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Van Der Graaf Generator |
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Formed:
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1967, Manchester, U. K.
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Disbanded:
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Members:
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David Jackson (flute, saxophone); Guy Evans (drums, Percussion); Hugh Banton (organ); Judge Smith (drums); Keith Ellis (bass); Nic Potter (bass); Peter Hammill (guitar, piano, Vocals)
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Genres:
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Progressive Rock
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Note & Curiosity:
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The band's discography under the name "Van Der Graaf" is included here. |
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References:
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Profile:
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Peter Hammill is the primary songwriter for the band, and the line between music written for his solo career and for the band is often blurred. Conceived in an age when every second social students aspired to became a poet and young, classically-trained musicians wanted to be rock artists. Van Der Graaf Generator's mission was certainly of its time. The order of the day to be progressive pop was simply no longer adequate to describe the aspirations of a generation reared an a heady cocktail of the Beatles, Karl Marx and Coca-Cola. Nothing was simple any more. Even the career of Van Der Graaf Generator was marked by so many intricate twists and turns that it defies summary within the space of a few brief paragraphs. The group once described as "an incredible combination of rock, poetry and jazz" (Charisma advertising slogan, 1970) are now rightly regarded as perhaps the ultimate progressive rock experience, albeit one that, both musically and conceptually, remain for more than a pleasing anachronism. The existential tightropes walked by singer/lyricist Peter Hammill still find resonance in the work of the many rock artists who've drown inspiration from him, Johnny Rotten (Lydon), Marc Almond and Nick Cave in particular. And newcomers to Hammill are usually struck by similarities with a style touted by David Bowie, certainly vocally and occasionally in the writing too. Hammill has pursued a solo career since Van Der Graaf finally parted the ways in 1978, with a series of fascinating and richly varied solo albums. Musically, he's strayed far from the manic maelstrom of sound conjured up during the VDGG days, although few would argue that his talent with the pen has diminished in any way. The nucleus of Hammill, Hugh Banton, David Jackson and Guy Evans presided over the group's most active period, which lasted roughly from 1970's "The least we can do is wave to each other", through to 1976's "World record". A rejigged version of the band soldiered on using the abbreviated name Van Der Graaf for another couple of years, but the arrival of punk rock, coupled with a sense of creative exhaustion prompted one final split - they'd already been wrested apart in 1969 and 1972, on the latter occasion, for three years. In 2004 the band comes together again and records a double album titled "Present".
After, on May 6, 2005, the re-formed Van Der Graaf Generator give a gig of great success at the Royal Festival Hall in London and then they give a European tour during the rest of the year.
In 2008 a new album titled "Trisector" and a new tour that will continue also in 2009. Now, The Van Der Graaf Generator are a trio, Hammill, Banton ed Evans. |
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References:
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Mark Paytress, Record Collector, April 1993 - I Prophesy Disaster, Virgin Records Cdvm 9026 7243 8 39048 2 2 |
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Official Site:
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Van Der Graaf Generator Official Site;
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Related Artists:
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Robert Fripp |
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Related Groups:
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Complete Discography:
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| Year |
Type |
Title |
Reviews |
Ratings |
Lists |
Overall |
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Album Reviews:
The Coma Cluster: Observation
by Ian Abrahams
"Observation is one of the most intricate and absorbing albums that I’ve been sent for review since t... "
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Artist Card