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When did u not only "get", but actually love VDGG? |
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SteveG 
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Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20604 |
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 Posted: November 16 2020 at 08:28 |
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VDGG and Gentle Giant are a bridge too far for me. After all these years, that bridge probably collapsed too.
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This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
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The Dark Elf
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VIP Member Joined: February 01 2011 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 13058 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 08:37 |
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VdGG stands for Virtually degenerate Gentle Giant. Or so I've heard.
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
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I prophesy disaster
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Joined: December 31 2017 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 4779 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 09:31 |
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I've never had a problem with Peter Hammill's voice, and find it perplexing that so many people do.
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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
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Rednight
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Joined: January 18 2014 Location: Mar Vista, CA Status: Offline Points: 4807 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 09:54 |
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In 1976, a friend introduced me to the band with Pawn Hearts. My appreciation for the album was formidable, especially knowing that Fripp was onboard for the occasion, bit I was still reticent to give the Van der Graafs my full attention. Then I picked up 1977's The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome, and it became a regular option in my listening schedule for the summer. Not their greatest work (that's been already mentioned), but it was enjoyable what Hammill and company did with a reworked version of the group. I've been hooked ever since.
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"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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dr wu23
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Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20623 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 11:10 |
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I 'get them'.....don't love them.
I do have all of the original cd's up to World Record and several original pieces of vinyl....some good prog here and there, also some mediocre stuff imho. Always thought Hammill was too over emotive , but I do like much of the music itself.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Gentle and Giant
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Joined: October 24 2019 Location: Blackpool Status: Offline Points: 4370 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 12:40 |
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I'm the opposite as in I had no trouble 'getting' VDGG straight off. The first time I heard them (Pawn Hearts) I was gob-smacked at how good they were. Afterwards I readily took in all their albums, and I still love Pawn Hearts, but more so Godbluff. I really like Peter Hamill's voice too, he manages to put so much emotion in to his singing.
As for the other 'problem' band mentioned, Gentle Giant, I started Octopus a few times and just couldn't get past the start of the first track. I had to make myself listen, but I'm glad I did as I love them as much as I do VDGG.
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Oh, for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen
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micky
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Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 02 2005 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 46833 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 14:46 |
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like Doc.. I get them.. the way only a few truly have
but can't love them.. no f**king way... they were the fathers of mediocre prog.. prog for prog's sake.. where the trapping of prog were substituted for talent and creativity.. and thus cursing the whole genre of prog from thereafter haha
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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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PioneersOverC
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Joined: November 10 2020 Location: Brooklyn, NY Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 15:07 |
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I'm in my late 30s, and got into progressive rock in highschool-college. Sort of as a continuation of the more interesting side of classic rock that was on the radio. It was all available at the same time via the internet so I pretty much just started with the more well-known acts in the US (Yes, Crimson, Genesis, Floyd, Tull) and worked my way out. When I got to the less well-known stuff like Gentle Giant and Van der Graaf, they *really* resonated with me. In fact, I would say those are probably my two favorite non-Canturbury UK progressive bands.
I've continued to work my way out into more and more obscure stuff (luckily there's so much good progressive rock out there) but I often return to Gentle Giant and VDGG. Their catalogs are both deep and there's so much nuance in their records they still feel fresh after 10-15 years of listening. That said, I totally see how they might not resonate with others. Neither build their core sound on instrumentation common in rock music and very few hooks draw you in like the more popular bands I mentioned above. Plus VDGG is more often than not very abrasive and discordant and Gentle Giant is complex and layered to an almost exhausting degree, not to mention their medieval/renaissance music influence.
Edited by PioneersOverC - November 16 2020 at 15:14 |
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twosteves
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Joined: May 01 2007 Location: NYC/Rhinebeck Status: Offline Points: 4091 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 16:00 |
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 well said ---I'll second that emotion--lol.Although--I do love Freehand from beginning to end---no VDGG album I love.
Edited by twosteves - November 16 2020 at 20:28 |
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Awesoreno
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Joined: October 07 2019 Location: Culver City, CA Status: Offline Points: 3036 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 16:37 |
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Welcome to the forums!
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HolyMoly
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Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26138 |
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 18:37 |
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Took me about 20 years to “get” them. Diving into P Hammill’s discography helped. Once you buy into the Hammill schtick, then you can truly enjoy VdGG
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
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Dellinger
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Posted: November 16 2020 at 21:29 |
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I did get into VdGG until after I had come to know and, mostly, love the usual big ones of prog. I did know that I might need time to get these bands, since it happened already with the Yes, Genesis, and so on. It took me a while to decide to get some VdGG, since by the description it sounded like something I wouldn't like (I was not too keen of the idea of sax centered, since I was not really a fan of schizoid sax playing... thinking exactly about Schizoid Man from King Crimson)... but then, somehow, I though I should give them a try, so I ordered on Amazon their highest rated albums, from The Least We Can Do to Still Life, without having heard just about anything from them... when I got them and gave them my first listen, I did think I might have overdone my self at last and just wasted that amount of money on something I couldn't like... but then, fortunatley, there was Darkness on the first album I was listening, and that did click with me soon enough, and I did come on finding awsome songs on the rest of the album. So, I do like them very much, and I do love and admire Hamill's vocals for what they are... I think he could be one of the greatest singers one could listen to if he had gone the obvious way and sang more harmonically, but he just went the other way and did the unexpected, and still I think he is one of the greatest singers around, yet it's much more difficult for people to appreciate him for what he does.
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Frenetic Zetetic
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Joined: December 09 2017 Location: Now Status: Offline Points: 9233 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 00:18 |
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You get used to that with Paul LOL. He'll give something you find a 2.5 a 4.5
 . Nothing but love for Paul!  |
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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
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Homotopy
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Joined: August 14 2016 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 196 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 02:01 |
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I don't mind the voice at all, yet Sleepwalkers remains the only song I like, despite numerous attempts. One problem is that amounts of vocals are too high.
Edited by Homotopy - November 17 2020 at 02:25 |
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Gramonster
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Joined: April 30 2015 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 03:47 |
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I think it was around late 1991 or early 1992, I was 17 at the time and was already a Pink Floyd, Yes & Genesis fan, and becoming a King Crimson one (I already had In the Court & Red at the fall of 1991). I also loved the psychedelic era of the Beatles, Hendrix, Doors (being able to appreciate weird pieces such as The Celebration of the Lizard). A friend lent me an incomplete cassette copy of The Least We Can Do, only containing the first side + a curious personnal edit of After the Flood (the part between 3'23" and 8'13" if I remember well), and this was my first contact with VDGG. I think I "got it" since the first time I heard Darkness and was already in love at the end of White Hammer. I was into hard rock and metal before I turned into prog, so I guess it trained me to be able to appreciate the contrasts between the softer moments and the heavier, darker ones, so I liked every tracks but even more White Hammer & the After the Flood edit. My next step was H to He, where Pioneers Over C. became my favorite song, then I bought the compilation First Generation, the first CD I saw in a shop, which included Man-Erg & A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, which only raised my love of the band to an even higher level. Pawn Hearts remains my favorite album to this day but there's not any that I don't like. I loved their sound since the start and was amazed by the level of agressivity they were able to reach with (almost) no electric guitar involved! So good memories of magical times!
Edited by Gramonster - November 17 2020 at 04:04 |
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Frenetic Zetetic
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Joined: December 09 2017 Location: Now Status: Offline Points: 9233 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 04:47 |
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Peter's voice was really only an issue the first couple of times for me TBH. It was Killer where I was like "Wtf, why? How is this considered top tier?"
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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
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moshkito
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Joined: January 04 2007 Location: Grok City Status: Offline Points: 17516 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 08:37 |
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Hi, Mine started here in 1971, when I saw that Robert Fripp was on the album ... I have never looked back since and PH is one of the best singers and writers ever. The expressions are amazing, and his ability to act out a song and the words be valuable ... is not for beginners ... it's insanely well thought out and sung. But above all, it is meaningful, and that is far more than most rock lyrics about nothing!
  Edited by moshkito - November 17 2020 at 08:38 |
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com |
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moshkito
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Joined: January 04 2007 Location: Grok City Status: Offline Points: 17516 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 08:38 |
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Hi, I was thinking that you need some more Detroit Lions love!
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com |
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Lewian
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: August 09 2015 Location: Italy Status: Online Points: 14733 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 13:44 |
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You didn't listen to them enough I'm afraid. I'm prescribing 3h of VDGG every day for the next five years. If you don't love them by then, increase the dosage to 5h. You may think you get them, but this way they will get you!
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Psychedelic Paul
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Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Online Points: 40182 |
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Posted: November 17 2020 at 14:19 |
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Thanks! I think that's what you call a back-handed compliment. To make up for giving Pawn Hearts a 2-star rating though, The Least I Can Do is give VDGG's two 1970 albums a 5-star rating.
 Edited by Psychedelic Paul - November 17 2020 at 14:21 |
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SteveG wrote:
1970: H to He, Who Are the Only One