Van der Graaf Generator
Template:Traduci Inglese Simbolo mancante (man) I Van der Graaf Generator sono uno dei gruppi più significativi del panorama del rock progressivo inglese degli anni '70.
Il gruppo nacque nel 1967 da un gruppo di studenti della Manchester University. Si trattava inizialmente da un trio, costituito da [[Peter Hammill] alla voce, Nick Pearne all'organo e Chris Judge Smith alla batteria e ai fiati. Questa formazione riuscì a firmare un contratto, ma incise solo un singolo (The People You Were Going To, che apparve in seguito sull'album di Hammill Nadir's Big Chance) e si sciolsero a metà del 1969. Nel frattempo, Pearne fu rimpiazzato da Hugh Banton.
Sempre nel 1969, durante le registrazioni di quello che avrebbe dovuto essere un album solista di Hammill, i Van der Graaf Generator si ricostituirono come gruppo. La nuova formazione comprendeva Hammill (voce, pianoforte e chitarra), Keith Ellis (basso), Hugh Banton (tastiere) e Guy Evans (batteria). L'album inciso, The Aerosol Grey Machine, fu pubblicato sotto il nome del gruppo e pubblicato inizialmente solo negli Stati Uniti.
La formazione mutò subito dopo l'album di debutto: Ellis abbandonò e fu rimpiazzato da David Jackson (sassofono e flauto) e Nic Potter (basso). Questa formazione creò un nuovo sound, che abbandonava i toni psichedelici del primo album per un sono più strutturato e cupo, con evidenti influenze classiche e jazz. Il risultato fu l'album [The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other]], seguito dopo breve tempo da H to He Who Am the Only One. Durante le registrazioni di H to He Potter lasciò il gruppo, e la band decise di fare a meno del basso, che fu sostituito dai pedali bassi dell'organo. Robert Fripp dei King Crimson contribuì con una sezione di chitarra nel brano 'The Emperor in His War-Room'.
The Hammill/Banton/Jackson/Evans quartet that resulted from 'H to He' is now considered the 'classic' line-up, and went on to record Pawn Hearts, which is considered by many to be their finest work. It contains just a few tracks, Lemmings, Man-Erg, the 20 minute concept piece 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' – very much in keeping with the times. The album proved highly successful in Italy, topping the chart there for 12 weeks. The band toured extensively from 1970 to 1972, but financial difficulties caused the band to implode and Hammill left to pursue a solo career.
The three remaining members recorded an instrumental album with Nic Potter, Ced Curtis and Piero Messina under the name 'The Long Hello'. This album (The Long Hello) was released in 1973.
Hammill's split with the band was not acrimonious, and Banton, Jackson and Evans, among others, all contributed to his solo work at various times. By 1975 the band were ready to work with each other again, and three new albums were recorded in just 12 months. The sessions were produced by the band themselves (all previous VdGG albums had been produced by John Anthony at Trident Studios), and displayed a somewhat tauter, more streamlined sound. Godbluff in particular saw Hammill making significant use of the Hohner clavinet keyboard. Still Life followed within the same year.
Following World Record, first Banton and then Jackson departed. Nic Potter returned, and in a typically eccentric move Banton was replaced by a violinist, Graham Smith. The band also shortened its name to 'Van der Graaf'. Only two albums were recorded, one of them live, before the band split for the last time in 1978, again amicably.
One album of 'new' material was released after the split. Time Vaults is a collection of out-takes and rehearsal recordings from the 1972–1975 hiatus. The sound quality varies from demo standard to very poor, and is only recommended to ardent fans of the band.
The classic line-up occasionally performed together following the split. In 1991, they played several songs at a fortieth birthday party for David Jackson's wife. In 1996, the quartet appeared on stage during Hammill and Evans's Union Chapel concert to perform 'Lemmings'. In 2003, Banton, Jackson, and Evans joined with Hammill to perform 'Still Life' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.
Following the Queen Elizabeth Hall performance, discussions between the band members led to writing and rehearsal of new material in summer 2004. A double CD, Present, containing this material was released in April 2005. A reunion concert took place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 6 May 2005, followed by several European dates in the summer of 2005.
The band is named after a piece of electric equipment designed to produce static electricity, the Van de Graaff generator. It appears that the misspelling is accidental.
Discography
- The Aerosol Grey Machine (1969)
- The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (1970)
- H to He, Who Am the Only One (1970)
- Pawn Hearts (1971)
- Godbluff (1975)
- Still Life (1976)
- World Record (1976)
- The Quiet Zone, the Pleasure Dome (1977)
- Vital (live) (1978)
- Time Vaults (compilation of out-takes 1972-75) (1982)
- First Generation (compilation) (1986)
- Second Generation (compilation) (1986)
- Now and Then (compilation) (1988)
- I Prophesy Disaster (compilation) (1993)
- Maida Vale (BBC sessions) (1994)
- The Box (4 disc box set including rare live & session material) (2000)
- An Introduction (compilation) (2000)
- Present (2005)
Videography
- Masters From the Vaults (Belgian TV session, 1971)(2003) (DVD)
- Godbluff Live (Live in Paris 1975 + the same Belgian session)(2003) (DVD)