg. This is possibly a moot point as we are discussing prog not pop, but I find the more impressed I am with a piece of music the more likely it is to stick in my head.

This album is possibly the number one reason that I know of the existence of an instrument called the "Clavinet" (number two being Stevie Wonders' "Superstition", hah). Hammil's use of the instrument to carve out hammering distorted rhythms in leu of guitar is inspired and incredible to behold. Could you imagine Scorched Earth or the jam in Sleepwalkers without it? I think not.

Of course I should mention at this point that I belive that all the members of VdGG have thier best playing to date on this album, best organ playing, best sax, best drumming, best vocals. But that is kind of implied when I said Godbluff is (IMHO) their best album. I just wanted to drive home the point that Godbluff is bloody fantastic!

It causes me great distress when I listen to this album and realise that although Pink Floyd are known to everyone, even prog fans have never heard of this classic!! One reason why I got myself a Godbluff T-shirt (yes, they do exist if you look hard enough).

If I had to pick a favourite track, it would be (shock horror!) Sleepwalkers, and I would recommend this album to anybody with ears. Even metalheads could get something out of this one. Possibly not to people who like a more serene listen, but that's their loss.

GET IT! LISTEN TO IT! LOVE IT!!!

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