Van Der Graaf Generator
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21491
Printed Date: February 21 2025 at 16:01
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Van Der Graaf Generator
Posted By: rileydog22
Subject: Van Der Graaf Generator
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 13:48
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I am somewhat of a newbie at progressive rock. I enjoy Rush, Floyd, Crimson, Genesis, Yes, Tull, and a few others. I keep reading about Van Der graaf generator on this site. What, if anything, should I get by this band to start?
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Replies:
Posted By: Winter Wine
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 14:00
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Whatever you do! For all that is dear in this world! Don't get 'Pawn Hearts'! Try 'H to He Who Am the Only One', Great album ------------- My computer's broke |
Well I'm just kidding, but most peoples first reaction to Pawn Hearts isn't pretty, It's a masterpiece though, Once you're prepared for it I guess.
Posted By: ANDREW
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 14:14
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Posted By: Hesselius
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 14:15
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I would begin with "H to He" a fantastic album and one of VDGG most
accesibles ones. I agree with Winter Wine, left "Pawn Hearts" (a fantastic album) for later. ------------- This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 14:30
Still Life 4 stars  5 Stars all the way! Start from the beginning and work forward, it's the best way to hear any band! -------------   
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Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 15:03
| Get Pawn Hearts. It's really not that difficult an album to get into, it was the first VDGG album I heard and I loved it instantly. |
Posted By: HeirToRuin
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 15:10
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I will venture to say that they are so weird and linear that none of
their albums are really any better than the others. They are
equally weird and interesting. I got started with Godbluff and Pawn Hearts because they were rated the highest. ------------- ARTEMIA - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic" rel="nofollow - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic L.i.E. - http://www.reverbnati |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 15:19
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They have not made a single weak album. And, unlike others, I rate
their live album "Vital" very highly (5 stars to me). Yes, it is not in
the usual line-up; yes, the sound quality is not great; yes, they did
have technical problems with the sax during the first three tracks. But
all of that doesn't count; the raw energy of this album will give you
an uppercut, and when you come down again send a left hook right
afterwards and throw you against the wall. Nic Potter's bass is a real
killer; I never heard such a brutal bass again (except on Magma "Live
Hhai"). I don't give a damn about the poor production of this album; it
is the music that counts! And the music is fantastic!
-------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 15:20
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Chronologically is the way to go! Don't go for Pawn Hearts! It's their best album and you don't want to be disappointed with their earlier work, which is just as briliiant. -------------
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 22:16
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I started with Pawn Hearts, and I have always liked it! However, it may be a bit tough to get into for some, so start with Godbluff and H to He first! ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Ultaigh
Date Posted: April 09 2006 at 22:24
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Like Geck0 said, I'd go in order from their beginning to their end.
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Posted By: Paul K.
Date Posted: April 10 2006 at 04:40
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H To He, Who Am The Only One (1970)
Pawn Hearts (1971) are quintessential albums ------------- Weasels ripped my flesh |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: April 10 2006 at 07:39
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The first album i bought was The least we can do is wave to eachothers. And that was a great stating point, after that i yust worked my way chronologically that's the way to go with VDGG. ------------- 
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Posted By: bucka001
Date Posted: April 10 2006 at 08:03
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First album I got was The Aerosol Gray Machine (their first album, '69). I loved it, Hammill's voice more than anything. It's probably best to start at the beginning. By the way, Vital is (to me) brilliant. Many prog fans don't like it because it's more punk than prog. But, it's not meant to be a traditional prog album. If you like punk and really raw, ballsy rock (with the severely non-linear approach that only the stamp of Van der Graaf can provide), then it's a brilliant album. It came out in '78 and sounds like it could have been written and made today in 2006 by some hungry, young underground group, unlike other '78 offerings i.e. Tormato, And Then There Were 3, etc. (those albums are firmly stuck in 1978). VdGG were altogether way more clued in... To emphasize the point, in the VdGG book there's a picture from '78 of Hammill chatting with Johnny Rotten (a big VdGG fan) backstage at the Marquee (where Vital was recorded). At the time, Rotten was *The Man* - probably wouldn't have caught him backstage at a Gentle Giant, Yes, or Genesis concert in '78! (Now may be different, of course...) But I'd work through the other albums before you ever get to Vital (their ninth record). That album will also make a lot more sense if you listen to Hammill's solo album "Nadir's Big Chance" (his pre-punk masterpiece) first. Vital is like Rikki Nadir putting on a concert with Van der Graaf as his band. The VdGG book is available at the amazon site ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/095513370X/qid%3D1135266700/202-8745730-2635847 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/095513370X/qid%3D11 35266700/202-8745730-2635847 ) and ( http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/book_sell.htm - http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/book_sell.htm ) (can't resist another plug for the book, sorry!) ------------- jc |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 10 2006 at 08:11
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Best starting out chronologically if you already have an idea of whezt they sound like in Pawn Hearts>> you might want to check out Hammill's solo albums during their break-up from late 71 to 75. They are sufficiently close to be consiodered as VDGG>>> Chameleon, Silent Corner and In Camera. Whether you chose to follow this road, you will not attack Godbluff and Still Life until 8th or 9th position , though ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: April 10 2006 at 09:23
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Oh and do remember to get the re-masters if you can too, you won't be disappointed (unless you decide you dislike them!). Aerosol Grey Machine is the hardest to obtain, but it was infact the first VdGG I listened (I did have the MP3s from this site of course, so I'd heard Refugees, Man-Erg and the rest of the tracks on here) to in album format. I tried to work through chronilogically, but I didn't have Pawn Hearts, so I went from H to He to Still Life (I missed out Godbluff to) and this was in pre-remaster days of course. So I actually heard Still Life before Pawn Hearts. As Sean Trane rightly says, try and get Peter Hammill's solo efforts. Fool's Mate has been remastered, but it far more lighthearted than most Peter Hammill albums, but then maybe that's a good place to start. It would be wise to wait a while, as Peter Hammill has announced that Virgin are remastering all his solo albums (not all of them, just up to Over I think, or maybe it's The Black Box or pH7, I forget!), so you'll get better sound quality (which is very important in terms of "Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night", as that has pretty poor quality and a strange hissing sound (on my version it does anyhow) and obviously better availability. The main three albums to get of Peter Hammill's solo works are: "Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night", "The Silent Corner and The Empty Stage" and "In Camera". His best rated album is "Over" (which I do not have, nor have I heard it). This is a lot to taken in, sorry about that. -------------
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