THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS WAVE TO EACH OTHER

The second album labeled as a VdGG effort, though this is really where the band began if you ask me. "The Aerosol Grey Machine" was more of a PH solo effort, and frankly the difference is quite substantial even though Hammill remains the main songwriter also in VdGG.

This album features a quintet version of the classic line-up and opens up with a song called "Darkness"... yeah I can see where this is going already. The music is extremely dark and suggestive, in my opinion way more frightening and brutal than the most extreme metal. Hammill's lyrics instantly elevate the song to a higher level, which is a damn good job considering the level already being set at what I thought was max level with the other four creating the most vivid atmosphere on the planet.

There is something so incredibly strong over the lyrics in this opening song, the first words we hear on the record is "Day dawns dark, it now numbers... infinity". Everytime I listen to this record and hear those words I think to myself that this has got to be the best album ever made by anyone. The sick part is that... well... it gets even better...

"Don't blame me for the letters That may form in the sand; Don't look in my eyes, you may see all the numbers That stretch in my sky and colour my hand. Don't say that i'm wrong in imagining That the voice of my life cannot sing."

I can understand that his poetry is not for everyone, but these lines are among the best I've ever read, simply incredible. After "Darkness", VdGG launch into their "hit" single, the wonderful ballad "Refugees". I won't say much about that song, just that it's the best ballad I've ever heard and one of the most emotional songs ever recorded imo. I sometimes find I can relate more to that song than to my own...

Song number three, "White Hammer", is written in a more storytelling way. I thought it was a bit of a weak track during the first few listens but as I'm writing this I do consider this a very strong song. It does become evident here that Hammill 100% ignores what I thought was the norm for creating catchy and/or beautiful melodies. That's why this song was so hard for me, the melodies are freakingly strange in a way only Hammill could get away with. Towards the end of the song Banton also shows the world how dark music is played on a Vox Organ. Not that anybody asked... But no one has managed to beat that sound to date.

"Whatever Would Robert Have Said" is another strong song (there are only strong songs on this album, if you don't like it don't read a 5/5 review ;). The sound is here a bit more varied and not quite as proto-goth as "White Hammer". Still the lyrics are as brutal as always, and the dynamics in this song are simply astonishing. "Out of my Book" is a shorter and more mellow song with a more pop approach I guess. The love story is still extremely well written both lyrically and musically and somehow still connects to the rest of the album. I don't know how they did that, but it worked.

Now, how do we end this album? What about a 11+ minute long song about the end of the world? Obviously, that was the only way to go. "After the Flood" is, to sum it up, a masterpiece. The lyrics are, as always, on the highest possible level, the playing is dynamic and varied, experimental at times, catchy at others, gothic at times, progressive at (many) times, and always extremely interesting and well performed. Van der Graaf Generator is not a band of virtuoso musicians, but the truth is that they really don't need to be. This album is so incredible that I can't really express my feelings about it, and they continued to keep this standard for the forthcoming FOUR albums. That's just beyond me, really. Please, do yourself a favour and LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM!