GODBLUFF

Thank you, ProgArchives, for turning me on to this amazing band! Due to the reverence paid to VdGG here, I decided to check them out. In all honesty, I was a little underwhelmed at first, and a bit put off by Peter Hammill's distinctive, theatrical vocal style. Apparently, I'm not alone in this. But so many people have said that it takes a few listens to wrap your head around VdGG that I decided to reserve judgement until I'd given the album several listens.

Well, it's been about a week, and I am now officially a VdGG fanatic! Once they clicked for me, they clicked in a big way. I'm not sure who influenced who, but they seem to combine a lot of traits from several artists I love. There's definite musical similarities to Soft Machine, King Crimson, Genesis, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and even early Judas Priest. The songs are brilliantly composed, both musically and lyrically, the musicianship is exquisite, and what really can you say about Peter Hammill's singing other than that he is just about in a class by himself. Only Peter Gabriel can come close in terms of theatrical power, but Hammill has a stronger, more classically beautiful voice.

So, for once, the hype is true. Van de Graaf Generator belongs in the top echelon of prog bands, and Godbluff should be mentioned in the same breath as Foxtrot, In The Court of The Crimson King, Close to the Edge and other prog masterpieces.