Audio CD review:
Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff

Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff

Band: Van Der Graaf Generator Title: Godbluff Rating: Release Date: 18 April, 2006 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Undercover Man 2: Scorched Earth 3: Arrow 4: Sleepwalkers

Customer Reviews The Finest In Digital Remastering I believe Hammill & Co. With the newly digitally remastered reissues of the VDGG catalog, you cannot possibly go wrong. have done THE best remastering job I have ever heard. The volume, bottom end, seperation & meticulous details are all there in stunning display. The first thing I noticed was how bright & crisp Evans' snare drum is compared to the dull thud of the previous release. The new treatment really brought out the intricacies of his playing. If you needed proof that VDGG had some major balls (and I myself needed this proof previously), look no further than the new Godbluff reissue - all dressed up and ready to devastate the universe. If you are already familiar with this album, it need not be said. Godbluff was VDGG's first comeback that shook the world during a period when Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and the like were all but sleepwalking. Had Godbluff been released a year or 2 later, it simply would've grabbed the threat of Punk by its ear and sent it home crying to mommy. This album had the balls no other prog band ever had, and it is my personal favorite. "The Undercover Man" reminds me of "Pilgrims" from Still Life, with a similar pace and sets the mood for the album. With a dramatic fade-in, "Scorched Earth" all but incinerates the place. The aforementioned snare drum of Guy's sounding tight & crisp. Hammill puts on an absolute demonic performance and is more than convincing. Both Banton & Jackson sound so full on this album (and Still Life) that you wouldn't really have much room for a guitar, although Hammill's Strat is mixed very carefully in "Scorched Earth" and raises Holy Hell at the end. "Arrow" offers a harrowing performance by Hammill, who is putting his vocal cords to the absolute test. Finally, the trigonometry of "The Sleepwalkers" closes the album and builds to up to a climax that is to die for. In this reissue, you can clearly hear Hammill going into a frenzy before he screams "Tonight before you lay down. . . ". It makes my hair stand on end everytime I hear it. I love how Hammill refuses to play it safe, squeezing in syllables where they may or may not belong, and just completely going insane. To me, it is important to note that Hammill doesn't sing but PERFORMS his lyrics, which I think confounds the unsuspecting listener. It sounds lame to me to hear people [. . . ] about his vocals, but yet offer other vocalists their highest regards for phoned-in performances of technical mastery & sterility. BORING!! That's like bitching about Hendrix being too loud & using feedback during his solos. Stay home & knit a quilt!! I could go on & on about this album and this band, but I have no time. Of course, I highly recommend this one and any from the newly remastered VDGG catalog. I also recommend you play it to maximum volume, because you can finally hear what VDGG was supposed to truly sound like all along. They are the Godzilla of Progressive Rock. VDGG never was for the faint of heart. Pulling back, changing slightly Much less intensity, much easier to lisetn to. The band pulls back from their epic sound on the last album, and strip the soundback a little. These songs are still brilliant; the lyric focus has changed from cosmic to much more personal. After doing his solo career, Hammil no doubt shifted to the much more personal themes of his solo albums. Sleepwalkers is one of the best tracks the band ever did. Not a huge change in sound, but enough of a change to be interesting. The band always had a very focused, very individual song, but they found lots of interesting ways to change it up. My personal favorite - - - =- - - =- - - = - - -= Reformed for the second (or third) time, this was the best VDGG ever. Easiest to listen to of all VDGG albums (in my humble opinion) and the one I use to introduce people to the horrors of Peter Hammill and friends. "Still LIfe" is considered as Peters masterpiece and most think "World Record" was a dud. But I like them all!. . You can see a complete list of all Van Der Graaf Generator discography, or go back to the Van Der Graaf Generator tabs