Entertainment For Lively Minds
What, no Van der Graaf Generator....again?
A search around the blogs reveals a substantial number of the "Massive" listen to progressive rock, and apparently feel strongly enough to post about it. A subset of those might be classed as Van der Graaf obsessives.
And yet....and yet... no review of the new album, no mention of the current tour, no major interview and retrospective? No cover? I know you can do it, kindly editors - I can refer you to Stuart Maconie's Yes article, one of the best I've read in Word magazine since I bought Issue One.
The band are not playing safe with this reunion - new albums, high proportion of new material played live, new approach (as opposed to trundling out the crowd-pleasers, in common with the majority of reunion acts) - surely this bold approach merits a bit of attention from such a mag as Word?
And, for your further delectation and delight:
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I'm with you in spirit, Stokey...
...if not entirely with you in music. Sometimes one has to be a voice in the wilderness, championing a cause that is noble and righteous (like, er, Quintessence... Jan Akkerman... the Mahavishnu Orchestra...in my case). You may or may not bring fellows to your flag, but the cause is still just and worth trumpeting!
Not sure I can ever get past Hamill's declamatory voice (it seems to be declamatory in EVERYTHING he does), though I did enjoy the musical groove of your posted clip. Ditto this one:
Anyway, the world needs more mavericks like VDGG. And we certainly need a feature from Word - though wasn't Hamill interviewed for a short Word piece recently? That'll tick that box for another three years, I'm afraid...
A great album
but unfortunately I missed the tour. Bugger.
I'm afraid that it's their lot to be perenially under-appreciated. M*J* and Rock-a-Rolla both loved the album, if it's any consolation.
The list of bands I like
that get zero attention from The Word or indeed any other music publication for that matter is a very long one indeed,
but why not submit a VDGG gig review or an album review for 'The Massive Attacks'? I've managed to shoe-horn a couple of my faves into The Word that way.
Not really listened to any VDGG before, I have a couple of pals who are big fans and interestingly they often get mentioned in the same breath as one of my favourite bands Wire, not so much musically but for 'not playing it safe' in their latter years when most bands resort to nostalgia. I like that approach.
I'll give 'em a punt. What's the best record to start with then?
I owe you for Autechre
so may I recommend
"Pawn Hearts" and "Godbluff" / "Still Life" from the early period (s) as well as "Present" and " A Grounding" more recently.
The thing is that VdGG players all tended to turn up on Hammill's solo work which (especially in the early days) tended to be more experimental than the band stuff, so in that spirit, go for
The Silent Corner and The Empty Stage
Nadir's Big Chance (PH's "Punk" album - big influence on MES, Lydon etc)
The Future Now ( some great electronic work)
A Black Box
pH7
Over (if you're breaking up with someone)
Enter K
In a Foreign Town
Skin
Clutch
There are a lot to choose from - and (to these ears) a lot of his solo stuff has been a bit samey in the last few years. The heart attack (2002?) and VdGG reunion have served to act as a bit of a creative jump-start for him.
What Grant said...
...also, In Camera is worth buying for "Gog" alone - one of the scariest tracks ever put on vinyl
Also... thanks for the encouragement, Dr Volume, but the truth is that I did write a live review for "my night out with..." - I assume that it didn't cut the mustard.
VDGG@FOPP
I can't not mention that both remasters 'Pawn Hearts' and 'World Record' were £3 in Fopp (Manchester)today.... although 'Godbluff' & 'The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome' were full price.
Seems like a visit to FOPP
Is needed in that case. About time they opened one in Birmingham. Big shout for The silent corner and the empty stage and In Camera. Also have to say that the song Refugees is absolutely sublime - listen to it on spotify if it's on there - warning though it might make you cry.
Stop being anti-social!
Dammit man, don't you know that Peter Hammill's voice can curdle breastmilk at twenty paces? What would that do to an already fraught relationship with your daughter-in-law? And remember. No-one ever got banished to the shed at the bottom of the garden for playing Elbow, Coldplay or Snow Patrol. Or course, if you feel the need to be more eclectic, someone from the Word team will probably prescribe Neil Hannon or Richard Thompson....But that's being a little unfair on The Word. Today I read young Kate Mossmman eulogising over some new Greenslade reissues. OK, more muzak than edge maybe, but Greenslade nonetheless! And let's face it, the wonderful PJ Harvey is - in her own way - every bit as uncompromising as Mr Hammill. Of course, there's no review of the latest 'Dance Gavin Dance' album. (Imagine Yes and Belew-period Crimson, crossed with Slipknot, Linkin Park and Craig David - I kid you not!) But we live in hope.