Van der Graaf generator: the large sphere acts as a capacitor to store the charge transferred up its supporting column. The small sphere (connected to the ground potential) will draw an arc from the larger when the air gap breakdown voltage is exceeded

Track list

1. The Hurlyburly
2. Interference Patterns
3. The Final Reel
4. Lifetime
5. Drop Dead
6. Only in a Whisper
7. All That Before
8. Over the Hill
9. (We Are) Not Here

Genre

Progressive rock, art rock

Release

March 17, 2008

Label

Virgin/EMI Records

Background Information

Van Der Graaf Generator is a band from Manchester, England, formed in 1967. While Trisector was released just a few months ago (sorry for not covering it before), the band didn’t keep going on a straight line for 40 years. They stopped playing and producing material in 1972, picked up the instruments again in 1975, and then became inactive again in 1978 until 2005.

They were mainly known for their albums like H to He, Who Am the Only One and Pawn Hearts and with a different line up, the albums Godbluff and Still life were also considered highlights of their career.

The band is characterized by their darker ambiance, relatively rare in progressive music (except maybe for King Crimson). You also can’t mistake them once you’ve heard Peter Hammill’s unique voice, reaching many ranges and able to push inhumane screams as much as regular singing.

Trisector is the band’s second album in this generation (2005 - present), second to Present. Since then, they’ve gone with a more improvised sound, something they wouldn’t try as much in their old releases. Their sound changed. It’s not like they had a choice, without saxophones nor violins.

My Opinion

The Hurlyburly opens the disc slowly, with a few special effects and noodling, as if the band was preparing. It takes about 1 minute before VDGG are ready and start the song for real. The instrumentation is tightly wound, but the whole thing just reminds me of some songs from the 80s I always had trouble to digest. It’s not bad, and if you liked the 80s rock, you could easily get into that track.

Interference pattern has got a more mechanical feel to it, reminding in structure (not really in sound) of songs like Discipline by King Crimson. Not exactly surprising since Robert Fripp used to do some appearances on their past albums. It’s nothing special, though.

The final Reel and Only In a Whisper bring the band closer to their origins, with some slower music, slowly building to a melody with a lot of tension in it. Peter Hammill also proves he hasn’t lost his voice with age, something singers like Ian Anderson couldn’t do.

A few of the following tracks seem to place Van Der Graaf Generator as stuck between their original 70s and the 80s. Drop Dead has to be the perfect example of this. It’s the normal 80s rock song, not exactly what you’d be expecting from VDGG. I think the worst offender in this aspect is All that Before, which sounds like some kind of remake of You Really Got Me by Van Halen

Luckily, the album ends positively with Over the Hill and (We Are) Not Here. They’re more akin to the normal Van Der Graaf generator in how it sounds. Don’t get me wrong though, you can’t easily confuse this album with older ones.

Conclusion

This album doesn’t beat Godbluff, or Pawn Hearts, and the lineup made it their first release without the Sax. All in all, it’s not their best work, but not their worst either. I’d say this album is more for collectors and fans than the casual person who wants to discover Van der Graaf Generator. Go with Godbluff, Pawn Hearts, Still Life or H to He, Who Am the Only One to do that.

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Category: Reviews