Classical Composer Reacts to A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (Van Der Graaf Generator) (Episode 157)

[@HangingFreud]

Not only Peter Hammill was doing all those voices, but David Jackson was doing all the winds and Hugh Banton was doing all the organs AND basses. These guys were just a whole orchestra by themselves.

[@kidflersh7807]

There's no bass on the song afaik, pretty sure it's all bass pedals. Hugh has nimble friggin' feet.

[@davy1252]

@@kidflersh7807 Very little guitar either - it was organ/sax/drums with Hammill dominating with his voice and theatrics. When the band played live at that time we simply didn't either expect or miss the guitars that almost every other band relied on. A unique band. Their gigs were simply incredible when they were on form, so memorable even now.

[@kidflersh7807]

@@davy1252 Hammill does occasionally play keys/guitar (like everything on godbluff has clavinet from him).

[@klaatoris]

@@kidflersh7807 According to the liner notes as well as Wikipedia, Robert Fripp plays some electric guitar on this song.

[@kidflersh7807]

​@@klaatoris You're right, he's on the "The Presence Of The Night" section, very subtly I might add. I was primarily referring to the band on an average day, since fripp was a guest.

[@GabrielVince]

"I love Van der Graaf cause they were a band that were on the edge, and although they had quite complex arrangements, they made some great sounds. An they were an incredibly depressing band, music to commit suicide to and that's why I loved it, because it was so out there." Bruce Dickinson

[@rcautela7405]

Bruce (n Doug for that matter) needs to CAN a little

[@koukouvania]

i found it totally UNdepressing! music to become enlightened by!

[@wtfn573]

@@rcautela7405 Its not depressing at all. In almost every one of those depressing songs there is almost always a redeeming section at the end.

[@incompletotrunksnautillusc1116]

@@rcautela7405 What?

[@Quills64]

i guess we're not listening to the same band because ive always found VDGG incredibly depressing

[@jeffreygould101]

As a fan of both prog and metal (most of what you've been reacting to), Peter Hammill remains both my favorite vocalist and lyricist of all time. His 70's output both with VDGG and solo was astonishing, and he has continued to produce excellent album after excellent album up until today. Unfortunately many people may only have heard Peter screaming "Shock" on the chorus of Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey and not be familiar with his work and his fantastic songwriting. Glad you've given VDGG a chance, Doug! There's a lot more out there that would warrant reactions.

[@seghj]

Hammill is my favorite singer/songwriter ever but it's so sad that he is such an unknown name even among music nerds. He is the epitome of sincerity and integrity in music and he is completely fearless and uncompromising. Listening to this man (especially his solo stuff) is an almost religious and very intimate experience. And that VOICE!!!

[@mozstarOG]

He’s made it to a lot of magazine covers in the last month…! Finally some recognition on the horizon?

[@seghj]

@@mozstarOG I hope so but I'm afraid that the world will only fully realize what a genius he was when he's gone.

[@apollomemories7399]

@@seghj Not in the UK. Everybody who's switched on knows him and VDGG all too well. Thankfully!

[@apollomemories7399]

@@mozstarOG So, what's Record Collector magazine been doing all these years? Seriously, stop reading that Rolling Stone rag and Buy British! nb. and Mojo, who interviewed him not so long ago.

[@gregvanblair9096]

I agree, though once I told Hammill that Gentle Giant was my favorite band...He Mr. Hammill was my favorite Artist !!! I love him...he's the only one which touched my soul. He's the only artist/lyricist who I actually "heard", who spoke to me, who was really worth listening to and pondering!

[@Korlinath]

As a Floyd fan since Meddle, and a Yes fan since Fragile, I was recommended the album Pawn Hearts by a guy at a record store in 1976. I'll never regret buying it. One of my favorite albums. Thanks Doug for the episode!

[@jrusso4753]

I don't think one can find a more masterful, eloquent lyricist and composer than Peter Hammill in all of rock. Prog or otherwise. VDGG was huge in Europe. Still are. For a time Genesis was their opening act on tours. I had the pleasure of seeing Hammill live around 40 years ago in a very small club in Cleveland, OH. He performed solo. Just piano. He still covered many VDGG songs with just piano and vocals. Amazing! Thank you, Doug, for reacting to this. A deeper dive into more VDGG will not disappoint you.

[@sebastiantorres2542]

Finally, to all the people who asked this song. Great work Doug. You're already like a friend to me, although you have no idea. I watch you nearly every day. God bless you.

[@Doug.Helvering]

Thanks friend!

[@commonsensecraziness7595]

@@Doug.Helvering Please explore BERSERK ~Forces~ by Susumu Hirasawa. I guarantee it's unlike anything you've ever heard before and I'd love to hear your take on it.

[@capricekor]

All the sounds were recorded in the studio, they were not taped natural sounds added to the mix. (Fog horns = saxophones).

[@Bikonito]

Careful with those parasocial relationships.

[@ozricaurora6943]

Peter hammill uses his voice like an instrument. Growling, squeeling, shrieking, whispering, singing softly to provide whatever is necessary for that part of the song

[@davep8221]

"[doing[ whatever is necessary for that part of the song..." A major defining characteristic of prog.

[@ozricaurora6943]

@@davep8221 absolutely

[@davep8221]

@@ozricaurora6943 Is the Ozric in your name a reference to Ozric Tentacles? Or is your Ozric Tentacles something else? In either case, The ozzies are one of my favorite bands.

[@ozricaurora6943]

@@davep8221 Yeah it's a reference to that. I'm obsessed with the northern lights aswell so that's the aurora. Ozric is a Nordic male name and aurora is a female name so I like the balance thing. I love that kind of stuff. Like balance of heart and mind in Cygnus book 2 by rush

[@tomt5745]

Peter is an organ

[@clemsplace]

Fripp's contribution to this is so subtle and so intergrated you might miss it. A staggering piece of music. unique.

[@tomt5745]

Fripp is in a way the spline in this fantastic construction :)

[@gerryrafferty7500]

Fripp the most underestimated person ever

[@Tyldenfilm]

This song is pure briliance. The whole album is totally unique and way ahead of it's time.

[@mpg8314]

H to He and Pawn Hearts don't sound like they were released at early 70s, they sound like really mature and clean prog, musically and technically speaking

[@enricopaoli1183]

One of the very best Prog Rock suites by one of the best bands of the genre. Period. Peter Hammil is genius.

[@axolotl8694]

As one of the aging prog-heads who requested this song, a heartfelt thank-you! I'm well aware that this material can turn off many if not most listeners, so it was refreshing to see you engaging with a completely open mind and digging right in, and your reactions were priceless. "weird e minor"... nice. stepwise motion up and down representing the waves... I actually hadn't thought of that. And glad you dug the whole-step creep-up in the final section... it's one of my favorite techniques and I've used it in my own pieces. I don't think there's any pre-recorded, i.e. nature, sound in this track... it's all the musicians, mostly extended techniques from Jackson on multiple saxophones, sometimes played two at a time à la Roland Kirk, and much studio work with filters and overdubs. As an aside, I'm encouraged to see so many high-quality comments on this video! there is an audience for this stuff, niche though it may be. thanks for connecting more of us. now we need to produce more weird unpopular out-there shit like this. ;-)

[@andrejz8954]

great comment, m8!

[@DavidLazarus]

Yeah, I won't deny that Peter Hammill/VDGG is an acquired taste and some (many) don't acquire it. I love their music though and Peter's dynamic vocals. Ironically, it's those dynamic vocals that seem to turn some people off.

[@joook1972]

I've seen Dave playing THREE saxes at a time!

[@saskiakroonsberg]

@@joook1972 me too! I feel so fortunate I have been able to see them play live.

[@BetamaxFlippy]

Feel free to listen to the full album's original master on my channel

[@SB36963]

All Peter Hammill making the voices and lyrics. That dude is my favorite person in all of Rock, tied with Jim Morrison. The creativity is truly INSANE. Listen to Arrow, Man-Erg, Undercover man, Still Life, La Rossa, and so many more. Everything is a masterpiece in my mind.

[@bernhardkaiser9567]

Undercover man is my all time favorite song!

[@SB36963]

David Jackson on double saxophone is legitimately to die for. Watch the live version of this. Brings whole new meaning to the beauty of it. The drumming, organ, winds, voice, etc.. etc.. everything is so in tune. I have no clue how this band went so unnoticed. They were big elsewhere, but Peter Hammills solo work is purely incredible as well. The best is that it is their life and they never truly went for success, but to express.

[@gewijdebehaeghel6935]

My all time favourite VDGG track. There's a second layer to the story which is the the lighthouse keepers' inability to save his marriage or relationship so that's one reason for the different voices, the other two being the lighthouse keeper's reaction to the horror that waits in the sea and the third the disassociation from reality and descent into madness.. There are sounds in this song when all instruments come together that are just eerie and awesome and totally unique. What a song, what a band. There is no comparison.

[@zigzag2510]

Agree, totally.

[@TheTigershark800]

agree!!

[@leoscone4036]

I concur with the voices below. "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End". I saw Hammill perform solo once. The experience was like willingly giving oneself over to a vampire. He drew every bit of energy we were willing to give, but the gift of our "blood" was well worth the performance he gave. One of the most difficult yet rewarding of prog rock bands.

[@edelcorrallira]

This was incredible... I had never heard this song !!! I had heard other songs by them but not even that could prepare me. I absolutely cant be happier, this is just unbelievable!

[@docdeens4030]

One of the most brilliant pieces of music ever created, IMO. Always fun to watch somebody take it in for the first time

[@o2bavr6]

Peter Hammill The Silent Corner and Empty Stage.. Absolutely incredible album. It is worth your time to listen to it.

[@markjacobsen8335]

"A Louse Is Not A Home"!!!

[@joook1972]

@@markjacobsen8335 Greatest PH song!

[@GravyDaveNewson]

a gothic masterpiece

[@Swordshreader]

Modern is really good also!

[@Dabberontour]

Caution if you're already feeling depressed though!

[@pinkyfloydyfan1]

AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!!!! Peter Hammill's voices and lyrics, the Jackson's saxes, the keyboards of Banton, all that with the pure subtle drums of Evans... all in a perfect mood! Like Miles already said: it must have been made in heaven! And the stereo mix of 2021 is even better!... Thanks VDGG for this MASTERPIECE!!!

[@robfractal6820]

Really enjoyable watching the Classical Composer be totally engaged in this unique VDGG music that still sounds as weird and wonderful as when I heard it 50 years ago. Great fun!

[@3ggshe11s]

I think the foghorns in Part 2 are actually supposed to be the horns of two ships, trying to warn each other before they collide. The lighthouse-keeper sees the collision and can't do anything to stop it, and the rest of the song unfolds to tell us his reaction to the tragedy he was helpless to avert.

[@ericdupont1326]

exactly right ( sereo effect with one ship right , one ship left )....... and after the crash we can hear the souls of the dead sailors, go out of the wreck , climbing & reaching heaven ; that is the reason the lighthouse keeper gets mad all things are a part , all things are appart

[@GunnarCreutz]

Thanks for a fantastic reaction video to the greatest progressive rock epic there is! Peter Hammill's lyrics and his voice is absolutely fantastic! Hugh Banton's monster organ (with its entrails hanging out) makes the most fantastic sounds. David Jackson is a fantastic saxophone-player known for often playing two saxes at the same time. There is also Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) playing electric guitar on this album. All in all quite an odd instrumentation! There is probably just one progressive rock band with a more unortodox instrumentation and that is the Belgian band Univers Zéro (half a rock band, half a chamber ensemble). Their instrumental piece "Dense" from the album Ceux du Dehors (1981) is well worth listening to! On Peter Hammill's solo album In Camera (1974) there is actually a musique concrète piece called "Magog (In Bromine Chambers)". Hammill has made circa 40 studio solo albums, while VdGG has made 13 studio albums.

[@tomt5745]

Hammill is a force of nature

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

That moment at 20:40 is one of more terrifying moments in the history of prog. The song had already been building tension up until that point, but that switch just feels like a complete descent into madness. Only King Crimson have managed something similar in their music. Not the most pleasant sound, but geez is it powerful.

[@erikhesjedal3569]

I bet you haven't listened much to Italian Prog. If that's your thing, try it

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@erikhesjedal3569 I've heard some but certainly not as much as English prog.

[@Rog5446]

Trivia: Fripp played on one of VDG albums.

[@Quills64]

​@@Rog5446 it was this album. he's on this track.

[@Rog5446]

@@Quills64 Tah Muchly. I no longer have the album, as I disposed of all my vinyl, so could not check the line up.

[@noncompulsoryl]

Wow, this takes me back! So happy that people are still discovering this today, like I did ages ago. Fantastic group of musicians.

[@gudulezzz]

Another of my top 5 prog classic. Yes, Peter Hammil is the only singer. His voice is incredible. David Jackson on sax is a pure genious. You should see him playing two saxos simultaneously. Hugh Banton on keyboards creates a fascinating ambiance. Guy Evans on drums, is more than a drummer. He's a true musician. No double pedal here ;-) and he sounds great. Did you notice there's no bassist ? With Genesis, King Crimson (so sorry you can't react to their music), Yes and EL&P, VDGG made the musical background of my youth. I'm 62 now and still listening to these great creators.

[@jorgesimoes5706]

Doug, if you decide to react to King Crimson, have a look at their eighties ressurection - at least, you'll be looking at something different. Thanks.

[@2fs]

It's an awkward compromise but...he could still respond to King Crimson, even without reusing the music...since there are official Crim "videos" on KZbin now. He could just show the timecode, without the music being audible (to us)...and we could, in turn, merely go to the video and sync the timecodes and listen on our own. Voila...

[@yassinbenchaouche1320]

Mon album préféré d"e VDG est " still life" , j'adore ce group je les découvert vers les années 77 78 ..

[@artysanmobile]

Well, fancy that, a drummer who is even a musician. What?!??

[@HandOfDoom9349]

Hugh Banton played bass guitar on record, not all the time but it pops up now and then. There is actually some bass guitar on this song, drop tuned to a very low A.

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

Peter Hammill does all the vocals. (His solo work is amazing.)

[@asolarasolarasolar]

He released a new album!

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

@@asolarasolarasolar Is this the covers album?

[@sammarsh3679]

I think Hugh Banton does a little bit of harmony vocal in the end, but it's pretty buried under layers of Peter.

[@derekprice9076]

Should listen to king crimson, in the court of the crimson king

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

@@derekprice9076 If you mean me, that was one of the first LPs I bought, and KC were one of the first bands I saw live. I have a pretty comprehensive collection of vinyl and CDs, including some of the Projekcts. I also have the excellent "In The Court of King Crimson" by Sid Smith.

[@Israel-jr5ks]

Peter Hammill vocals and songwriting are out of this world, and sadly he's probably the most unrecognized prog rock hero. You should listen to "Pilgrims" and "The Undercover Man", for me these two songs are the two most emotional music pieces ever writen.

[@mespam8135]

"Lost" and "Refugees" ;)

[@frankwestad5084]

The whole "Still Life" is a masterpiece

[@cahyarmdhn]

@@frankwestad5084 yes, i think it sounds more mature

[@bernhardkaiser9567]

I totally agree! The undercover man is my favorite tune all kinds of music! Pilgrims is wonderful, too 😊

[@JohnLRice]

Note the subtle spelling of the final lyrics, it is intentional, not a typo: ALL THINGS ARE A PART ALL THINGS ARE APART ALL THINGS ARE A PART Meaning IMHO: All things are a part of the whole All things are separated from each other All things are a part of the whole

[@ganazby]

Non duality, in other words. Perhaps.

[@jorgelopezgalvez]

It’s been maybe ten years since last time I listened to this one. Clearly a masterpiece, even if it requires a lot from the listener. Funnily enough, I’m so used to Porcupine Tree’s Voyage 34 that I sometimes forget the VDGG sample coming from the second section of A Plague..

[@PaulMDove2]

I love the way Peter plays with words. There's the apart/a part but also "Lighthouses might house the key" which taken with the many references to physics (and the puns) in Peter's lyrics (Pioneers over C being an example of both) I've always thought this could be a reference to the relationship between light and causality, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[@iansmith8783]

@@ganazby to me, it's the paradox of non-duality. you get to non-duality and a host of other dualities spring up, like awareness/lack of awareness of non-duality, the existence of non-existence, etc. etc. the guy has gotten to a point where he realizes there is a limit to what can be understood and ultimately he's just going to have to bite the bullet and embrace the mystery.

[@rael2099]

One day I'll listen to this song and watch The Lighthouse movie. They must be perfect together.

[@brucegelman5582]

Parafin wax was used to light lanterns after whale oil stopped being used

Right! That's it.

[@Nikioko]

Actually, paraffin wax replaced spermaceti, which is solid and used to make candles. Waxes are the esters of fatty acids with fatty alcohols, in this case palmitic acid and cetyl alcohol. Whale oil, on the other hand, is liquid and was replaced by paraffin oil, also known as kerosene.

[@lizardbizarre]

Paraffin is a liquid known as kerosene in the US ofA.

[@erikeinmo8607]

I’ve recently learned that lighthouse keepers often were hit with mental problems due to exposure to vapours from the mercury used in the light-reflecting mechanism. They often had to rid the mercury of soot by manually pouring it through cloth. Kind of like mad hatters :)

[@Doug.Helvering]

Fascinating

[@simondee2493]

The Mercury was used in the base for the heavy lamps to frictionlessly rotate on. Not sure about mercury soot, but vapours from the heat sounds more likely.

[@azothamenti3378]

Wow wow wow Mercury is assioated with madness.

[@RolandTumble23]

@Andy Briggs In the US paraffin refers to a petroleum-based wax. In the UK, it refers to what is called kerosene in the US.

[@firstdegreehurrdurr]

All of VDGG 70's output is among the very, very best of progressive rock, and this song in particular is one of many masterpieces from those albums.

[@kenl2091]

The 'noises'/foghorns in section 2 represent a ship colliding with rocks. The rise and fall of the waves? Never thought of that before but it sounds right. Paraffin is an oil for the lamps that would be used in old lighthouses. All the voices are Hammill (bar maybe a background vocal or two) and are supposed to represent the inner turmoil of the keeper. (As is the music which you rightly describe as 'all over the place') You're not someone to point out time signatures all the time, Doug, but what on earth is 'The Clot Thickens' in? Love the smile on your face listening to 'We Go Now' - the ending is deliberately enigmatic, both musically and lyrically. I think we can agree that 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' is one of the pinnacles of progressive rock music.

[@jazzandrocknroll3235]

I’m very glad you got to experience this haunting eldritch masterpiece Doug, I highly recommend you check out more of Van der Graaf Generator’s music, especially the track “Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End” as recommended by others. I would also LOVE to see you react and dissect jazz rock band Soft Machine’s Slightly All The Time”, it’s a very musically interesting jazz piece with lots of great saxophone work and master class musicianship.

[@didierchapelot5671]

This is just the greatest progressive band of all times. And one the best band in history. Happy there's some reaction video for Peter Hammill's work. The vocals are all from Peter Hammill. He liked to change his voice according to the lyrics, like in a play. I would love you react to more from this wonderful band. There's no guitar in VDGG but in this track Robert Fripp (from King Crimson) plays some.

[@ozricaurora6943]

Scorched earth is probably my favourite VDGG song. It's 9 minutes and it's pulverising from start to finish pretty much. How they're able to pack so much music and changes into a 9 minute space is amazing

[@nothingmuchado]

This was a deep cut in 1971, haven't listened to it in ages. Great to see a reaction. Hammill's work with Robert Fripp on his "Exposure" album is well worth a listen!

[@jackal59]

"Disengage" was the very first thing I heard Hammill sing. Scared the shit out of me.

[@primateinterfacetechnologi6220]

Robert Fripp... Now there's a whole issue... I say that as a fan and student of King Crimson from the beginning... and Fripps' endless discussions on issues, and stuff, and things around... Plus he is probably the basis for half of my playing style. him and Carlos and Gilmore... But lately "System of a down" is what I... hear. they just seem to be... or reflect my... experiences of late. and for some time really, for better or worse. Show me better rock vocals anywhere and I will show you... something that I am confident I will not have to find... like a unicorn or a 25 lb largemouth bass. rock vocals that are just as good exist, certainly they do- But none better. Peace be upon you, sir.

[@wendellwiggins3776]

VDGG were one of the most ORIGINAL of the PROG innovators with their dark mysterious voids of sonic self reflections. I think the ending needed to sustain the ascension of this Keeper (physically or etherically) I think the dot dot dot was intentional

[@Nikioko]

And in comparison to Godbluff or H to He, Pawn Hearts is a very experimental album.

[@paulsetter2989]

I'm glad there are others out there that appreciate this. Excellent reaction. Most people can't understand decent music.

[@josephramone5805]

The Apex Of Theatrical Art Rock

[@simply_psi]

Excellent that you are doing some Van der Graaf Generator, they were so innovative and Peter Hammill, is a talented song writer and extraordinary lyricist with a very unique vocal style

[@boozefueledreviews6928]

I clicked this... and immediately thought to myself, "Who the actual FU*K is reacting to VDGG!??!!?!?" Man, this channel is sick!!!!!!!

[@gyro3454]

You should check out the reaction channel “JustJP” he has done a lot of reactions to prog bands like Vdgg and many others.

[@RolandTumble23]

Doug is one of my tip-top tier reactors, in large pat because of his openness to off-the-beaten-path pieces.

[@tomt5745]

Or sane.. :)

[@juankgonzalez6230]

It's quite interesting that you mention Musique Concrète because Hammill straight up did some Musique Concrète on his own (the name should set your expectations: "Gog - Magog (In Bromine Chambers)"; a piece whose later half I consider to be the sounds of Hell itself)

[@gregpapakostas7243]

Vdgg is just astonishing. So much power . For me my favorite is Sleepwalkers. The greatest lyricist in prog by miles. Such unique set up for a band of that era. Peter's solo records are amazing as well which everyone played in too. Something like 13 or 14 records total in like 7 or 8 years together between vdgg and solo

[@fredoniabulsara9414]

Didnt know these guys before! Absolutely gonna add them to my smoking playlist! Feels like Maiden and King Crimson had a kid. Thanks to the people suggesting this masterpiece and thanks to you bringing it to us! Edit: The Spy by The Doors would be definetly worth your time!

[@SB36963]

PLEASE do more on Van Der Graaf man. I can promise you there are some who truly appreciate music that DEEPLY want their music broken down.

[@Laurasiana]

Alright! So with Van der Graaf and King Crimson, you’ve started on the path of the Music that Bites Back! From here, it’s on to RIO (Rock In Opposition). Bands like Henry Cow, Univers Zero, Sammla Mammas Manna, and Etron Fou Leloublan await you.

[@proghead122]

Doug's breakdown was a revelation and made me re evaluate my opinions . I always found this track a challenging listen at the time even though I was a VDG fan. Finally 50 years later I recently played it again and was instantly blown away. The whole album is a masterpiece and I now think that it's possibly the best Prog album I've ever heard. Better late than never and I guess that some things are meant to happen in the right moment.

[@Davejkn]

SHM is simple harmonic motion in physics, although it's probably also a pun on HMS - His/Her Majesty's Ship in the british navy. Peter Hammill studied Liberal Studies in Science at university, so there are a few science references in his songs

[@kevmdud]

Yes! And for non-physicists, SHM generates sinusoidal (wave-like) motion over time, this ties in nicely with Doug's description of the wave-like nature of the music in this section :)

[@soggytom]

'A few' references? Now there's an understatement! ;-)

[@vadimzaytsev2660]

I think it's simple harmonic motion because they used to take acid, plug music into an oscilloscope and watch the sine waves, according to VdGG: The Book (hence also, I assume, the part titled Land's End (Sineline)). A cheeky in-joke. :D

[@cykkm]

Thanks, indeed! Other section titles also contain puns (which I find confusing or even weirdly childish, and apparently unrelated to lyrics), so I suspected this one was too. This one at least makes perfect sense!

[@BaldJean]

The line "I can see the lemmings coming, but I know I'm just a man" is an allusion to the other two songs on the album, "Lemmings" and "Man-Erg". "Lemmings" is about someone watching the lemmings jumping into the sea and asking himself if he should join; in the end he decides not to. "Man-Erg" is about someone realizing there is a good and a bad side inside of him; he speaks of a killer and of angels living inside him and in the end comes to the conclusion that he is just a man, and that killers and angels all are a part of him. So it is a concept album indeed.

[@apollomemories7399]

In short, everything by VDGG and Hammil are a concept. They just didn't do "I love you, baby" stuff. lol.

[@DavidLazarus]

@@apollomemories7399 - Ha! Yet, Peter Hammill does have long songs. Albeit not your typical ones.

[@promierdafernandez81]

Hey, can you recognize some of the figures in the Pawn Hearts album cover art? I only recognize (I think) Tsar Nicholas II

[@flyer5347]

@David Lazarus could you recommend some? I'm a big fan of strange/ intricate love songs

[@oldsynner]

Peter used to say that he wanted to be known as the "Hendrix" of the voice. He maybe didn't quite achieve that but, for my money, he is the UK's greatest lyricist.

[@alexsander2112]

Also, for Friday sections, as you love doing prog suites, I'd love to see a full Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" (or even "A Passion Play")

[@peterichards3261]

I love Peter Hammill's perspective on this aspect of being a sort of guardian but what if you get it wrong? Modern equivalent would be air traffic controllers. By the way Doug keep going with VDGG, the Godbluff and Still Life albums are awesome

[@Rowenband]

My two favorite albums too.

[@PaulMDove2]

Peter has air traffic controllers covered too with his solo piece Flight. Which has now been adopted into VDGG's repertoire with them performing it live on what may have been their last tour, I think in 2018.

[@jonrumfitt1913]

@@PaulMDove2 Flight (pref. studio solo version) would definitely be a good one to react to Doug. Love the channel by the way.

[@CanigoCatala]

VdGG were unique, one reason was Peter Hammill, the other the choose of instrumentation and the ability of going from pastoral to pre-punk-like aggressive tones

[@cattafish]

It's good that a trained composer can set aside the sacred cows of classical form structure and appreciate the good in stuff like this. There are many that can't. VDGG were influenced by Messiaen. Their 'out' stuff must have referenced his symmetrical scales and im surprised he wasn't mentioned here. It's also endearingly American of Doug to not see the metaphorical use of the 'Lighthouse Keeper" standing for alienation and the human condition hut Im sure he would have soon enough.

[@andreacosta74]

The most underrated rock band in the history

[@aeglyndagon4070]

Finally van der graaf generator :) i hope you listen other songs of this group. Great work!

[@Bryman1970]

I have heard very little of VDGG. This song almost made me insane just listening to it. Wow. What an epic. I love when emotion is expressed so well in a song. This definitely hit the nail on the head, Thanks again, Doug.

[@johng.arkenberg1070]

Thanks for taking the time give your thoughts and musical insight into this great song. I recommend for anyone interested to look for their live performance of this song on Belgian TV in 1972. They were surprised at the request to perform this piece since it was composed in the studio. After some discussion they realized they could perform it in two sections. There is a break around 3 minutes in for Hugh Banton, the organist, to work out some technological aspects. You can see this by the hard cut from candles in the studio to sparklers. You can see Peter Hammill joyously celebrating successfully getting through the song with a glass of red wine. I'm going to apologize for a long write-up but this is a group I have listened to most of my life and I hope it provides some context for those interested in VdGG as well as Peter Hammill's solo career. Simply, yes, VdGG are pretty hard to sum up in words. One review I read about a decade ago mentioned that there were over one hundred genres and sub-genres in rock and none particularly fit VdGG. This is largely because they were influenced by jazz and classical. They also have always been defined by this unusual musical arrangement of vocals, organ, saxophone, and drums for most of their records. Peter Hammill plays guitar at times and they did have a bass player who left but was easily substituted by the bass pedals of the organ. Also, highly unusual is David Jackson often playing two saxophones at the same time and with octave doublers attached he could sound like a plague of saxophonists. Add to this Peter Hammill's voice which Robert Fripp (playing guitar on this track) commented that "Peter Hammill did for the voice what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar." You are absolutely right in noticing that there is a very intentional use of different voices at the beginnings. You can view each change in vocal quality as the broken aspects of the lighthouse keeper; the lighthouse keeper, a sailor drowning at sea, and the lighthouse itself. Or, maybe these are all separate characters? The ambiguity of this is most certainly reflected in the musical language up until its tritone ending chord. A very important clue to this ambiguity is in the final lines of the song which are written in the sleeve as "all things are apart / all things are a part." Is everything breaking down or essentially one thing? Would love to hear anyone's insight. Thanks again for posting your video and sorry again for the really long comment.

[@biraoliverio]

All vocals are done by Peter Hammill, he us a very gifted singer.

[@grubkiller1212]

What do you think, should we advice him something else or is it enough?

[@biraoliverio]

@@grubkiller1212 I think we can suggest other songs, like Man Erg, The Undercover Man, Refugees, and Killers.

[@grubkiller1212]

@@biraoliverio Great idea! But what about other bands ? I would like to see Doug react to whole Thick as a brick

[@biraoliverio]

@@grubkiller1212 This ia a great suggestion, let’s work for it.

[@anthonymorris6490]

The arrow is a great track to show his singing range

[@TheAnalyst79]

You are not going to get this recommendation from many others, but another 20+ minute epic you should try is Mumps by Hatfield and the North. You will not be disappointed.

[@allangmiller]

Good call.

[@poststructuralisthero9290]

I'm hearing more and more people call for Canterbury bands lately. It's going to happen.

[@odrioper]

Yep. Marvelous piece.

[@FiddlerNick]

Yep it'll blow your brain

[@jackal59]

The section around 11:47 sounds like Messiaen, which makes sense since Banton is a classically-trained organist. He's released at least one album of Bach. In fact, a lot of the "bass" is him pedaling.

[@anthonymorris6490]

He played bass guitar in the studio just so there was the bottom end in the track however when they played live Banton was an octopus feet on pedals, fingers at organ he was and still is incredible to watch play live

[@Generatorhead]

Hammill has stated in numerous interviews that he is a massive fan of Messiaen, so that makes perfect sense.

[@Hasbaya1960]

Love your episodes, Doug. Thank you for featuring this song, which for me represents the high water mark of 1970's British prog, A few nuggets that others haven't mentioned yet: when David Jackson, the saxophonist played live with VdGG, he played two saxes at once, with one fed through a frequency doubler and a wah-wah pedal. The organist, Hugh Banton, has had a parallel career building organs. He specialized in electronic organs that mimic large pipe organs (he studied at Wakefield Cathedral in Yorkshire as a teen, and has recorded and released his own version of Bach's Goldberg Variations which he transcribed from the harpsichord to organ). Much of the organ work in this song was played on an electronically modified Italian organ called a Farfisa, that was a modified transistor accordion. Through his modifications and the effects pedals he ran the output through, he got a fairly realistic pipe organ sound. At one point, there are 16 simultaneous overdubs of organ, mellotron, piano, clavinet, drums and saxophones. VdGG never found the success they deserved, but this album ("Pawn Hearts") was #1 in Italy, and the band faced near riots of fans when they toured there. Thanks again for spending time sharing your insights on this piece!

[@briannicholls2893]

I was lucky enough in my university days in the early 70s to see many of the top prog bands live, but VDGG at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (the Godbluff tour) remains one of the most extraordinary gigs ever. They had an almost punk like attitude in that they were simply determined to play in their own way regardless of whether the audience liked them or not. Hammill's vocal power was unequalled by any other singer I have seen before or since, and the musicianship was superb. Above all, their use of dynamics gave them a power that even heavy metal bands could not match - and that was without a bass player and with minimal guitar. Still one of my top 5 gigs of all time.

[@gelsol]

Peter Hammill/VDGG have an insane discography. They have a lot of mind-blowers.

[@mvjonsson]

Doug, if you want to further hear the close connection between modern classical music and prog, I would suggest listening to the Belgian progband Univers Zero and especially their album Ceux du Dehors (1981) with tracks such as Dense, Bonjour Chez Vous and Combat. They played a dark, medieval, atmospheric music inspired by composers such as Bela Bartok, Stravinskij, Iannis Xenakis and Huybrechts. Also the French Zeuhl progband Magma, led by Christian Vander, is worth a listen.

[@bobfitzpatrick8952]

I never heard these guys until about two years ago, even though I've been a fan of Yes and ELP for decades. Very talented. I also really like "Refugees" as well.

[@jakelm4256]

I get literal chills over Hammill’s vocals in the middle section even after hearing this for the 500th time

[@kkondakov]

I am sure that many people agree with me here that the next VdGG needs to be "Sleepwalkers" from "Godbluff" (1975) - another insane Epic that will blow Doug Helvering out of water

[@TheAnalyst79]

I definitely second that

[@einarassipavicius1991]

Yes, I used to say that Plague is my favourite VdGG piece. But Godbluff is my favourite album and with time I start to realize maybe The Sleepwalkers is my favourite VdGG song. That piece is monstrous. If Doug reacted to this, would be fantastic!

[@gudulezzz]

+1000 :-D It will be a funny moment to see Doug's face reacting to this.

[@iansmith8783]

godbluff is amazing. "the undercover man" would also be good.

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

I love the album still life and particularly the song my room (waiting for wonderland) .

[@neilslater1182]

VDGG were always my breaking point with prog when I was growing up. I remember being sort of 15-16 and getting into the likes of Caravan, Greenslade, Camel etc, and always hearing about VDGG being this amazing bang that all prog fans should know. I saved up and picked up a best of compilation (which included this track). I wanted to like it, like at the time it felt like it was some sort of badge of honour to be into this sort of guitarless, dissonant, long form of composition. But there comes a point where I just stopped caring about how others perceive me musically, and I realised that listening to this album was a pretty miserable experience. Listening again now with the benefit of 15 years exploring all sorts of music since then; I feel I gained a new appreciation. I'm not saying I'll be going out of my way to listen on the regular or anything. But I think it's definitely a case of me not being ready for it first time round.

[@williamknutson6163]

Great review... I been a fan for many years. I see that this composition could be metaphorical in nature... The artist's, and musicians/composer's in the world are alienated and conflicted in their lives like the lighthouse keepers...

[@thewal1ofsleep]

One of the most unique and incredible bands of all time. Their music transcends genre. Legends.

[@soggytom]

The original guitarist was Nic Potter. He left the band during recording the previous album, "H to He, Who Am The Only One". They never replaced him, Hammill occasionally playing guitar if one was required. Potter rejoined in 1977, but that was two break-ups and two reunions later.

[@thosava]

A fun fact since you also react to a lot of Iron Maiden. Bruce Dickinson has stated Peter Hamill among his biggest influences as a vocalist. You can definitely hear some similarities in their projection of powerful, distorted and theatrical vocals.

[@paulramon3353]

Hi Doug I would add the relevance here of Hammill's training by the Jesuits, Catholicism's ideological special forces unit as he later called them. There's more than a touch of contemporary Christian existentialism here, especially if the lyrics are read allegorically. The closing line, playing on the ambiguity of 'a-part', is very likely an allusion to Yeats' The Second Coming (things fall apart etc). VDGG seem the supreme example of Edward Macan's argument that the secularization of Church training is an overlooked influence on English prog. Many proggers had public school choirboy backgrounds and Hugh Banton went on to develop a successful line in electronic church organs.

[@soggytom]

Spot on. I feel Hammill was forever trying to quench and resolve depression and a bit of mania through his lyrics, often quite blatantly ('In The End', "House With No Door"). And the attempts to resolve conflicts with Christianity come through loud and clear as well ("The Lie"). Regardless, ALL the music is stunning and moving. VdGG is the one band (and Hammill solos) I can never get enough of.

[@jackal59]

Excellent comment. I've always thought that "Man-Erg" is one of the most direct songs of theirs I've heard and that it is essentially a humanist hymn.

[@bastiangustavsen3168]

Saw them live in 2011, Never heard about them beforehand, had to pick between them and The Stranglers. I am so glad I made the choice to watch their show. Incredible musicians! Peter Hammill is a wonderful person to watch! Totally electrifying!

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

Never got to see them live - and I saw many bands in the 70s - so this is my biggest regret. (Never saw The Stanglers live either, which is another regret.)

[@bastiangustavsen3168]

@@jeannettesimpson9778 bet you got to see so many wonderful acts in the 70s! Lots of music from that era that I wish I could have seen, but I was born in the 90s

[@lemming9984]

Oh yeah! I went to see VdGG on that tour and saw a Stranglers poster for a gig the same night. Manchester?

[@bastiangustavsen3168]

@@lemming9984 indeed!

[@kidflersh7807]

But did you know kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3WQmXyKed2aocU exists

[@fischergreen4134]

My all time favourite Prog track. It’s been part of my musical life for over 40 years and I never tire of it.

[@jamescpotter]

That is Peter Hammill singing as his voice was capable of multiple textures! Peter was an underrated vocalist because of his eccentric (yet incredibly successful) approach. Once upon a time Van Der Graaf toured with Genesis per the Charisma label both bands recorded on.

[@robbertstrengholt8429]

Thank you for this great video. I've been listening to Van der Graaf Generator and Peter Hammill since the late 70's when I was like 15 years old. But your video made me understand this song better, both technically and storywise.

[@batteryacid1464]

Please react to Peter Hammill - A Louse is not a Home. Love the videos! ❤️❤️❤️

[@64sirnose]

ya Doug ya ya Thank You for the break down...... Hammill ...is amazing I saw him in SF acapella so great. hope you can do more Van Der Graaf or Peter Hammill...Keep up the great work!!!!!

[@keithshapland903]

That was truly fascinating Doug...such a difficult piece to analize if new to the band, and you did a great job. Peter Hammill rarely played much guitar. On this Robert Fripp does a solo.

[@IntheCourtoftheCrimsonKing]

Yes. Peter Hammill was singing all the vocal parts on this. I was blessed to see him live in Quebec City in the 80s and what a range of expressivity he had.

[@alspacrat]

"I don't hear much guitar." That was VdGG in the early 70s. I think they threw a lot of people off guard with that no-guitar approach.

[@kidflersh7807]

There's a touch of guitar on the song in on part, supplied by Robert Fripp himself.

[@zigzag2510]

The album from outer space🙀😍😍😍

[@SpaceCattttt]

Ha! I was one of the 10 people who requested you do this one. Well, I guess I kinda "ordered" it! Needless to say, I can but send heaps of appreciation your way, sir! Thanks, Doug.😁

[@jitgr]

Great development in your wonderful channel, truly amazing. Gentle Giant seems to be imminent, Univers Zero,Von Zamla, Isildurs Bane, Soft Machine (Third album) , The Nice ("Five Bridges") also have wonderful music.

[@einarassipavicius1991]

Yey, I'm a happy person now, thanks for reacting to one of my favourite pieces by my favourite band. I will be back with other VdGG suggestions, but now I will start another irritating campaign, because there's another band among my top3 favourite bands you definitely need to know about. It's Gentle Giant! I recommend a song called Knots by Gentle Giant. This piece (as many pieces by GG) is massively inspired by classical music, especially from Renaissance era.

[@domi01234]

Hey Doug, Congratulations, you "survived" VDGG's A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers :-) Yes, it's Peter Hammill doing all the voices. Their instrumental work is mainly centered on Banton's keyboards (highly customized for the period) and Jackson's saxophones (highly customized too, electrified, and yes he can play two at the same time live) plus the incredible drums from Evans. You said "fascinating" several times and "unique piece" and you're right: VDGG never tried to go commercial. Peter Hammill plays electric guitar but mostly on his solo albums (with the support of the VDGG members...) VDGG + Peter Hammill discography is gigantic. Even a punk singer like Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten considers Peter Hammill the God Father of pre-punk. As a supporting sample you can browse the Nadir's Big Chance album (1975) there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHzSgWRvjK2WfKM. Try also "Open your eyes". Beyond the pre-punk aspect, one song beats all the others in this album: "The Institute of Mental Health". All the pre-punk God Father thing is kind of BS IMHO, you can find plenty of burgeoning proto-punk work everywhere. First example to come to mind: Detroit-based MC5 - Kick out the jams (1969) kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6eteISVpc6qf5I Lyrical content: yes, all Peter Hammill lyrics are pretty heavy. You won't find Girl meets Boy and will live happily after in his songs. After his divorce, Peter Hammill wrote one of the most sad song one can listen to: "(On Tuesday She Used To Do) Yoga" from the album "Over" where the electric guitar lacerates like a scythe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpfVaqGaoLyrpqM The theme of survival and rebirth is very present in Peter Hammill's work. See for instance "Lost And Found" from the same album: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJm7qayAo9tpnqc You can find similar "we don't give a s..t about commercial" bands. Take for example the Kraut Rock period in Germany during the 60s. For obvious reasons Germany is and stays apart of the cultural and musical affairs of the world, also the British Invasion is in full swing. The frustated younger German musicians thus had to explore "new" music and do their own things between themselves. The most famous being Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. But it's only the tip of the iceberg. Try the list below to find works that are also unique and different: Can / Halleluwah from the Tago-Mago album (1971): kzbin.info/www/bejne/faGZoIOvhtOLbJI Neu! / Hallogallo (1971): kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ_HoZxuqbONr7M Neu! / Negativland (1971): kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJnMf6eXo9t8o8k You can look for Amon Düül on KZbin and dig into the results. Sounds like Jefferson Airplane or Greatfull Dead but through a "let's make it much weirder" filter. Here is a band that really really did not give a s..t: Faust. Example: It's a Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl) 1972: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYPbp4Sjibmta6s A song where the economy of lyrics is astonishing :-) Even more for the beat! Virgin Records signed them not really knowing what they were doing, ROFL. Ten years later, Kraut Rock has become "Euro Rock" and still lived on. Example: Die Krupps - Wahre arbeit, wahrer lohn (1981): kzbin.info/www/bejne/emqbe557r5uWock (unfortunately they later ended up going commercial) It beats Suicide IMHO. They are all different, but most importantly, their music is timeles. Interestingly it's always artists who have something to say who write the songs that will last (they are even catchy sometimes). For example: Dubioza kolektiv "Himna generacije", kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGbbppSrebyrj9k. Your channel is very interesting. Thank you for bringing the musician expertise to the things we listen too. I'm very appreciative and we are learning things. Keep on the good work! TYVM. Warmest regards, Dominique

[@anthonymorris6490]

Hey the vocalist was Peter Hammill all the way through, he was and still is an amazingly distinctive and versatile singer

[@magusperde365]

Some may argue that he lost his voice today. But I think he still has that intensity. Just less versatile and more raw.

[@anthonymorris6490]

@@magusperde365 some may yes, I will confess I was rather astounded how his voice has changed when "Do Not Disturb" came out, however he has that chameleon ability to change with his age even some of the old songs are different but not in a bad way for me

[@dominickdepaolo6668]

Excellent! Watching someone with musical mastery break down these easily dismissed/oft ignored prog classics allows someone like me to almost hear it for the first time once again. Thanks for covering this one, Doug. 👍🏻🎶

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

So glad you got to this one. Even after having heard a ton of prog before I got to VdGG and this piece it still blew me away like few things have. It's just so cinematic and tonally powerful. As for further classic prog suggestions, you really need to do Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and The Advent of Panurge by Gentle Giant.

[@CSaboe]

PH's vision, lyrics, range, emotion, brute fucking force... excellent reaction on your part. cheers!

[@philosophysenpai659]

Welcome, maestro, to the uniqueness that is VDGG. Unique in their selection and combination of instruments and that awesome skinny poetic and composing genious of Peter Hammill. Yes, he is the only one that sings. Next time please do try the (least experimental) but majestic musical jewels: "Man Erg" and "My Room"...

[@markjacobsen8335]

My Room is sublime.

[@bountybar]

Analysing this in the context of what is now categorised as 'Prog' exposes the limits of that category. At the time (i'm old, I was there), this was progressive and underground but the notion of what is now called 'Prog' hadn't been formed - progressive was an adjective seized upon by marketeers and not, initially at least, a noun. If we're talking genre this is much much closer to the avant garde and art music and, as you say, music concrete. The same is true for King Crimson and Gentle Giant.

[@geraividet]

There is a live version of this song. If I'm not mistaken it was recorded in Belgium. It's truly impressive seeing the four of them playing this live.

[@mokrodrigues4515]

This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and this video was so cool! In my masters thesis in physics I've used the last lines ("all things are a part, all things are apart, all things are a part") as the epigraph because I think it is basically the cycle of life (being a part of a transcendent whole or just part of the "nothingness", then being an individual living creature, then back to part of the whole or "nothingness"). It was already deep and special when I read and listened to it, but near the end of my masters my uncle died. We were very close and he was my first close family member to depart from this world, so these lines were especially sensible for me since then. So I used it as an epigraph. Sorry for rambling a bit here, and thanks again for this video. What you do here is awesome. Wish you all the best and I'm already eager for more videos from you! Cheers!

[@drob281159]

A couple of things. Peter Hammill said in an interview that VDGG's aim from the start was to create a "glorious racket" (oh I love this one!). And classically trained organist Hugh Banton gives a lesson on working Hammond and Farfisa organs to their respective limits.

[@RuiBarEdits]

Hammill, the best poet rock music had bring to us.