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Joined: February 26 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 24
Topic: Van Der Graaf Generator needle and thread Posted: April 02 2014 at 16:32
I've heard the remasters and to be honest I'm not keen on them. They just sound incredibly loud to me. Of course, VdGG really sound best this way but a lot of dynamics get lost. I prefer the old masters cranked up :) It's unfortunate, as these albums really *could* use a remix (at least, the first four - everything from Godbluff on seems fine to me)
In particular, I don't think a good mix of "The Least We Can Do" exists. I have 3 different versions of this and none of them sound good to my ears.
Lately I've been cranking Vital - Live a lot. What an incredible and ruthless performance. Funny how VdGG's one live album (at least, pre-reformation) consisted of half B-sides and unreleased tracks, plus medleys of tunes that don't really go together, and 18 minutes of "Pioneers Over c" - not at all what you'd expect. Doesn't matter...it still rules!!
Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Posted: February 11 2014 at 10:34
UndercoverBoy wrote:
You are correct sir. Peter Hammill is the second coming of christ. We should start a cult around him because of his god-like genius. I want to have his children.
I know this was written with tongue planted firmly in cheek, but...
"Peter Hammill is the second coming of Christ": I've been to Hammill concerts in the 90s where people were handing out "Hammill is God" flyers. In the the 70's there was an interview where PH states that some fan outside of the concert hall painted "Hammill is God" on the band's truck. Jaxon once told me that the intensity of some fans (especially in Italy), who looked at PH as some sort of messiah, really disturbed Peter.
"We should start a cult around him...": See above. In a great review of "The Quiet Zone.." album in '77, Jonathan Barnett (from NME I think) stated, in a very positive review, something to the effect of "Forget the sick cult, this is music worth getting to know"
"I want to have his children": Has happened repeatedly throughout his career with delusional female fans. See his autobiographical story in Killers Angels Refugees, called "Audi" where he recounts a concert they played on their German tour of '71 (chick back stage story, who reckons that they'd produce the most beautiful child together, and is serious and pushy about it). Also L.A. Times article on Hammill (1985) where the writer states (great line) "Male fans lose friends because Hammill is all they want to talk about; female fans simply want to have his baby." The article goes on to talk about a recent incident with PH and some female fan (American or Canadian, can't remember)
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15921
Posted: February 07 2014 at 02:32
^ No-one sung in this style before him, and only try-hards exist after him. Pete is one-of-a-kind and could never be matched....(no matter how nuts....).
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17538
Posted: December 23 2013 at 09:44
dr prog wrote:
If they didn't break up and produced albums in 72, 73 and 74 they may have in my top 3 prog bands. I've never been a big fan of pawn hearts though
I remember listening to "Silent Corner and Empty Stage" ... and hearing some of the lyrics, and I knew they were valuable for me. Not as "hardcore feelings", but I simply did not have the same words in my vocabulary at the time, to appreciate the strength in the poetic vision of the work.
There is a lot of work in Peter's catalog that is difficult. But in the end, when you look at the whole list, and you can say that you enjoyed so many of them, you know that you have a major artist in your midst. What else is there to know?
One simply has to get past the bumber of albums, and songs, and start thinking of it all as something else? You don't go around counting songs and albums by Debussy, or Bach or Mozart, do you? So what more do you need to realize/appreciate a major artist?
Edited by moshkito - December 24 2013 at 10:04
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
Joined: September 25 2010
Location: Melbourne
Status: Offline
Points: 2511
Posted: December 20 2013 at 15:19
If they didn't break up and produced albums in 72, 73 and 74 they may have in my top 3 prog bands. I've never been a big fan of pawn hearts though
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17538
Posted: December 20 2013 at 08:23
Hi,
I don't really have "favorite" bands or artists. I enjoy listening to so many of them that thinking one is better than the others is petty, silly and totally putty. Today, you like lollipops and tomorrow you like ______________ something else. We all change.
But I can say that there are 2 or 3 folks that I have appreciated for over 20 years and then some. And in no certain order, they are Peter Hammill (I prefer the solo works), Djam Karet and Tangerine Dream. These, have, consistently, give us a variety that defies the description of "progressive" in ways that we don't really want to study and look at.
All in all, you will find that 20 years from now, your choice is a bit weird and makes no sense and you are already listening to something else and you do not think that old one was as good.
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
Joined: November 29 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 557
Posted: December 19 2013 at 03:38
Alright, cheers. I always find when I start comparing different masters of albums, I eventually just end up hearing every tiniest thing as wrong, so I should probably just accept it. But I'm very sure it's very significantly quieter in the full band sections.
Joined: November 29 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 557
Posted: December 17 2013 at 19:33
Sorry for the bump, but this seemed to be one of the few vaguely recent VdGG general threads still open.
For those who have heard some of the band's remasters, particularly Godbluff & Still Life, does anyone else find the vocals very quiet? In general the sound of the albums is much improved, but I think it's something to do with what tends to broadly happen, EQ-wise, on remasters- boosting lows & boosting highs, and the vocals get a bit lost between. Though then again the other mid-range instruments sound fine.
It just bothers me, given how crucial Hammill is here, for him to feel buried at times.
Joined: July 02 2008
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 14258
Posted: May 28 2011 at 09:04
I also made some clips to the new VDGG 'A Grounding in Numbers' - see what you think and if you have not heard it yet here's some of the better tracks/
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Van Der Graaf Generator needle and thread
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UndercoverBoy wrote:
