THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS WAVE TO EACH OTHER

Anybody interested of Van der Graaf Generator might start listening their records from this album, as I believe it contains the main elements of their artistic style found from their other major records. It is not also as difficult as some of their following albums, and not as clumsy as their first one in my opinion. "Darkness (11/11)" opens the record with subtle mysterious sounds, from where the song's musical forms slowly start to appear. A typical and really great composition is revealed, melodies shimmering anxiety, strengthened by Peter's aggressive wailing vocals reciting a long poem, supported with strong presence of bass guitar, keyboards and saxophone. These elements brewed in their first "Aerosol Grey Machine" have now matured to the sound, which dominates their heyday career starting from this record. "Refugees" is possible the most exceptional song here, being a ballad for hippies with chamber orchestrations and power and style, resembling slightly "The Whiter Shade of Pale" after the jazzier opening phases. At least this is my most favorite song of this band, areal anthem of anthems. "White Hammer" starts solemnly with the church organs, turning to more sinister sounds, describing the atrocities of medieval inquisition. The final moments of the long song start to chart the iconoclastic zones of aural terrorism, this characteristics found also from their two following studio albums. "Whatever Would Robert Have Said?" (Maybe "I'll play some guitar on your next album"?) is a more calmer melodic song driven by organ / saxophone / acoustic guitar, having jumpy phases and an calm floating middle part. It was also filmed to the German Beat Club television show, and I recommend to get those Beat Club DVD's for many really fabulous vintage music films captures. "Out Of My Book" is an acoustic ballad for guitar and flute, leading to the closing number "After The Flood". The eleven minutes long track starts again in a pretty way, and then moves to more disturbing areas of feeling. This song has most adventurous solutions of the album on it, and lots of rhythmic and thematic changes. Partly it is great, but I would have personally appreciated little more coherent arrangements, which probably would have killed the avantgarde elements intended. If you like this song here most, I believe you might like their "Pawn Hearts" album quite much. I liked the other tracks more, and as a whole I consider this as a very recommendable album.