Ok, I'll do those two next but I'm doing this one first, and I'm sure both of you guys have heard it.
H to He, Who Am The Only One - Van Der Graaf Generator - 1970
Personell:
Peter Hammill - Lead vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano.
Hugh Banton - Organ, Oscillator, Piano, Bass, Backing vocals.
Guy Evans - Drums, Tympani, Percussion.
David Johnson - Saxes, Flute, Backing vocals.
Robert Fripp - Electric Guitar.
Nic Potter - Bass.
Even avid prog hater (and pretty much the embodiment of Satan to most prog fans) Johnny Rotten confessed to being a fan of these guys. Van Der Graaf Generator were one of the very first true prog bands, they had established their progressive sound before Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis found theirs.
This is the first VDGG album I've heard and it's still my favorite. Their sound is rather hard to describe, VDGG don't put much emphasis on flashy solos like most prog bands do and almost all of their compositions are epics, mood is the real essential key to their sound. Guitar dosen't play much of a role in their sound, though Fripp makes a guest apperance. The organ, sax and flute combined with Hammills powerful vocals (he may very well be the best singer in prog) and his rather specific (and dark) lyrical imagery give the band it's unique indentity. This is really the bands first great prog album, which is somewhat of a concept album with death being the main theme, it's one of their most accessible albums so it's a good place to start.
Killer: An amazing opener, with rather odd lyrics about murder, loneliness and...fish. It's hard to explain. Overall a really great piece, with a catchy riff and some freaky sax and electronic effects.
House With No Door: A rather depressing ballad, a bit sappy, but a good piece, some great flute and piano work.
Emperor In His War Room: This is easly my favorite song, it's about a war criminal, amazing buildup and brilliant performances all around, including a guitar solo from Robert Fripp.
Lost: A very moody and spacey song, a song about lost love and heartbreak, a very common theme in rock music for sure, though it's never been done quite like this. This song is all over the place, going through many different moods, and Hammills vocals get downright scary at times, this song shows just how truly remarkable a singer he is in addition to being a great songwriter.
Pioneers Over C: This song tells the tale of astronauts who go mad from the loneliness in outer space, which explains this albums cover art. The music itself is very spacey and psychedelic, some great sax work. Reminds me a lot of early Syd era Floyd.
With lyrics about death and loneliness and rather violent imagery, this album alone makes it pretty clear that VDGG were a bit more
emo than your usual prog band. They are about as theatrical as a prog band can possibly get. Not for everybody, but if you like early Crimson and Gabriel era Genesis, this is certainly worth checking out.