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Van Der Graaf Generator Thread!


Bigbobby10
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Where to start with this band, they seemed to come out of nowhere and now I can say are on my top 10 favorite bands.

 

Lets start with Peter Hammill (my profile picture also). What a vocal range he has, the energy he puts into singing just makes the band 100x better. I can also say he is one of the best writers ever, up there with Bob Dylan.

 

Hammill's lyrics are much darker and twisted than most other lyricists, but still impact full and with the music can hit you hard.

 

Next part, the band has no electric guitarist, and many times the songs have no guitar in them also. Weird twist to a band.

 

 

I can go on for a while about why I love them, but I will just post some songs that show this.

 

I know Digital Dad is a fan of them, anyone else?

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for posting this BB10

 

Van Der Graff Generator is a group that, for whatever reason, I have not dedicated enough time to .. I'm listening now and liking it

 

 

Awesome! let me know what you think,

 

A good starting point would be their second album "The Least we can do is Wave to Each Other", but most of their albums are really good.

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Pawn Hearts is my fave, followed closely by Godbluff.

 

Good stuff.

 

Yea it is a tough one, lets me try to rank

 

(5 star)

 

1. Godbluff

2. The Least we can do is Wave to Each Other

3. Pawn Hearts

4. H to He, Who am the Only One

 

(3-4 stars)

 

5. Still Life

6. The Aeresol Grey Machine

7. New World Record

 

(2 stars)

8. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome

 

(Mostly because none of the original members are here except for Peter Hammill, none of the songs pop out like their other albums, the only song I love on this album is The Cats Eye/ The Yellow River)

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My favorite of all his (VDGG/Solo) is Godbluff. Im a huge fan of his music and he's right up there with Zappa as my favorite musicians of all time, though to really call him a musician is stretching the definition.

 

Dont sleep on the reformed VDG stuff, the most recent album Do Not Diaturb is a classic and a few of the orhers are up there as well. They are different from the earlier stuff, way more accessible, not as harrowing and as he calls it more serious fun. I do recommend the mid 70’s tryptich of Godbluff/ Still Life/World Record.

 

For his solo stuff It can be more hit and miss and I would put it from 73-82 (Silent Corner thru to Enter K) as being pretty excellent and consistent. The Margin is the live album from ‘84 and it groups together his solo band work with a crack ensemble.

 

Oh and don’t forget drummer Guy Evans. Anything he plays on is worth hearing. One of the greats and hes still playing brilliantly.

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The only one of the post seventies batch of VDGG albums I have heard(and own)is Trisector. I like it but it didn't blow me away. Still, I figure I should get the others since I'm definitely a fan. I need to hear more PH solo as well. There's just something special about his music that I can't put my finger on. I think the willingness to stretch out lyrically and to go way beyond standard love songs is something that I really have respect for and it's obviously something he has in common with Neil's lyrics(not the least of which is a big reason I like Rush as well).
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The only one of the post seventies batch of VDGG albums I have heard(and own)is Trisector. I like it but it didn't blow me away. Still, I figure I should get the others since I'm definitely a fan. I need to hear more PH solo as well. There's just something special about his music that I can't put my finger on. I think the willingness to stretch out lyrically and to go way beyond standard love songs is something that I really have respect for and it's obviously something he has in common with Neil's lyrics(not the least of which is a big reason I like Rush as well).

 

His solo stuff is great, most of the original members are on his albums (at least most of the early ones)

 

For some recommendations start with:

 

The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage, sounds most similar to VDGG, and I think one of the songs was suppose to be a VDGG song

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