H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

This is one of the best Van Der Graaf Generator albums in my opinion because it has a good mix of their early psychedelic and experimental sound mixed with the traditional, more structured, with somber tones and more proeminent jazzy influences. What prevents me from saying it is a masterpiece of the genre is mostly the fact that it has more or less the same structure of the predecessor, including some songs that sound similar and are not exactly better. It is a bit hard not to think about the first side being more or less a reenaction of the first side of The Least We Can Do...

Even then, most of the album is made of killer stuff (no pun intended) and the first side is more of Van Der Graaf Generator developing the sound achieved on the predecessor, mixing a little bit of the psychedelia of their first album with their dark signature sound of the latter albums. It is even nice to hear Fripp guesting on The Emperor in this War-Room and playing a more acidic solo than he was used to. It is the best song of the first side.

The second side has two over-ten minute songs that are much more akin to what the band would do in their most celebrated album (Pawn Hearts) and later. Lost is probably the first time we hear their trademark song and is a majestic tune. Pioneers over C is my favorite, since it has some of it mixed with crazy experimental parts (folksy, ballad, psychedelic and free jazz even) and in my opinion, VDGG was at their best when they were doing this instead. By the way, who has the remastered CD edition is rewarded with Squid/Octopus which has the band at its best, crazy brilliant.

If you would own only one album from VDGG, I'd suggest either this one of Pawn Hearts, because they show the band at its peak. Maybe H to He, Who Am The Only One is even more interesting in showing what the band could do (because of the psychedelic/experimental influences of their beginnings more evident). This is probably not my favorite album of theirs, but the one which best represents the band.