![]() * OK, Banton plays some bass lines, and handles a mean bass pedal board as well. right? I give it a perfect rating since I consider it one of the most brilliant comeback albums in prog history, and it also qualifies as a brilliant work in itself. Joy sustained over a martial-like rhythm pattern, also including some proper touches of latin jazz, as well as a R'n'B oriented instrumental interlude: Evans' playing on this piece is particularly awesome, but again, this is an owesome band. Finally, the closing track 'The Sleepwalkers' displays an air of ironic 'Arrow' is another introspective Hammill tune thatĮventually ended up as a jazz-rook infected tour-de-force, allowing the lyrics to expand Mentions go to the majestic interlude and the awesome closing section: in many ways, this 'Scorched Earth' is the most symphonically oriented number in the album - special ![]() Makes it a strong starting point, despite the fact of it being basically a 7+ minuteīallad. ![]() 'The Undercover Man' kicks off the album withįull splendour: its crescendo entry and its delicate balance of wind/keyboard sonic display Rhythm patterns is not a hard thing to do. Hide the fact that being a drummer in a bass-less* band that loves to stick to complex More freely than ever before, and he does so with such fluency that he seems to want to Meanwhile, Evans displays his jazz leaning Plays with a somewaht down-to-earth attitude. Most solos are left in charge of Jackson's saxes and flutes, which he Itself subdued i nterms of soloing, but is determining in the building of textures and cleverĬhord progressions. Even Hammill's singing feels moreįocused on portraying the contemplative nature of his lyrics and less interested inĮnhancing the pathetic-oriented twists on vocalizations: actually he doesn't give up on hisĮxpressionist essence, but now he's assuming his singing role as such. To get rid of the paraphernalia of mellotrons, ARP synths, multiple percussive instruments,Īnd nightmarish electric devices on sax, in order to approach the new complexĬompositions and arrangements in a tighter manner. Off from the exuberant psychedelic forest created by 'Pawn Hearts', the foursome decided Imagery and delirious melodic lines delivered by frontman extraordinaire Peter He also plays bass guitar on a track.Įxcept, for the closer, an all too sober/bland artwork (as well as a single sleeve design) and its short duration (the only three flaws), the Godbluff album saw the Generator return in great form, and its remastered version is a must have as it has a few bonus live tracks from Hammill's solo albums (but played with the full VdGG line-up), which were actually played in the group's sets.Įven though my fave Van der Graaf Generator release is 'Pawn Hearts', I must admit that IĮnjoy their second era better, since at that stage the band was playing at its mostĬohesive and had reached a perfect level of sonic violence to match the passionate lyrical Actually, Hugh Banton (for other projects were still pending) did not participate as much in this album and one can feel it. If you'll pardon the pun, but Scorched Earth is also a real scorcher of a track, also full of constant tempo changes and Banton's organs pulling in its weight. ![]() But life is made out of choices, and Sleepwalker (still acceptable track, but not up to standards of the others here). One of the characteristic from this era of VdGG is that Hammill will gradually pick up more and more the electric guitar as the picture on the back-cover shows.įrom the absolutely stunning Undercover Man, a slow crescendo starting from an all too rare Jackson flute and drums, the progression is astounding as Hammill's voice and Banton's organs slowly fill the soundscape, until halfway through the track hit full stride with Jackson's sax, before slowly returning to the flute to the third track Arrow (the most aggressive), this album is a real stunner and would've been their best ever if the last track, Sleepwalkers (a fairly shoddy track with a completely out of place Cha-Cha-Cha ruining it further, yes colleagues I confirm this point of view -) had been substituted by any track from the almost perfect Still Life. The batch off "songs" were actually shorter, mot as intricate, but certainly more aggressive (bar the opener of this album), but this was also fully intended as they were careful not making a "son of" Pawn Hearts, however disputable this choice might have been. After a two and half year break spent at different projects, but all four roads kept crossing each other's, the quartet reconvened and recorded a batch of songs that ill produce not only Godbluff, but also a good deal of the following Still Life.
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