Just listened to Over twice, then Modern and A Louse Is Not A Home too. He did all this and VdGG in his fucking twenties.
― imago, Friday, 2 August 2013 23:06 (ten years ago) link
A Louse Is Not A Home is every bit as good as any VdGG song
― imago, Saturday, 3 August 2013 21:29 (ten years ago) link
^still this
in fact, if you're drifting through, here it is in its miraculous entirety. A songwriting pinnacle of sorts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwZ_tOZB1Qo
I'm trying to listen to World Record. Such a loose & unfocused album compared to virtually everything that came before. With a serious fucking edit-job it could have recaptured the incredible brilliance of the previous 3 records (4 if you count The Silent Corner). Here are my problems with it:
- The opening few seconds. Prissy Regency clarinets poncing around. Since when has a VDGG album opened up with meek filigree?- The rest of When She Comes. A clear candidate for their worst-ever song. Reprises one of Scorched Earth's riffs without any of the punch whatsoever. Urgh.- The fact A Place To Survive starts really really strong and then jams around *not going anywhere* for about 5 minutes at the end- No problems with Masks. It's a fucking demon.- Right, my biggest problem here. Meurglys III. None of it is bad music at all. The closing reggae jam is kinda groovy. But it completely deflates the momentum of the opening 12 minutes, which if isolated might be some of the best 12 minutes in the band's history, up there with that video I just posted and Man-Erg and all that jazz. Edit function sorely lacking. I'm listening to this song now and it's one of the most terrifying & spectacular demonstrations of their narrative mastery*. With a massive anti-climax.- Wondering is nice and all but it's how Yes should be ending their albums, not VDGG. Feels a bit sickly-sweet.
They'd just released a solid run of the best music ever made, which should hopefully put these criticisms into context. You may wish to defend World Record, of course. Or simply agree with me that TQZ/TPD fortunately dropped by to kick its arse :D
*Hmm. On returning it's a bit disjointed and some of the sections go on a bit. But each section is very, very good.
― imago, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 23:32 (ten years ago) link
I listened to Godbluff recently again. I love a lot of parts of that album but I still dont agree that it is sharing top spaces at the Hammill canon. I dont need albums to be totally albumy but sometimes it seems like it needs a bit more of something. I know they wanted a live sound on this, but I think certain elements would have been better if they were accentuated/highlighted more.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 13 November 2013 17:07 (ten years ago) link
My last thought on World Record was, "this is better than I remembered", so there's that
― frogbs, Wednesday, 13 November 2013 17:13 (ten years ago) link
For me, Godbluff has the length of an album but the gravitas and scope of a very, very good EP. Its four pieces are superb but Still Life is more powerful, more wondrous (for me)
― imago, Wednesday, 13 November 2013 22:49 (ten years ago) link
Songs lengths are dragged out a bit on "Godbluff", I assume in order to fill out the album but not as grotesquely as on "Meurglys III", what were Pete and the boys thinking with that reggae bit? I hate the last track on "Godbluff" too.
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2013 08:57 (ten years ago) link
I disagree with all that. Godbluff is perfect!!
Vital - Live is the one that's been blowing me away lately. I only really knew of that album from the WRC, who pretty much unanimously hated it.
― frogbs, Thursday, 14 November 2013 14:43 (ten years ago) link
there's nothing *wrong* with godbluff at all, but i find it a more minor document than pwn <3s, silent corner or still life - and the final track is definitely the weakest (despite exultant TONIIIIIGHT BEEEEEFORE YOU LAY DOWN bit). if 'a louse is not a home' had rounded off that album it'd be just as good as pwn or still
― imago, Thursday, 14 November 2013 14:50 (ten years ago) link
Don't get me wrong btw, I still think Godbluff is one of their better albums
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:01 (ten years ago) link
At the risk of inducing an embolism or somesuch in imago, the whole 2nd side of Still Life leaves me cold
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:02 (ten years ago) link
:o
― imago, Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:03 (ten years ago) link
The least-brilliant track is My Room, sure, but but but but
but
― imago, Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
Did I ever tell you I've got a signed copy of that album? I bought in a bargain bin for £1! Signed by Nic Potter, so someone else is missing, poss. Hugh Banton?
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:06 (ten years ago) link
I know I'm in the minority, but I adore World Record and listen to it more than Godbluff (but not more than Still Life or most of Peter Hammil's solo albums).
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Thursday, 14 November 2013 15:09 (ten years ago) link
some fantastic stuff suddenly on Youtube
Hammill plays a gig up a mountain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=406Yy0gbcVI
BBC doc i'd never heard of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd7dCGpJkMQ
― arid banter (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 11 June 2014 21:11 (nine years ago) link
Yeah those are great. I knew about that gig in the Dolomites, was debating whether to fly over for it but reason prevailed.
― goth colouring book (anagram), Thursday, 12 June 2014 07:07 (nine years ago) link
new album comes out next week. it's getting pretty good reviews...lots of "best of the reformation albums"-type claims, which is very good. I'm pretty pumped. lets go
― frogbs, Friday, 23 September 2016 13:02 (seven years ago) link
ooh link me some reviews
― imago, Friday, 23 September 2016 13:02 (seven years ago) link
this is like the best year for music ever
― imago, Friday, 23 September 2016 13:03 (seven years ago) link
http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/donotdisturb.htm http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/spin-cycle-blogs/reviews-van-der-graaf-generator-rob-clarke-wooltones-year-country-anthony-phillips-brinsley-schwarz-oodles-interviews
really stoked. these guys are the best
― frogbs, Friday, 23 September 2016 13:07 (seven years ago) link
ty, this seems like it'll be something
― imago, Friday, 23 September 2016 19:21 (seven years ago) link
opening track started really promisingly but there was just a really horrible slow distortion-guitar bit to ruin the flow. i hope the album doesn't have many more of such impositions - they've been ruining nu-era vdgg imo
― imago, Saturday, 1 October 2016 17:35 (seven years ago) link
nah sorry this is shit
― imago, Saturday, 1 October 2016 18:04 (seven years ago) link
well i like it. but i liked their last one too.
― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Saturday, 1 October 2016 18:21 (seven years ago) link
last one was solid, this is not there at all
― imago, Saturday, 1 October 2016 18:25 (seven years ago) link
godbluff came on immediately afterwards and it's frankly embarrassing
― imago, Saturday, 1 October 2016 18:33 (seven years ago) link
i'm really not hearing whatever it is you dislike so much in this record. i put on godbluff and he can't sing like he could in 1975, but that was pretty obvious already.
― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Saturday, 1 October 2016 19:16 (seven years ago) link
this is leaden, plodding - the changes don't work - the guitar is awful - the melodies are turgid - it's got none of the old wild magic - probably time to pack it in
― imago, Saturday, 1 October 2016 19:28 (seven years ago) link
hammill's always been an awful guitarist, but i can tolerate it better here than i can on "world record". honestly they do sound like they're about to pack it in, particularly if you listen to that last track, but to me they're going out on a high note. it doesn't have that old wild magic- forty years is a long time- but it's got a magic all its own. about as good as "prog rock" gets in 2016, imo.
― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Saturday, 1 October 2016 20:10 (seven years ago) link
only just dipping my toe in but imago is v wrong, there is some great stuff on this album. "Aloof" sounds horribly produced and doesn't work very well but, y'know, try listening to the rest of the album?
― don't even see how this was a duck (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 October 2016 09:47 (seven years ago) link
"Aloft", obv. you know what i mean.
― don't even see how this was a duck (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 October 2016 09:48 (seven years ago) link
I bought and listened to the whole thing! I will definitely return to it a few times, but the initial impression wasn't good. Also, every reunion has at least one stunner (Every Bloody Emperor, Over The Hill, Your Time Starts Now) and I can't detect what this album's high point is. I guess Almost The Words seemed like it might be decent.
― imago, Sunday, 2 October 2016 09:52 (seven years ago) link
i do find them more akin to Hammill's solo records when Jackson's not there tbf
― don't even see how this was a duck (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 October 2016 09:58 (seven years ago) link
maybe not, scratch that. i like some of what's happening musically more than the songwriting i guess, but Hammill's solo stuff is frequently a bit thin on hooks too so
― don't even see how this was a duck (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 October 2016 10:00 (seven years ago) link
it's nice to hear vdgg taking on the bacharach/david songbook but honestly "bunsho" sticks with me probably more than "your time starts now" does.
the post-jaxon records are for me some weird middle ground behind the older band and his solo stuff. reminds me of nothing more than stuff like "skeletons of songs". i love "skeletons of songs".
― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Sunday, 2 October 2016 11:50 (seven years ago) link
I'm not entirely convinced by any of the post-Jackson records but I think this is the best of the three so far. Thought the last one was fairly underwhelming.
― heaven parker (anagram), Sunday, 2 October 2016 13:02 (seven years ago) link
3rd listen and it's sitting better with me as a whole, in fact i think it might be rather legit good
― don't even see how this was a duck (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 2 October 2016 18:11 (seven years ago) link
I'm enjoying Sitting Targets v much rn. Got a post punky thing going on.
― kurt schwitterz, Tuesday, 11 July 2017 19:47 (six years ago) link
Yeah that's a great record! I feel like it's really overlooked.
― akm, Wednesday, 12 July 2017 04:35 (six years ago) link
https://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/down-a-different-river/van-der-graaf-generator-things-went-bit-mad-108028
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 3 November 2018 02:08 (five years ago) link
Good interview
― imago, Saturday, 3 November 2018 12:35 (five years ago) link
Amazing footage of them performing "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" (all 24 minutes!) on Belgian TV in 1972:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asPDvjUYFy4
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 5 November 2018 14:51 (five years ago) link
Wow
― The nexus of the crisis (Sund4r), Monday, 5 November 2018 16:25 (five years ago) link
I love that clip. Hammill's toast the camera at the end. :)
― jmm, Monday, 5 November 2018 16:31 (five years ago) link
Happy 70th big guy :)
― frogbs, Monday, 5 November 2018 21:28 (five years ago) link
Fun fact: Peter Hammill guested onstage with The Stranglers in 1980... there's a version of 'Tank' that has Hammill on vocals and Robert Fripp on guitar.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 5 November 2018 22:02 (five years ago) link
As for VDGG, of course I rate everything from the first LP up to World Record highly.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 5 November 2018 22:03 (five years ago) link
whoa, HB dude haha
― imago, Monday, 5 November 2018 22:17 (five years ago) link
Yes, Hugh Banton dude.
― Alma Kirby (Tom D.), Monday, 5 November 2018 22:41 (five years ago) link