Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1975
Length: 37:29
Rating: 5/5
After three years of temporary hibernation, a hellish crack split the scorched earth open, and out of it, with “Godbluff”, another dark masterpiece of epic proportions, rose the post-apocalyptic warriors of progressive rock, Van Der Graaf Generator. This legendary English collective, which under the visionary leadership of Peter Hammill (a brilliant and utterly unique singer, lyricist and writer, and pianist and guitarist when needed) had made one of the mightiest albums in prog rock history with its predecessor “Pawn Hearts” (1971), used those three years to recharge its batteries for another feat that thoroughly shook up the shores of experimental and even popular music. The band members weren’t sleeping in the meantime. They kept actively working together within the framework of Hammill’s solo career. Keyboardist Hugh Banton, drummer Guy Evans and saxophonist/flautist David Jackson joined forces in the project The Long Hello, where in 1973, together with former VDGG bassist Nic Potter, they recorded a self-titled instrumental album. The line between some of Hammill’s solo creations and what would more or less belong on a VDGG album was often thin, and over time they felt that the right moment had come to wake the sleeping giant.
In true VDGG tradition, “Godbluff” is soaked in a dark, post-apocalyptic atmosphere, which sits in perfect balance with the almost entirely black cover and Hammill’s lyrics. As always, the lyrics are a special challenge for every socially critical intellectual and sci-fi geek, since they reflect the problems and visions of a not-entirely-surreal, post-apocalyptic world ruled by chaos, ruins, conspiracies, human predators and bloodthirsty mutants.
Musically, “Godbluff” announced an important change in sound, toward somewhat more compactly structured and more flowing compositions with noticeably fewer chaotic improvisations, while stubbornly holding on to epic lengths and a full bag of unexpected instrumental adventures. After years of occasionally strumming an acoustic guitar, Hammill had by this point in his career learned to play electric guitar reasonably well, but he still uses it more as a tool for producing all sorts of unusual sounds than as one of the main instruments. Besides the heavier use of electric guitar, Peter also experimented a lot on “Godbluff” with the Hohner clavinet, an electro-mechanical keyboard that was a pretty popular instrumental gadget in the seventies, especially in prog.
The Doctor’s (or better yet, the chameleon’s) vocal acrobatics are, as ever, a chapter of their own, and next to Banton’s monumental organ parts they’re the main pillar of that recognizable VDGG sound. The astonishing dimensions of his vocal range, stretching from paranoid shrieking and a thoroughly theatrical approach to almost angelic tenderness, are key to creating the varied moods that make sure VDGG never leave a listener cold. Banton’s organ mastery, built on the dynamic use of his bass pedals (occasionally bass guitar too), together with Jackson’s rowdy saxophone exploits and Evans’s drumming daredevilry, guarantees a hefty dose of unpredictable instrumental adventurism with a generous helping of juicy improvisation. The majestic harmonies and variations, within which symphonic and jazzy arrangements constantly spin at full steam, often conjure up a hellish ambience, so it’s not hard to imagine what kind of music the devil would play if he ever started a band.
There are only four compositions on the album, but each one boasts an epic length and belongs to the elite of the greatest works of their career, the kind that still make music connoisseurs drool to this day. As is usually the case with VDGG, you could write a whole novel about each track, but here I’ll touch on just a few essential qualities that earned these compositions such a reputation among music gourmets. The compositional and instrumental genius of Hammill and his comrades shines at full power already on the opening epic “The Undercover Man”, with lyrics about sinister, conspiratorial elements inside a thoroughly ruined post-apocalyptic society. The dark, mysterious mood is announced by the dissonant opening harmony on flute, which, backed by Hammill’s half-whispered vocals, slowly builds the rhythm toward the symphonic interludes. In time a completely new ambient horizon opens up, ruled by mighty symphonic arrangements on piano, organ and flute and Peter’s melodic singing. The composition keeps swinging between an epic, uplifting mood, with the emphasis on enchanting symphonic harmonies, and sudden hellish outbursts, where an energetic saxophone entry and a resolute guitar riff bring out the band’s jazz side.
This masterpiece is followed by the mighty “Scorched Earth”, another unforgettable classic, where Hammill doesn’t hold back on aggressive vocal performances, while the saxophone and a thickened bass line in the background sustain an ominous, not to say schizoid, atmosphere. The vocal chameleon changes his singing approach here like there’s money on it. It’s no surprise that this is the only track on the album where, besides Hammill, saxophonist Jackson also contributed to the songwriting, and he shines here with some downright crazy wind parts, especially within the dissonant improvisations. A chapter of its own is the killer instrumental section, where Evans’s wild drum fills flatten everything in their path before making room for organ and saxophone passages. Anyone curious how VDGG imagine hell on earth needs to listen to this incredible piece, which, with its unpredictable instrumental feats and wrecking-ball ambience, still takes your breath away after all these years.
The streak of excellent creations continues with “Arrow”, which opens with a jazzy rhythmic improvisation. It serves merely as a warm-up for a majestic section in which they craftily weave a melancholic melody through a series of instrumental interludes. That melody may well be the most heart-wrenchingly sad in their history, and Hammill’s phenomenal singing is key to that. The master of vocal transformation, energetically switching between frenzied shrieking and wistful storytelling, drifts between heaven and hell as if it were nothing. The support of unpredictable orchestral harmonies then takes care of the mighty effect of building complete epic grandeur.
Just when listeners think this kind of compositional perfection can’t be topped, the band floors them for good (or lifts them to the heavens, depending on the person) with the closing monumental epic “The Sleepwalkers”, where all the best aspects of the legendary collective merge into a fairy-tale cohesion so that the ominous sleepwalkers can begin their spine-chilling midnight march. Here too they work with special fervor, craftily and gradually weaving majestic harmonies with a series of interwoven improvisations. A mighty, mysterious intro gives way to a transition into a magnificent baroque arrangement, which perfectly creates a gloomy medieval mood. Sudden shifts between energetic and calmer sections are never in short supply, so the surprises don’t run out even after an uncountable number of listens. The superb improvisations easily stir the imagination of all the jazz fusion fans too. Hammill, with exceptional emotional commitment, keeps providing excellent ambient glue between the individual sections the whole way through. Especially thrilling is the completely unexpected ending of this utterly turbulent and highly complex composition, which at times sounds almost like a revelation.
A rebirth of prog rock greats couldn’t have gone any better than “Godbluff”, another masterpiece that belongs among the very best achievements in the history of modern experimental music. This dark work of art is one of the most dazzling jewels in VDGG’s output so far and stands shoulder to shoulder even with the inimitable masterpiece “Pawn Hearts”. The reborn VDGG thus carried on from where they left off three years earlier, making top-notch albums that still fire up the imagination of prog rock fans today. The best proof of how big a flame of creativity was burning inside the band at that time is the fact that in no less than twelve months they recorded three excellent albums (“Godbluff” was followed by the virtually just-as-superb “Still Life” and “World Record” (both released in 1976)). Even though their resurrection was short-lived, before they once again, this time for a longer stretch, went back to rest, they made far fuller use of those four years than the vast majority of their more media-hyped peers.
Lineup
Peter Hammill – vocals, piano, clavinet, electric guitar
Hugh Banton – organ (including bass pedals), bass guitar
Guy Evans – drums and percussion
David Jackson – saxophone and flute
Production
Van Der Graaf Generator
Track list
1. The Undercover Man
2. Scorched Earth
3. Arrow
4. The Sleepwalkers
Bonus tracks from the reissue:
1. Forsaken Gardens (live, August 9, 1975)
2. A Louse Is Not a Home (live, August 9, 1975)
