The Afterword

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Van der Graaf Generator – Do Not Disturb

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What does it sound like?:

Robert Fripp used to say that, with some of his bands, he could feel an indefinable presence hovering over them – and he knew that this band could be called King Crimson. Arguably something similar happens with Van der Graaf Generator (VdGG) – something which makes the band more than the sum of its parts; and also provides a clear delineation between solo Hammill material (much of which had Banton, Evans and Jackson playing on it, particularly in the 1970s) and the full-blown VdGG experience. Primus inter pares in a band…..or the total control of a solo artist? Something makes Peter Hammill return again to the VdGG fire, and forge something different from his solo material. The contributions of Hugh Banton & Guy Evans are clearly huge factors….but so is the mysterious ‘I’ which is Van der Graaf.

And so, to the album in hand – Do Not Disturb – VdGG’s thirteenth album, we are told….

I note that some of the published reviews so far have concentrated on the “looking back” aspect – I believe Banton commented that some of the songs reminded him of “Least we can do….” – and the press » Continue Reading.

Lol Coxhill – Solo in Scarborough

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“I can remember what it felt like at 17: I was a cat, a dog, a lizard, a mouse….”

No, I wasn’t….however, it was the last & final time when I went on a family holiday with my parents & younger sister. Piled into the family car and off to Scarborough for two weeks, summer of ’79. “Ye Punk” and “Ye Post-Punk” hadn’t quite made it to our house, although one chap at school called Tim* appeared to be cutting his own hair & wearing his blazer inside out. Mind you, he had a weekend job on a record stall at the Barras & took his pay in vinyl – a couple of years prior, he had been the first on the block to have a copy of the “Virgin God Save the Queen single in picture bag”, when I was raving & drooling over Animals…..but I digress.

Scarborough became a cat ‘n’ mouse game with the parents, trying to sneak off for a lager & spend as little time with them as possible. With nearly forty years of hindsight and a family of my own, I can see that I was an ungrateful little sod and as moody as » Continue Reading.

Verdi – Requiem

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Mme. Stoke having gone out babysitting, I had control of the remote this evening – I’ve just spent the last hour & a half listening & watching Verdi’s Requiem performed at the Proms. This was the Last Night of the Proms as far as I’m concerned – no quantity of Union Jack hats & waistcoats is going to top that experience.

Verdi’s Requiem perhaps more of a concert piece – arguably more showy than something like Faure – but none the worse for that.

Any love for yer religious music here?

Little Feat – post Lowell?

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My only exposure to the post-Lowell Feat has been disc 3 of the “Hot Cakes & Out-Takes” comp. I know there’s some love for Little Feat on the site here ( hands up @Twang ) – but can anyone convince me that there’s any value in listening to any more than I’ve heard already?

…and here’s some Lowell era footage, to demonstrate the difference….

Antidepressant music

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I’ve been a bit glum today – doesn’t matter why – but I wanted to share my absolute 100% guaranteed music for getting me out of the dumps & grinning widely again….

…and it’s Jethro Tull – almost any toon will do the trick, today it was the Warchild album…

I listen to a wide variety of music: progressive, jazz, classical….nothing cheers me up quicker than Jethro Tull!

Anyone else have a sure fire musical Prozac, guaranteed to work for you?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=t0yUWd4Nnb8

“Progressive rock pioneers”

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I’ve been reading the Andy Powell / Colin H book lately – very interesting view of Wishbone Ash, if inevitably partisan. However, on the back cover, Wishbone Ash are described as progressive rock pioneers……

Progressive? As a Crimson/ Yes / VdGG follower, this seems rather odd….

Are ver Ash a progressive band?

Over to you…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iHJQqrtRjXg

ATM: Windows 10 – peripherals???

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I’m sure some have tried Windows 10; and I’m sure there’s a thread on here somewhere discussing people’s initial reactions……however, what I want to know from these people is….did your peripherals continue to function (oo’err missus!)?

Or did your printers / DACs/ whatever just cease to function?

Many thanks, troops…..here’s a track for your trouble……

Proper chill-out

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…..I know there are a few fans of John Martyn’s music on the Afterword – here’s a clip from a live gig at Henry Afrikas club in Glasgow, broadcast on the world famous Radio Clyde. What a trio….Jeff Allen and Alan Thompson were an under- recognised team at the time….and what an end to a gig….

Trimmer & Jenkins….

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……I was reminded of them while trawling YouTube for a version of Quando Quando for the “Q” thread…..I saw them in Glasgow, performing the most bizarre version of “QQQQ” you might imagine….

Anyone else remember the Trimmer & Jenkins experience?

Pink Floyd – pastoral versus angry

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While discussing the Rolling Stone “magazine” prog debacle (below), a mini thread on the Floyd opened up, as these things are wont to do – nearly turned into a “best album” debate, so I thought I’d throwaway log on that particular fire.

Not much interest expressed in what I would call the “pastoral” Floyd, eg, the other side of Atom Heart Mother; big chunks of the “More” soundtrack; Granchester Meadows, etc – when I started listening to them, these were at least as important as big progressive pieces like Echoes – and I would still rate songs like Cirrus Minor and Fat Old Sun very highly.

“The big three”? DSOTM and WYWH – fair enough: but The Wall just turns me off these days (the live show was a whole different ballgame, I’ll admit). Final Cut – I almost approach it like a different band, although I appreciate it a lot more now than I did when it came out. Animals? As brilliant now as it was then and as angry as Anderson.

But, given the choice these days, I’d rather listen to Meddle – truly classic Floyd. Anyone got any love for Ummagumma?