Man, I do understand you. VDGG is one of the soundtracks of my youth. Savage, terrifying and beautiful. Your words are my words. Amazing review of one of the best bands ever. I really don't care about rankings but your emotions talking about this band makes you a brother of mine. I do have a song that is kind of magical to me: refugees is an epitaph to my youth, my lost love, my romantic soul... So when I listen to that song... Let's not talk about it... Best regards from Portugal. Thank you for this incredible review. They deserve it!🙃
Van Der Graaf Generator are a cult band in Russia. My father introduced me to them, and since then I've always been a huge fan. Sadly, finding their LPs in Russia for reasonable prices is next to impossible, and the only one I could find for a good price was World Record. Not my favorite, but still a strong album and I'm glad that I bought it.
Top 5 for me: 1) Pawn Hearts 2) Still Life 3) The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other 4) Godbluff 5) H to He Who Am the Only One Pawn Hearts is one of the best albums of all time.
@@nicolasbascunan4013 The silent corner and empty stage is pretty familiar. "Forsaken gardens" and "a louse is not a home" include the classic VdGG lineups and are fully fledged VdGG songs. I think "gog magog (in bromine chambers)" was originally a VdGG song and "the black room" is very similar to the classic VdGG stuff. My favourite of his songs in his "flight" suite, if nothing else you should totally check that one out.
For me, “Pawn Hearts” is my all-time favourite VDGG of the first era, and “Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome”, of the second. One of the few prog bands who never lost their focus, or sold out to the masses. Hats off to them!
@@iancarpenter6298 Genesis and Floyd not in same league as VdGG. There, 1 : 1 they are equal now ! Just joking, I love all three but I don't subscribe to the ''best'' or ''same league'' opinions. We should cherish the diversity and originality of English Prog bands, not try to belittle the ones we don't favour and VdGG definitely deserve respect. Without APOLHK there would be no Suppers Ready - Genesis and VdGG toured together, Gabriel and Hammill have been friends for many years since and I read that he said that Genesis wrote Suppers Ready after hearing how groundbreaking APOLHK was and thought ''we should do something like that''.
I'm so glad I got to see them (albeit without Mr. Jackson), at both of their NEARfest performances. I was probably the only person in the meet & greet queue who didn't have anything to be autographed. I just wanted to shake their hands and say thank you.
Really enjoy your channel. I had a long and interesting conversation with Peter Hammill round about the time of Trisector. He has had a really great solo career too
VDGG is my favourite progressive rock band. In this days I planned to be in Krakow and seeing my first VDGG concert, but due to recent events they've rescheduled their tour for September. My VDGG albums list 13. The Quite Zone (only last four songs are good for me. The Sphinx returns, the best song for me on this album ) 12.Alt (reminds me Pink Floyd's Ummagumma and Aphrodite's Child's 666 albums. As I'm growing older I like it more and more. I will highlight such songs as Extractus, Colossus, Splendid, Tuesday, The Riff, Dronus) 11. A Grounding in Numbers (very heavy album, more prog-metal here. Lot's of killing songs that blew my mind:Highly Strung, Red Baron, Bunso, Snake Oil, Embarrassing Kid, Mr. Sands) 10. Do not Disturb ( when I first listened to it I was very sceptic about this album, but now I turned my mind to this and I really changed my mind about the whole album. I will select such song as Aloft, Room 1210, Forever Falling, Yes, Brought to book) 9. Trisector(there's no vinyl edition of this album, so I have only cd and it's very hard to find. For me it was really hard to accept this album without David Jackson, but there're some song that I can't omit: The Hurlyburly, Interference Patterns, Drop Dead, All that before, Over the Hill and in my opinion the heaviest VDGG song of all time (We are) not here) 8. Present (great return, prog rock meets with Free Jazz. Great work from maestro David Jackson. This album reminds me early Soft Machine stuff. There's no vinyl edition so only 2xcd so I like first one better because I prefer songs with lyrics over instrumental songs. That's why the best songs for me is on the 1st cd: Every bloody Emperor, Nutter Alert, Abandon Ship) 7. The Aerosol Grey Machine (more psychedelic and acid rock, rather than prog rock. Here we can see clearly influence of such musicians as Arthur Brown, Graham Bond and Jefferson Airplane. The best songs here are : Running Back, Into A Game, Aguarian, Octopus, Necromancer, Firebrand) 6. H to He (very difficult album. I needed more time to understand this album. Such songs as Killer, The Emperor in his War-Room, Lost always makes me happy when I'm listening to it) 5.Still Life (quiet good album for understanding, that's why I had no problems with it. From the first time when I listened to it till now my love to this never changed. In my opinion, My room is the best VDGG ballad) 4. The Least We Can Do... (the first VDGG album that I have listened to. And Darkness (11/11) was the first song that I ever heard from VDGG. The best part of the song is when in middle of the song in the background you can hear "Wicked little Scorpio, doomed to die a thousand times before he lives" Heavy Hugh Banton's Farfisa organ sound mixed with David Jackson's saxophone and flute makes album sound more exquisite and enjoyable. ) 3. World Record (the first VDGG album that I bought on vinyl. I have English and Italian first pressing of it. Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild is my best VDGG song. But Wondering a little bit annoying for me) 2.Godbluff (very heavy sound and great technical work. Such songs as Arow and the Sleepwalkers I wanna listen to them more and more. Only the part in the Sleepwalkers from 5th minute till the end of the song I listened more than 1000 times) 1. Pawn Heart(one word that I can say-masterpiece) P. S. If you can make video about Peter Hammill's solo albums
I Cant Wait To Watch This! Stumbled upon this band and Peter Hammil few years ago.. What a great great band !!! Awsome musicianship, lyrics, singing!!!! Hey Pete, watched ur Captain Beyond video... Never listened to them before but bought first album long time ago and never opened... Well I Did... OMG!!! I immediately ordered following two albums!!!!! ThaNk You Sooo Muchh..!!!!!
Great to see the VDGG upload Pete! Can't wait to see them again later in November :-) My top 5 albums are- 1-Godbluff (Arrow,their best ever track,in my opinion) 2-H to E.... 3-The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other (Darkness & After the Flood,both masterpieces!) 4-Pawnhearts 5-World Record
"Pawn Hearts" is THE most significant/influential piece of media I've EVER encountered. FUNDAMENTALLY impacted, the resultant foundation is at the core of who I continue to become 50 years later. Peter Hammill's brilliance and generosity are EPIC. SINCERELY, Ted Furlo
I always thought that APOLHK was simultaneously the most incredibly beautiful musical work ever produced, and the most incredibly horribly deranged musical work ever produced. Masterpiece. A lot of VdGG / Hammill fits this template - Arrow, Gog, Lemmings, After the Flood, Sleepwalkers. God I love beautiful horribly deranged music. - Hail VdGG.
Yeah, I saw Marillion on that tour (Birmingham Odeon), I was already a huge Hammill/VdGG fan so PH supporting was a big bonus. I lost interest in Marillion after their first album.
@@lemming9984 I saw Marillion each tour with Fish - I lost interest after he left. I know this is a VdGG page, but RE Marillion, you could do worse than check out Fugazi or Clutching at Straws. CaS is my favourite. Fugazi is quite a hard listen but really worth it.
@@suecongdon6844 I had followed marillion for a couple of years before they made Script. Seen them live many times in Pubs and small clubs. The first time I saw them (Coventry General Wolfe) there was only about 10 people in the audience!. Hearing studio versions of those familiar songs was horrible. They lost their edge, and the album was over produced I think. Really tried hard to like Script!
I can really appreciate this show...not only do I love Van Der Graaf Generator...but I added more to my must have list...and after a few views of this particular album review show...I think it's one of the best description reviews and well spoken shows I've ever seen you do...well done Pete
Godbluff is perfect, my all time favorite album. Just 4 masterpiece songs. Very consistent, with no flaws album. Pawn Hearts, H to He, The Least..., Still Life, World Record and even The Quite Zone / The Pleasure Dome are also superb albums. Hammill's intelectual and eclectic poetry and songwriting combined with Banton's organ, Jackson's sax/flutes and Evans free jazz-like drum playing just work for me. Potter's bass playing, especially in Van der Graaf era, is fantastic.
Scorched earth - arguably the greatest prog tune of all time. Snow tracks are all that's left to be seen Of a man who entered the course of a dream, Claiming nothing but the life he's known This, at least, has been his own.
Nice ranking Pete--was really happy to hear how much you dig Do Not Disturb. Love the gritty, kinda early Sabbath sludge sound to it. Pawn Hearts is their best but as you note it's close. I might've put Still Life a bit higher but to each his own!
Love this band so much. Haven't heard all of them but heres my ranking 1:Godbluff 2: Pawn Hearts 3: Still Life (this could swap with pawn hearts) 4: H to He 5: The least you could do is wave 6: World Record
Let's not forget one of the best live albums ever, VDGG's Vital with violin and cello and wonderfully distorted bass effects. Nothing like it, even in their own catalogue!
Ah, yes! Been waiting for this one. I LOVE VDGG, as well as Peter Hammill's solo catalog -- the dark and depressing 'Over' is one of my favorite albums of all time. Cheers, Pete, and thanks for this one!
OUTSTANDING band in many ways...My top 1. Pawn hearts (Fripp 👏👏👏) 2. The least we can do is wave to each other 3. Godbluff 4. World record 5. H to he...Who am the only one 6. Still life 7. The aerosol grey machine David Jackson: Freak Peter Hamill: GENIUS Thanks Pete. Take care buddy!
Comprehensive overview - love the angst pouring out of the music. A band for our current age of anxiety if you can steal yourself to listen. Agree not mainstream, but deserves to be. Looking forward to the ax man par excellence Bill Nelson.
Hi pete just to let you know my music teacher at primary school 1970 in the uk was hugh bantam's brother , he regularly got out his acoustic and played vdg music...thought you be interested in this info..
That's hard, but as of now, this very minute... top two could be In Camera and None of the Above. Bottom two? Even more difficult, but just for the sake of it, let's say Clutch and Fool's Mate. And then there are the collaborative albums that are absolutely brilliant, like In Amazonia, the album PH did with Isildurs Bane!
Thank you so much for ranking the albums from this masterful prog band! The first 5 albums could go in any order from number 5 to number 1, all are absolutely perfect. While Pawn Hearts is their most extreme musical statement and Godbluff their most important, I feel like Still Life is Hammill and crew at their peak. Pilgrims is remarkable, Still Life is the best track about existentialism ever, La Rossa is fantastic, My Room is poetic and gorgeous, and Childlike Faith in Childhood's End is Hammill at his very lyrical peak (besides Plague of course). Still Life is my pick for number one, of course I love all those masterpieces though
"Pilgrims is remarkable" .... the one that turned my head. Earlier that year, friends and I would run out of the house when my brother would put on VdGG. We liked the Gentle Giant, Crimson, Gong, Genesis but wow, not the Graaf. And then one December night I opened my eyes. The next day I called my friend and got him to open his eyes as well...lol
When I read this, "Still Life is the best track about existentialism ever," I really thought I'd strayed back to a previous comment of mine :) Still Life is topped only by Childlike Faith in Childhood's End. Genuine poetic inspiration for the ages. (In a very different musical mode, Kansas' Incomudro Hymn to the Atman is stellar also.) In terms of lyrical peak, I might pick "A Louse is not a Home" or even "The Comet, the Course, the Tail". But, luckily, I don't have to choose. I can listen to it all. Lastly: I'm going to share an incredible treasure with you, if you haven't found it already, since you esteem Still Life so much: I'll put the link below in case TH-cam objects; let me know if you got it (or didnt).
I love Godbluff too. Hammill knew punk was on the horizon and due to take over, prog had had it's day. PH had released his own proto-punk album "Nadir's big chance" 6 months earlier, so he made Godbluff sound like prog meets punk. A complete masterstroke.
digg In!!!! really good stufff!!! i like Petes List pawn Hearts, godBluff,Still Life, World Record all go together for me. i also Digg Quiet Zone Pleasure dome
Hey Pete, great list! My ranking is almost identical to yours, although Still Life the album comes in at #2 for me, and so does Still Life the song in my top 10 VdGG songs! The lyrics and vocals on that track are so dark, sad and beautiful and it sends shivers down my spine every time. Thanks for the video
Listened to Pawn Hearts for the first time ever (and then had to listen again a couple more times because it is hard to digest). Savage, terrifying, and beautiful all at the same time. Perfect description Pete! Looking forward to discovering more albums from VDGG. THANKS.
Great presentation! Thank you. My first VDGG album was the compilation "68-71", only on vinyl, never released on CD. I loved it then and love it still. I have all of the the studio albums as well, but only the first four on vinyl.
@dan mcgrath I love Still Life. I just meant that if I only had one album to take from any band to my island it would be Godbluff. I'm also a prog. hard rock and metal fan so choosing just one album should be difficult but it's always number one
I only have the 70's stuff, so my list will reflect that. All of these are pretty good, I think, with the top 5 all being pretty flawless. 8) The Aerosol Grey Machine 7) World Record 6) H to He, Who Am the Only One 5) The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome 4) Pawn Hearts 3) The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other 2) Godbluff 1) Still Life Thanks, Pete!
I only own three albums from VDGG; always meant to buy more, but just never got around to it. Pawn Hearts, H to He, and The Least We Can Do are the ones I own, Pawn Hearts being my favorite. Brain-melting, apocalyptic sounding stuff. Not for the faint-hearted, and I love it. Best played LOUD!
Being such a huge Van Der Graaf fan (Hammill's solo work also), I am so happy that you made this video! Thank you so very much for making it Pete. I find it very difficult to rank these albums. My top 6 (today) 1. Godbluff 2. Pawn Hearts 3. H to He 4. The Least We Can Do... 5. World Record 6. Still Life I'm having a really hard time putting "World Record" so low on the list because some of my favorite Van Der Graaf songs are on it, but I adore those other albums so much. Oh Well, tomorrow it will probably be 3rd or 4th 😊 Thanx for the video
C'est l'apogée de leur adolescence... Après, devenant adultes, ils intègrent la brutalité, la violence et ça devient encore supérieur : Godbluff et Still Life... En fait, leur meilleur album, c'est Vital. Le summum d'une virilité désespérée et rageuse... Tellurique.
My Top Ranking albums feat highlights tracks from Van Der Graaf Generator: 10- Merlin Atmos (Flight,...). 09- A Grounding In Numbers (Your Time Starts Now, Medusa,...). 08- Vital (Parts of" A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/The Sleepwalkers,...). 07- Maida Vale (Darkness, Masks (Re). 06- H To He Who Am The Only One (House With No Door, Killer, ..). 05- Quiet Zone (The Pleasure Dome,...). 04- The Aerosol Grey Machine (Afterwards, Orthenthian 1/2,...) 03- Still Life (Pilgrims (My solitary island theme). 02- Godbluff (Arrow, The Sleepwalkers, ...). 01- Pawn Hearts (A Plague of Lighhouse Keepers (Total).
Great review. Back in 1972 we loved this band so much, we named our bowling team after them. Needless to say that we were unlike the other teams in the league. Lots of pre-bowling prepping involved listening to VDGG out in the car on our cassette stereos. Pawn Hearts was always “King”...and still is. “A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers”.......The Holy grail.
1. Pawn Hearts 2. Still Life 3. H to He Who Am the Only One 4. Godbluff 5. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other 6. Trisector 7. World Record 8. Present 9. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome 10. A Grounding in Numbers 11. Do Not Disturb 12. The Aerosol Grey Machine 13. ALT Was supposed to see them on 3 May ... now postponed until 21 November ... really looking forward to seeing them again.
One of my favorite bands and John Lydon’s too, Thanks Pete. The Aerosol Grey Machine began essentially as a Peter Hammill solo album and it eventually morphed into forming the band. Though the music on their albums is heavy and brooding, when you breakdown Hammill’s lyrics they are actually hopeful and have a lot to do with mankind coming together to create a better world like in “Refugees” and “Pilgrims”.
corleth84 the end lyrics in “Lemmings” is still hopeful “Sleepwalkers” is existential. Hammill’s lyrics always start out dark, but many songs reveal his optimism to get through the darkness.
One of my truly beloved bands of all time since very early age. Seems everybody on this galaxy chosses pawn hearts as their favourite. To me is too much madness in it and a very difficult one to dig, should be filed as "free psych prog", nothing compares to the obscure beauty of still life (my #2) and better by far "Godbluff"
@@marcelob4132 Almost everything Hammill did is quite disturbing to say the least, apart from his unique brillance. Godbluff and Still Life are musically a little less unconfortable
I like the 70's VDGG albums very much. I also like the Hammill solo records throughout that period. The solo albums have members of the band contributing on some tracks and I've always considered them to be an extension of the band. VDGG often played selected songs from the PH solo records LIVE in that period. Still Life has a special intimacy about it. It is my favorite from top to bottom. Too much to talk about here, so I'll cut to the chase. 1. Still Life 2. The Least We Can Do.... 3. Pawn Hearts 4. H To He..... 5. Godbluff 6. Aerosol Gray Machine 7. World Record 8. Quiet Zone Hammill Solo 1. Fools Mate 2. Nadir's Big Chance 3. In Camera 4.Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night 5. Silent Corner, Empty Stage 6. Over. Of course, these lists are subject to change, frequently !
Why oh why isn't there anybody who named PH7 as the ultimate solo album of Peter Hammill? Listen to Careering and Portadown which I consider one of the best solo songs that Peter performed. The album consists also some beautiful soft songs: Time for a change, Mirror images and You're my favourite. And what to think of side B with The old school tie, Imperial walls (!), Mr.X and Faculty X. Great album in my opinion
Pete, my top five VDGG albums are exactly in the same order as yours, although like you said, on any other day the top four or so can be interchanged in any of the top four spots. That said, Godbluff, Side One with Undercover man and Scorched Earth are SUBLIME! Great video and your channel has become my #1 FAVE music channel to follow on TH-cam! Thanks for posting these "Ranking The albums" videos!. Every every one has been extremely interesting to watch!
Hi, Pete. I have the same opinion, they really sound unique. But I know just some albums (1969, 1977, 2008, 2016), so it's nice that you've been talking about them. I'm going to listen to the ones I don't know.
GREAT JOB !! THANX THERE IS NO DARKER ,INTENSE ,BOMBASTIC CREEPY PROG BAND IN THE GENRE. KING CRIMSON COMES CLOSE. THEN GOING OUT AND PERFORMING THIS MATERIAL IN CONCERT ESPECIALLY IN THEIR LATE 60s AND EARLY 70s IS MORE THAN IMPRESSIVE THEIR COUNTERPOINTING MELODIES AND SOUR CHORDS (LEMMINGS) FOR EXAMPLE, IS WHAT DREW ME IN.
Many thanks, Pete! I was one of your followers which insist for ranking the Van Der Graaf Generator albums. I will probably rank the debut higher, but everything that comes to music and art is quite subjective. I will like to see which is your opinion about Camel in your next videos.
Thank you Pete again for reviewing this phenomenal Prog band. Great musicality and Mr. Hammill’s lyrics imho are some of the best in Prog history. Listening to Still Life and God Bluff and going to expand into Mr. Hammill’s solo work. In the future it would be interesting on your take of Mr. Hammill’s solo work.
I bought Pawn Hearts when I was 13 or 14 because I liked the cover. It was a shock when I got it home and played it. It took some getting used to but it became one of my favourite albums ever.
Outstanding show!! One of my favorites of all time!! Probably would have pushed Aerosol a bit higher, but all in all we're on the same page!! I'm off to the Zappa show; my favorite music artist ever!!! I'm really curious to see how you rank 'em. Typically we're both from the same mold. Only exception so far is City Boy. I'm a huge fan and our ranking are all out of whack; but as you said, we all hear them differently. Curious about the order in which you were exposed to them to see if that had some impact on your rankings. However, thrilled that you even included them. I've long considered them one of the most underrated bands. Very witty, catchy, fun stuff!!! ... but I digress.
Great descriptions of many of this super unique bands catalog. You are right no one sounds like this band thankfully! I only own H to He and the box set so no ranking for me, as I’ve meant to fill the collection but just haven’t gotten round to it yet ...
Extraordinary band. The cream of the crop (for me) : 1- Pawn Hearts 2- H to He i am the only one 3- The Least we Can do is wave to each other 4- Still Life 5- Godbluff I like also the rest but these five albums are absolutely ESSENTIAL.
Still Life and Pawn Hearts are two of the very few albums that I like every single second of, from end to end. Man Erg with a majestic melody but the most frenetic instrumentals in the whole of music, the venomous La Rossa, the gorgeous, low key My Room with its beautiful major to minor switch, Still Life ... Still Life! Who wants to live forever after contemplating "Living, if you claim that all that entails is breathing, eating, defecating, screwing, drinking, spewing, sleeping, sinking ever down and down and ultimately passing away time which no longer has any meaning." OMG help!
''Still Life'' APOLHK and ''My Room'' are three of the most lyrically disturbing songs anyone will ever hear and yet all are so beautifully melancholic and almost comforting at the same time. Peter Hammill is a one off genius lyrically and I never tire of listening to his and VdGG's inimitable music.
Saw them at, Leeds Grand Theatre in1976 doing the World Record tour, really great night, just can’t remember who I went with or who he support band was, if there was one!
Thanks Pete for ranking the almighty VDGG! My top 6 is: 1- Godbluff 2- Still Life 3- H to He Who Am The Only One 4- The Least We Can Do Is To Wave Each Other 5- Pawn Heart 6- World Record
I’m not that familiar with Van Der Graaf Generator but love Peter Hammill’s solo work, particularly ‘Over’. He has to be one of the most unique talents in music. I saw him back in the mid ‘80s shortly after the great live album ‘The Margin’. It remains the only concert I’ve ever been to where the singer’s vocals disturbed me. He was magnificent.
I got to see Peter Hamill (? spelling) on a solo tour ten-something years ago. Just him and a piano. You know, really solo. Liked it quite a bit. But I don't have his or VDG's albums except for a cheap collection of VDG that came with a collection of Hawkwind in a package deal. Should go check both out. Thank you, Pete!
I did myself a big disservice with VDGG. I got the live album "Vital" first (not a bad pick), then got "The Aerosol Gray Machine" and collected a run of compilations and odds n' sods titles. With VDGG being an album band and really laying their most potent blows in the 1970-76 period, I would have been better off to save my money, buy "The Least We Can Do" through "World Record," and listen to them chronologically. I really missed all the great albums. Hey, it's not too late!
Aerosol isn’t bad by any means. It’s just not very representative of what the band is about. It’s best to get it after purchasing 2 or 3 other albums of their classic run.
Thanks Pete, you are doing a great job, love listening to your monster movie reviews too, I don't care if you reveal the plot lines or the endings but I'm 54 and will most likely have watched most of them. Please could you rank the albums of Caravan, I've heard you mention them, this is just to remind you. Keep up the good work.
1. Godbluff 2. Pawn Hearts 3. Still Life 4. H To He 5. The Least We Can Do 6. World Record 7. The Quiet Zone 8. The Aerosol Grey Machine 9. Present 10. Trisector 11. A Grounding In Numbers 12. Do Not Disturb 13. Alt
@ADRIAN LACKEY haha...yeah, that guitar work can go either way for people. As a non-guitar playing small time musician whom doesn't possess perfect pitch (tone deaf), I can really love the guitar playing on this. I am happily surprised to see so many positive comments about the song.
Great review. Detail, emotion, feeling. Not a band I would normally investigate, but I know Fish rates them highly. If you look closely on the back cover of Fugazi by Marillion, I understand that one of the album covers strewn on the floor is Fool's Mate by Peter Hamill.
"Pawn Hearts" and "God Bluff" for me. Wonder how you would rank Peter Hammill's extensive solo catalog? Have to give the newer albums a listen. "Present" did not grab me and VdGG without Jackson is not as powerful.
1. Pawn Hearts ( Not only my favourite VDGG album, but my favourite album of all time ) 2. H to He... 3. The least we can do... 4. Godbluff 5. Still Life 6. The Aerosol Grey Machine ( I love the early stuff) 7. World Record ( A bit of a grower, still my least liked from the classic lineup ) 8. Present ( A lot of filler to be sure, but to wait all those years and get a VDGG album was a joy. Nutter Alert and every Bloody Emperor alone were worth the wait ) 9. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome 10. Do Not Disturb 11. A Grounding In Numbers 12. Trisector 13 ALT I was looking forward to seeing them in Edinburgh in May but that date is a victim of COVID19. But they have rescheduled for November, fingers crossed. To ask you to do a Peter Hammill worst to first would be a huge undertaking, maybe a top 10 songs though.
TRUTH!! "Present ( A lot of filler to be sure, but to wait all those years and get a VDGG album was a joy. Nutter Alert and every Bloody Emperor alone were worth the wait )" ...and how interesting is it that the band must have known that as well? It's the only 2 they performed live. Were you at the May 6, 2005 Royal Festival Hall show?
@@prosoloist Were you at the May 6, 2005 Royal Festival Hall show? No, I'm from Greenock West of Glasgow and have made all the Scottish shows since they reformed. But I had planned to take a weeks annual leave and catch most of their uk tour.
Well I saw the guys in concert in London last night, and they were awesome. I thought I'd miss Dave Jackson, but they've clearly got used to him not being there and adapted the lives shows accordingly. They did two sets, and played material from most albums. The first set was mainly 21st century stuff, but the 2nd set was classic after classic, topped off with arousing version of "Refugees" as the encore. A highlight for me was "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End", but "Scorched Earth", "Lemmings" and"Man-Erg" were huge and powerful. For a band with a reputation for being overly serious they were actually very playful, between each other on stage as well as with the audience. Every time I go to see a band like this I worry that they can't match the performances of the 70s, but they do, time after time. This was a really great show, and if they are playing near you I can't recommend them highly enough.
I just my ticket to see them in London in 3 weeks,and I can't wait because I've loved them since the early 70s. Saw them many times in the 70s, never failed to hit the heights, what an awesome unique band they are. Also saw Hammill solo many times, and the reunion tour for Present. I love those 3 mid 70s albums, especially Godbluff. Lots of bands sound similar, but no one comes close to VDGG, ever.
I’m re-acquiring their catalogue again after losing a lot of music due to a flooding and got the remaster of Godbluff in today. It’s just absolutely mindblowing music and the two bonus cuts (which are band-performed PH ‘solo’ songs) only add to the experience. 👍
Thank you so much for ranking VdGG! This band is unique in music as are Gentle Giant and King Crimson. These three are my "Trinity" of Prog Rock ever. My ranking the albums is not so different from yours. Here it is: 13. ALT (only experimental soundscapes; no direction; some good moments) 12. Grounding by numbers (no longtrack, too split up in small pieces) 11. The aerosol grey machine (except "Necromancer" not really progressive stuff, but still enjoyable) 10. Do not disturb (too quiet for my opinion) 9. Presence (great comeback! the second CD is not needful) 8. Trisector (first album without Jackson, but it works fine; aggressive!) 7. The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome (different, but not bad; for me the violin fits well and points out that there are no restrictions in this kind of music) 6. Still Life (very fine, no disappointments, but there are some albums that are better) 5. Godbluff (very dark; very fascinating, but a bit too short) 4. H to He who am the only one (epic; a quiet threat; dont't listen to it, when you are weak) 3. The least we can do is wave to each other (great melodies, harmonies; the real beginning of the band) 2. World Record (only because of "Meurglys III") 1. Pawn Hearts (yes! this is the top which never can be reached again; flowing disturbing shocking and puzzling) Now I have two further questions: 1. Why don't you count the VdGG albums without Peter Hammill ("The Long Hello" and "Now and Then") as regular band-albums, which have to be ranked too? 2. I am a German. Could you explain the phrase "who am the only one"? As I have learned, this is not correct English. It has to be: "who is the only one" or "who are the only one". But my English is too poor. Thank you! Best greetings from Germany.
#14, 15,16, etc ;). Haha, just kidding. How would YOU rank those? I see Roxanne inserted Now And Then into her list. "Why don't you count the VdGG albums without Peter Hammill ("The Long Hello" and "Now and Then") as regular band-albums, which have to be ranked too?
@@prosoloist Thank you for your question. I would rank those two albums between "ALT" and "Grounding by numbers". I think, they are weak. The band searched for a new way, but didn't find it. But still the question is: Are these VdGG-albums? They miss Peter Hammill. But what about the Pink Floyd - Albums missing Roger Waters? Can it depend on only one band-member to keep the band ? Deep Purple - without Richie Blachmore or Jon Lord. Uriah Heep without David Byron?
Very nice to see some attention for this wonderfull and highly unique band wich is very dear to me. 1.pawn hearts 2.h to he 3.the least 4.still life 5.godbluff
The Habit Of A Broken Heart from the Quiet Zones album has that moment of transition in the middle of the piece which I find to be one of the most beautiful moments in music id heard in a long time (1:20-1:40) reminds me of a passage in Soft Machine's Moon In June idk why but those moments where bands transition one passage to another and use changes in chords, sometimes rhythm too like with Soft Machine, it's so so cool
Great video. I don't know them so well past the '70s and Pawn Hearts is the only VDGG album I own, but The Habit Of The Broken Heart is probably my favourite track of theirs. True, the lack of sax on that album is weird, but the violin can scream and squeal just as well and I think it does it perfectly there.
VERY good band! 1 - H to HE 2 - Pawn Hearts 3 - Still Life 4 - Godbluff 5 - The Least We Can Do 6 - World Record 7 - Aerosol Grey Machine 8 - Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome
I love this band and respect them so much for the new territories they explored. I don't think they put anything bad out. You either love them or you don't...
Man, I do understand you. VDGG is one of the soundtracks of my youth. Savage, terrifying and beautiful. Your words are my words. Amazing review of one of the best bands ever. I really don't care about rankings but your emotions talking about this band makes you a brother of mine. I do have a song that is kind of magical to me: refugees is an epitaph to my youth, my lost love, my romantic soul... So when I listen to that song... Let's not talk about it... Best regards from Portugal. Thank you for this incredible review. They deserve it!🙃
Van Der Graaf Generator are a cult band in Russia. My father introduced me to them, and since then I've always been a huge fan. Sadly, finding their LPs in Russia for reasonable prices is next to impossible, and the only one I could find for a good price was World Record. Not my favorite, but still a strong album and I'm glad that I bought it.
What stops you from buying abroad?
Неожиданно было узнать что в России много кто их любит, я не знаю почти никого кто бы их хотя бы знал!
@@marysattic на самом деле, их тут достаточно много. Больше, чем можно было бы подумать
Not to my surprise P.H. was born on same day as F.Dostoevskij: 11.11: darkness.😮
Same thing in the us. Their 1970 record is the cheapest. And that goes for 40 to 60 bucks USD
Top 5 for me:
1) Pawn Hearts
2) Still Life
3) The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
4) Godbluff
5) H to He Who Am the Only One
Pawn Hearts is one of the best albums of all time.
PH is beyond anything
@@tomt5745 CTTE>
I think like you
Which other PH are similar to VDGG? I loved Still Life and Pawn Hearts.
@@nicolasbascunan4013 The silent corner and empty stage is pretty familiar. "Forsaken gardens" and "a louse is not a home" include the classic VdGG lineups and are fully fledged VdGG songs. I think "gog magog (in bromine chambers)" was originally a VdGG song and "the black room" is very similar to the classic VdGG stuff.
My favourite of his songs in his "flight" suite, if nothing else you should totally check that one out.
I love VDGG, one of my favourite bands of all time, of any band. From Brazil ✌✌
Minha também amigo!
For me Steel Life is by far the best album
I am from Brazil
For me, “Pawn Hearts” is my all-time favourite VDGG of the first era, and “Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome”, of the second. One of the few prog bands who never lost their focus, or sold out to the masses. Hats off to them!
I think we have to refer to Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome as THIRD era. But who's counting? ;)
Great to see you giving some shine to this under rated band, who deserve to named alongside the big prog names like Genesis and Pink Floyd.
not in same league as pink floyd or genesis
@@iancarpenter6298 Genesis and Floyd not in same league as VdGG.
There, 1 : 1 they are equal now !
Just joking, I love all three but I don't subscribe to the ''best'' or ''same league'' opinions.
We should cherish the diversity and originality of English Prog bands, not try to belittle the ones we don't favour and VdGG definitely deserve respect.
Without APOLHK there would be no Suppers Ready - Genesis and VdGG toured together, Gabriel and Hammill have been friends for many years since and I read that he said that Genesis wrote Suppers Ready after hearing how groundbreaking APOLHK was and thought ''we should do something like that''.
Great video, Pete.
My top 5:
1. Godbluff
2. Still Life
3. Pawn Hearts
4. H to He Who Am the Only One
5. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
great video Pete, thank u!!! (waiting for Renaissance, anxiously!)
I'm so glad I got to see them (albeit without Mr. Jackson), at both of their NEARfest performances. I was probably the only person in the meet & greet queue who didn't have anything to be autographed. I just wanted to shake their hands and say thank you.
Really enjoy your channel. I had a long and interesting conversation with Peter Hammill round about the time of Trisector. He has had a really great solo career too
VDGG is my favourite progressive rock band. In this days I planned to be in Krakow and seeing my first VDGG concert, but due to recent events they've rescheduled their tour for September.
My VDGG albums list
13. The Quite Zone (only last four songs are good for me. The Sphinx returns, the best song for me on this album )
12.Alt (reminds me Pink Floyd's Ummagumma and Aphrodite's Child's 666 albums. As I'm growing older I like it more and more. I will highlight such songs as Extractus, Colossus, Splendid, Tuesday, The Riff, Dronus)
11. A Grounding in Numbers (very heavy album, more prog-metal here. Lot's of killing songs that blew my mind:Highly Strung, Red Baron, Bunso, Snake Oil, Embarrassing Kid, Mr. Sands)
10. Do not Disturb ( when I first listened to it I was very sceptic about this album, but now I turned my mind to this and I really changed my mind about the whole album. I will select such song as Aloft, Room 1210, Forever Falling, Yes, Brought to book)
9. Trisector(there's no vinyl edition of this album, so I have only cd and it's very hard to find. For me it was really hard to accept this album without David Jackson, but there're some song that I can't omit: The Hurlyburly, Interference Patterns, Drop Dead, All that before, Over the Hill and in my opinion the heaviest VDGG song of all time (We are) not here)
8. Present (great return, prog rock meets with Free Jazz. Great work from maestro David Jackson. This album reminds me early Soft Machine stuff. There's no vinyl edition so only 2xcd so I like first one better because I prefer songs with lyrics over instrumental songs. That's why the best songs for me is on the 1st cd: Every bloody Emperor, Nutter Alert, Abandon Ship)
7. The Aerosol Grey Machine (more psychedelic and acid rock, rather than prog rock. Here we can see clearly influence of such musicians as Arthur Brown, Graham Bond and Jefferson Airplane. The best songs here are : Running Back, Into A Game, Aguarian, Octopus, Necromancer, Firebrand)
6. H to He (very difficult album. I needed more time to understand this album. Such songs as Killer, The Emperor in his War-Room, Lost always makes me happy when I'm listening to it)
5.Still Life (quiet good album for understanding, that's why I had no problems with it. From the first time when I listened to it till now my love to this never changed. In my opinion, My room is the best VDGG ballad)
4. The Least We Can Do... (the first VDGG album that I have listened to. And Darkness (11/11) was the first song that I ever heard from VDGG. The best part of the song is when in middle of the song in the background you can hear "Wicked little Scorpio, doomed to die a thousand times before he lives" Heavy Hugh Banton's Farfisa organ sound mixed with David Jackson's saxophone and flute makes album sound more exquisite and enjoyable. )
3. World Record (the first VDGG album that I bought on vinyl. I have English and Italian first pressing of it. Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild is my best VDGG song. But Wondering a little bit annoying for me)
2.Godbluff (very heavy sound and great technical work. Such songs as Arow and the Sleepwalkers I wanna listen to them more and more. Only the part in the Sleepwalkers from 5th minute till the end of the song I listened more than 1000 times)
1. Pawn Heart(one word that I can say-masterpiece)
P. S. If you can make video about Peter Hammill's solo albums
I Cant Wait To Watch This!
Stumbled upon this band and Peter Hammil few years ago..
What a great great band !!!
Awsome musicianship, lyrics, singing!!!!
Hey Pete, watched ur Captain Beyond video...
Never listened to them before but bought first album long time ago and never opened...
Well I Did...
OMG!!!
I immediately ordered following two albums!!!!!
ThaNk You Sooo Muchh..!!!!!
Great to see the VDGG upload Pete! Can't wait to see them again later in November :-)
My top 5 albums are-
1-Godbluff (Arrow,their best ever track,in my opinion)
2-H to E....
3-The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other (Darkness & After the Flood,both masterpieces!)
4-Pawnhearts
5-World Record
"Pawn Hearts" is THE most significant/influential piece of media I've EVER encountered. FUNDAMENTALLY impacted, the resultant foundation is at the core of who I continue to become 50 years later. Peter Hammill's brilliance and generosity are EPIC.
SINCERELY,
Ted Furlo
I always thought that APOLHK was simultaneously the most incredibly beautiful musical work ever produced, and the most incredibly horribly deranged musical work ever produced. Masterpiece.
A lot of VdGG / Hammill fits this template - Arrow, Gog, Lemmings, After the Flood, Sleepwalkers.
God I love beautiful horribly deranged music. - Hail VdGG.
@@neilparnell5712 😌🙏🧠🫀
I saw Peter Hamill support Marillion back in the day. Didn't know anything about VDGG then, but wow, what an amazing voice he had live.
Yeah, I saw Marillion on that tour (Birmingham Odeon), I was already a huge Hammill/VdGG fan so PH supporting was a big bonus. I lost interest in Marillion after their first album.
@@lemming9984 I saw Marillion each tour with Fish - I lost interest after he left. I know this is a VdGG page, but RE Marillion, you could do worse than check out Fugazi or Clutching at Straws. CaS is my favourite. Fugazi is quite a hard listen but really worth it.
@@suecongdon6844 I had followed marillion for a couple of years before they made Script. Seen them live many times in Pubs and small clubs. The first time I saw them (Coventry General Wolfe) there was only about 10 people in the audience!. Hearing studio versions of those familiar songs was horrible. They lost their edge, and the album was over produced I think. Really tried hard to like Script!
The only time I have seen PH live, and the 1st time I saw Marillion live. Peter is still the best live solo artist I can remember.
Wow it should've been reversed.
Oh man. Thank you! VDGG one of my top 5 favorite bands. Keep em coming!
I can really appreciate this show...not only do I love Van Der Graaf Generator...but I added more to my must have list...and after a few views of this particular album review show...I think it's one of the best description reviews and well spoken shows I've ever seen you do...well done Pete
Godbluff is perfect, my all time favorite album. Just 4 masterpiece songs. Very consistent, with no flaws album. Pawn Hearts, H to He, The Least..., Still Life, World Record and even The Quite Zone / The Pleasure Dome are also superb albums. Hammill's intelectual and eclectic poetry and songwriting combined with Banton's organ, Jackson's sax/flutes and Evans free jazz-like drum playing just work for me. Potter's bass playing, especially in Van der Graaf era, is fantastic.
Scorched earth - arguably the greatest prog tune of all time. Snow tracks are all that's left to be seen Of a man who entered the course of a dream, Claiming nothing but the life he's known This, at least, has been his own.
Nice ranking Pete--was really happy to hear how much you dig Do Not Disturb. Love the gritty, kinda early Sabbath sludge sound to it. Pawn Hearts is their best but as you note it's close. I might've put Still Life a bit higher but to each his own!
Love this band so much. Haven't heard all of them but heres my ranking
1:Godbluff
2: Pawn Hearts
3: Still Life (this could swap with pawn hearts)
4: H to He
5: The least you could do is wave
6: World Record
Pawn Hearts maybe best album ever, surely top 5.
yesss
Let's not forget one of the best live albums ever, VDGG's Vital with violin and cello and wonderfully distorted bass effects. Nothing like it, even in their own catalogue!
Definitely one of the greatest live albums I've ever heard.
pawn hearts, one of the master albums. love the band.
one of my favorite bands ever, allso one of the most underated bands ever. 🐐🐐
Ah, yes! Been waiting for this one. I LOVE VDGG, as well as Peter Hammill's solo catalog -- the dark and depressing 'Over' is one of my favorite albums of all time. Cheers, Pete, and thanks for this one!
The Noise, Roaring 40s, This, "A Louse is Not a Home," "The Comet, the Course, the Tail," "Flight" "Through the Looking Glass" is ultra-gorgeous.
OUTSTANDING band in many ways...My top
1. Pawn hearts (Fripp 👏👏👏)
2. The least we can do is wave to each other
3. Godbluff
4. World record
5. H to he...Who am the only one
6. Still life
7. The aerosol grey machine
David Jackson: Freak
Peter Hamill: GENIUS
Thanks Pete. Take care buddy!
Pour moi, "Still Life", "Godbluff", "The Quiet Zone..." "Pawn Hearts" et "Vital".
Fripp played in H to He, not Pawn Hearts
@@hermittraveler2163
BOTH
@@brunovallesmunoz4757 yes, my mistake
Comprehensive overview - love the angst pouring out of the music. A band for our current age of anxiety if you can steal yourself to listen. Agree not mainstream, but deserves to be. Looking forward to the ax man par excellence Bill Nelson.
Hi pete just to let you know my music teacher at primary school 1970 in the uk was hugh bantam's brother , he regularly got out his acoustic and played vdg music...thought you be interested in this info..
that's awsome!!!!
Excellent! can we please have a complete ranking os Peter Hammill's studio albums?
That would be a two-hour video, though. ;-)
@@outernothingness1177 I am ready for it. Anyway. Anytime.
@@Toffe67 So am I. What's your top and bottom two?
That's hard, but as of now, this very minute... top two could be In Camera and None of the Above. Bottom two? Even more difficult, but just for the sake of it, let's say Clutch and Fool's Mate. And then there are the collaborative albums that are absolutely brilliant, like In Amazonia, the album PH did with Isildurs Bane!
Let me know your thoughts on the top and bottom 2, please!
Thank you so much for ranking the albums from this masterful prog band! The first 5 albums could go in any order from number 5 to number 1, all are absolutely perfect. While Pawn Hearts is their most extreme musical statement and Godbluff their most important, I feel like Still Life is Hammill and crew at their peak. Pilgrims is remarkable, Still Life is the best track about existentialism ever, La Rossa is fantastic, My Room is poetic and gorgeous, and Childlike Faith in Childhood's End is Hammill at his very lyrical peak (besides Plague of course). Still Life is my pick for number one, of course I love all those masterpieces though
"Pilgrims is remarkable" .... the one that turned my head. Earlier that year, friends and I would run out of the house when my brother would put on VdGG. We liked the Gentle Giant, Crimson, Gong, Genesis but wow, not the Graaf. And then one December night I opened my eyes. The next day I called my friend and got him to open his eyes as well...lol
YES, Pilgrims is amazing
When I read this, "Still Life is the best track about existentialism ever," I really thought I'd strayed back to a previous comment of mine :) Still Life is topped only by Childlike Faith in Childhood's End. Genuine poetic inspiration for the ages. (In a very different musical mode, Kansas' Incomudro Hymn to the Atman is stellar also.) In terms of lyrical peak, I might pick "A Louse is not a Home" or even "The Comet, the Course, the Tail". But, luckily, I don't have to choose. I can listen to it all. Lastly: I'm going to share an incredible treasure with you, if you haven't found it already, since you esteem Still Life so much: I'll put the link below in case TH-cam objects; let me know if you got it (or didnt).
th-cam.com/video/28F5Rba7zVY/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Suha%C3%96nder
Great video man, VDG pretty much has been the soundtrack track to lockdown for me.. Seeing them in Manchester next year too 👍.
Haven't really delved much into their discography, but I freaking love Godbluff. I was FLOORED the first time I heard Arrow. Nothing sounds like it.
CaptainAtomSmasher that’s a good one
I love Godbluff too. Hammill knew punk was on the horizon and due to take over, prog had had it's day. PH had released his own proto-punk album "Nadir's big chance" 6 months earlier, so he made Godbluff sound like prog meets punk. A complete masterstroke.
Tom Graham exactly!
digg In!!!!
really good stufff!!!
i like Petes List
pawn Hearts, godBluff,Still Life, World Record all go together for me. i also Digg Quiet Zone Pleasure dome
Arrow is my favourite VDGG track of all time. The album rates number 3 for me, after Pawn Hearts and Least We Can Do
For me, Quiet Zone / Pleasure Dome is my desert island disc. If I had to only listen to one album ever again, this would be it.
Your tee shirt collection must take up multiple tractor trailers. Thanks for what you do! Great brain food while we are cooped up at home.
I Wanna know where did he get those nice T's.
Hey Pete, great list! My ranking is almost identical to yours, although Still Life the album comes in at #2 for me, and so does Still Life the song in my top 10 VdGG songs! The lyrics and vocals on that track are so dark, sad and beautiful and it sends shivers down my spine every time. Thanks for the video
for me, 'Vital' is their fire breathing live classic; spacey, baroque violin AND Peter Jackson ( and cello)
Listened to Pawn Hearts for the first time ever (and then had to listen again a couple more times because it is hard to digest). Savage, terrifying, and beautiful all at the same time. Perfect description Pete! Looking forward to discovering more albums from VDGG. THANKS.
Great presentation! Thank you. My first VDGG album was the compilation "68-71", only on vinyl, never released on CD. I loved it then and love it still. I have all of the the studio albums as well, but only the first four on vinyl.
Godbluff is my desert island album
@dan mcgrath I love Still Life. I just meant that if I only had one album to take from any band to my island it would be Godbluff. I'm also a prog. hard rock and metal fan so choosing just one album should be difficult but it's always number one
Mine's definitely Pawn Hearts 🤗
@@isaacperetz5984 Easily World Record
Which other PH are similar to VDGG? I loved Still Life and Pawn Hearts.
I only have the 70's stuff, so my list will reflect that. All of these are pretty good, I think, with the top 5 all being pretty flawless.
8) The Aerosol Grey Machine
7) World Record
6) H to He, Who Am the Only One
5) The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome
4) Pawn Hearts
3) The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
2) Godbluff
1) Still Life
Thanks, Pete!
Great video, absolutely agree with lots of your comments. Fantastic stuff indeed.
I only own three albums from VDGG; always meant to buy more, but just never got around to it.
Pawn Hearts, H to He, and The Least We Can Do are the ones I own, Pawn Hearts being my favorite. Brain-melting, apocalyptic sounding stuff. Not for the faint-hearted, and I love it. Best played LOUD!
no better time than now to get GODBLUFF ;) ...and go from there
I really dig "Nadir's Big Chance". One of many of Hammill's solo work.
Hey, cool! Happy to see you spreading the word.
Being such a huge Van Der Graaf fan (Hammill's solo work also), I am so happy that you made this video! Thank you so very much for making it Pete. I find it very difficult to rank these albums. My top 6 (today)
1. Godbluff
2. Pawn Hearts
3. H to He
4. The Least We Can Do...
5. World Record
6. Still Life
I'm having a really hard time putting "World Record" so low on the list because some of my favorite Van Der Graaf songs are on it, but I adore those other albums so much. Oh Well, tomorrow it will probably be 3rd or 4th 😊 Thanx for the video
Pawn Hearts is Number One - absolutely agree! One of the best Prog albums EVER.
C'est l'apogée de leur adolescence... Après, devenant adultes, ils intègrent la brutalité, la violence et ça devient encore supérieur : Godbluff et Still Life... En fait, leur meilleur album, c'est Vital. Le summum d'une virilité désespérée et rageuse... Tellurique.
Which other PH are similar to VDGG? I loved Still Life and Pawn Hearts.
@@claudealain85 Yes, I must investigate those later albums again. I was always 'hooked' on the first four albums!
My Top Ranking albums feat highlights tracks from Van Der Graaf Generator:
10- Merlin Atmos (Flight,...).
09- A Grounding In Numbers (Your Time Starts Now, Medusa,...).
08- Vital (Parts of" A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/The Sleepwalkers,...).
07- Maida Vale (Darkness, Masks (Re).
06- H To He Who Am The Only One (House With No Door, Killer, ..).
05- Quiet Zone (The Pleasure Dome,...).
04- The Aerosol Grey Machine (Afterwards, Orthenthian 1/2,...)
03- Still Life (Pilgrims (My solitary island theme).
02- Godbluff (Arrow, The Sleepwalkers, ...).
01- Pawn Hearts (A Plague of Lighhouse Keepers (Total).
Great review. Back in 1972 we loved this band so much, we named our bowling team after them. Needless to say that we were unlike the other teams in the league. Lots of pre-bowling prepping involved listening to VDGG out in the car on our cassette stereos. Pawn Hearts was always “King”...and still is. “A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers”.......The Holy grail.
That was a very enjoyable presentation Pete. Thanks
Quiet Zone masterpiece for me ❤love the bass of that album 💿 outstanding VGF
1. Pawn Hearts
2. Still Life
3. H to He Who Am the Only One
4. Godbluff
5. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
6. Trisector
7. World Record
8. Present
9. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome
10. A Grounding in Numbers
11. Do Not Disturb
12. The Aerosol Grey Machine
13. ALT
Was supposed to see them on 3 May ... now postponed until 21 November ... really looking forward to seeing them again.
Bang on The Money here Brian...You Saved me from posting the same list...Enjoy the Show .
I like VDGG but in a lot of ways I prefer Peter Hammill"s solo albums. So prolific! But he made some pretty good albums for sure.
One of my favorite bands and John Lydon’s too, Thanks Pete. The Aerosol Grey Machine began essentially as a Peter Hammill solo album and it eventually morphed into forming the band. Though the music on their albums is heavy and brooding, when you breakdown Hammill’s lyrics they are actually hopeful and have a lot to do with mankind coming together to create a better world like in “Refugees” and “Pilgrims”.
then again... Lemmings, Sleepwalkers...
corleth84 the end lyrics in “Lemmings” is still hopeful “Sleepwalkers” is existential. Hammill’s lyrics always start out dark, but many songs reveal his optimism to get through the darkness.
One of my truly beloved bands of all time since very early age. Seems everybody on this galaxy chosses pawn hearts as their favourite. To me is too much madness in it and a very difficult one to dig, should be filed as "free psych prog", nothing compares to the obscure beauty of still life (my #2) and better by far "Godbluff"
True about Pawn Hearts. Seems a lot of people rank it #1
I also love Godbluff
So you found no "madness" on Godbluff and Still Life? 🤔
@@marcelob4132 Almost everything Hammill did is quite disturbing to say the least, apart from his unique brillance. Godbluff and Still Life are musically a little less unconfortable
I agree, Pawn Hearts has been very difficult for me to get into. However, their other albums of early and mid 70s I am absolutely enjoying very much!
I like the 70's VDGG albums very much. I also like the Hammill solo records throughout that period. The solo albums have members of the band contributing on some tracks and I've always considered them to be an extension of the band. VDGG often played selected songs from the PH solo records LIVE in that period.
Still Life has a special intimacy about it. It is my favorite from top to bottom. Too much to talk about here, so I'll cut to the chase.
1. Still Life
2. The Least We Can Do....
3. Pawn Hearts
4. H To He.....
5. Godbluff
6. Aerosol Gray Machine
7. World Record
8. Quiet Zone
Hammill Solo
1. Fools Mate 2. Nadir's Big Chance 3. In Camera 4.Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night 5. Silent Corner, Empty Stage 6. Over. Of course, these lists are subject to change, frequently !
Why oh why isn't there anybody who named PH7 as the ultimate solo album of Peter Hammill? Listen to Careering and Portadown which I consider one of the best solo songs that Peter performed. The album consists also some beautiful soft songs: Time for a change, Mirror images and You're my favourite. And what to think of side B with The old school tie, Imperial walls (!), Mr.X and Faculty X. Great album in my opinion
Incredible band.
Pete, my top five VDGG albums are exactly in the same order as yours, although like you said, on any other day the top four or so can be interchanged in any of the top four spots. That said, Godbluff, Side One with Undercover man and Scorched Earth are SUBLIME! Great video and your channel has become my #1 FAVE music channel to follow on TH-cam! Thanks for posting these "Ranking The albums" videos!. Every every one has been extremely interesting to watch!
Hi, Pete. I have the same opinion, they really sound unique. But I know just some albums (1969, 1977, 2008, 2016), so it's nice that you've been talking about them. I'm going to listen to the ones I don't know.
GREAT JOB !! THANX THERE IS NO DARKER ,INTENSE ,BOMBASTIC CREEPY PROG BAND IN THE GENRE. KING CRIMSON COMES CLOSE. THEN GOING OUT AND PERFORMING THIS MATERIAL IN CONCERT ESPECIALLY IN THEIR LATE 60s AND EARLY 70s IS MORE THAN IMPRESSIVE THEIR COUNTERPOINTING MELODIES AND SOUR CHORDS (LEMMINGS) FOR EXAMPLE, IS WHAT DREW ME IN.
Many thanks, Pete! I was one of your followers which insist for ranking the Van Der Graaf Generator albums. I will probably rank the debut higher, but everything that comes to music and art is quite subjective. I will like to see which is your opinion about Camel in your next videos.
already been done
@@seaoftranquilityprog sorry i didn't know it!
A Soft Machine or Caravan ranking would be great!
Your top 5 absolutely spot on IMO Pete. An amazing band who are very much overlooked in the prog world.
Thank you Pete again for reviewing this phenomenal Prog band. Great musicality and Mr. Hammill’s lyrics imho are some of the best in Prog history. Listening to Still Life and God Bluff and going to expand into Mr. Hammill’s solo work. In the future it would be interesting on your take of Mr. Hammill’s solo work.
Still Life sounds better with every year that passes.
Lyrically wonderful.
But best track?
Man Erg.
Man-Erg blew my brain out of the back of my head when I heard it the first time.
Man Erg is monumental, but I love Still Life and House with no Door.
SO many killer songs in the catalogue.
Excellent summary of the mighty VDGG, thanks!
1. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
2. H to He Who Am the Only One
3. Pawn Hearts
4. Godbluff
5. World Record
I bought Pawn Hearts when I was 13 or 14 because I liked the cover. It was a shock when I got it home and played it. It took some getting used to but it became one of my favourite albums ever.
Pete, I enjoy watching your segment, your'e always on cue, right on keep on rockin'..
Outstanding show!! One of my favorites of all time!! Probably would have pushed Aerosol a bit higher, but all in all we're on the same page!! I'm off to the Zappa show; my favorite music artist ever!!! I'm really curious to see how you rank 'em. Typically we're both from the same mold. Only exception so far is City Boy. I'm a huge fan and our ranking are all out of whack; but as you said, we all hear them differently. Curious about the order in which you were exposed to them to see if that had some impact on your rankings. However, thrilled that you even included them. I've long considered them one of the most underrated bands. Very witty, catchy, fun stuff!!! ... but I digress.
Nice one pete!Ranking for Arena and Manilla Road would be great!Cheers from Greece
Great descriptions of many of this super unique bands catalog. You are right no one sounds like this band thankfully! I only own H to He and the box set so no ranking for me, as I’ve meant to fill the collection but just haven’t gotten round to it yet ...
PH, an influence to so many from so many genres - Bowie, Lydon, Curtis, Genesis P-Orridge, Collins, Oakey
etc, etc, etc...
Extraordinary band.
The cream of the crop (for me) :
1- Pawn Hearts
2- H to He i am the only one
3- The Least we Can do is wave to each other
4- Still Life
5- Godbluff
I like also the rest but these five albums are absolutely ESSENTIAL.
Perfect!!!!
Still Life and Pawn Hearts are two of the very few albums that I like every single second of, from end to end.
Man Erg with a majestic melody but the most frenetic instrumentals in the whole of music, the venomous La Rossa, the gorgeous, low key My Room with its beautiful major to minor switch, Still Life ...
Still Life! Who wants to live forever after contemplating "Living, if you claim that all that entails is breathing, eating, defecating,
screwing, drinking, spewing, sleeping, sinking ever down and down and ultimately passing away time which no longer has any meaning." OMG help!
💯 I’ve been so lucky to see them live and when they played Still Life I literally cried. One of the great moments in my life I’ll never forget.
@@saskiakroonsberg th-cam.com/video/28F5Rba7zVY/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Suha%C3%96nder
''Still Life'' APOLHK and ''My Room'' are three of the most lyrically disturbing songs anyone will ever hear and yet all are so beautifully melancholic and almost comforting at the same time.
Peter Hammill is a one off genius lyrically and I never tire of listening to his and VdGG's inimitable music.
I bought 'Present' after your review. Great comeback.
Well worth it for 'Nutter Alert' alone. Nice 1 👍
Saw them at, Leeds Grand Theatre in1976 doing the World Record tour, really great night, just can’t remember who I went with or who he support band was, if there was one!
Pete,The second album I ever bought as 15 yr old was 'The least etc etc.Agree with your ranking.Keep up the good work Mate.
Thanks Pete for ranking the almighty VDGG!
My top 6 is:
1- Godbluff
2- Still Life
3- H to He Who Am The Only One
4- The Least We Can Do Is To Wave Each Other
5- Pawn Heart
6- World Record
I’m not that familiar with Van Der Graaf Generator but love Peter Hammill’s solo work, particularly ‘Over’. He has to be one of the most unique talents in music. I saw him back in the mid ‘80s shortly after the great live album ‘The Margin’. It remains the only concert I’ve ever been to where the singer’s vocals disturbed me. He was magnificent.
I got to see Peter Hamill (? spelling) on a solo tour ten-something years ago. Just him and a piano. You know, really solo. Liked it quite a bit. But I don't have his or VDG's albums except for a cheap collection of VDG that came with a collection of Hawkwind in a package deal. Should go check both out. Thank you, Pete!
I did myself a big disservice with VDGG. I got the live album "Vital" first (not a bad pick), then got "The Aerosol Gray Machine" and collected a run of compilations and odds n' sods titles. With VDGG being an album band and really laying their most potent blows in the 1970-76 period, I would have been better off to save my money, buy "The Least We Can Do" through "World Record," and listen to them chronologically. I really missed all the great albums. Hey, it's not too late!
Aerosol isn’t bad by any means. It’s just not very representative of what the band is about. It’s best to get it after purchasing 2 or 3 other albums of their classic run.
Thanks Pete, you are doing a great job, love listening to your monster movie reviews too, I don't care if you reveal the plot lines or the endings but I'm 54 and will most likely have watched most of them. Please could you rank the albums of Caravan, I've heard you mention them, this is just to remind you. Keep up the good work.
1. Godbluff
2. Pawn Hearts
3. Still Life
4. H To He
5. The Least We Can Do
6. World Record
7. The Quiet Zone
8. The Aerosol Grey Machine
9. Present
10. Trisector
11. A Grounding In Numbers
12. Do Not Disturb
13. Alt
@ADRIAN LACKEY haha...yeah, that guitar work can go either way for people. As a non-guitar playing small time musician whom doesn't possess perfect pitch (tone deaf), I can really love the guitar playing on this. I am happily surprised to see so many positive comments about the song.
@ADRIAN LACKEY It's tough ranking them when you like them all haha. Seeing VDGG live in 2005 was a big highlight for me :-)
Great review. Detail, emotion, feeling. Not a band I would normally investigate, but I know Fish rates them highly. If you look closely on the back cover of Fugazi by Marillion, I understand that one of the album covers strewn on the floor is Fool's Mate by Peter Hamill.
"Pawn Hearts" and "God Bluff" for me. Wonder how you would rank Peter Hammill's extensive solo catalog?
Have to give the newer albums a listen. "Present" did not grab me and VdGG without Jackson is not as powerful.
Haven't listened enough (or lately) to their discography, but I like TLWCDIWTEO pretty much, After the Flood is one of my favorite songs.
"H to He Who Am the Only One" and "Pawn Hearts" are both fantastic, but "Godbluff" is obviously their ultimate masterpiece
Obviously? BWAHAHAHA
Another of my favorite bands. Many of Peter Hammill solos are excellent as well. Good rankings, can barely disagree..
1. Pawn Hearts ( Not only my favourite VDGG album, but my favourite album of all time )
2. H to He...
3. The least we can do...
4. Godbluff
5. Still Life
6. The Aerosol Grey Machine ( I love the early stuff)
7. World Record ( A bit of a grower, still my least liked from the classic lineup )
8. Present ( A lot of filler to be sure, but to wait all those years and get a VDGG album was a joy. Nutter Alert and every Bloody Emperor alone were worth the wait )
9. The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome
10. Do Not Disturb
11. A Grounding In Numbers
12. Trisector
13 ALT
I was looking forward to seeing them in Edinburgh in May but that date is a victim of COVID19. But they have rescheduled for November, fingers crossed.
To ask you to do a Peter Hammill worst to first would be a huge undertaking, maybe a top 10 songs though.
TRUTH!! "Present ( A lot of filler to be sure, but to wait all those years and get a VDGG album was a joy. Nutter Alert and every Bloody Emperor alone were worth the wait )" ...and how interesting is it that the band must have known that as well? It's the only 2 they performed live. Were you at the May 6, 2005 Royal Festival Hall show?
@@prosoloist Were you at the May 6, 2005 Royal Festival Hall show?
No, I'm from Greenock West of Glasgow and have made all the Scottish shows since they reformed. But I had planned to take a weeks annual leave and catch most of their uk tour.
I can echo every choice here!!
I believe 1976 was the best year in rock music. Ever.
Well I saw the guys in concert in London last night, and they were awesome. I thought I'd miss Dave Jackson, but they've clearly got used to him not being there and adapted the lives shows accordingly. They did two sets, and played material from most albums. The first set was mainly 21st century stuff, but the 2nd set was classic after classic, topped off with arousing version of "Refugees" as the encore. A highlight for me was "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End", but "Scorched Earth", "Lemmings" and"Man-Erg" were huge and powerful. For a band with a reputation for being overly serious they were actually very playful, between each other on stage as well as with the audience. Every time I go to see a band like this I worry that they can't match the performances of the 70s, but they do, time after time. This was a really great show, and if they are playing near you I can't recommend them highly enough.
I just my ticket to see them in London in 3 weeks,and I can't wait because I've loved them since the early 70s. Saw them many times in the 70s, never failed to hit the heights, what an awesome unique band they are. Also saw Hammill solo many times, and the reunion tour for Present. I love those 3 mid 70s albums, especially Godbluff. Lots of bands sound similar, but no one comes close to VDGG, ever.
I’m re-acquiring their catalogue again after losing a lot of music due to a flooding and got the remaster of Godbluff in today. It’s just absolutely mindblowing music and the two bonus cuts (which are band-performed PH ‘solo’ songs) only add to the experience.
👍
Thank you so much for ranking VdGG! This band is unique in music as are Gentle Giant and King Crimson. These three are my "Trinity" of Prog Rock ever. My ranking the albums is not so different from yours. Here it is:
13. ALT (only experimental soundscapes; no direction; some good moments)
12. Grounding by numbers (no longtrack, too split up in small pieces)
11. The aerosol grey machine (except "Necromancer" not really progressive stuff, but still enjoyable)
10. Do not disturb (too quiet for my opinion)
9. Presence (great comeback! the second CD is not needful)
8. Trisector (first album without Jackson, but it works fine; aggressive!)
7. The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome (different, but not bad; for me the violin fits well and points out that there are no restrictions in this kind of music)
6. Still Life (very fine, no disappointments, but there are some albums that are better)
5. Godbluff (very dark; very fascinating, but a bit too short)
4. H to He who am the only one (epic; a quiet threat; dont't listen to it, when you are weak)
3. The least we can do is wave to each other (great melodies, harmonies; the real beginning of the band)
2. World Record (only because of "Meurglys III")
1. Pawn Hearts (yes! this is the top which never can be reached again; flowing disturbing shocking and puzzling)
Now I have two further questions:
1. Why don't you count the VdGG albums without Peter Hammill ("The Long Hello" and "Now and Then") as regular band-albums, which have to be ranked too?
2. I am a German. Could you explain the phrase "who am the only one"? As I have learned, this is not correct English. It has to be: "who is the only one" or "who are the only one". But my English is too poor. Thank you!
Best greetings from Germany.
yes please! Someone, anyone? Could you explain the phrase "who am the only one"?
#14, 15,16, etc ;). Haha, just kidding. How would YOU rank those? I see Roxanne inserted Now And Then into her list. "Why don't you count the VdGG albums without Peter Hammill ("The Long Hello" and "Now and Then") as regular band-albums, which have to be ranked too?
@@prosoloist Thank you for your question. I would rank those two albums between "ALT" and "Grounding by numbers". I think, they are weak. The band searched for a new way, but didn't find it. But still the question is: Are these VdGG-albums? They miss Peter Hammill. But what about the Pink Floyd - Albums missing Roger Waters? Can it depend on only one band-member to keep the band ? Deep Purple - without Richie Blachmore or Jon Lord. Uriah Heep without David Byron?
Very nice to see some attention for this wonderfull and highly unique band wich is very dear to me.
1.pawn hearts
2.h to he
3.the least
4.still life
5.godbluff
The Habit Of A Broken Heart from the Quiet Zones album has that moment of transition in the middle of the piece which I find to be one of the most beautiful moments in music id heard in a long time (1:20-1:40)
reminds me of a passage in Soft Machine's Moon In June
idk why but those moments where bands transition one passage to another and use changes in chords, sometimes rhythm too like with Soft Machine, it's so so cool
Great video. I don't know them so well past the '70s and Pawn Hearts is the only VDGG album I own, but The Habit Of The Broken Heart is probably my favourite track of theirs. True, the lack of sax on that album is weird, but the violin can scream and squeal just as well and I think it does it perfectly there.
Not sounds like VDGG, Peter Hammil is a angry and chaothic genius
VERY good band!
1 - H to HE
2 - Pawn Hearts
3 - Still Life
4 - Godbluff
5 - The Least We Can Do
6 - World Record
7 - Aerosol Grey Machine
8 - Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome
I love this band and respect them so much for the new territories they explored. I don't think they put anything bad out. You either love them or you don't...