Search - Van Der Graaf Generator :: World Record

"World Record" finds VDGG rocking hard

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 05/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""World Record" is the third in the trilogy of 1975/1976 "come-back" VDGG albums (after "Godbluff" and "Still Life") and finds the classic line-up of Hammill-Banton-Evans-Jackson playing harder then ever. In spite of the long lenght of the album (for those vinyl days anyway... 53 min!), not a moment is wasted."When She Comes" and "A Place To Remember" finds the band working up to a frenzy, with Hammill's shrieking voice (no, he'll never be mistaken for, say, Frank Sinatra!), and Jackson working his saxophones tp the extreme. There are 2 slower tracks, "Masks" and the beautiful and catharsic album ending "Wondering", which is in retrospect a truly fitting end of the trilogy of albums... yes, there is hope!"Meurglys III" is the 20 min. "controversial" track, viewed by quite a few as excessive, but in my book the essential track, a complex build-up culminating in a delicious reggae-based 7 min. outro giving core members Jackson and Hammill brilliant solos. "World Record" gives VDGG fans what they want. This is a great album, period."

Wonderful grooves, but rather dark

pig@schamper.rug.ac.be | Belgium | 05/06/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Such a shame this was the last real VDGG-record. On this record, the band is at its most interesting. Without the pretention of 'Pawn Hearts' and musically stronger than 'Still Life', this record should be everyone's first step into the spooky world of Peter Hammill. More electric guitar than ever and that seems a good thing. Hammill is certainly not a virtuozo on his six-string but the emotional force of his playing is overwhelming. The rest of the band takes you on tight sax-organ groove. The production is rather minimalistic, not too much sonic effects and that only makes the record stronger: your attention stays focussed in the music. Meurglys III seems to be too long but that's not true: not a single second is wasted. It's twenty minutes of loneliness, anger and desperation. And it works. It does not drag, unlike the earlier, pretentious stuff."

10 stars and more

Jamyl D'Angelo | Fort Lauderdale, Florida United States | 12/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the best prog bands,world Record is the most instrument-based of all their albums, with Hammill playing more guitar than ever. The 20-minute "Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild" features lots of unbelievably twisted rhythms."