Album Title: Pawn hearts
Artist: Van der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: Progish
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: never heard of them before.
Favourite track(s): Man Eng
Least favourite track(s): Lemmings
Why? I liked the timing changes and use of staccato in Man Erg. The transitions flowed and I got the feeling that I was actually progressing through a song. The Lemmings track threw me off because the vocals were way to weird. It also had several mock transitions where it sounds like they're going to go into a new progression, but it's the same progression. I got tired of hearing the same organ technique over and over.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I tend to have great expectations of prog music. I think I tend to romanticize it in my head. And then I'm often disappointed. Because the name of the band is a physics toy, I probably had even higher expectations.
Factoids you'd like to share? Nothing comes to mind.
End impression: Obviously a talented band with a versatile arsenal of sounds, I can't deny that. Mostly it's a matter of taste. The vocals, overall, are not my forte, and the organ use could have been a bit more conservative.
Comments: I was torn about Plague of Lighthouse Keepers. Some of it I really liked, but some of it was too slow for me. And again, I don't really like the vibrato vocal style he implements. He can sign good, but it's like he's trying to be weird sometimes and it's weird uncomfortable, not weird intriguing.
Rating: 3.5