Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
Label: Band of Joy Records
Release: 1994
Duration: 71:09
Rating: 4.5/5
The prog rock titans Van Der Graaf Generator (VDGG for short) lay buried deep underground through the eighties and nineties, and it seemed like they would never rise from their premature grave, despite the incredibly prolific solo career of their central musician, the legendary singer, guitarist, pianist and poet Peter Hammill. Over that long stretch, longtime fans were, like thirsty travelers in the middle of a desert, thrilled with any new compilation that offered a few rare live or previously unreleased studio recordings. One of those was the live album »Maida Vale«, which came out in 1994 and contains previously unreleased VDGG recordings from sessions at Maida Vale Studios, owned by the BBC’s Radio 1. These recordings span the entire so-called classic VDGG era, when Hammill was joined in the band by organist/bassist Hugh Banton, drummer Guy Evans and woodwind player David Jackson. Sadly, the latter is no longer in the band these days, though in the seventies, with his saxophones and flute, he was an indispensable part of the classic VDGG sound.
The track list on »Maida Vale« is pretty much a dream and includes some of the most recognizable songs in the VDGG saga. »Darkness« and »Man-Erg« were recorded in 1971 for the radio show ‘Sound of the Seventies’, while the rest of the tracks on this compilation were played between 1975 and 1976 for the cult ‘John Peel Show’, which many British music lovers remember fondly. The songs »When She Comes« and »Masks« came out in 2005 as bonus tracks on the reissue of »World Record«. At the time of its release, »Maida Vale« was hugely important for the band’s followers, since VDGG had put out only one live album up to that point, »Vital« from 1978 (when they were briefly operating under the shortened name Van Der Graaf), which wasn’t the work of the classic lineup and left out some beloved standards from the early seventies.
On the classics »Darkness« and »Man-Erg« the band is caught at a time when they were positively brimming with youthful energy and creative drive, so these are fantastic versions in every respect. »Scorched Earth«, »Sleepwalkers«, »Still Life«, »La Rossa«, »When She Comes« and »Masks«, played for John Peel in the mid-seventies, are likewise performed brilliantly and sound almost identical to the original studio versions, which may bug those who want a more authentic live atmosphere. You’ll hardly find any of that here, given that the band was playing in a radio studio in front of a small group of people.
»Maida Vale« is quite the rarity these days, having come out on the obscure label Band of Joy Records, but a true fan of the band will still find their way to this rare yet utterly fascinating document with a little effort. Van Der Graaf Generator didn’t release many live albums over their career, so every release of this kind is more than welcome, even though »Maida Vale« is a far cry from a true live atmosphere and sounds more like a studio album.
Lineup
Peter Hammill – vocals, piano and guitar
Hugh Banton – organ, bass pedals
Guy Evans – drums, percussion
David Jackson – saxophone, flute
Production
John Muir and Tony Wilson
Track list
1. Darkness (7:17)
2. Man-Erg (11:00)
3. Scorched Earth (9:40)
4. Sleepwalkers (8:58)
5. Still Life (7:20)
6. La Rossa (10:00)
7. When She Comes (8:08)
8. Masks (7:22)
