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SonicDeath10 View Drop Down
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Points: 282 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2009 at 10:40
Van Der Graaf is one of those bands that you get or you don't. Their noisy, melodramatic bluster can really be off putting if you aren't into that kind of thing. Hammill's screaming can be very irritating and the early stuff is...well, noisy. There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach, and melody is often discarded even in the later period in favor of jamming, screaming, and noise.
 
However, to the faithful, all of these things are exciting. I dig them and have quite a few Hammill albums, though I'll never them all. No Thanks.
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Points: 248 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2009 at 10:51
Hadn't heard VDGG until this year. Boy I have missed out.

They have a unique sound and one that holds my attention whenever I play Godbluff and Pawn Hearts. It is only now that I have heard them that I realise what a strong influence they are on so many bands today. They are great addtions to my collection and hopefuly many others who will discover them as I did.
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Points: 900 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:42
I don't really like most of the album, but The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other has White Hammer on it. The song is pretty dorky, but that final avant-doom outro gets me every time. 1970, folks. It still sounds crushing and heavy today, even compared to all sorts of metal acts.
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A B Negative View Drop Down
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Points: 1594 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 06:00
Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach
 
I disagree, there are many examples of this. I would describe Afterwards, Refugees, House With No Door, and W as carefully written pop songs.
 
But they aren't my favourite VDGG songs, I prefer the sturm und drang.
"The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time."
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BaldJean View Drop Down
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Points: 10387 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 07:24
here is the link to a recent interview with Peter Hammill:
http://tinyurl.com/ndgbjp

Edited by BaldJean - August 29 2009 at 07:24


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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SonicDeath10 View Drop Down
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Points: 282 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2009 at 09:07
Originally posted by A B Negative A B Negative wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach
 
I disagree, there are many examples of this. I would describe Afterwards, Refugees, House With No Door, and W as carefully written pop songs.
 
But they aren't my favourite VDGG songs, I prefer the sturm und drang.
  Yeah they have their moments. And Fool's Mate shows Peter could do it if he wanted. But I don't think he wants to most of the time.
"Good evening hippies." Bobby Boy
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The Sleepwalker View Drop Down
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Points: 15141 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 03 2009 at 02:21
Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

here is the link to a recent interview with Peter Hammill:
http://tinyurl.com/ndgbjp

A very interesting interview. 

I think VDGG has done a pretty good job with Trisector. Davic Jackson's sax has always been a very important part of Van Der Graaf's music, and I think it's pretty hard to keep an interesting sound when such an important aspect of the music is gone. They've done a very nice job keeping their music interesting and preventing it from heavy suffering from the absence of the sax. It still is a huge difference compared to earlier VDGG albums though, David's sax does add that emotional and striking touch to the music. 
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 15:54
For now, nobody has named World Record. I think it is a sadly underrated album. It is excellent in my opinion.
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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Points: 89372 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:05
Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

Originally posted by A B Negative A B Negative wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach
 
I disagree, there are many examples of this. I would describe Afterwards, Refugees, House With No Door, and W as carefully written pop songs.
 
But they aren't my favourite VDGG songs, I prefer the sturm und drang.
  Yeah they have their moments. And Fool's Mate shows Peter could do it if he wanted. But I don't think he wants to most of the time.


House With No Door a pop song?

LOL

No pop song could be THAT depressing.
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:11
Originally posted by James James wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

Originally posted by A B Negative A B Negative wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach
 
I disagree, there are many examples of this. I would describe Afterwards, Refugees, House With No Door, and W as carefully written pop songs.
 
But they aren't my favourite VDGG songs, I prefer the sturm und drang.
  Yeah they have their moments. And Fool's Mate shows Peter could do it if he wanted. But I don't think he wants to most of the time.


House With No Door a pop song?

LOL

No pop song could be THAT depressing.
 
It is DEFINITELY a pop song Ermm
I tought it was written by Britney Spears.... LOL
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Points: 89372 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:14
It's not a pop song.

It was never popular.

Now If We Must Part Like This from his new album Thin Air, is a pop song.
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:18
^ I was kidding. Of COURSE it's not pop.
As for Thin Air, I don't like it much. Well, I don't like it at all.
From his solo albums, I like Silent Stage and In Camera more than every others.
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

- Paul Éluard
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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Points: 89372 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:21
Oh I love the new album.  I liked it from first listen.  It got to about my fourth listen and then I didn't like it so much.  Then I gave it a fifth listen and now it's really clicked for me.

Sure, it's not as amazing as his classics, such as The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage, In Camera, Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night and Over but it's still very good.
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:27

Chameleon is one I forgot to name! It's great. What do you think of VDGG's World Record?
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

- Paul Éluard
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VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down
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Points: 89372 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:29
I don't play as often as I should but it's a terrific album.  The last of the classic lineup.

Ricochet loves the album to bits and it's his favourite.  I don't love it THAT much but I would still probably give it between a 4 and a 4.5.
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2009 at 16:37
^ Exactly what I think about it. Though I really prefer Pawn Hearts (which is my favourite)
In order of preference (except Pawn Hearts):
- Godbluff
- Still Life
- H to He
- World Record
- The Least
- Quiet Zone
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

- Paul Éluard
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A B Negative View Drop Down
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Points: 1594 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2009 at 16:34
Originally posted by James James wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

Originally posted by A B Negative A B Negative wrote:

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 SonicDeath10 wrote:

There is a lack of careful pop songwriting in the band's approach
 
I disagree, there are many examples of this. I would describe Afterwards, Refugees, House With No Door, and W as carefully written pop songs.
 
But they aren't my favourite VDGG songs, I prefer the sturm und drang.
  Yeah they have their moments. And Fool's Mate shows Peter could do it if he wanted. But I don't think he wants to most of the time.


House With No Door a pop song?

LOL

No pop song could be THAT depressing.
 
Have you ever heard Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks, a number 1 in 1974? Cry
"The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time."
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Tsevir Leirbag View Drop Down
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Points: 8321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2009 at 16:41
^ I prefer Nirvana's cover of the song.
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

- Paul Éluard
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Tin Of Hurri Curri View Drop Down
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Points: 86 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2009 at 19:56
A few days ago, I listened to my first Van der Graaf Generator album (Pawn Hearts).  I love it.  VDGG has captivated me. 
 
Here is one of my favorite lines from the album:  "But stalking in my cloisters hang the acolytes of gloom."  This line is both poetic and relatable.
 
My life feels much more interesting now that Van der Graaf Generator is a part of it.  I look forward to getting more VDGG albums.
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Alberto Muñoz View Drop Down
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Points: 3577 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2009 at 20:47
good i will post tomorrow




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