Van der Graaf Generator

小简介
1967年成立于英国的Van Der Graaf Generator("VDGG")是以所谓"Vocal Progressive"表现手法闻名的乐团。Peter Hammil身兼乐团灵魂与创作重心，早年与Peter Gabriel及David Bowie的舞台表演皆同样具备匠心独具的效果及魅力。也由于专辑大都在Hammill的嗓音表现下作文章，与当年一般乐团以摇滚器乐编制挂帅的乐团风气并不相同，因此商业口碑累积较慢，专辑经常叫好而不叫座。以致部份乐迷认为他们是"second-tier"的英国前卫摇滚团，与Gentle Giant、The Soft Machine、Jethro Tull、Renaissance、Caravan等并列，然而地位却略逊于Pink Floyd、King Crimson、Yes、Emerson, Lake & Palmer或Genesis等等所谓第一级团体。这见解不尽然正确，VDGG的艺术价值当然可以与Yes或King Crimson等同齐观的。
他们长篇乐曲如「Killer」(该团最出名的单曲)、「A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers」、「Meurglys III」无论在编曲与演奏上都十分特别，完全符合大一般乐迷对前卫摇滚乐曲的认知 -- 主题庞大而繁杂，乐曲整体架构张力强、渲染力十足、自成一格，主唱收放自如、表情生动的嗓音擅于让听众自然置身乐曲所想营造的情情境里，需要听众高度想象力才有办法欣赏。VDGG并无专职吉他手是音乐特点之一，反倒乐团在某些专辑中加入萨克斯风或管风琴的演奏以增强效果。也由于VDGG成员曾经历多次变动，乐团成员各具专长，使得VDGG不拘泥于曲风方式，民谣、爵士、电子与古典等元素巧妙结合，显地丰富而多采。
by Jason Ankeny
An eye-opening trip to San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury during the summer of 1967 inspired British-born drummer Chris Judge Smith to compose a list of possible names for the rock group he wished to form. Upon his return to Manchester University, he began performing with singer/songwriter Peter Hammill and keyboardist Nick Peame; employing one of the names from Judge Smiths list, the band dubbed itself Van Der Graaf Generator (after a machine which creates static electricity), eventually earning an intense cult following as one of the eras preeminent art rock groups.
Despite the early involvement of Judge Smith and Peame, the group found true success as a vehicle for Hammill, whose dark, existentialist lyrics made him the focus of considerable attention. After the release of the 1968 single People You Were Going To, Judge Smith left Van Der Graaf Generator, which by then consisted of Hammill, keyboardist Hugh Banton, bassist Keith Ellis and drummer Guy Evans. The group soon split, and in 1968 Hammill entered the studio, ostensibly to record a solo album; however, he ultimately called in his ex-bandmates for assistance, and when The Aerosol Grey Machine appeared, it did so under the Van Der Graaf Generator name.
Although Ellis was replaced by Nic Potter and woodwind player David Jackson, the reconstituted group continued on for 1969s Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other. After 1970s H to He, Who Am the Only One, Potter departed; the Generator recorded one more LP, 1971s Pawn Hearts, before Hammill left for a solo career, putting an end to the group. After five solo efforts, however, Hammill again reformed Van Der Graaf Generator in 1975 for Godbluff. Following a pair of 1976 albums, Still Life and World Record, Banton and Jackson exited; as simply Van Der Graaf, the band recorded The Quiet Zone with new violinist Graham Smith. After a 1978 live set, Vital, the group officially disbanded, although most members made appearances on Hammills subsequent solo records. Twice during the 1990s, Van Der Graaf also reunited for one-off gigs, and in 2005 released a reunion album, Present.