Van Der Graaf Generator. Why all the hate?

[viukkis]

I think I'd rather have it last for, say, 17:55 than those consequent 20:47

There's an edited version on The Box that lasts a little under 17 minutes. I prefer it to the original album version.

[Vic2012]

I don't mind the change to reggae on M3, it's just the guitar that is so irritating. It's like fingernails across a chalk board. The tone makes me wanna scream.........MAKE IT STOP!

[infandous]

I don't mind the change to reggae on M3, it's just the guitar that is so irritating. It's like fingernails across a chalk board. The tone makes me wanna scream.........MAKE IT STOP!

This is pretty much my take. Every time I listen to it, for the first 10-15 minutes, I'm always wondering why the heck I remember not liking the song. Then, the "guitar solo" starts and I remember again. The rest of the song really is quite good, and I could have seen maybe Hugh, David and Peter maybe trading some licks for the rest of the song being more interesting and tolerable. That guitar noodling though just gets old VERY quickly.

[Bucka001]

Live [M3] was one of the absolute highlights of their show in Paradiso about 10 years ago. The improvised bit just could not last long enough.

I was there. Whatever one thinks of M3 on record, it was often the turning point of a VdGG gig. I thought Paradiso was going okay, but then when they played M3 it brought the house down and the band was on fire from there on. Same thing in Chicago '09. They were sort of sloppy for the first part of the show, but then they did M3 and *bam*... the second half was blazing.

Speaking of Paradiso, and also speaking of the cha-cha-cha part of Sleepwalkers... do you remember that for that 30 second cha-cha-cha interlude at the Pardiso in '07, the house lights came down and a spotlight shone on the mirrored disco ball, which reflected little mirrored shards of light over the auditorium? It was brief and awesome (and you can't really see it at all on the dvd)

[per anporth]

^^^ From what I've heard, it has more often been Lemmings that has been the lift-off song - the Brescia show in the 2005 reunion tour being an exemplary case in point (the rest of that show is dynamite!).

[Bucka001]

^^^ From what I've heard, it has more often been Lemmings that has been the lift-off song - the Brescia show in the 2005 reunion tour being an exemplary case in point (the rest of that show is dynamite!).

At one point the whole Brescia '05 concert was on YouTube. Shot from the audience but a really nice job. There are clips on YT of a few individual songs but these are from a different filmer, not as good. If I'd known the poster was going to take down that great, 90 minute (or so) vid then I'd have tried to download it for a keepsake before he did so.

[Chuck AzEee!]

At one point the whole Brescia '05 concert was on YouTube. Shot from the audience but a really nice job. There are clips on YT of a few individual songs but these are from a different filmer, not as good. If I'd known the poster was going to take down that great, 90 minute (or so) vid then I'd have tried to download it for a keepsake before he did so.

Darn...

[Chuck AzEee!]

Quote Originally Posted by infandous View Post
Meurgly's ... should have been about half as long, IMO.

Or musically interesting....

LOL Mo

[wiz_d_kidd]

I might learn to live with Hamill's vocals, but listening to their music, I actually get a sense of arrogance from him, which I can't accept. Just when the band is getting a good proggy groove on, Hammill steps up to the mic, turns to the band and says (silently with a glare)... "OK, everyone shut up! Stop playing. Stop taking the spotlight off me. This vocal god is about to sing." whereupon we are enveloped with a vocal style equivalent to a has-been actress wearing too much gaudy, pasty make up. Ugh. "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

[moecurlythanu]

^ Odd take, at a minimum.

[Buddhabreath]

^^^
Beautiful Ellicott City was flooded for your sins!

But seriously, If you met Mr. Hammill you might change your mind. He is actually a quite unassuming fellow in my opinion. I truly think it is passion, not arrogance. That's a harsh and way off base judgement in my book, but what-the-fuck, sometimes people just run you the wrong way. Personally, I can't stand Meatloaf.

[The Red Masque]

I might learn to live with Hamill's vocals, but listening to their music, I actually get a sense of arrogance from him, which I can't accept. Just when the band is getting a good proggy groove on, Hammill steps up to the mic, turns to the band and says (silently with a glare)... "OK, everyone shut up! Stop playing. Stop taking the spotlight off me. This vocal god is about to sing." whereupon we are enveloped with a vocal style equivalent to a has-been actress wearing too much gaudy, pasty make up. Ugh. "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

wow.
it's interesting how people interpret things sometimes....

While I can't spread for Hammill personally as I don't know him, I do think in order to get up on stage and perform, especially difficult unique music, one has to have an attitude of passion and intensity about what they are doing. I don't think that is arrogance, or at least, not the BAD kind of arrogance If you had no ego about your music at all you wouldn't go on stage....

[Mister Triscuits]

I don't think the "Mr. DeMille" interpretation is entirely off-base, but it surely comes from a place of theatricality, not arrogance. There's obviously a strong element of high melodrama in VdGG's music, and I think Hammill is very aware that he is playing a part in his own songs. It's no coincidence that he often writes about actors and the theater ("After the Show," "Film Noir," "The Play's the Thing," "Caught in the Mousetrap").

[polmico]

This is coming 25 May:
F3AB8B9C-C3D7-4A49-BC81-6DE1C2D4B0E2.jpg

[Bungalow Bill]

I might learn to live with Hamill's vocals, but listening to their music, I actually get a sense of arrogance from him, which I can't accept. Just when the band is getting a good proggy groove on, Hammill steps up to the mic, turns to the band and says (silently with a glare)... "OK, everyone shut up! Stop playing. Stop taking the spotlight off me. This vocal god is about to sing." whereupon we are enveloped with a vocal style equivalent to a has-been actress wearing too much gaudy, pasty make up. Ugh. "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

Wow. I don't totally agree, but I partly do, and that was an awesome description...

[Buddhabreath]

This is coming 25 May:
F3AB8B9C-C3D7-4A49-BC81-6DE1C2D4B0E2.jpg

Officially you mean? Great concert very professionally shot. I've had a pristine copy for years. It's all over the place...

[polmico]

Officially you mean? Great concert very professionally shot. I've had a pristine copy for years. It's all over the place...

It was posted on PH’s Facebook. I’m pretty sure Hammill himself doesn’t manage the page, but I don’t see why it would’ve been posted were it unofficial.

[Buddhabreath]

^^^
Good. A release of this excellent concert is long overdue.

[per anporth]

Wow! - the gold dust that is out there! Both pairs of clips are stunning, but the footage from 1973 is particularly magical.

[JKL2000]

It was posted on PH’s Facebook. I’m pretty sure Hammill himself doesn’t manage the page, but I don’t see why it would’ve been posted were it unofficial.

It was in Burning Shed's email yesterday - it's a DVD/2CD release. Don't know if it's the first official "release" or not, but there are other of those Rockpalast shows that are out there, professionally filmed of course, but not officially released. I'm thinking of the Grobschnitt show that was around for a long time, then recently officially released for the first time.

[Trane]

Wow! - the gold dust that is out there! Both pairs of clips are stunning, but the footage from 1973 is particularly magical.

Too bad I'd not seen this three decades ago, because it would've given part of the codes to dig VdGG a lot sooner in my life


Also too bad they only kept the music bits, because at least the 73 footage feels like it has a fair bit more in stock (interviews).

[mogrooves]

... the footage from 1973 is particularly magical.

Thanks for the footage. I saw him that year, so it's a nice reminder.

[chalkpie]

The Least We Can Do....(1970)

Jiminy Crikeys....man I've slept on this beauty for too long. Magnificent, really. Nic Potter's bass is excellent and adds a great foundation. Peter's voice sounds generally incredible. A huge bump from the Aerosol debut in pretty much every way. I can see this being the fav for some Graafheads.

[JJ88]

Yeah, I don't love The Aerosol Grey Machine. The Least We Can Do... is a quantum leap IMHO. Terrific material. Although, I think I prefer the later single version of 'Refugees' and the 1971 BBC version of 'Darkness'.

[Quantum Cat]

The Least We Can Do....(1970)

Jiminy Crikeys....man I've slept on this beauty for too long. Magnificent, really. Nic Potter's bass is excellent and adds a great foundation. Peter's voice sounds generally incredible. A huge bump from the Aerosol debut in pretty much every way. I can see this being the fav for some Graafheads.

Glad you finally let it out from under you. ;-) The first proper VDGG album of course, Darkness being a personal favorite.

P.S. A whole long thread about hate for VDGG? What's next, a thread about torturing kittens?