Customer Reviews

H to He Who Am the Only One

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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I went out and bought all of the EMI remastered albums and they are simply superb. The sound quality of H to He Who am the Only One has been vastly improved upon and the liner notes are wonderfully detailed and include various photos of the band scattered throughout. In addition to the original tracks, the electrifying and thunderous 15'24" Squid1/Squid 2/Octopus was added on along with the first version of The Emperor in his War Room. I should note that EMI did not use copy-control technology on the remastered albums so playback problems should not plague listeners.

This is the bleakest, most gothic prog rock I have ever heard. Instrumentation is sparse, with great drumming from Guy Evans (I can really hear the subtleties of his playing on the cleaned up recording), solid bass playing from Nic Potter, twisted Hammond organ work from keyboardist Hugh Banton, angular and aggressive sax playing from David Jackson (he would play two saxes at the same time - in fact Jackson, not to mention Colosseum sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith borrowed this technique from jazzer Rahsaan Roland Kirk) and a tiny bit of aggressive guitar work from guest Robert Fripp on "The Emperor in his War Room". Although synthesizers are largely absent, Hugh Banton is in fact credited with using an oscillator - which is a crude synthesizer (wave form generator actually). The most distinctive aspects of the music are Peter Hammill's anguished lyrics and his vocal delivery, which ranges from a tortured, heavy metal rasp to a smooth, high-pitched falsetto. While some folks find his vocals overwrought and excessively dramatic (this reaches a peak on "Lost"), it really makes this music work. Pieces are in the 6'00-12'25 range, with the heaviest track being the introductory "Killer". Although describing the music in terms of tortured, harsh, and anguished must conjure up sounds of a bandsaw ripping through galvanized steel, the music is not entirely abrasive. "House with No Door" is a very quiet and sad piece, and "The Emperor in his War Room", "Lost", and "Pioneers over c" all feature haunting and reflective sections in amongst the chaos. Though "H to He: Who am the Only One" is a good starting point, other excellent recordings by Van der Graaf Generator include "The Least we can do is Wave to Each Other (1970); Pawn Hearts (1971); Godbluff (1975) and Still Life (1976). Of these recordings, Pawn Hearts is their acclaimed best yet makes for extremely difficult listening.

This was the 1st VDGG remaster I picked up and oh, my! did it live up to what I hoped it would be. Someone earlier said that these Charisma bands suffered from a kitchen-sink-induced murkiness in the production, largely because they were trying to stretch the then-new 16-track technology to its absolute limits... that's what makes these remasters (and in particular our friend Hydrogen to Helium here) so great and so long overdue. Comparing the new CDs to the old ones (and, God forbid, the "First Generation" compilation from the 1980s) is like looking at a high-resolution struck print of a photograph versus a Xerox made on a faulty machine, there is no comparison, really.

Anyway this is a classic album made all-the-more towering by the inclusion of the ridiculous live-in-the-studio bonus take of the heretofore mythical "Squid/Octopus" opus. Progressive Rock was (at its best, like here) a truly creative enterprise before it collapsed under the weight of its own self-image around the time PG quit Genesis and Fripp (who tears up a nice sustain-y Les Paul excursion on "The Emperor In His War Room" here) broke up Crimson the first time... and this late-1970 record proves it with the inimitable VDGG triumverate of loopy stop/start/dissolve/jumpcut cinematic arrangements, magnificent drums/double sax interplay from Guy Evans and D-Jax, and the manically panicked vocal stylings of Hammill. Hugh Banton, who built his instruments from the ground up, contributes his usual quota of terrifying organissimo as well... he is kind of the bridge between Hammill and the unusual rhythm section.

Standouts include the Prog staple "Killer" (a real whale of a song, indeed), the sci-fi mindf*ck "Pioneers Over C" and the aforementioned antiwar anthem "The Emperor In His War Room," which could be about Josef Stalin or even "Dandy Don" Rumsfeld. Yes and did I mention the bonus track of "Squid/Octopus" makes EL&P sound like the 1910 Fruitgum Company?

Again, if you don't have these VDGG remasters, you really aren't fully alive. Grab them and see where Johnny Rotten learned to scream-sing.

If there is a band who can express "Being and Nothingness" by Jean Paul Satre or "Being and Time" by Heidegger, THIS IS THE BAND! This band explores the deep dark abyssmal recesses of being with SOUND. Does this "sound" like something you want to experience sonically? You may be saying a big NO! But if you consider yourself a progressive music fan in the very least, then IT IS YOUR DUTY TO LISTEN TO THIS MASTERPIECE! It is one of the most hauntingly disturbing prog masterpieces I have ever encountered. Desert Island record for any progressive rock fan.

Several years ago on this site, I wrote a review of another album by this band and titled it "Band in need of a reissue series!" Well, EMI/Virgin must have been listening because my prayers have been answered. H to He is the first one I've picked up and based on the excellent quality I will absolutely be getting more. Peter Hammill himself handled the spiffy remaster, in consultation with his former bandmates, all of whom were involved in the production of this series. There is a 16-page book with lyrics, photos, credits and liner notes, and best of all two bonus tracks, a studio run-through of "The Emperor in his War Room" recorded 6 months before the album version, and the legendary "Squid/Octopus" recorded live in the studio.

VDGG were a progressive rock group of the highest order, featuring keyboardist Hugh Banton, drummer Guy Evans, woodwind virtuoso David Jackson and the inimitable Hammill on vocals, guitar and piano. Outgoing bassist Nic Potter appears on about half of the record, with Banton filling in on bass pedals for the rest. H to He Who Am The Only One was their second proper record and remains a great album to this day. As much as I love The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other, I think this one is the superior record.

The opening track, "Killer," is the all-time prog classic here and sounds amazing in remastered form. VDGG were one of a number of early prog groups on the Chrysalis label, along with bands like Lindisfarne and Genesis, that suffered from murky production that sounds dated to modern ears. The detailed, cleaned-up sound here is revelatory and a real godsend for fans. The melodic piano ballad "House With No Door" is also here, featuring Jackson's wonderful flute work. Sometime VDGG collaborator Robert Fripp turns up to lend some electric guitar bite to "The Emperor in His War Room." "Lost" and "Pioneers Over C" are two excellent prog epics, with the latter going completely over the top a la "After The Flood" on the previous record.

But I'm saving the best for last! "Squid/Octopus" is a 15 minute jam filled to bursting with everything a prog fanatic could dream of and more. This is the only surviving track from an aborted live in the studio album intended to be part of Pawn Hearts before Chrysalis torpedoed the double-album idea. This is an absolutely killer prog epic of the highest order, unbelievably brought to light after all these years. Words really fail me except to say that it is reason enough to buy this CD.

I am now salivating over getting some more of the VDGG reissues in this series, but for now it is one outstanding addition to my prog collection and I highly recommend it to progheads.

This is the first of these re-issues I have bought....just for that elusive "Squid/Octopus" bonus track!

The sound is pretty good ,still some hiss in the tapes, but the bass is very nice and punchy!

But the real Killer is "Squid / Octopus"! This is one deranged(in a great ,"mad" way)track. It's full of wild ,on the edge,dissonance,and imagery in the lyric which is way out in the "acid" zone(Acid Prog?)! It's been a long time for me to finally hear this fabled track,....It is worth all the pennies! The producers let the tape run out after the session so you can hear someone just go wild at the end in the studio about this mad ,hot take! This COOKS!!!

Buy it for this track!

Another beautiful, intense gem from VDGG, from beggining to end. The squid extra track is a treasure.

On _H to He . . ._, the listener hears a prog band firmly developing its own personality, with David Jackson's distinctive saxophone playing and Peter Hammill's quirky sonwriting sensibility standing out. Still, they haven't completely separated from the prog pack at this point, like they would on _Pawn Hearts_. The first song, "Killer," definitely indicates a band striking in its own direction, with Hammill's trudging chromatic organ riff dominating the proceeding in the middle of the song. Then the typical flower generation refrain comes in at the end ("We need love . . ." over and over). Oh well. It was pretty sweet until then.

And after all, it is Britain and it is 1970. You hear Genesis influences in Hammill's erudition, Keith Emerson influences in Hammill's attempts at keyboard histrionics (let's just say the best is yet to come for him), but you especially hear King Crimson influences here. Guy Evans sounds like a Bill Bruford wanna-be for a large part. Listen to track 2, "House with No Door." It's got the precious lyrical sensibility of early Peter Gabriel, but other than that it almost sounds like it could be _Court of the Crimson King_ with its magisterial post-"Whiter Shade of Pale" progression and snare-fill-heavy drum attack. I don't dislike it, but like I said they are not differentiated from the pack as much as they could be.

VDGG, like most of their compeers at this point, seem to be recovering from the 1960's. It took releases like their _Pawn Hearts_ a few years later to establish the truly frantic paranoid mood that was the inevitable result of the Summer of Love (and the ultimate manifestation of this was yet to come with punk; I like to think of _Pawn Hearts_ as pre-punk--one can't say the same thing of _H to He . . ._). Here, you hear some of Hammill's patent angst, but it is not as convincing and unsettling as what was to come. There are plenty of great moments for your appreciation and I recommend this for any fan of challenging rock, but if you are seriously into prog, don't expect this to be far beyond VDGG's most accomplished contemporaries. They pulled out ahead of all of them with _Pawn Hearts_. _H to He . . ._ is at least worthwhile to own to hear the evolution of the band that made one of the three best prog albums ever.

I am a Prog Rock fanatic and recently discover this jewel. It is a trip that can take you to the infinite space. A magnificent musicians that you can hear once and again. you have to buy the first three discs (Aerosol..., The least we can do is to wave each other, the best for me, and H to H....), these three works are superb. Pawn hearts is good too, but in my case I have to see the video of A plague of lighthouse keepers (Godbluff dvd) to enjoy more this song, whatever is a trip too.
LONG LIFE TO THE WHITE HAMMER OF LOVE

Years ago (before the Internet) I was looking at a book about my favorite band called "Genesis: From One Fan To Another" by Armando Gallo. Inside there was a reproduction of was an old Charisma records tour billing from 1972 that included Van der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne. Trying to determine what kind of environment could have produce the singular style of Genesis, I bought a Van der Graaf compilation CD.

At first, I thought they were a poor man's Genesis. Their keyboardist wasn't in the same league as Tony Banks and who was that horrible singer? But, once I listened to the drummer, my experience changed.

H To He was the first full-length VdGG album I bought. Peter Hammill's dark (and frankly depressing) lyrics are redeemed by the sharp and aggressive attack of drummer Guy Evans and saxophonist David Jackson. Killer is one of the standout cuts and is reminiscent of early King Crimson. With their cutting lyrics and superb musicianship, VdGG are one of those groups that stays with you forever.

[DW]

As to be expected, the band third studio set "H To He Who am the Only One" was recorded amidst another round of personnel turmoil. This time around former The Misunderstood bassist Nic Potter decided to tender his notice midway through the recording sessions. King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp was brought in as a guest and the shake up didn't seem to have a major impact on the recording sessions. Produced by John Anthony, this may have been the band's creative zenith. Mind you, as you probably figured out from the goofy title (anyone got a clue?), it wasn't their most commercial, or accessible ousting so newbies and the casual fan might want to sample something else in the VDGG catalog before jumping in with this one.

- Even though it stretched out over eight minutes and found David Jackson literally freaking out on sax, 'Killer' stood as a fantastic song and one of those progressive pieces that deserved it's classic status. Propelled by a surprisingly commercial riff and Peter Hammill's dark and scary vocals, the plotline was largely lost on me (using a shark's life as an allegory for life as an anti-social introvert?), though I have to admit that the 'fish can't fly' chorus has always made me smile.
- 'House with No Door' stood as the song for folks who didn't think VDGG could put together a straightforward commercial track. A simply stunning ballad, Hammill kept his over-the-top tendencies in check, turning in a stark and compelling performance highlighted by what may have been Jackson's prettiest flute solo. Great piano and organ from High Banton and Hammill. My only complaint - they faded it out too soon.
- A two part suite, 'The Emperor In His War - Room' featured Robert Fripp, though his performance was relatively low keyed and didn't kick in under towards the start of 'The Room'. Musically 'The Emperor' segment was a fairly conventional ballad apparently meant to provide insight into the mindset of a political tyrant ... you can see why I normally don't try to second guess lyrics. Not quite as commercial 'House with No Door', but with a pretty and distinctive melody. 'The Room' opened up with Fripp, then bounced around between slower and more upbeat segments. Given the track's complexity, Guy Evans turned in some nice drumming to keep it tied together and focused.
- Longtime fans seem to consider 'Lost' the standout performance, but I'm going to go against the current and suggest that clocking in at over 11 minutes the two part suite was one of the lesser performances. To my ears it captured Hammill and company at their most theatric and over-the-top pompous. Musically it was all over the place giving all the players an opportunity to stretch out. Certainly listenable and occasionally even pleasant, but not my favorite.
- Hum, imagine VDGG doing science fiction lyrics ... well you don't need to go any further than the closer 'Pioneers Over C'. Musically this one didn't do a great deal for me, the band bouncing around an extended piece without any real form or format. On the other hand it had a fascinating lyric that seemed to have something to do with the possibilities of time travel (I/m not a big sci-fi fans). I borrowed this Hammill interview off the official VDGG website:

"This is my only attempt at writing a specifically sci-fi song, although the balancing is much more towards fiction than science. Man's first plunge into the unknown territory beyond the speed of light (c): in the light of the discoveries necessary for the attempt, the date is meaningless, although in rational terms it is ludicrously optimistic. The Pioneers... the first hypernauts... are, because of theoretical deficiencies, thrown into time-warp or absolute relativity, in which they exist as 'creatures' of limitless imagination but total non-physicality. They are thus potentially ghouls, ghosties, poltergeists and all manner of indefinable Forces: this is one possible explanation but, truly, in such circumstances explanations are meaningless, irrelevant and totally speculative. My only regret is that I found it necessary to provide a certain chronological continuity in order to remain, if faintly, within the bounds of comprehension. I don't pretend that there are any answers here, and any questions are entirely subjective."

Summation - One of the lost treasures in the VDGG catalog and something every progressive fan should at least hear, if not own.

"H To He Who am the Only One" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Killer (Peter Hammil - Hugh Banton - Chris Judge-Smith) -
2.) House with No Door (Peter Hammill - David Jackson) -
3.) The Emperor In His War - Room
i.) The Emperor (Peter Hammill)
ii.) The Room (Peter Hammill)

(side 2)
1.) Lost
i.) Dance In Sand and Sea (Peter Hammill)
ii.) Dane In Frost (Peter Hammill)
2.) Pioneers Over C (Peter Hammill - David Jackson) -

In case anyone cared, the original UK issue sported slightly different packaging.

Charisma catalog CAS 1027


For anyone interested, YouTube features an in-concert performance of 'Lost':

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