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Lewa 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 17 2009
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 105
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 Posted: August 22 2009 at 10:23 |
Originally posted by KingCrimson250
Funny this should come up, I just posted a review of Still Life on the site.
Pawn
Hearts is an incredible album and is probably among my top 10 of all
time. Not necessarily the first thing I would show to a prog newbie
though 
Still
Life I'm not as big on, it was good but nowhere near the same level. I
confess, however, to not owning Godbluff yet. I know, I know, take me
out and stone me, but I've been meaning to ask: Given that I enjoy Pawn
Hearts far more than I enjoy Still Life, which VDGG album should I pick
up next, H to He or Godbluff?
Hi KingCrimson250!
All the VDGG-lovers I know have something in common: They either prefer Pawn Hearts and H to He to Godbluff and Still Life, or the other way round.
So, in my experience, if you love Pawn Hearts you should dig H to He as well.
Sadly though, my sample of proggers consists only of 11 people .
It could all be a coincidence, I guess.
I envie you! You get to hear one of those albums for the first time.
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LiquidEternity
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 07 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 900
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Posted: August 22 2009 at 10:30 |
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I don't think my reviews accurately reflect this, but Godbluff is my favorite, while Pawn Hearts and H to He are slightly behind. Still Life never grabbed me quite like those three did. Also, I absolutely adore The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome, though that album would be a lot easier to swallow as a Peter Hammill solo record than a VdGG release.
Hammill's discography is huge and a lot of it isn't much above average. However, he's got some absolutely wonderful stuff to offer. Over, In Camera, some of The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage, Incoherence, Fool's Mate, This, A Black Box... such great music from a crazy English mind.
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: August 22 2009 at 10:51 |
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I'm in the minority in that I love Still Life over all other VdGG albums.
I love all VdGG albums though... except The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome and Trisector. They're both good though.
However, I prefer early material played live. Like Squid 1/Squid 2/Octopus, Aquarian and Afterwards. Great stuff!
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keith_emerson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 30 2006
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 155
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Posted: August 25 2009 at 23:00 |
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I'm in the "Pawn Hearts+ H to He" group!
In my opinion VdGG has some Genesis epic feel combined with lots of darkness. That's the main reason I like them so much. What do you think?
Please, could anyone suggest VdGGish groups (besides Gnidrolog which didn't work for me...Lacks darkness)
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LiquidEternity
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 07 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 900
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Posted: August 25 2009 at 23:03 |
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What do I think? I think Van der Graaf kicks Genesis's collective butts in every category except popularity.
And not to cop out, but the only other place you can get anything remotely like Van der Graaf Generator is in Peter Hammill's solo catalog. It's never quite as dark and dense and carefully chaotic, but he's got some great stuff. And some stuff that in its own right is better than anything he ever wrote with VdGG.
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: August 25 2009 at 23:03 |
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There isn't any other band like VdGG.
Discipline's Unfolded Like Staircase comes close but it's not as good as classic VdGG.
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keith_emerson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 30 2006
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 155
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Posted: August 25 2009 at 23:43 |
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My problem with PH solo is his lack of musical texture compared with VdGG: atmosphere it's not charged with frantic sax perfectly synchronized with counterpointish keyboards.
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BaldJean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10387
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 02:49 |
 keith_emerson wrote:
My problem with PH solo is his lack of musical texture compared with VdGG: atmosphere it's not charged with frantic sax perfectly synchronized with counterpointish keyboards.
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I like the chamber music approach of some of Hammill's work. it is very intimate. some of his songs actually remind me of Schubert; like Schubert's work they are usually not of the simple "verse chorus verse" structure, and this meandering structure of the lyrics is captured very well in the music. (Schubert did not use own lyrics though). and if you have ever been to a Hammill solo concert it will blow you away how one man with a keyboard and a guitar can convey that much passion and emotion
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 A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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progkidjoel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 19643
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 02:51 |
Evening!
I was wondering if I could get a reccomendation for a new VdGG album...
I only own GODBLUFF, and I'm looking into buying some more.
Thanks
-Joel 
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BaldJean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10387
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 03:00 |
progkidjoel wrote:
Evening!
I was wondering if I could get a reccomendation for a new VdGG album...
I only own GODBLUFF, and I'm looking into buying some more.
Thanks
-Joel |
if you are not afraid of weirdness, try "Pawn Hearts" next. "Godbluff" and "Pawn Hearts" are the most popular VdGG albums, though they are very different. "Godbluff" is very down to earth, "Pawn Hearts" is one of the most experimental albums ever
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A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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progkidjoel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 19643
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 03:09 |
^^ 
I think I'll order that one, as I've been getting into more experimental stuff lately.
Thanks!
-Joel
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progkidjoel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 19643
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 04:39 |
^^
Just ordered it!
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Tsevir Leirbag
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 03 2009
Location: Montréal
Status: Offline
Points: 8321
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 20:45 |
You won't be disappointed! 
In fact it was my first VDGG purchase, and also my favourite; now I also own Godbluff and Still Life, I find them both amazing. I'll try to buy H to He in the next months, but damn, I have to much albums to buy for now.
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Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira
- Paul Éluard
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KingCrimson250
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 29 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 573
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 21:59 |
Lewa wrote:
Hi KingCrimson250!
All the VDGG-lovers I know have something in common: They either prefer Pawn Hearts and H to He to Godbluff and Still Life, or the other way round.
So, in my experience, if you love Pawn Hearts you should dig H to He as well.
Sadly though, my sample of proggers consists only of 11 people.
It could all be a coincidence, I guess.
I envie you! You get to hear one of those albums for the first time.
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Hey, thanks for the recommendation! It could all be a coincidence, but what you're saying is the same vibe I got from reading the reviews on the site, so I think I'll go for H to He first. Godbluff will have to wait
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Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:15 |
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When is The Fall of the House of Usher going to be put back into print. I really, really, really, want to get my hands on a copy.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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LiquidEternity
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 07 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 900
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:18 |
Equality 7-2521 wrote:
When is The Fall of the House of Usher going to be put back into print. I really, really, really, want to get my hands on a copy. |
Agree ten thousand percent. I almost got it once for less than thirty dollars. Unfortunately, suddenly the seller is all, "Oh wait, I don't have it." Jerk.
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Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784
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Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:22 |
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Let's find him and destroy that cosmic cock tease.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Mladen_Serbia
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 13 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 115
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Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:07 |
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I've been listening to VDGG for about week or two, and the only album I truly liked is Pawn hearts. Godbluff is pretty solid as well, but I still have to get into it. I enjoyed TLWCDIWTEO, but H to He was a huge dissapointment to me. I guess it just takes time... I haven't heard Still life yet.
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The Sleepwalker
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 03 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 15141
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Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:46 |
Mladen_Serbia wrote:
I've been listening to VDGG for about week or two, and the only album I truly liked is Pawn hearts. Godbluff is pretty solid as well, but I still have to get into it. I enjoyed TLWCDIWTEO, but H to He was a huge dissapointment to me. I guess it just takes time... I haven't heard Still life yet. |
All of VDGG's albums take a while to fully appreciate / understand. I also didn't really enjoy H to He in the beginning, Pioneers over C. was too experimental, Killer too cheesy etc. But after listening to it more and more I began to appreciate and uinderstand the songs and now I absolutely love them. You should really try Still Life, it's absolutely fantastic. It was really hard to get into though, at the first couple of listens it sounded like a less raw and much less powerful version of Godbluff, but the opposite is what I think now. Apart from Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, Still Life contains some of VDGG's most emotional songs, and that's where the true power of the album lies. Definitely La Rossa and Childlike Faith in Childhoods End are absolutely stunning pieces. I'm sure if you like VDGG already after two weeks listening to them, you will like them much more when knowing them better, it took me months to fully understand their music!
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The Coastliner
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 19 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 75
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Posted: August 27 2009 at 22:50 |
Just popped in to say that, while I've liked VdGG for awhile, I hadn't touched Hammill's solo stuff until now. I was really blown away by In Camera -- especially "Gog/Magog (In Bromine Chambers)". What a confrontational song! It's got me looking into the mythological history of the two characters!
Also definitely seconding that H to He is worth getting into. It began with me just liking "Killer", but then I managed to 'get' each song one by one, which is the way it seems to work with a lot of VdGG.
And, for another bit of VdGG fun, does anyone else interpret Godbluff as being about one gigantic war that continues to escalate to ridiculous levels as it goes on? I'll admit that I don't think it was the original intention necessarily, but it adds a little relish to each of my listens to it.
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The VDGG/Peter Hammill Appreciation Thread
