The mid-1970s comeback endeavor for VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, “Godbluff,” has since gained an undisputed prog-classic status, but it is by far not an easy album even for the battle-hardened prog enthusiasts. This 4-track offering marked a comeback for these British prog eccentrics after a 4-year break, and it seems as though they were hellbent on making a re-entry to the market with a sonic kick in the balls with zero fucks given. The album is notoriously dense and, hence, praised by some die-hard prog fans for its challenging complexity. At the time of its release, the budding DIY punks probably viewed it with eye-rolling disdain because of its convoluted song structures and Peter Hammill‘s signature vocals, which actually resonate with a somewhat punk-ish air, at least compared to the band’s proggy peers of the era. The dark emotional landscapes overarching these four prog epics, let alone those over-indulgent musical twists, require a level of patient appreciation that even I’m unable to provide at times. When I’m in the mood for some vintage prog that is as heavy and demanding as a philosophy dissertation on the futility of existence, “Godbluff” is a masterpiece. The album was released on October 1st, 1975, via Charisma Records, in the wake of the London Hilton bombing and the Spaghetti House siege – that is, turmoil of the highest caliber. Inadvertently, the album captured that zeitgeist pretty spot on, standing out even within the band’s already eccentric discography for its dark candor.
Since the album only has four tracks, it is probably best to butt into each head-on, with “The Undercover Man” serving as the opening epic. The intro is a pretty gentle, flute-driven thing; thus, in no way does it prepare you for what is to come over the course of the next 7 minutes. When the whole band joins, things take on an almost PROCOL HARUM-like tangent, although Hammill‘s vocal delivery is maybe a bit too theatrical to fool anyone – and the vocals are the very thing that’s the proverbial “hard nut to crack,” here. It would be quite generous to say that it takes some effort to appreciate his free-form vocal delivery. I mean, I’ve heard worse, say, on some songs by the Finnish prog legends, WIGWAM, but it’s one thing to have a short section adorned with over-the-top theatrics and quite another to have a 7-minute marathon of such.
Next, “Scorched Earth” goes one louder and clocks in around the 10-minute mark, rolling out even more of those tortured vocals. Here, David Jackson‘s spirited saxophone licks save a lot, as well as Guy Evans‘s groovy drumming. Mood-wise, the song harkens back to their older, darker sound. Listening to this song now, after reviewing THE TANGENT‘s 2022 endeavor “Songs from the Hard Shoulder,” I couldn’t help but notice a rather strong musical kinship. Hey, I think Andy Tillison & Co. Even paraphrased a motif from this epic somewhere along that album as a homage, although it must be noted that I think both of these bands actually paid homage to an old jazz standard by Miles Davis, to be honest…
“Arrow” is yet another song that is strongly reminiscent of the band’s early years – a dark and twisted prog fantasy in 9/8 meter. In fact, the first few minutes of the song nod quite prominently toward straight-up free jazz, which may scare off the casual prog aficionados altogether. Those in the know should be well-versed in the band’s penchant for the occasional jazz flourishes. For me, this is THE track on this whole endeavor. Here, Hammill‘s theatrical vocals blend right in with the song’s mood of gloom and doom, which is basically conveyed by the dialogue between the clavinet and saxophone.
Finally, the album is brought to an anthemic close by the 11-minute monolith, “The Sleepwalkers.” The song rolls out all the tricks of Canterbury prog, but with a sneering punk attitude – how else could you justify the bossanova circus-music music break around the 3-minute mark?! Ah, yes! This would not be a true VDGG endeavor without a nice little sonic jab below the belt! Then, what comes after is some of the grooviest stuff the band has ever released. So, I’m not going to lie: the first half of the album doesn’t really impress me that much, but the rest is pure gold-standard material when it comes to vintage prog. Perhaps this peculiar duality is one of the reasons why this particular album seems to have caused a divide in the band’s fanbase: some say “Godbluff” has rightfully earned its classic status, while others think that it’s merely an ok-ish installment in the band’s discography. For the garden variety prog fans, this offering is probably too fucking much in every conceivable way.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- The Undercover Man
- Scorched Earth
- Arrow
- The Sleepwalkers
Lineup
Peter Hammill – vocals, piano, clavinet
David Jackson – saxophones, flute
Hugh Banton – Hammond organ, bass pedals
Guy Evans – drums, percussion
Label
Charisma Records
Links
https://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk
