H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

This one absolutely stunned me. I had listened to Killer on this site, and couldn't get enough of it. I had no idea what was coming. H to He is, despite having references to physics in the title and some of the songs (I'm not a science person at all, but for those of you who are, the nerd element should make this album even cooler), a very slick package.

Killer, as I mentioned above, stuck with me very seriously. Powerful brass work from David Jackson backs Peter Hammill's arching voice just beautifully. It's aggressive and menacing while still being flat out fun to listen to. Uptempo and filled with something of a rock sound, this song is a very good way to wean yourself or a loved one onto this band, as sometimes they can be a lot to swallow.

House with No Door is my least favorite track on here, though many fans consider it one of the best Van der Graaf Generator songs of all time. It's mellow and pretty, but lacks the same impossible hooks that the other four tracks have. That's not to say that I don't really like it. I just don't love it, is all.

The Emperor in His War Room is straight up awesome (I use that word at risk of sounding twelve, but I think it is merited here). The flutes are gorgeous. The melodies get stuck in my head for weeks at a time, sometimes. Robert Fripp plays a mean guitar throughout, and I think that the occasional addition of this instrument adds power to the times when it actually is around. Well, that, or the fact that it's Fripp himself playing it that adds the power. Sometimes it's hard to know for sure.

Lost is long and beautiful. It builds and builds throughout its length, to culminate in Hammill's chilling I love you line being repeated. Very well done.

Pioneers over C is probably my second favorite here, to The Emperor. I just love the way the song stops occasionally and drops into a nice little bass business, which is then each time promptly joined by the saxophone. The vocals are some of the most convincing of the entire album, I think, even when they are leaping around and sounding mildly like just randomly chosen notes. What a way to close an album. What a way.

All in all, if you are going to start in on VdGG, do what I did, and start here. It's a great way to get a feel for them, while still saving their bigger releases for later when you are a bigger fan of the band. Or, at least, that's how I feel.