Van der Graaf Generator

This article is about the band. For the machine used to accumulate electrical charge on a metal globe, see Van de Graaff generator.

Van der Graaf Generator was a seminal 1970s English progressive rock band.

The band first formed in 1967 while its members were studying at Manchester University. The three-piece was comprised of Peter Hammill (guitar and vocals), Nick Pearne (organ) and Chris Judge Smith (drums and wind instruments). They secured a record deal, but only one single ('The People You Were Going To') was released before they split up in mid-1969. Along the way, Pearne was replaced by Hugh Banton.

Later in 1969, a new Van der Graaf Generator – Peter Hammill (guitar, piano and vocals), Keith Ellis (bass guitar), Hugh Banton (keyboards) and Guy Evans (drums) – formed during the recording of an album that was originally intended to be a solo effort by Hammill. This album, The Aerosol Grey Machine, was initially only released in the USA.

Further changes in personnel preceded their second album (The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other). Ellis left and was replaced by David Jackson (saxophone and flute), while Nic Potter (bass guitar) was added to the line-up. A new sound was established, leaving behind the psychedelic influence of The Aerosol Grey Machine in favour of darker textures influenced by jazz and classical music. The album was well received, and was swiftly followed by H to He, Who Am the Only One. Potter left mid-way through the recording, and the band decided to carry on without a bass guitarist, with Banton substituting with the organ's bass pedals. Robert Fripp of King Crimson contributed guitar to '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. Fripp again provided a cameo appearance on guitar. 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)

External links

• Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator (http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/)
• Van der Graaf Generator family tree (http://www.fuzzlogic.com/vdgg/)
• Russian Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator Page (http://www.hammill.com.ru/)be:Van der Graaf Generator

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