REAL TIME (ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL)

"Real Time" is the third live album of Van Der Graaf Generator and was released in 2007. It contains the entire recordings of the group's reunion concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England, in 2005. By the time where their debut live album "Vital" was released, in the summer of 1978, the band had split for the second time because the same problems that they had already had in the first time, which were, lack of a record company to support them and financial difficulties. So, it was need to wait for almost thirty years to see the band joined and played live again together.

"Real Time" has fourteen tracks. So, and somehow, "Real Time" seems to me a true nostalgic trip all over the career of one of the best, important and most influential progressive rock bands ever. Van Der Graaf Generator across "Real Time", revisits almost all their entire career in the 70's with a few foraways to their latest studio album and into the solo career of Peter Hammill, too. However and curiously, their debut studio album "The Aerosoal Grey Machine" and their last studio album in the 70's "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome" didn't have any track chosen to be part of "Real Time". From "The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other" we have two tracks "Refugees" and "Darkness". From "H To He, Who Am The Only One" we have only one track "Killer". From "Pawn Hearts" we have two tracks "Lemmings" and "Man-Erg". From "Godbluff" we have three tracks "The Undercover Man", "Scorched Earth" and "The Sleepwalkers". From "Still Life" we have only one track "Childlike Faith In Childhood's End". From "World Record" we have two tracks "Masks" and "Wondering". From their most recent studio album, at the time, "Present" of 2005, we have two tracks "Every Bloody Emperor" and "Nutter Alert". From the second solo studio album of Peter Hammill "Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night", an album released in 1973 we have also one track, "(In The) Black Room".

It was with huge expectations I sat on my armchair to hear more than two hours of live music from one of my favourite prog bands of all time. There were different reasons for that. There are few live albums of the band and this is only my second live album, beyond "Vital". This is a live album recorded and released after their reunion in 2005, almost thirty years after their dissolution. This is a live album with their golden line up, which was responsible for almost of their masterpieces. My only complaint is the absence of Nick Potter. I always liked him. Still, he was never part of the hard core of the band, really. The selection of the tracks from their extensive catalogue is excellent. By the other hand, "Vital" isn't as good as it should have been. As I wrote when I reviewed "Vital", despite be a very good live album, I was a bit disappointed with it. I expected much more of the first live album of a band like Van Der Graaf Generator. "Vital" hasn't the typical sound of them. "Vital" has a very savage heavy sound, with some punk influences, which was very unusual into their music. So, after listen "Real Time" I was a bit surprised with its sound. I agree with TFTO when he says that it sounds more like a studio album than a live album. I expected an album more energetic and aggressive. Still, I wasn't a bit disappointed with it. It has a more intimate ambient that reminds me an unplugged concert and I like of it. Anyway, the album has more energy on the last track of Disc 1 "Darkness" and on Disc 2. The live show is fantastic and the all repertoire is impeccable, where "Darkness" and "Killer" are probably, the highest points on the album. The decision of playing "Wondering" as the final song was perfect. As Hammill said, that was the most indicated song of their catalogue to close that fantastic night. The surprise of the night was the inclusion of "(In The) Black Room". Despite be actually from Peter Hammill's solo catalogue, initially it was a band's song that should be released on a band's studio album between "Pawn Hearts" and "Godbluff". Due to their first split it was never been released on any band's album but only on a Peter Hammill's solo album. The fans appreciated it because it's one of Van Der Graaf Generator's lost songs. By the other hand, the inclusion of two songs of "Present" doesn't ruin anything on the album.

Conclusion: It was quite a sensation when it became known in early 2005 that Van Der Graaf Generator would appear again after 27 years, especially in the classic four men line up, and that they would also deliver a new studio album "Present". On May 6, 2005, the reunion concert took place in the Royal Festival Hall in London and almost two years later it was available on a double live album, "Real Time". Maybe "Real Time" isn't the final and last concert of Van Der Graaf Generator, but it's anyway an historic concert that can't be held again with all the members of their historical line up. This is even more evident and important since Van Der Graaf Generator will no longer appear with this line up, unfortunately, because Jackson left the band at the end of 2005. So, I want to say that was worth waiting almost thirty years by the live album that lives up the band and that hard fans like me deserved to have already for so many years. This is even truer for me, because as I mentioned, I was somehow a bit disappointed with their debut live album "Vital".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Share this VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to VianaProghead
• Report this review (#2948877)
• Buy VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR music online with PA partners
• Show all VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR MP3/Stream
• Go to VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Real Time (Royal Festival Hall) page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR related discussions