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Top 7 Van der Graaf Generator Albums
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nick_h_nz View Drop Down
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 30 2020 at 02:40
I think the problem with Present (regardless of whether or not you include both discs when you are evaluating it), is the lack of consistency of quality. Even if you consider two of the tracks to be “the best VDGG tracks, by far the best tracks Hammill did since the mid 80s”, there are tracks that are not at all as inspiring. When considering ranking albums, the overall quality always trumps individual gems within, for me. There are likely many bands and artists in my collection for whom my favourite songs likely do not appear on my favourite albums. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Ok, but I see no problem in viewing Present as a single disc, the one with the songs, the one with the "compositions". Just do it as I do.

And Present is an album which still grows on me. It is my most heard VdGG album after Pawn Hearts in the past 10 or 15 years. And it was only recently (really) that I began really to enjoy the though In Babelsberg, a song which I viewed as boring for mayn years. I even begin to like On the Beach, which I considered for along time as the band's weakest up to that point (if I only could mix out the background singing).

But with Every Bloody Emperor and Nutter Alert it contains 2 of the best VdGG tracks, by far the best tracks Hammill did since the mid 80s. The album still needs one more strong song at the end. I wish they had recorded Roncevaux for this album as closing track.
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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Grubert Grubert wrote:

Btw I think it is important to view Present as an 1 disc album, means the 2nd disc is only a bonus disc for me. It contains improvisations of which I never thought that they really belong to the album. But I'm sure different opinions exist for this ... ;)

In that regard I'm also not sure if I really view Alt as a part of their studion album disography. Even if this is a good and enjoyable album, while so far I never cared much for the 2nd disc of Present. And I'm a big fan of the sax in VdGG.
Yes, I think you're right. The Present album would have been much better without the 2nd improvisational bonus disc, which really put me off the album as a whole, and the less I say about the ALT album, the better. Wink 
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Btw I think it is important to view Present as an 1 disc album, means the 2nd disc is only a bonus disc for me. It contains improvisations of which I never thought that they really belong to the album. But I'm sure different opinions exist for this ... ;)

In that regard I'm also not sure if I really view Alt as a part of their studion album disography. Even if this is a good and enjoyable album, while so far I never cared much for the 2nd disc of Present. And I'm a big fan of the sax in VdGG.
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Points: 40087 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2020 at 09:45
Top 7 update with Grubert's votes added:-
 
1. Pawn Hearts (103 points)
2. Godbluff (91 points)
3. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (79 points)
4. H to He, Who Am the Only One (63 points)
5. Still Life (50 points)
6. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (15 points)
7. A Grounding in Numbers (10 points)
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2020 at 07:01
Originally posted by Grubert Grubert wrote:

And there is the lost album from 1972, the one I compiled from the 5 band songs released on Hammill's solo albums in 1973 and 74. 5 excellent tracks, of which 2 would definitely had made a planned album for late 72, and of which 4 were played live by the band in summer 72 and from 1975 to 1977. This not existing album could rival Pawn Hearts for the # 1 position, and Pawn Hearts is my favourite album of all time.

I have to agree about the lost album. Those five tracks are amazing, and Louse is definitely one of my all time favourite PH/VDG songs. If that had been a VDG album, it very definitely would rival Pawn Hearts for the number one position in my list of seven, too.

(Also, you raise valid points about Vital. I didn’t include it my list of seven, but now wish I had.)
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Points: 131 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Grubert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2020 at 06:38
Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Vital is a live album if i remember right. 
 
Yes it is, but I thought it was Vital to include it in their discography. Smile

aren't we supposed to rank studio albums?


Vital should be included cause it contained several new tracks, not to be found on the previous albums. And for that is a kinda replacement for a 78 studio album, which then was not released due to the break of the band.

Actually if you include the wonderful Plague of Sleepwalkers medley, a kinda new song, the double album contained enough material for a new album. And there was the Hammill solo song Nadir's Big Chance.

I love Vital. It very much represents the bands sonic assault in concerts, their "no prisoners" attitude towards their songs, that what Hammill once described as "controlled chaos".

1. Pawn Hearts
2. Godbluff
3. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other
4. Still Life
5. Present
6. Vital
7. The Aerosol Grey Machine

The last one was very, very difficult, I could have chosen instead H to He or World Record.

And there is the lost album from 1972, the one I compiled from the 5 band songs released on Hammill's solo albums in 1973 and 74. 5 excellent tracks, of which 2 would definitely had made a planned album for late 72, and of which 4 were played live by the band in summer 72 and from 1975 to 1977. This not existing album could rival Pawn Hearts for the # 1 position, and Pawn Hearts is my favourite album of all time.




Edited by Grubert - December 29 2020 at 08:28
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Points: 40087 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2020 at 03:25
Top 7 update with SpaceGod87's votes added:-
 
1. Pawn Hearts (91 points)
2. Godbluff (83 points)
3. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (73 points)
4. H to He, Who Am the Only One (63 points)
5. Still Life (46 points)
6. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (15 points)
7. A Grounding in Numbers (10 points)
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1. The least we can do is wave to each other
2. Pawn Hearts
3. H to He Who AM The only one
4. Still life
5. Godbluff
6. The Aerosol grey machine
7. The quiet zone/The pleasure dome
Levitating downwards,
atomic feedback scream.
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Points: 40087 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2020 at 02:53
Top 7 update with Thief's votes added:-
 
1. Pawn Hearts (83 points)
2. Godbluff (80 points)
3. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (61 points)
4. H to He, Who Am the Only One (57 points)
5. Still Life (42 points)
6. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (14 points)
7. A Grounding in Numbers (10 points)
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1. Godbluff
2. Pawn Hearts
3. The Least
4. H to He
5. Still Life
6. World Record
7. Present

1-2 are interchangeable and mood-driven. Pawn is more mysterious, decadent, byzantine, "Crimsonian". Godbluff is more volcanic, ecstatic, mind-bending and always, ALWAYS right on the spot.
Same goes for 3, 4, 5. I feel Still Life is the most "even" quality-wise, but also very safe and bright compared to earlier records. H to He peaks very high with Killer and Emperor, but I'm no fan of Pioneers these days (strange because I liked it very much in high school). The Least has maybe the best sustained atmosphere of the lot.

So these 5 are generally 4-5 stars albums and together form one of the best primes in prog.

No. 6 is World Record. At its best, it rivals Still Life. At its worst, it drags and meanders way too much. A good album nonetheless. The last spot goes to Present because, well, David Jackson.
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Just 'Pawn Hearts' at number 1! LOL
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Top 7 update after two more rounds of voting:-
 
1. Pawn Hearts (75 points)
2. Godbluff (68 points)
3. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (55 points)
4. H to He, Who Am the Only One (53 points)
5. Still Life (39 points)
6. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (14 points)
7. A Grounding in Numbers (10 points)
 
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Godbluff
Pawn Hearts
H to HE
The Least We Can Do

That's all I need TBH.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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1. Godbluff
2. Pawn Hearts
3. Do Not Disturb

those are the only ones I care about. Not a great VDGG fan , sorry.
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The Top 7 after eight rounds of voting:-
 
1. Pawn Hearts (59 points)
2. The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (51 points)
3. H to He, Who Am the Only One (47 points)
4. Godbluff (44 points)
5. Still Life (39 points)
6. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (14 points)
7. A Grounding in Numbers (10 points)
 
The results of the poll so far appear to bear out what I said about the Pawn Hearts album in the intro. Smile


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - December 28 2020 at 16:14
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1 The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Domw
2 Still Life
3 Pawn Hearts
4 The Least We Can Do
5 H to He
6 Alt
7 Do Not Disturb
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2020 at 08:25
1. Pawn Hearts
2. H to He Who Am
3. Least We Can Do
4. Godbluff
5. Still Life
6. Grounding In Numbers
7. Trisector 
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1. Stiill Life
2. Godbluff
3. H to He Who Am the Only One
4. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
5. A Grounding in Numbers
6. Pawn Hearts
7. Do Not Disturb
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Points: 43626 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2020 at 07:44
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

^ In that case, I'll just add the points for the one official album. Tongue

just kidding
see, that's why I said make up your mind... 
If you want to vote for the live Vital album you can do, but I wouldn't bother to be honest, as it's a dreadful album in my opinion. Thumbs Down

did you put it in your list just to shame it? LOL
No, I included it in my list simply because I mentioned the album in the intro, although it wasn't Vital to include it. Smile

LOL
if you say so... 
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