Folllow Me on Twitter

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Van Der Graaf Generator - The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other

1970 was a perfect year for one of the most sinister progressive rock bands that dealt with post-apocalyptic views of the dark side of annihilation. That band of course is Van Der Graaf Generator and their album The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other. This album had more of a terrifying taste of a nuclear holocaust situations, infinity, and the end of the world plus the taste of blood in their mouths. Let's say for example that Genesis were more of a rock opera version of Lewis Carroll's fantasy tale of Alice in Wonderland and Yes were more of Lord of the Rings tolkien nuts with Camel to go with, Van Der Graaf Generator were more of a darker rock opera version of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven meets a singing Jack the Ripper type of screeching voice.
Alongside other darker progressive rock bands from Italy and England with; Antonious Rex's Jacula, Le Orme, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorsso, and King Crimson, VDGG were more of the Jim Morrison Doors prog version they had inside them, but the self-destruct button is in Earth's mind to head fo a deathly mind-boggling situation. 'Darkness (11/11)' is more of satan's calling to disney's version of Mickey Mouse's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' in Fantasia. Filled with Peter Hammill's soft and screeching voice and Hugh Banton's organ and keyboards going absolutely high voltage also going haywire and the solos becoming more of a fuzztone feedback superb quality in hell while the flaming door remains open wide up to sell your soul to the devil. 'White Hammer' is one of those demonic and heavy sounds on the stories of witchcraft and Malleus Maleficarum's gorefest he had in the 19th century. Now if you're interested on heavy sounds of the Organ and the darker side of Marie Antoinette's beheading, listen to the last 1 minute and 51 seconds on your lucky iPod and turn it up really loud to scare your grandparents with. 'Whatever Would Robert Have Said?' is more of a tribute to either King Crimson's guitarist Robert Fripp or the creator of the generator Robert Van De Graaf. This track is kind of Heavy Metal/Punk-Proggy type on the balls of steel and disastrous smells of the ozone's layer. Two songs that have VDGG almost a prog-ballad and calm band. 'Refugees' which is more of an autobiographical song about Peter Hammill's school life in the early 1960's, and 'Out of my Book' which is more of a peace situation with someone you love.
The last track 'After the Flood' is another demonic and darker taste on the beginning of the end of world domination and earth's race for a nuclear holocaust. Peter Hammill's voice brings goosebumps on a darker fairy tale of the planet's end while he screams 'TOTAL ANNIHILATION!' like Werner Herzog's lunatic actor Klaus Kinski from the movie 'Fitzcarllado' while he rings the bell wanting an opera house. Peter Hammill was almost a prog-punk version of David Bowie that would have the audience scared shitless on what they were listening and looking with suprise with fear. The group didn't have any success in the UK during that time period, but they had a following with Italy and they had toured Italy for a tour and they're bizarre conceptual album Pawn Hearts was number 4 on the Italian charts. The group was Italy's answer to the Beatles and it made them Kings and Queens in the Italian Progressive Rock music scene. Van Der Graaf Generator were more of the darker version of Genesis, more evil and more death-defying music than you could open the door for. The group's music taste had of evil callsical traditions mand demons flying thourgh the chandelier to enjoy the music of Van Der Graaf Generator.

No comments: