I'm glad to say this not a band indulging by trying to recreat their sound and music of the 70's. Instead this is clearly VdGG music but  musicians who have aged and matured for 30 years, and had many more experiences than when they were in their early 20's. However, I don't think this is a start point in VdGG. The second CD of the Present set gives it away, that is: most if not all the instrumental tunes here seemed to have been made by jamming, improv and enjoying each other's company. The first CD has a run of songs with lyrics that vary considerably although the commonality is the distorted sax, keyboards and Hammill vocals, clearly identificable as modern Van Der Graaf. The second Cd contains improvs, and  there were times I thought I was listening to the Wyatt, Hopper, Ratledge period Soft Machine jamming, say around the Volume 2 period. I really like the album - being a long term VdGG fan and a fan of the jazz rock improv which is heard over the second CD - but like the Irish story about directions for Dublin - I wouldn't start here!

If you don't know VdGG's music, see if you can find the two cheap Virgin Records compilations, First Generation and Second Generation, and then go from there.

The first disc is not very far from Hammill's solo albums of the 90s and 00s, IMO. But nevertheless, it's nice to hear all VdGG members together again!

Saxist and flautist Jackson has been present on the most of Hammill's solo albums, but here he is more omnipresent (like in VdGG of old). Banton and Evans are also in good shape. (Both of them have also appeared on Hammil's solo albums, Evans was the drummer of Hammil's "K Group" in the 80s).

The second disc is more interesting (not necessarily better). Those free-jazzy improvisations sound fresh and exciting to me.