Octo_Russ

Van Der Graaf Generator [Still Life]

Here's the second VDGG disc in just a short time, i played World Record a couple of days ago [3th February 2012], and it's good to hear its companion disc, these two discs would have made a tremendous double record 'gatefold' vinyl album, both actually came out in the same year, i played / reviewed this in my Blog early in 2011 [3rd January 2011], it was so good to play this again, yes it's over 36 years since it was recorded, but great music is timeless, i fell in love with the original vinyl album. 

Van Der Graaf Generator are a British Prog Rock group, formed in 1967, they broke up in 1978, but surprisingly re-formed again in 2005, i have yet to listen to their latest albums, and i really need to do so, i somehow feel that i will be disappointed, maybe that's why i've put them off, it's nice to remember VDGG in their glory years, at the height of their powers, the front cover is of a Lichtenberg figure, very stark, and the VDGG logo quite small. 

The three tracks that i found especially enlightening were 1 & 4-5, probably the last track 'Childlike Faith In Childhood's End' is my favourite, i have a penchant for long songs, and it lasts for over 12 minutes, but on this listen i really enjoyed the opening track 'Pilgrims', its subject matter is a little naive, about the world joining hands and all being one, but there's a point to it all, the lyrics on the other hand, and even more so the music, is true art, the verses are underpinned by the organ, fairly gentle lyrics, i like the words in the first verse,

Scrabbling through your diary for a lost page

Unsure of the dream

the chorus is more powerful, Peter Hammill's voice works its almost operatic scream, the words are quite religious, and with the organ in the background, he sounds like the equivalent of a singing preacher, there's real conviction there, and then after the two verses / two choruses, comes a moment of magic, a third chorus, but this time without the words, and here's the joy of just laying back and listening to four musicians just go for it [5:45+], at first their playing is just 'choral', but soon it develops a greater euphoria [6:26+], and it climaxes [6:50], the whole thing ends on a high note instead of a fade, really takes your breath away!.

Here's Van Der Graaf Generator singing 'Pilgrims' On YouTube.