Album Rating: 5.0

@ Jethro

You're right. Sabrutin bought Pentacle - "La Clef Des Songes". Anyway, once he told me that it was my review of "Halloween" of Pulsar that caught his attention for the album.

"Still Life" is more accessible than "Godbluff" or "Pawn Hearts".

I agree too. The albums of their second generation are more polished and beter produced, but I'm still thinking that two albums of their first generation "H To He, Who Am The Only One" and "Pawn Hearts" are absolutelly amazing and belong to some of their best works ever.

Album Rating: 5.0

@ wham

Ok, man. I can see what you mean about your problems with some female voices.

About "Pawn Hearts", nice you like Hammill's voice. The guy has really a great voice but he sings in a very peculiar way. So, if you liked his voice and if you can like the album you'll be prepared for all their albums. Maybe you can follow the suggestion of Jethro and your next experiences with them can be "The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other"or "H To He, Who Am The Only One", two othr albums of their first musical phase. The other album of that phase, their debut, is very different, more psychedelic, but above all is clearly inferior, despite still be a good album. After that, you can follow to their second phase, their more polished phase.

By the way, don't forget their last album from the 70's, "The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome". It's a very different album with many differences into their line up. However, many of the main carachteristics of the band are still present despite the use of different instruments on the album. To understand better what I'm saying, you can see my review about it, if you want.

Album Rating: 4.5

It's important to mention Hammill's solo career since lots of their fans prefer it over Van Der Graaf Generator. It's huge but his essential stuff is more up until the early 80's. I never heard his stuff after that period, so yeah. Van Der Graaf albums are surely more consistent, and Hammill's solo stuff is more experimental in places, and so it's harder to get into in general.

Album Rating: 3.5

Got through it, it is good, not mind blowing to me, but def. something to revisit and grow on, also the one I listened to had 3-4 extra songs that were very good as well. will keep going with your other suggestions



rating may go up

Album Rating: 4.5

Glad to see you enjoying your first experience with them. My personal favorite albums are H To He Who Am The Only One, Still Life and then this one, but like I said, a good starting point would be chronologically, starting with The Least We Can Do.

And about your extra songs, it's probably some album's bonus tracks of the 2005 remaster. If it's the case, I never heard any of those.

Album Rating: 3.5

theme one

W

angle of incidents

ponkers theme

diminutions



are the extra songs, and good, they sound like singles maybe think most are normal length songs, like 5 minutes or so

Album Rating: 4.5

That's right, those tracks are from the 2005 remaster. Will give them a listen asap.

Album Rating: 4.0

One of those albums that the music is great but the vocals can't quite match, imo. Prefer Godbluff over this one.



Great review, amigo!

Album Rating: 4.5

@Ziguvan, I think Peter Hammill does a great job overall. He knows how to deliver emotions, mainly the darkest ones. He's the man for that kind of music. Maybe his voice is whining too much in ''Lemmings'', but he's perfect and at his height in ''Man-Erg'', and he's quite convincing in ''A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers''. But if you dig Godbluff, I guess you can somewhat bear the vocals cos Hammill goes mad and desperate in songs such as ''Arrow'' and ''Scorched Earth''.

@Wham, the only typical VDGG song of the bonus ones is ''W''. ''Theme One'' is too upbeat and sounds like say a tele series theme, ''Angle of Incidents'' is too improvised, ''Ponker's Theme'' is too cheerful, and ''Diminutions'' is too ambient.

Album Rating: 5.0

@ wham

Glad to see you enjoying your first experience with them. I'm sure that it will grow on you with the time. You began with their most difficult album and we definetelly need some time for we be use to with their original sound. Then, I'm sure that your rating can grow up with time and patience.

Album Rating: 5.0

@ Jethro

You're right. I forgotten to mention Hammill's solo work. I agree with you. His early stuff from the 70's is all great. Some even consider it a kind of an extension of VDDG. Many of those albums have the appearence of some of the usual members of the band. This isn't a surprise due to the disapear of the band due to some financial problems. And as you, I never heard his stuff after that period too. Anyway, Hammill has a huge solo career to be completelly known by anyone, except his great fans.

Album Rating: 5.0

@ Ziguvan

"One of those albums that the music is great but the vocals can't quite match, imo."

As I said before, his voice isn't for everybody. But I agree with Jethro. Overall, he does a great job. He knows how to deliver emotions, mainly the darkest ones. He's the man for that kind of music, and to his great poetry capacity too.

"Prefer Godbluff over this one."

So do I. Despite I consider, maybe, "Pawn Hearts" their greatest masterpiece, perhaps I prefer "Godbluff", too. Anyway, my top three from them are: "Godbluff", "Pawn Hearts" and "H To He, Who Am The Only One", not necessarly by this order. I'm not sure about that.

Thanks again, amigo.

Album Rating: 5.0

I just read your review of "Pawn Hearts", and while I agree it is a 5 star album I have to make a little correction. The solo at the end of "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" is NOT Robert Fripp on guitar but Hugh Banton on organ performing a perfect Fripp imitation on his organ, in style as well as in sound. I know for certain because I read the book about them by Jim Christopulos. Don't feel bad about this though; my friends and I were of the same opinion for a long time.

Album Rating: 5.0

I'm truly amazed with what you told me Bald. If your source is right, many of us are wrong. I always thought like you, that it was Fripp. According to wikipedia and many other sources, Fripp played on "Lemmings (Including 'Cog')", "Man-Erg", and "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers". So, naturally the final solo should have been performed by him. Besides, many other reviewers wrote the same. For instance, several reviewers of Progarchives are convinced, like me, that was Fripp who played the last distorted guitar work and Banton's played the Mellotron at the same time.

Anyway, thanks for the information. I'm going to check it by myself. Still, if that is right, it makes me still have even more admiration for Banton. I always loved his work and I always considered him as one of the best and most creative keyboard players ever.

Again thanks and cheers.