Godbluff

Occupation

  • Hugh Banton: Hammond Organ, Farfisa organ, piano, bass guitar
  • Guy Evans: drums, percussion
  • Peter Hammill: vocals, guitar, piano
  • David Jackson: tenor, alto and soprano saxophone, flute

Godbluff (1975 ) is the fifth album by the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, the first of the second generation and at the same time the most successful ever. The album includes four pieces: The Undercover Man Scorched Earth and on the A- side as well as Arrow and The Sleepwalkers at the B-side.

In her comeback, it was the band of Peter Hammill at much calmer and less confused than they were four years earlier at Pawn Hearts. So The Undercover Man begins with a Flüsterpassage, accompanied by a very quiet intro that slowly increases in a crescendo. Main instruments are flute, Hammond organ, and drums with a clear beat. Saxophone and guitar come in the course of the piece used. Content, the play is again of a rejected love, fantasies and ( false ) hope.

Scorched Earth begins considerably huge with organ, keyboard, saxophone and drums, which are also the main instruments of the piece. The content is all about how to slowly loses his mind and gets into the trap of insanity.

Arrow is again a fairly quiet incipient piece; at the beginning to play drums and bass, which is pretty fast David Jackson's saxophone playing and Hammills joined strongly alienated keyboard before the first vocal part begins. Finally, the piece into a musical cry for help, as we know from Pawn Hearts itself increasing. The content is about the feelings and fears of a war in which you are.

The Sleepwalkers starts pretty impulsive with percussion and organ, after the beginning of the vocal part is also joined by the saxophone added, which become later in the main instrument. An interesting element is a built-in " Dance Passage". Content is again the dream of a past love that it has never existed.

Overall Godbluff is a work that has kept the obscurity of Pawn Hearts little. However, the four pieces are all very solid, which is why the album has been described by the critics as a successful comeback. The album looks bleak, but is not nearly as stressful as the previous, which also may explain the great success. A live concert recording in Charleroi in 1975 is available on DVD.

Title list

270409
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