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Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff CD (album) cover

GODBLUFF

Van Der Graaf Generator

 

Eclectic Prog

4.46 | 2340 ratings

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progrules
Prog Reviewer
3 stars My second review of a VDGG album. First was Still life and I managed with all that's in me to give it three stars as I will never be a fan of this band (to say the least). Anyway, I will have to do everything in my power once again to find as many positive elements possible.

Well, I'm not going to complain about Hammill's voice, I think that's a cheap shot. He obviously has a hate or like voice. Personally I'm not really fond of it but I have heard so many weird voices in prog through the years, I don't think his is so much worse. I will try to ignore it as much as possible and go more for compositions and instrumental aspects. What I always like about VDGG is David Jackson's contribution, what he is doing on most of the albums make listening to them bearable for me and on Scorched Earth I also like Banton's organ playing. I think the second half of the song is really great, I think all things considered this is my favourite song of the album. The opener, The Undercover Man, is quite good but less impressive.

Arrow also has very nice "wind moments" but the song is less structured than Scorched Earth in my perception. Still second favourite to me of the original 4 songs.

The Sleepwalkers is one of the many streamsongs of this band on PA and I listened to them often but never managed to get into the music. Sleepwalkers is not a good song imo. It lacks the fine instrumental contribution of the two previous tracks though second half of the song is much better than the sloppy, unimpressive first half. Forsaken Gardens is the first of the bonus tracks and I can't say this gives the album a boost really but that goes even a lot more for the terrible A Louse is not a Home, a song I already got to know by Peter Hammill solo and is one of the worst songs I ever heard in my life and is also partly responsible for my dislike for VDGG. It will probably the originality that determines the value of a song like this but it's wasted on me as for me personally melody is the main factor in music. Fortunately the band is better than Hammill solo and also this Godbluff release is not as terrible as I feared.

I think it's even somewhat better than Still Life if we leave the bonus tracks aside. Still Life was three stars rounded up from 2,7 and Godbluff is a full three for me.

progrules | 3/5 |

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