VITAL

Bloody awful! This did not exactly portray VDG in a good light, between the loud, sloppy crude playing of the final lineup and the bad mix. Should NEVER have been released. A live recording of the Banton/Jackson/Evans/Hammill lineup would've been far better. Ugly doesn't even begin to describe it.

This is the only live album that his seminal group ever released and it was their farewell shows them under an unusual line-up. This version of the group has all the participans of the unsettling but still interesting TQZ/TPD , plus a cellist(!?!? An excellent initiative! I wonder why they waited so long) and the return as a guest of Jackson. The remastered version corrects a mistake done with the original Cd release as it adds the two tracks previously omitted for space/length reasons. But although not operating miracles , again the remastering job profitsa nuber of tracks , ven takes a rough and abrupt edges to some songs to render them easer to get "accustomed" to without tampering with their rawness/integrity . So be assured that the legendary raw ower is fully reproduced ( and also the full one night Marquee concert) , only the images lacking.

One of the interesting/intriguing aspect of this album is how they adapted their oldermaterial to fit the new line-up especially wth the two string instruments to pick up the void left by the absence of Banton's keyboards. Well I can tell you that this is partially successful even giving goosebumps at the start of the Lighthouse Keepers suite , but unfortunately not daring to do it in its entirity and sliping in one of my least fave track Sleepwalkers. But I am going a little quick here, as before that, the Generator-less VDG had given us a rawer version of Ship Of Fools (much better than the studio version IMHO) and then really charmed us with Still Life with a delighting opening section , hammill singing out to Smith's violin and being stunningly underlined by Dickie's cello. Clearly all the older tracks were well adapted as they gain a new life with the arrangements for cello-violin pair, but unortunately also for Hammill's rather medium guitar playing. Last Frame and Mirror Images (extended for the former from the previous album and a new track for the latter) and passes smoothly, but cleary the next hihlight is the Plague track already discussed above, bu unfortunately (for me anyway) dipping all to soon in Sleepwalkers with Guest Jackson finally appearing and the track returning to the final notes of Plague.

The second disc (it was originally a double vinyl but only released as such in Japan) starts with another delightful treat in an extended Pioneers Over C, with rather odd choices such as the use of a crunching guitar, the violin-cello duo intervening later. Potter finally getting to replay his bass lines, and violin then sax improvs , but also the crunching guitar riffs makes this version different (but not better) and more brutal. Sci-Finance is a rather sub-par track and it is easy to see why it got the axe from the selection , Door somehow escaping that very same fate by being an original track not yet available elsewhere, both being very raw and no remastering job being able to change much to the difficult sound recording that night. New track Urban is next and incorporates Killer , really showing the band cooking up towards the end of the show and as an encore , the title track from one of Hammill's solo album makes the end of the second disc a bit rough on my nerves.

The most interest I found in this album I the adaptation of the classic tracks , the rest of the stuff only confirmng the direction Hammill had takenfrom his Nadir solo album. The remastering job having done what as feasable , the sound being sometimes over-saturated from the over-energetic VDG. Let me prefer the Generator version

This album may not have the best of sounds, but it shows the band at the peak of their energy, and there never has been a more brutal bass guitar than that of Nic Potter on this album. Hammill is in excellent form and screams away at the top of his lungs. The opener "Ship of Fools" is a real killer. The adding of a cello works wonderfully for tracks like "Still Life" and "Pioneers Over c" (watch out for the part where violin and cello go manic at high tempo while the bass guitar suddenly starts playing the slow rhythm of the beginning again). The only thing I hate is that the CD version misses 2 tracks (I can't get hold of the Japanese pressing), so I am really looking forward to the remastering Virgin is going to do this year and hope they won't leave out any tracks this time. One of my absolutely favorite live albums ever. Raw Power!

My first VDGG live experience dates from October 1976. It was probably not a tremendous adventure since I do not remember lots of of this concert at the Cirque Royal in Brussels. I only was a seventeen year-old fan wanting to access a live VDGG performance (one of my top ten band of that era).

When I listen to this live record, I can only agree with Hughes and say that their concerts were really difficult to get into. Not even to mention to record such a moment. Vital is definitely not a great live moment.

Sound is on par with average bootlegs at time. Track list is not great and some numbers really should not have been on this first official VDGG live album like "Ship Of Fools" (bonus track on the remastered version of "The Quiet Zone") and "Mirror Images" (from Hammill solo career).

Of course, by the time, it was the only one available.

Too few magical moments. Poor renditions of great track like "Still Life" (a real massacre). The "Medley" with bits and bites from "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" is not too bad a moment. This live album won't get into our memories of great live renditions, definitely.

There are recent non-official material from the band that are worthwhile. One of them has been recorded in London in 2005 during their reunion tour: If you can get hold of that one, have a try, it is really worth. The tracklist is superb and the sound OK. FYI, they played : "The Undercover Man", "Scorched Earth", "Refugees", "Every Bloody Emperor", "Lemmings", "In the Black Room", "Darkness", "Masks", "Childlike Faith In Childhood's End", "The Sleepwalkers", "Man-Erg", "Killer" and "Wondering". This is the vital VDGG, right ?

Instead, this one, after three or four spins reminds peacefully in my "CD theque".

Two stars for this not vital effort.

Van Der Graaf Generator live is something wonderful. Unfortunately, finding it isn't the easiest of tasks. Up until this point an offical live album had not been released. At last though, VDGG (or if you want to be technical VDG) fans who never got a chance to see them live, could at least "live" the experience. First and foremost, an interesting line-up is presented, with guitar, bass, violin, and cello. For me it gives them a great sound. Granted, it can't totally replace Jackson's sax (which thankfully makes a "Guest" appearance here), but it really gives them a full sound. Needless to say, the playing on Vital is impeccable, with every musician given his chance to shine.

The first thing I notice about this album is the hard rockingness of many of the songs. Tracks like Ship Of Fools, Pioneers Over C, and Killer are played much more aggressively then their studio counterparts. Also, with the inclusion of these new sounds many of the songs sound fresh and new, which I always like to see/hear in a live album. The inclusion of previously unreleased material is very much appreciated. Urban and Sci-Fience are especially strong tracks, that I would have loved to have a studio version of. The second most obvious things about this record is the sound quality. Now, I have the 2005 remastered CD, and I can firmly say that I love the sound of this live album, even though it is not perfect. It is not muddied or overly raw, but it still keeps the feel of a live setting. (As a side note: I have heard other VDGG live tracks which the sound quality was absolutly atrocious and did not do justice to such wonderful music. For that fact I was reluctant to buy this CD at first, but luckily they really picked it up for this one).

Now on to the bad, which is limited. First about the sound: The drums, voice, and guitar really steal the show. There are times where it is really hard to hear the cello and especially the sax, and some of that comes from it being drowned out by the other instruments. That is also my major complaint about this album. However, a track or two seemed to be cut strangely, but it doesn't affect the song. But, the crowd noise is kept to a minimum, as are sections of applause.

All in all, this is a fine live album which shows this phase of Van Der Graff off in its full glory. While there are a few problems here and there with the sound, there is enough pros in this album to have it be worthy of owning. For fans of the band, this is an essential purchase (espcially since live material is rare). For casual prog fans it is a nice addition for your collection. 3.5 stars.

Van Der Graaf's Live show captured is a vital experience

Van der Graaf Generator's 'Vital' is a concert performance in their last days and as a record of the incredible raw power this band exuded, it is a vital entry into the catalogue of VDGG albums. The double CD is worth getting for the extra 2 tracks and seems to have better sound quality in its remastered version. The live tracks boast the unique sound of VDGG and features lyrics that are dangerously close to the edge and Peter Hammill's vocals are like no other. He can croon smoothly, almost whisper along a minimalist approach that may feature a mere Hammond Organ, or he can scream as a cacophony of sound erupts. The live sound meanders between serene tranquillity to atomic energy.

CD 1 begins with Ship of Fools which is as bizarre a track played live as in the studio. It is easy to see why this band are musical pioneers and boundary pushing visionaries. The energy of the live performance is astonishing. Hammill is turned well up in the mix, perhaps too screechy at times, and the Hammond is let loose along with the soaring sax. Still Life follows, perhaps the best track from the aforementioned album, and is played magnificently, very subtle, almost minimalist in places and then the wall of sound erupts. Last Frame works well enough with the violin, Hammond and percussion; an oddity of musical virtuosity.

Mirror Images is an intriguing piece and then we are treated with the piece de resistance - the medley Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers. Both of which are brilliant in the studio from Pawn Hearts and Godbluff, 2 quintessential VDGG albums make no mistake, but they lose something in the live version. Both only clock in at some 13 minutes and are heavily edited. I did not like the way Lighthouse was edited as it's my fave track of VDGG. However it was pleasant to hear this version in many respects. It begins softly and then launches into the maelstrom of sound and verbal music psychosis that is VDGG. The Hammond and sax take us deeper into the abyss and VDGG really let loose with wild staccato riffs and a monstrous finale where everything just explodes into a paroxysm of uncontrolled mayhem. It's a killer track and moves from romanticism with piano elegy only to explode into a doom-laden soundwave with wild saxophones screaming over unfriendly sounds such as Dickie's keyboards and Guy Evan's off-kilter percussion. 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' was the first track I had heard from this amazing band that tells the story of an eyewitness who sees the unspeakable as he feels his body fading in a storm while voyaging on a doomed ship. It reminds one of Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner (check Iron Maiden's take on this poem). The narrator notes "I prophesy disaster and then I count the cost. I shine but shining, dying I know that I am almost lost." The piano gets faster and seems to be falling down an abyss. There is a brief interlude that reminds one of a ship floating on an endless ocean and we hear the lonely saxophone blasts that resemble bizarre fog horns. You can almost picture the image of a ghost ship sailing through fog and there's a genuinely creepy ambience. The song takes on a darker atmosphere and Hammill begins to use his patented gravel tone to sing of spectres that scratch on windows, hollowed faces, and lost mastheads that pierce the freezing dark. There are several parts that flash by until the track moves to Presence of the Night/ Kosmos Tours. Jackson's saxophone really shines in this section and a weird time signature locks in, with Hammill singing "Why can't I let me live and be free, but I die very slowly alone." A beautiful Hammond sound fills the void and the tempo ignites to a frenetic pace where it spirals blissfully out of control. Then it all ends suddenly and the gorgeous piano reverberates to a melancholic contemplative Hammill who asks "Lighthouses might hold the key but can I reach the door?" It's a lovely moment after all the mayhem preceding, then the next section begins suddenly with Hammill's rasping vocals and short jagged spurts of noise from Jackson and Evans. At times the sound seems curiously off kilter, out of tune and rhythm but it all gels perfectly into the tranquil finale. You can take what you will from the potent lyrics but all is sung with absolute conviction which makes the piece all the more intriguing. It is a ballad of gothic grandeur in every sense that constantly surprises with its complex twisting structure.

CD 2 begins brilliantly with Pioneers Over C; at 17 minutes in length it is another highlight. 2 very rare tracks follow with Sci-Finance and Door, that were not released on an album in the 70s and they are interesting but a little forgettable. I love the version of Urban/Killer/Urban that really hits you between the eyes. Nadir's Big Chance is from Hammill's solo album and is perhaps the best he has done. The live version is lacking vocally but the intention is as full of conviction as other Hammill performances.

The album is best purchased in the 2 CD remastered format with a terrific booklet about the live show. The CD has some blazing numbers that really jolt you to your senses. It does not all work perfectly and is chaotic in places but it works as an emotional rollercoaster; brooding, with interchanging time signatures, long and contemplative and experimental to the max. You can hardly hear the crowd and there are some uncomfortable silences but it is compelling listening that draws you in deeper as it progresses. It has the feeling of emptiness or something ending, which is exactly what was happening - the band itself. It is not a starting point for someone interested in discovering the band, but it works as a supplement to the studio offerings of one of the best eclectic psychedelic bands of the 70s. A band that continues to perform live and produce great music to this day.

When I heard this album for the first time, I had to overcome one major stumbling block: my own expectation. This album wasn't the least like I had expected. VDGG had introduced a rough edge to their sound since they regrouped in 1975, but little did I know that this edge had become so sharp in a live setting. I quite liked the new songs on it but I thought the VDGG classics were a massacre.

This incarnation of VDGG has an entirely different line up. No Hugh Banton organ and, except for a few tracks, also no David Jackson. The losses were compensated by the return of Nick Potter on bass, Graham Smith on violin and a certain Dickie on cello. Also Hammill's quircky electric guitar comes more to the fore and, if you still had your hopes up for some melodic pleasure, also his harsh vocals won't add any.

The heavily distorted bass of Potter and Evans' compulsive drumming take the lead, creating a blunt and bleak stab of energy and passion. Depending on your predisposition that will either mean ugly or awesome. In the 20 years since my first exposure to this side of VDGG, my judgement has changed along similar lines, from ugly to stunning. In retrospect, this was the album that initiated me to the harsh energy of punk. In fact, this album has a certain grunge and punk vibe rather then a prog one. It's as if the Melvins or NoMeansNo were doing a set of VDGG songs.

Another word of advice (which goes for all VDGG albums). Please throw away any of the first generation CDs you might have bought. They are all simply horrible. Instead you get your hands on the great 2005 re-releases. They will make you forget the flat mid-range of the initial CD releases and will bring the sound of the original vinyl back. That certainly goes for Vital, where the reissue also restores the original track list.

This live album reveals a side of VDGG that won't please every fan, but the live adrenaline just pours out of the speakers. Besides, it has an advantage over many other live albums. Instead of bringing live clones of the originals, this album will truly add something to your collection, a disturbing view on this band for instance.

The second (and much longer) VdGG hiatus was heralded by this live album, which presents the Van der Graaf lineup (plus the guest starring David Jackson) in a raw, angry, noisy, furious performance from the Quiet Zone tour. Presenting a mixture of material from that album, reconfigured older songs (on which Graham Smith's violin works surprisingly well), and a few tracks original to this release, this album is best experienced either as the original LP set or as the 2005 2CD remaster - previous CD editions having omitted tracks. It's aggressive, brutal and right at the progressive cutting edge, a living reminder that VdGG were always the darkest and most sinister of the major British prog bands, and what better way to herald the end of the golden age of prog with a raucous performance of Nadir's Big Chance as an encore?

This live album is not for the faint of heart. David Jackson is back for this recording of a 1978 concert, but this is the Van Der Graaf lineup, which means that Hugh Banton's hammond organ is nowhere to be found (there's a lot of Graham Smith's violin, though, as well as cello from a newcomer named Charles Dickie). In addition, about half of the material was previously unreleased (some would later end up on Hammill solo albums), and the other half is transformed in ways that aren't necessarily for the better. Throw in that the recording quality is sketchy (Jackson may be present but he's a non-factor for a lot of it), and that Hammill is often more interested in yelling than in singing, and you have an album that only a die-hard fan could love, and one that anybody else could potentially hate.

Well, I don't quite hate it, and I kinda like it in spots. I actually quite like the medley of "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" and "Sleepwalkers" that concludes the first half; the editing process eliminates some of the aspects I like of each track (the hard-rock groove of "Sleepwalkers" is nowhere near as powerful as before), but it also gets rid of a lot of the bad in "Plague," and the final product is one I basically find enjoyable. Plus, I feel like the violin is a great addition to the arrangement of "Plague," one that adds a lot of atmosphere.

The other familiar tracks have ups and downs, to say the least. "Still Life" trades the low-key intensity of the original (which only hinted at fully fury at times but never remotely approached it) for a louder, screamier intensity, with grumbling guitars and violin that feels a bit like a pest at times. Still, while there's nowhere near the same depressing stomach- punch effect that the original provided in its best moments, I find there's a weird charm in the overpowered bass, over-thumped drums and over-dramatic violin parts of this one. It won't convert somebody who's never heard the original, but somebody who likes the original but doesn't feel a tight connection with all of its little details could like this one.

Of the other two familiar tracks, "Last Frame" never impressed me much beyond its introduction, and this one is about the same, while "Pioneers over c" is, well, an acquired taste that might not be worth acquiring. The original was fantastic, but this is 17 minutes long (much longer than the original) and obliterates most of the atmosphere of the original, replacing it with a lot of screaming and grumbly guitars and a lot of out-of-control loud fuzz- bass. The basic skeleton of the piece is more or less the same, and I have enough residual familiarity with and love for the original that I can find some enjoyment in grooving along the various parts, but I like the original way more.

Of the other tracks, the best of the lot is definitely the closing "Nadir's Big Chance," the excellent title track of the excellent 1975 Hammill solo album, and it turns out to be a good fit for an ensemble best suited (based on their other performances) for making a lot of artsy punkish racket. The other tracks are definitely artsy punkish racket, with jazzy elements thrown in (especially on "Urban," which incorporates snippets of "Killer" during the mid- section and is thus labeled "Urban/Killer/Urban"), but they ramble a lot without leaving much of an impression (other than some nice riffs in "Ship of Fools" and "Urban"). The general approach and combination of instruments is novel enough that I wouldn't mind hearing this material again once in a great while, but something to hold onto beyond style and interesting timbre would be nice.

As with Quiet Zone, listening to this leaves me with little surprise that the band broke up as soon thereafter as it did. For whatever good that's in here, the final product sounds like a tense novelty at best, and it should say something that, as somebody who overrates prog-related live albums as easily as I breathe, I have to struggle a bit to pull out bits that I like. Buy it at your own peril.

"Vital" is indeed a strange beast within the Van der Graaf Generator canon. Very much a love it/hate it effort, it marked the end of the band in their classic 1970s period. But, what everyone seems to agree about is that this double vinyl live record presents the band in their most aggressive, brutal and extreme offering.

Long time ago I had an oppportunity to borrow this LP and listen to it a few times but was not much impressed. I even thought at times that it was absolutely horrible sound-wise, except for wonderful "Mirror Images", which was far superior as performed here than in the studio version on Peter Hammill's "Ph7" solo album, not least due to fantastic Nick Potter's bass playing. Perhaps it was the murky production, bad mixing or whatever, but the sound was pretty irritating. And although I had already been acquainted with many punk rock classics, this VdG version of it did not make much sense to me.

Fast forward to the digital millenial era when VdGG not only re-formed in their classic line-up, but when their back catalogue saw digital remastering courtesy of Virgin Records, who had acquired the rights to old Charisma label. This 2005 double-disc release of "Vital" sounds far more superior and cleaner than the original 1978 vinyl record, thanks to Peter Hammil and the band who supervised digital remastering of the old tapes produced by drummer Guy Evans. Unfortunately, sax wizard Dave Jackson (who was briefly back to the foil following his departure in early 1977) is still barely audible on several tracks, but as he explains in the liner notes, this was due to technical problem during original live recording process when Jackson's entire audio track was deleted, so Evans tried to pick up the traces of saxophone from other available tracks. Nonetheless, the sound is amazingly heavy, with Potter's fuzzy bass up front in the mix (which I like), often at the expense of other players (which is not very good). Besides him, Hammill shouts and screams and slashes electric guitar with his imperfect playing in a way "MC5 meets Sex Pistols", while violin virtuoso Graham Smith often provides lead melodic lines instead of absent keyboards and buried saxes, particularly in older songs. Newcomer Charles Dickie's cello provides some nice backing to several tracks but his credited keyboards are very hard to detect.

Actually, when considered in a broader respect of Peter Hammill's entire career, "Vital" now seems much more consistent with his experiment-minded spirit and his urge to make "pop music" in rather unconventional ways. At the time when this album was recorded (January 1978) many other prog rock bands (with which VdGG were often lumped together rather supeficially) became caricatures of themselves, either losing ideas entirely or going pop-mainstream-arena. Hammill and VdG embraced punk and new wave instead, using these trends to facilitate their own expressions and ideas and to offer them to new and diverse audiences. In a way, Hammill was even considered an early progenitor of British punk with his "Nadir's Big Chance" solo LP of 1975, and according to some sources he even coined the term "punk rock", at least in UK, two years before rock journalists adopted it during the 1977 Pistols craze. In the early 1980s Hammill formed the K-Group with VdG rhythm section Evans/Potter and John Ellis, ex-guitarist of the British punk rock band the Vibrators, whose 1977 album "Pure Mania" should have been considered one of the classics of the genre. This excellent line-up backed Hammill on his several solo LPs and live gigs providing an uptempo post-punk new wave sound. Shortly before that in the early 1980, Hammill appeared as a guest (along with Robert Fripp!) on the Stranglers concert dedicated to their imprisoned vocalist Hugh Cornwell, singing "Tank" from their acclaimed (and probably most downright punkish) "Black and White" album. Taking all this into account, "Vital" seems more natural product of the late 1970s when genres and styles blended and influenced each other back and forth.

Now, back to the CD. Practically all songs, apart from some older material, are killer versions of their studio counterparts (either VdG or Hammill solo albums). Medley of "Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers" and "Urban/Killer" does not work well, but "Pioneers Over C" instead is excellent even if prolonged to 17 minutes. Roughly half of the album ("Ship of Fools", "Mirror Images", "Sci-Finance", "Door", "Urban" and "Nadir's Big Chance") consists of tracks that are premiered on a VdGG album, so for this reason only every VdGG collector should own it. And since these are performed in a "most extreme" way, "Vital" is also an album that every punk rocker should have in his/her prog collection!

Review Nº 157

"Vital" is Van Der Graaf Generator's debut live album. It's the only live album of the group made during their two first musical periods and it marked also the end of Van Der Graaf Generator as a band until their last reunion in 2005. The album was recorded in 16 January 1978 at The Marquee Club in London and was released in July of the same year. As happened with the band's previous album, it was also only credited under the name of Van Der Graaf.

It has also the same line up of "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome", plus the new band's member Charles Dickie. It shows also the return of their original saxophonist David Jackson, as a guest. So, the line up on the album is Peter Hammill (vocals, piano and guitars), Graham Smith (violin), Nick Potter (bass guitar), Guy Evans (drums) and Charles Dickie (cello, electric piano and synthesizer). David Jackson (saxophones and flute), appears as a guest musician.

My review of "Vital" is about the double CD remastered edition of 2005 with ten tracks. The first track "Ship Of Fools" is a live version of a song released as the B side of the single "Cat's Eye". "Cat's Eye" was released on "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome". The second track "Still Life" is a live version of a song released on "Still Life". The third track "Last Frame" is a live version of a song released on "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome". The fourth track "Mirror Images" is a live version of an unreleased song. It was released later on Hammill's "PH7". The fifth track "Medley: A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers" is a medley of two songs, "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers" released on "Pawn Hearts" and "Sleepwalkers" released on "Godbluf". The sixth track "Pioneers Over C" is a live version of a song released on "H To He, Who Am The Only One". The seventh track "Sci-Finance" is a live version of an unreleased song. The eighth track "Door" is a live version of an unreleased song. The ninth track "Urban/Killer/Urban" is a live version of two songs. "Urban" is an unreleased song and "Killer" was released on "H To He, Who Am The Only One". The tenth track "Nadir's Big Chance" is a live version of a song released on Hammill's "Nadir's Big Chance".

About the performance on the album, I think we can say this is a very strange and curious live album. It contains some new material, recent material and some old favourite material. Yet, they are all played with a dark malignant air hanging around them. Maybe because we were in times of changes, in 1978, the times of punk rock movement. I've always thought "Vital" was one of the heaviest and aggressive live albums ever made, even for Van Der Graaf Generator's canon. When I'm saying heavy and agressive, I don't mean "heavy" in the Iron Maiden's sense of the word, and I don't mean "aggressive" in the King Crimson's sence, too. Listen to Potter's bass on "Nadir's Big Chance" and you can see what I'm saying, or Hammill's utterly rabid vocals at the end of "Ship Of Fools". Then, there's the sombre, crushing doom of "Still Life", which surpasses its studio predecessor. Listening to this it's not hard to imagine why Johnny Rotten was enthusiastic with them. Sometimes it seems like we are being hit by a car. Perhaps it was due to that they added a cello, because Hammill thought they were getting "too much extreme" live. To be fair there are some times when this album drags a bit with the heaviness and aggressivity of some of its live versions, and some other times it's performed much more closely faithful with the original studio versions. For instance, "Mirror Images" and "Medley: A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers" are the two and only tracks performed with the sound more close to the original sound of the group. By the other hand, "Still Life" is performed as if the paranoia, restfulness and the final resigned state of the song's subjects have exploded asunder. Still, it's the only official live album the band released in the 70's, even if it was performed with an atypical line up. But it still remains a great line up. It only lacks Hugh Banton.

Conclusion: I've heard people describe this album as a masterpiece and others as utterly detestable and criminal. I think none are right. Still, despite "Vital" be a very good live album I always was a bit disappointed with it. I expected much more of the first live album of a band like Van Der Graaf Generator. This is an album with a very savage heavy sound, with some punk influences, which was very unusual in them. By the other hand, the quality of the sound should be better, even on my remastered edition. I think there are two reasons for that. First, they were again with financial difficulties and they needed a record company to support them. In those times we were at the height of the punk movement and probably they thought that the change of their sound was an attempt to resolve that problem. Second, is the absence of their keyboardist and founder member Hugh Banton. I always considered his keyboard sound as one of the pillars of the group's sound. So, despite the high quality of the musicians who participated on the album and the return of David Jackson, the lack of his presence is clearly felt. Still, "Vital" remains, for me, an essential addition to any progressive rock collection, especially because it represents a great statement of the band and of those times of prog.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)