LIVE AT THE PARADISO 14:04:07

Van Der Graaf Generator

Eclectic Prog

3.72 | 94 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

With the official release of their new studio album A Grounding Of Numbers just some hours away, I dug out this album from my purchased but not listened to mountain of albums on my desk.

I have always and will always rate Van Der Graaf Generator among the five best prog bands this planet has ever seen and heard. Their discography is mostly very impressive (crossed fingers for the new album) and some of their 1970s albums absolute masterpieces. So it was with some trepidations I put these two CDs on my CD player. Yes, one at a time.

What hits me most is the no show of David Jackson and his saxophone. There is no denying that VDGG is a lot more Peter Hammill and a lot less VDGG without David Jackson. Hugh Branton and Peter Hammill is trying to fill the gap with vocals, organs, electric guitar and piano. But the gap is still there. Hence; this live album has a lot more stripped down soundscape than the other VDGG live albums. This becomes very evident on tracks like Every Bloody Emperor which I feel is stripped of most of it's dynamics on this version. Which in effects kills this song dead.

The first disc includes Lemmings and some newer material. Disc 2 includes some golden oldies. This is where the new VDGG, a trio (which also includes Guy Evans on drums), puts their stramp on these great songs. Not to my pleasure, I have to admit. Those songs are giants among mice in my view. Not so much on this live album though. But when that is said, the band does their best with this line up. VDGG is still a great band. This live album is not though, but VDGG never ever becomes irrelevant or boring. It is just that I expected better. This album is not the album newbies should start with though and I still prefer the previous live albums instead of this one. Sorry !

........... now, I have to creep back into my sleeping bag outside that record shop where I am queing up for the new VDGG studio album.

3.5 stars

toroddfuglesteg | 3/5 | 2011-3-10

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