A bad 1975 review of VDGG - Godbluff
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Topic: A bad 1975 review of VDGG - Godbluff
Posted By: HeirToRuin
Subject: A bad 1975 review of VDGG - Godbluff
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 00:00
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Van too many Van Der Graaf Generator: Godbluff (Charisma CAS1109) Reviewed by Bob Papworth Lancashire Evening Post (17th November 1975): THE Re-birth - yet again - of Van der Graaf Generator earlier this year caused something of a storm. But the band's latest release does nothing to convince the listener that the new VDGG will last any longer than its forerunners. Godbluff is a lengthy exhibition of the type of studiously avant-garde rock which so many other groups play infinitely better. The one saving grace for the whole album is the occasionally impressive bass playing of Hugh Banton. And even then, he only shines on about 5 per cent of the four-track, 37 minute recording. Guy Evans couldn't drum his way out of a paper bag and David Jackson's saxes and flutes are a little too simplistic to be credible. As for Peter Hammill, alleged star of the Generator line-up, words fail. LP's come and LP's go, but Peter Hammill goes on, and on, and on, and on... ------------- ARTEMIA - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic" rel="nofollow - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic L.i.E. - http://www.reverbnati |
Replies:
Posted By: FragileDT
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 00:11
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That's an aweful review. I can understand if someone doesn't like the band
or album but the review tells nothing about it. There are many bands that do the Van Der Graaf style so much better? Who? They don't mention anything of the songs. Just an overall bad review. ------------- One likes to believe In the freedom of music But glittering prizes And endless Compromises Shatter the illusion Of integrity |
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 00:14
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I can understand him not liking it or whatever, although he's not
specifically clear on why he doesn't, he just goes about bashing the
band (overall, pretty bad review, to me at least). I just wonder how
much avant-garde stuff he's heard, considering he says VdGG, or at
least Godbluff, is/are "studiously avant-garde."
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 00:21
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I'm at a loss for words. ------------- 
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Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 00:34
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mine is short, but pretty concise: Better than "Quiet Zone/ Pleasure Dome"; the songs are more epic. Some real jazzy parts. The keyboards are more present and better exploited. Compositions are better structured. Instruments are quite well played. But...But....the voice is, again, absolutely awful! ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: HeirToRuin
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 01:18
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To be honest, I've had a wonderful time listening to this for the first time tonight.
------------- ARTEMIA - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic" rel="nofollow - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic L.i.E. - http://www.reverbnati |
Posted By: pero
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 02:07
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The rewiev is awful. It doesnt tell anything about the music. It's like me rewieving rap songs. IMO Godbluff DVD is one of the best in my collection. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 02:13
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Hammill's voice doesn't leave anyone cold; you either love it or hate
it. As to the musicians: The reviewer should attend a VdGG concert
before judging them. They are superb musicians who don't need to
display their skills with extended solos all the time. Anyone who
doubts that should just listen to the live album from the Royal
Festival Hall reunion gig (which is not officially out yet, but of
which I have a first-quality bootleg; also I was at that gig myself).
The version of "Killer" alone should convince anyone that these are
musicians who prefer understatement, but definitely know how to play
their instruments. The review was from 1975, when prog-rock was at its height, yet also about to fall into oblivion. It was fashionable to display instrumental skills with extended solos back then, but that was never the path of Van der Graaf Generator. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 05:23
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Guy Evans is an amazing drummer, he used a lot of techniques that other drummers have used since, he's unique and very well respected in the music industry. I don't know much about drumming, so I cannot comment on his specific techniques. Jackson is far from simplistic. Although my friend did say that the sax solo in the middle of Killer could have been played by a child! Hmm... His flute playing is very underrated and I wish he'd sometimes have used it more. Hugh Banton is amazing, he can utilize bass peddles just as well as his Hammond and Farfisa and he's not a big soloist, which is why I like him, he has great subtleties, you sometimes don't notice he's there (in a good way), but you'd miss him if he wasn't there. You can here how great he is on "Every Bloody Emperor", he's never played so well. And I cannot say anything but: Peter Hammill makes the band. I've heard some The Long Hello (I have Volume One and Volume 3 on vinyl) and they just don't hold up as well as they would if Hammill had been on there. He's a great lyricist and an amazing singer. Yes sometimes live her maybe can get a bit to eager (not a complaint in my book, but I can see why it would to people), but that's his true passion coming through. -------------   
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Posted By: bucka001
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 05:36
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I love that review! We put it in The Book. VdGG themselves have a sense of humor about such things - that review was put into their 1976 World Record tour program. There's another great one from '76 that bashed their Marquee Club show (from the NME) that went something like "Peter Hammill's guitar playing is as out of tune as his singing while David Jackson takes dubious pleasure in playing in a different key. The rythym is left to the imagination of Guy Evans & Hugh Banton, and they too are as ineffectually uninspired as the other two. Frankly, they were appalling." It was the third night of a 3-night stint at the Marquee and the writer is completely mystified that all three nights were completely sold out with lines around the block. The thing is, in '76... pH *was* out of tune a lot and did scream more than sing much of the time on stage - but that's what makes it for me (maybe you've gotta like punk a bit, I don't know). The thing to keep in mind is that most of the time they got pretty good write-ups, and they definitely knew there was no other band on the planet like them. So, that being the case, they're able to laugh at the occasional bad review, especially one so entertainingly written. Here's a quote from Nic Potter, from The Book, about their disasterously-received show at the Royal Festival Hall in 1970 (when Nic was a member of VdGG): "I remember a review from Chris Welch that said '...appalling saxophone and dustbin-of-my-mind type lyrics'. (laughs) But we just laughed about it. We never got downhearted. I remember we fell over laughing and we never took it to heart." Of course, that's easy to do when you're critics darlings and almost all the other writeups about you are glowing (as VdGG's were in '70 after the release of 'The Least'). ------------- jc |