SECOND GENERATION (SCENES FROM 1975-1977)

A bit of an oddity.This is the first compilation of the re-formed and subsequently re-named VdGG/Van der Graaf.Peter Hammill had been persuing a solo career whilst the other members of the band had formed The Long Hello. This compilation starts with a trio of track from the stunning 'comeback' album,Godbluff. My personal favourite from that album ,The Arrow is omitted. What sort of marketing ploy Charisma were up to I can only guess at.Three tracks from a four track album! Needless to say these tracks are brilliant in all there austere,menacing beauty. Next we have a brace from the follow-up album ,Still Life.The first,Pilgrims is a fantastic song full of suspence and a very Hammill solo style melody in the songs final coda. Still Life follows.The polar opposite of Pilgrims.It is dark,eerie and almost Edgar Allan Poe- esque in it's lyrical imigery.Death and defication, 'Hers forever In Still Life' muses Hammill in probably one of the darkest love songs that you'll ever hear. When She Comes follows .It's an up-beat rocker for VdGG.Vaguely reminiscent of what Hammill was writing for his soon to be released solo album,Over.This is one of two tracks from the World Record album,the last studio album to feature Hugh Banton and David Jackson.Wondering,the other track from World Record is mysteriously stuck on the end of this record, out of sequence,it is a great track to end an album with it's yearning plea as to whether 'It's All Been True.Segueing When She Comes and Wondering are two tracks from the re-monikered Van der Graaf. This line-up features bassist Nic Potter from the Least We Can Do...to the Pawn Hearts band.The other new member is violinist Graham Smith formally of label-mates Sring Driven Thing. The two tracks from Van der Graafs only studio album,Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome. were a change in style. Lighter without losing the trade mark menacing edge.The sound also had a punky/new wave feel,contempory with the then current music scene. The music on this album cannot be faulted.Its just perfunctory.Buy The Box and the featured studio albums for a better over-view on the latter VdGG/VdG incarnation.