Favourite Van Der Graaf Generator Album?

Thought you would.

IIRC the "gay" member of IQ was supposedly Tim Esau, the orig bass player, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually true. Not that it matters one iota.

If any of the 1st wavers were actually gay, I imagine they'd have kept their traps shut abt it, I mean it was the seventies, wasn't it.

The "asexual" thing is a total red herring, I know for a fact that members of King Crimson got mad action when they toured the st8s, if members of Pink Floyd, Yes etc didn't as well, well I mean really, come on, you know. That was one of the annoying things about that BBC doco, that they played up the asexual/dorky side of it, when a bunch of these guys, when they were young (esp Gabriel, Wakeman) were great-looking dudes.

Actually, on top of that, I remember seeing Hammill in Leeds in the late 80's, and there was a coteire of hippie girls in brightly-coloured home-knit jumpers, who were up at the front, doting over the guy, and that's when he was middle-aged!

Hammill's always been a v. good looking guy, true.

So that's who you modelled yourself on back in the 80s? ;)

The "asexual" thing is a total red herring, I know for a fact that members of King Crimson got mad action when they toured the st8s, if members of Pink Floyd, Yes etc didn't as well, well I mean really, come on, you know. That was one of the annoying things about that BBC doco, that they played up the asexual/dorky side of it, when a bunch of these guys, when they were young (esp Gabriel, Wakeman) were great-looking dudes.

i wasn't really referring to their action, more the vibe of the music. which is generally - GENERALLY - not about screwing. or dancing.

I finally voted He to He. It's a tough poll because so many of these albums are so good.

Indeed. I do wonder how the albums from the last few years will do however.

or indeed the 1st album. 0 for them all maybe?

i really, really like the first record. but i really like that early prog period generally. but i can't imagine anyone thinking its their best.

currently listening to 'the least we can do' and it's pretty good

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wau @ turnout even if 15 of them were pfunkboy socks ;)

only 15? at your last count I supposedly had 300 to your 12

I voted Still Life fwiw

anyway the most important vote was Geirs. What did he vote for?

worth doing a hammill poll or shall we just declare Nadir's Big Chance the winner now and be done with it?

not to distract, but seems as good a place as any given content above...
somewhere online (that I haven't been able to find again) I read a review of Yes - Going For the One, which stated (erroneously?) that U.S. audience/fans deserted en masse and didn't buy as many of the album, cos there was a rumour at the time that Yes were gay:
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/yes/11-1.jpg

considering Rush seemed to have joined in the following year, the implications are funny, especially when you consider the likes of Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and his UK art gang may have subversively manipulated prog visual trends (see rumours about cover of U.F.O. - Force It for additional reference).

nice to see Godbluff at #1, Still Life way too low.

I was thinking about GFTO during the naked female form thread. Maintain it should have just been 'naked form'.

well it hasnt stopped males on covers being posted. so post away on it

Great turnout! Especially considering how often I play VDGG for folks who've never even heard OF them.

well you are a dj ;)

worth doing a hammill poll or shall we just declare Nadir's Big Chance the winner now and be done with it?

I wouldn't say it was a certain winner, some of it's not very good

half the shite we vote on here isnt very good but it still wins!

This is true

when you consider the likes of Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and his UK art gang may have subversively manipulated prog visual trends (see rumours about cover of U.F.O. - Force It for additional reference).

If you mean that Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti are on the cover, then that's no rumour, it's true

I wouldn't say it was a certain winner, some of it's not very good

yeah, i'd vote for ph7 or the future now before NBC.

then that's no rumour, it's true

actually, one rumour has it as Pete and Genny!

not Hammill, that is - here:
http://www.paranaiv.no/files/images/ufo_force_it75.jpg

VDDG poll's getting Gristlized - VDDG would approve!

actually, one rumour has it as Pete and Genny!

Pete never had long hair. Unless it's a wig.

(x-post)
though the post-punk/industrial(-folk) band that reminds me of VDDG = Eyeless In Gaza

why? Martyn Bates' OTT vocals, strange lyrics - e.g. the Hammill-worthy: "bite lips to blood in realisation, senses register cacophony"
plus the stark instrumentation, use of organ (lack of fear to write mental/sentimental love songs, Englishness, etc)

oops VDDG = VDGG

(agreed the dude on the left looks more like Genesis)

I'd recognise that arse anywhere

cheeky implants now? (sounds like a line from twatter)

twatter

did we do a Van Der Graaf epics poll? (couldn't find on search)

OK, I've been listening to Godbluff all afternoon and it's clicked.

Truly the band of the 70's.

fucking told you so
xp

Pawn Hearts used to be my favourite til I eventually heard Godbluff.

yes you did, well done :P

would still rank them scorched earth >>> the sleepwalkers >>> arrow >>> the undercover man but it's much much closer now, they're all super songs

don't see still life being eclipsed, that record is righteous, and pawn hearts is probably entrenched as my 2nd choice, but this is probably 3rd now, either it or quiet zone/pleasure dome at any rate

REALLY fucking love quiet zone/pleasure dome

The Undercover Man is getting better the more I hear it

...but Scorched Earth is a moment in time. It's righteous the way good religious texts are.

I have that Godbluff DVD that I watched maybe 3 times. 'Undercover Man' was the only song that really struck with me at the time because of Hamill's amazing singing on that on. I went out and looked for live recordings of that song and some one of them was really great (forget which). But I didn't vote in this poll because I'm basically only familiar with Godbluff and Pawnhearts. I still would have voted Pawnhearts. I think I need to give Godbluff more listens now.