Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Every Bloody Emperor
2. Boleas Panic
3. Nutter Alert
4. Abandon Ship!
5. In Babelsberg
6. On The Beach

Disc 2:

1. Vulcan Meld
2. Double Bass
3. Slo Moves
4. Architectural Hair
5. Spanner
6. Crux
7. Manuelle
8. 'Eavy Mate
9. Homage To Teo
10. The Price Of Admission

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57005 in Music
• Released on: 2005-04-25
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced

Album Description
Most fans thought it would never happen, but Guy Evans, David Jackson, Hugh Banton and Peter Hammill have reunited as Van der Graaf Generator. This is not a nostalgic reunion to relive past glories, however, but a coming together of new experiences and fresh perspectives for the creation of a brand-new studio album, Present. The studio sessions provided 16 new Van der Graaf works spread out over two CDs. One CD consists of rehearsed songs/structured pieces , the second CD features an hour's worth of improvisations.

CD Description
After an absence of more than 25 years, British four-piece Van Der Graaf Generator return with a full length studio album. The band were one of the pioneers of the art rock movement during the 1970's and their progressive rock sound is eerily similar here on their latest offering. Disc two of the set is entitled 'Improvisations' and features over an hour's worth of demo sessions.

Customer Reviews

The year of the Van der Graaf Generator
God knows there are some crappy reunions going on these days, but then you put THIS in your player and you're lost for words,I mean, I don't even know where to start. Hammill & co know though, kicking off with an instant classic ("Every Bloody Emperor"), followed by an inspired almost joyous instrumental ("Boleas Panic"), then a second classic ("Nutter Alert", one of their all time great songtitles as well)- no doubt about it, they're really back. Apart from the brilliant playing by all concerned, one other thing is getting clearer by the minute : Peter Hammill is in exceptionally fine voice indeed, a very welcome return to form. Now the next track "Abandon Ship" is a bit of a letdown to me (but it could grow as do a lot of VDGG songs), but "In Babelsberg" is an incredible experience, it blasts off (and I mean BLAST) with an ultra heavy riff (and a guitar sound from hell) over a rhythm I can only describe as sick. So perverse that there's almost like a physical relief every time Guy Evans switches to a driving rock beat for the "another time's another place" bit, a fantastic moment every single time. ANOTHER classic I guess (I'm pinching my arm by now). A very moving "On The Beach" concludes disc 1. Incidentally, there's a line here that goes "let's play it from the heart", well, believe you me, they did excactly that!
Onwards! Disc 2 then, well, great stuff (and growing) but obviously missing a key factor (Hammill's voice), therefore 4.5 stars instead of 5. Still, the feeling of "being locked in a room with the VDGG" is really there, brilliant! Some subtle hints here btw to "Plague of..." in Hugh Banton's playing, nice touch Hugh. And before I forget : David Jackson is all over "Present" and that's always a good thing.
What a comeback (and there's more to come in the autumn, would you believe), what a timeless sound. It may have taken 28 years to get this generator running again, but boy, there's no stopping it now. Wonder if that Pawn Hearts t-shirt still fits.

No Strangers, a Worldly Band
On first viewing of the packaging a thrill of delight takes hold; it looks like Godbluff in its bleak glory but with the four faces of the musicians lit from below. Glowing reports in the press? Can this be happening? Put it on and judge for yourself. No dulling of the Van der Graaf razor is apparent; nothing has been lost over the many years since the last studio album. Every Bloody Emperor leads us into the darkness with Hammill's anger and vitriol to the fore. The band's music has lost none of its fearsome edge; David Jackson and his saxaphones honk, scream, wail and weep as we have witnessed in previous years but here is more manic terror than hitherto. If I hadn't met him and recorded with him myself I would have feared for his sanity well before Architectural Hair had oozed from my speakers. The extra disc of instrumental jamming also included in this package leads us into yet deeper realms of disquiet; this is more than can be easily labelled as "Prog-Rock". Van der Graaf Generator still have the potential to drag the listener towards the abyss and dangle them over the edge. "Come on, let's get lost in the dark" sings Hammill like the wierd uncle you were always warned about. But don't worry, he won't leave you there... will he? Present is indeed a gift from the half-forgotten past to the uneasy times we now inhabit but it is also a timeless document. Van der Graaf Generator are as powerful as they were in the 1970s and still as threatening in the 21st century. Whatever would Robert have said?

All Present and correct!
The Dark Lords of progressive rock make a most welcome return after an absence of some 30 years, though Peter Hammill's prolific solo career has seen various members get together in various incarnations since then.

VDGG were never your archetypical prog rockers. They were too aggressive, jagged and raw to be lumped together with the likes of Yes, ELP and Genesis. But that's not saying they were amateurish, far from it. They were more than capable of producing long, complex, thought provoking music. Hammill's distinctive shriek was always a welcome accompaniment to youthful angst. I can attribute to that!

The legacy of albums such as "Pawn Hearts", "Godbluff" and "Still Life", all soon to be re-released in remastered form, is one that was always going to be difficult to live up to. Luckily, the band has the savvy to just do what they feel like doing without pandering to what might be expected from them. So what we get are a bit of past glories, mixed with where each member is musically now. The music is still dark and if anything even rawer. But there is a sophistication to the arrangements and production which is quite new and fresh and that brings the VDGG sound right bang into the 21st Century.

Things must have gone well at the rehearsals as 2CD's worth of material was produced and presented here. The interesting thing is that VDGG were in the past seen somewhat as a vehicle for Hammill's brooding vision, but this incarnation is clearly an equal opportunity unit. There is more room given here than ever before for each member to add their own ideas and to really stretch out. Guy Evan's drumming is particularly impressive. Sprightly and complex, he is all over the place. David Jackson is, well David Jackson. Nobody sounds like he does on sax, whether squalling one minute or mournful and melancholy the next. Hugh Banton's trademark organ sound is still there, but he adds more textures than before. Of course Hammill still sounds as taught and out there as ever. He still remains one of our most crucial songwriters.

Of the six tracks which make up CD1, they are all pretty good. They may be by a band still tentatively finding their feet again, but the old magic is still in evidence. "Nutter Alert" and "In Babelsberg" are typical Hammill stormers and "On the Beach" has a nice laid back feel to it. This is all good stuff and better than we could have expected really. The improvisations on CD2 show a band willing to take risks, which VDGG always did, but it's the songs that most people will be listening to. For those, I am left wanting more and after such a long absence that's a pretty good achievement for any band.