| 5.0 classic |
| Chrome Blood on the Moon |
| Chrome Alien Soundtracks |
| Chrome Half Machine Lip Moves |
| Chrome Ultra Soundtrack |
| Chrome Read Only Memory |
| Chrome Red Exposure |
| Chrome 3rd from the Sun |
| Chrome No Humans Allowed |
| Chrome Half Machine From the Sun: The Lost Chrome Tracks |
| Circle X Celestial |
| celestial is a more refined collection than circle x's earlier material but no less intense. no less artful, inspiring or moving. perhaps slightly more accessible but no more commercial value here than the s/t EP or prehistory. more varied textures and musical sensibilities only arm the group with more modes of expression, never softening the blows they deliver. as vital as the brutal early material but more dynamic and textural. beautiful stuff. |
| Circle X Dijon '79 |
very hard to find this album but search youtube for "look at the people" live or "tender"
live. it's hard to put into words exactly what is so amazing about this early circle x
material but intensity probably sums it up. just barely straddling the line between noise
and rock this early incarnation of circle x is primal. the sound is anguished and seething.
they are doing this because they have no choice, there is no commercial appeal here to
parlay. this is the best kind of art music. it's honest and essential. they would mature
into a slightly more accessible form in later decades, trickling out a few recordings
eventually this is a great document of their early material. |
| Circle X The Ivory Tower |
a more refined set than the earlier circle x recordings, similar to, celestial. more fully
formed than the earlier material but no less evocative. the maturity only makes them more
effective. this collection of 4x7" records is a handmade work of
art. |
| Hawkwind Hall of the Mountain Grill |
| Hawkwind Warrior on the Edge of Time |
| Hawkwind Quark, Strangeness and Charm |
| Men's Recovery Project The Golden Triumph of Naked Hostility |
a mixed bag ranging from audio absurdity and experimentation to hardcore and weird post-punk
rock. ridiculous, sublime, brilliant and dumb. never boring, always entertaining.
occasionally truly amazing. what more could you possibly ask for?? |
| Men's Recovery Project Bolides Over Basra |
| excellent from start to finish. not a bum moment or lull. an excellent album that you will start over again when it's done. the only criticism is that it's too short. but it's always better to leave them wanting more. |
| Men's Recovery Project Resist The New Way |
| similar to"bolides" but with a sci-fi theme, maybe a little more "electro". an excellent album, again, from start to finish! |
| Peter Hammill The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage |
| his first really great solo effort. good all the way through. |
| Peter Hammill In Camera |
| silent corner is a better album as a whole but some of the songs on in camera are among ph's best. submariner, tapeworm, and gog alone would hold up almost any collection. ph albums are often a kind of mixed bag which can make for an uneasy listen. though the songs are all pretty good, the strong ones rise so far above the rest at times. in camera is a perfect example of this. not a bad listen but maybe oddly sequenced. still, the 4-5 best songs make it essentiall. the rest aren't bad either. |
| Peter Hammill Nadir's Big Chance |
| from start to finish an excellent album. ph had really hit his stride and just in time to reform van der graaf generator.rnadir's big chance is often credited with prefiguring punk rock and this is sort of true. things were moving in that direction and peter hammill certainly did his part to nudge it along. but he had been doing that all along. rthis album is certainly among hammill's most consistent all the way through. and unlike some of his other albums from this peak period it's sequenced just about perfectly. starting off strong, softer in the middle, building back up and finishing with a bang. up there with the classic "concept albums" (some more developed concepts than others) by his fellow english eccentricssuch as: ziggy, taking tiger mountain and captain lockheed and the starfighters. ra perfect introduction to the music of peter hammill being possibly his most accessible and cohesive works as a whole. truly a classic. |
| Peter Hammill A Black Box |
| This Heat Deceit |
| This Heat This Heat |
| This Heat Health and Efficiency |
| This Heat Made Available: John Peel Sessions |
| Van der Graaf Generator Godbluff |
| Van der Graaf Generator H to He, Who Am the Only One |
| 3.5 great |
| Chrome Retro Transmission |
| Chrome Tidal Forces (No Humans Allowed Pt II) |
| Peter Hammill The Love Songs |
| i'd agree, the originals are probably the better versions. however, this collection hangs together well if you're in the mood for its specific flavor. not the best place to start but still worthwhile if you're a hardcore fan perhaps. i would have rated it lower because it's rehashing but it is hard to give vintage ph anything less than "great". |
| This Heat Repeat |
| Van der Graaf Generator The Aerosol Grey Machine |
| some pretty strong moments. a great debut, even if it's not quite the VdGG of the "classic" albums quite yet. "necromancer" is a standout and should be regarded as nugget of 60's dark pop-psychedelia. this earlier version of "people you were going to" isn't as good as the one on ph's solo album, nadir's big chance, but it's still a great song. |
| Van der Graaf Generator Time Vaults |
| ranges from really well constructed and thought out songs to rehearsal recordings. still, a great listen for VdGG hardcore fans. "the liquidator" alone is justification for its existence, the more uncharacteristic jams are still interesting and insightful. |
| Van der Graaf Generator ALT |
| the most interesting of the reformation (2005-today) era's albums. rit's no godbluff, but it's more like vintage VdGG in spirit than much of the more recent albums. |
