Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
Label: Mercury Records
Release: 1969
Rating: 3.5/5
Van Der Graaf Generator’s first album was originally conceived as a solo project by the already widely recognizable singer (and occasional guitarist) Peter Hammill, who wanted to realize his musical and philosophical visions, which were way ahead of the lyrics of most musicians of the time. Hammill’s lyrics were marked above all by his flirtation with the line between science and fiction, reason and intuition, apocalyptic visions and existentialism. Even though all of this is still pretty embryonic on “The Aerosol Grey Machine”, many of the fruits of his later masterpieces (and that goes for the band as a whole, too) are already visible here. Under Hammill’s leadership, the band, which had already fallen apart once before recording began, got back together and started on its mission. In the years to come, Hammill would constantly split his time between Van Der Graaf Generator and his no less astonishing solo career. The difference between the two was often barely noticeable, since Peter frequently used the very same musicians on both, but Van Der Graaf Generator had a special aura from the very beginning that made them so appealing to countless prog rock fans.
The band had already been through plenty by the time this album came out. Hammill founded it in 1967, still a student at the University of Manchester, together with Chris Judge Smith on drums and woodwinds and organist Nic Pearne. After moving to London, they started recording music. That’s when they managed to sign their first deal, with Mercury. Hammill’s biggest achievement up to that point was putting together their first real lineup, with the arrival of Hugh Banton on organ, Guy Evans on drums and Keith Ellis on bass, and striking up a partnership with the head of Charisma, Tony Stratton Smith (who also had Genesis under his wing). Still, bad luck dogged them right away. Judge left the band as soon as they’d recorded their first single, “People You Were Going To” (with “Firebrand” on the B-side), and after a few gigs their gear got stolen, which indirectly caused the band to fall apart. As mentioned, Hammill started recording a solo album, only to suddenly realize he needed the help of his old friends, and Van Der Graaf Generator were born again. Most of the material on “The Aerosol Grey Machine” is far from their later, often complex, symphonic, epic and mostly dark-sounding compositions, but the album still has plenty of interesting stuff that gives the listener a good glimpse into the band’s evolution. Alongside the psychedelic-leaning pieces, there are also a few more complex and ambitious ones that set the direction for their future albums. It’s a shame that the album only came out in the US at the time. Some slick maneuvering by Stratton was enough for the band to break their contract with Mercury and move to his label Charisma, where, along with Genesis and Lindisfarne, they became one of its main aces.
The opener, the psychedelic and rather naively tinted “Afterwards”, already reveals the band’s hidden potential. Mood-wise it’s a calm, pretty song, perfect for unwinding, the kind VDGG wouldn’t exactly make in abundance in the years to come. It introduces listeners to Hammill’s unique voice (here its gentler, brighter side), which is at least as recognizable as his lyrics. Even though he doesn’t show his true potential yet, he undoubtedly hinted even then at why he was always one of the best singers in prog rock. The very good melody on Banton’s piano is also worth a mention. After that mellow start, both parts of “Orthenthian” carry us off into Hammill’s often dark and frightening world of post-apocalyptic visions, which would truly come alive on their next album. Although the track still lacks the real energy that would later define most of their work, it’s a very good piece and the first real showcase of what the band is capable of and where their sound is headed. Evans’s delicate drumming and Banton’s majestic use of the Hammond organ would, alongside Hammill’s vocal and lyrical genius, become the band’s main trademarks, while Ellis, with his often rhythmic and thin bass, would drop out of the picture right after this album. “Running Back” is a generally rather calm piece with a melancholic mood. What stands out is Hammill’s emotional, poetry-filled vocal and the flute of guest member Jeff Peach, which adds to its freshness and lightness. In my opinion it’s one of the better pieces on the album, even though you can tell there’s still plenty of unused space (which saxophonist David Jackson would successfully fill on later albums). The acoustic guitar intro on “Into The Game” is excellent and slightly reminiscent of The Who classic “Pinball Wizard”. The bass is very distinct and up front here, which is nice to hear, since after this album VDGG would go almost their whole career without a proper bassist (Banton would cover the bass parts on his keyboards). It ends with a jazzy jam that never gets boring the way these things so often do. This seven-minute piece already hints at how complex this band would become. The title track is a joke of less than a minute that would fit better in some 1950s radio comedy. The next track, “Black Smoke Yen”, is a short, repetitive instrumental. In my opinion, these two are here more to pad out the running time than because of any great quality. The band apparently allowed themselves three minutes during the sessions to unwind and recharge the batteries. Interestingly, it’s the second half of the album that holds the best material, already pointing to their later, much more complex, obscure, epic and dark sound. “Aquarian” is a true forerunner of masterpieces like “Darkness” from their next album. It has an obscure lyric, an exceptional rhythmic foundation with the focus on Ellis’s bass, and excellent vocals from Hammill. On the epic and mysterious “Necromancer”, VDGG are practically in their true form already. What stands out is Peter’s frightening and mysterious lyric, of the kind he’d go on to write plenty of in his career (where does all that dark inspiration come from, anyway?), as well as the epic, marching rhythm line they’d love to use on later pieces too. The closing “Octopus” is another piece I’d count among the album’s highlights. It’s one of the band’s first trademark pieces, with Banton’s outstanding organ solos, Ellis’s distinct bass and Hammill’s signature, ever-shifting swings of emotion in his vocals. His singing here sounds like his very survival was at stake, and he’d allow himself performances like this many more times in his career. The unsteady structure of the composition is rounded out with a shorter jam (something they’d love doing in the future, too). And the whole thing ends in a chaotic way, just like most of their later pieces would.
The bonus tracks on the current reissue are both sides of their first single, “People You Were Going To” and “Firebrand”, plus “Giant Squid” and “Ferret & Featherbird”. Of these, it’s worth singling out “People You Were Going To”, a short, pop-leaning attempt that seems pretty atypical for them today, and “Ferret & Featherbird”, a folk number with great flute work that even veers a bit into Jethro Tull territory.
The band’s trademark sound isn’t developed yet on “The Aerosol Grey Machine”, but unlike the debuts of some of their peers, the band’s future direction is already hinted at. Even though VDGG would make incredible progress with the next album, so much so that hardly anyone would remember their beginnings, and even though the album shows only a little of their true potential, which would later launch them among the key players of British prog rock, the seeds of that progress have already been sown here. “The Aerosol Grey Machine” is of course not a revolutionary debut in any way and is even the least noticeable work in their history, but it’s more mature than many debuts from their peers, which speaks volumes about the remarkable consistency and overall quality of their discography. It’s a very good start that signals Van Der Graaf Generator were ready to take the first step that would enthrone them as some of the main innovators and visionaries in the world of rock music.
Line-up
Peter Hammill – vocals, acoustic guitar
Keith Ellis – bass guitar, backing vocals
Hugh Banton – piano, organ, backing vocals
Guy Evans – drums, percussion
Jeff Peach – flute
Production
John Anthony
Track list
1. Afterwards (4:58)
2. Orthenthian St. (Part I) (2:23)
3. Orthenthian St. (Part II) (3:53)
4. Running Back (6:32)
5. Into a Game (5:56)
6. Aerosol Grey Machine (0:56)
7. Black Smoke Yen (1:18)
8. Aquarian (8:27)
9. Necromancer (3:30)
10. Octopus (7:41)
Bonus tracks from the reissue:
11. Giant Squid (3:19)
12. Ferret & Featherbird (4:34)
13. People You Were Going To (2:44)
14. Firebrand (4:08)
Album length: 60:20
