Van Der Graaf Generator - Maida Vale: The Radio BBC Sessions (1994 UK)

Van Der Graaf Generator were One of the Most Well Respected Prog Rock Band of the Seventies.

This cd has an excellent sound and content. It is a live selection, without crowd sounds, of various VDGG cd's, and is a must both for the true fan and and the beginners. Top progressive Rock frome the seventies.

In the 70s, the BBC was constrianed by musician's union regulations that stipulated a certain proportion of live music in its broadcasts each week. If a non-singles band wanted to reach a wide audience, they had to rely on a combination of ceaseless touring and creating 'live' versions for late-night BBC radio programmes. Typically the version you heard on the radio had been recorded in the BBC studio sometime in the previous few days, possibly even with overdubs. Hence the Gentle Giant OUT OF THE WOODS album -- also very good -- and this VdGG CD.

Some of the songs sound uncannily similar to the original studio version -- particularly the mid-period material from the excellent GODBLUFF and STILL LIFE albums. It's as though the band finished the original recordings for Charisma one day, and went down to the BBC studios the next day to re-record them for radio transmission. Effectively what you have here are alternative studio versions, rather than true live material.

But it is all outstanding stuff, and a wonderful antidote to the only other official VdGG live album, the somewhat off-centre VITAL. As Hammill says in his sleevenotes, this was the classic line-up: himself, Banton, Evans and Jackson. As per most other VdGG albums, it should go down a storm in Italy.

Destacada, sobresaliente, excepcional grabación en vivo realizada en los noventa en los estudios de la BBC situados en la barriada londinense de Maida Vale, nombre que dió a este album. Este bootleg de varias sesiones en los estudios de la BBc es quizás el material más íntimo al sonido y estilo de la banda en vivo que nos ofrece. Los miembros son los cuatro clásicos de siempre: Peter Hammill (vocal, piano, guitarra y el buen humor), Hugh Banton (órgano, bajo y diseños), Guy Evans (baterías) y David Jackson (saxos, flauta y sus propios ingenios) y las canciones se presentan en orden cronológico. "Mucha gente pensaba que estabamos pirados de tocar música de este estilo... para nosotros era siempre una Seria Diversión. No te decepcionaremos. Cruza las sombras de mi espejo" (Peter Hammill)

For reasons unknown, experimentalists Van Der Graaf Generator released only a single live album during their tenure as a band (and it didn't feature their most well-known and popular lineup). Of course, plenty of bootlegs of the classic four-man lineup (Peter Hammill -- vocals/piano/guitar, Hugh Banton -- organ/bass, Guy Evans -- drums, David Jackson -- sax/flute) have circulated, but no official live releases until now. The folks at Band of Joy have compiled eight tracks performed on BBC Radio from 1971 through 1976 by the above-mentioned lineup, and VDGG fans couldn't have asked for a better compilation.

Envio de Frederico (Comentarios y Traducciones "aproximadas" de Januca)

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