When did u not only "get", but actually love VDGG?

Mascodagama wrote: Frenetic Zetetic wrote: Mascodagama wrote: Circa 1985 when I was sixteen. I got Godbluff on vinyl and it rewired my brain. That's a unique time period to discover VDGG, IMO! Everyone else was probably blasting Flock of Seagulls and here you are diving deep LOL . I had to be into stuff nobody else liked - perverse moody teenager that I was. Prog was fairly good for that. Even the other members of the tiny prog clique at my school (...there were three of us...) didn't really dig VdGG, so I knew I was onto a winner. Plus it probably goes without saying that I was a doomed poet living in a meaningless world of fools, so I related to Peter Hammill straight away.  Did like Japan, Tears for Fears, etc as well to be fair. Though not really Flock of Seagulls.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: The music of Van der Graaf Generator had never really generated much interest before I joined Prog Archives, but after reading all of the appreciative comments about VDGG on PA, they sparked my interest and I went out and bought their two 1970 CD albums without even hearing them first. I wasn't disappointed, but it's a good thing I didn't buy the Pawn Hearts album instead.   Here are my VDGG ratings after listening to all of their albums recently:-      1969: The Aerosol Grey Machine    1970: The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other    1970: H to He, Who Are the Only One    1972: Pawn Hearts    1975: Godbluff    1976: Still Life    1976: World Record    1977: The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome    1978: Vital    2005: Present    2008: Trisector    2011: A Grounding in Numbers    2012: ALT    2016: Do Not Disturb

ONLY Two Stars for Pawn Hearts argh!

SOME-THING HAPPENED AND I'M HEAD O-VER HEELS

To this day I still don't like VDGG.  I've listened to their albums through the years (maybe not all of them, but several) - I think my first exposure was when I got married - my wife had Still Life.  I'll keep trying.  (I disliked David Sylvian for over a decade, and now he's one of my favorites.  Something happens and it all comes together, and you 'hear' it.) 

geekfreak wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: The music of Van der Graaf Generator had never really generated much interest before I joined Prog Archives, but after reading all of the appreciative comments about VDGG on PA, they sparked my interest and I went out and bought their two 1970 CD albums without even hearing them first. I wasn't disappointed, but it's a good thing I didn't buy the Pawn Hearts album instead.   Here are my VDGG ratings after listening to all of their albums recently:-      1969: The Aerosol Grey Machine    1970: The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other    1970: H to He, Who Are the Only One    1972: Pawn Hearts    1975: Godbluff    1976: Still Life    1976: World Record    1977: The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome    1978: Vital    2005: Present    2008: Trisector    2011: A Grounding in Numbers    2012: ALT    2016: Do Not Disturb ONLY Two Stars for Pawn Hearts argh!

I'm a VdGG fan and Paul has rated more VdGG albums than I have heard (he has rated 14 albums). I do suspect that Paul hasn't given Pawn Hearts much of a chance (maybe listened once on youtube as I doubt he owns all (any?) of those VDGG albums or has given them all multiple spins). Albums can take some time to live and breathe with you in your collection. I had the album for more than a year before it altogether clicked. I did love Man-Erg right from the start, and later I fell head-over-heels for a Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, but Lemmings was a little harder. It can take not just spins but time, patience and the right mood for music to click (some never will, so move on -- so much music, so little time). I wouldn't feel comfortable rating music that I haven't listened to considerable times, but we're all different (that ends up skewing ratings high).

I got into VdGG in about 2005 or 2004. In about late 2006 or 2007 I was quite obsessive about The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other, H to He Who Am the Only One, and Pawn Hearts. Those three remain the ones that I return to the most. For Godbluff, Still Life, World Record, and The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome I have to be in a certain mood. At one time I was very into Godbluff, but the last time I listened it didn't much appeal. I listen to more Peter Hammill "solo" than VdGG for some reason. Think I'll put on The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage right now.

Edited by Logan - December 23 2020 at 18:35

Zeph wrote: I’m getting there. My first times listening to VDGG was largely impacted by the reaction to Peter’s voice. It overshadowed the music and made it difficult to appreciate. These days I’ve gotten used to his voice and can better listen to the enitre albums, which is where the real love can be born. At this point I’m at the stage where VDGG is quite new, unexplored and exciting, and I’m really enjoying it. Early eclectic prog has proven to be a bit challenging. I like some KC albums, but not comfortable with most. GG is still not there, though I give them a listen here and there. VDGG is slowly getting there.