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Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbers

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Esoteric Records
Released: 2011.03.14
Time:
 48:50
Category: Progressive Rock
Producer(s): Van der Graaf Generator
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk
Appears with: Peter Hammill
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Your Time Starts Now (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 4:15
[2] Mathematics (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 3:38
[3] Highly Strung (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 3:36
[4] Red Baron [instrumental] (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 2:23
[5] Bunsho (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 5:03
[6] Snake Oil (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 5:21
[7] Splink [instrumental] (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 2:37
[8] Embarrassing Kid (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 3:07
[9] Medusa (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 2:12
[10] Mr. Sands (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 5:22
[11] Smoke (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 2:30
[12] 5533 (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 2:42
[13] All Over the Place (H.Banton/G.Evans/P.Hammill) - 6:04

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Peter Hammill - Voice, Piano, Electric Guitar, Ashbory Bass on [7], Producer
Hugh Banton - Organs, Bass Pedals, Bass Guitar, Hapsichord on [11], Piano on [11], Glockenspiel on [11], 10 String Bass on [11], Guitar on [11], Producer
Guy Evans - Drums, Percussion, Guitar on [12], Producer

Mark Ellis - Engineer
César Gimino Lavin - Pro Tools & Additional Engineer
Hugh Padgham -  Mixing
Tim Young - Mastering
Scott Knapper - Technician, Studio Assistant
Paul Ridout - Design, Artwork
Jessica Nerstrand - Photography
Mark Powell - Project Coordinator
Vicky Powell - Additional Coordinator
Gail Colson - Management

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Recorded at The Propagation House Studios, Devon, April 3-9, 2010. Overdubbed at Terra Incognita, The Organ Workshop and DLD. Mixed at Sofasound Studio, Chiswick, September 13-29, 2010. Mastered at Metropolis.



2011 release, the 12th studio album from the legendary British Prog/Art Rock band. Grounding In Numbers is their first album since 2008. In April, 2010, Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans met up for intensive tracking sessions in Cornwall, arranging, rehearsing and recording the album in a week. Some of the pieces were already fully-formed songs; others, even at this stage, remained more sketches than fully realized works. Over the next months the tracks were overdubbed, edited and adapted by the band in their own studios. By September the project was ready to be mixed. Legendary producer Hugh Padgham agreed to take on this part of the process - the first time anyone outside the band had been entrusted such responsibility. The album sees VDGG pushing ever further forward into the 21st century. Clearly, they know they're a group with a certain history - but they are also an emphatically modern one. Esoteric.

Amazon.com



When, in 2005, Van Der Graaf Generator released its first album in over 25 years, the reunited group proved it was not only possible to go back, but that it could be done without sacrificing forward-thinking modernity. Inconsistent, perhaps, but Present (Charisma/Virgin) demonstrated, with "Every Bloody Emperor," a group still capable of soaring majesty and nightmare-inducing maelstroms. The subsequent tour, documented on the breathtaking Real Time (Fie, 2007), provided even clearer notice that VdGG was back, and with a vengeance. The classic lineup may have been showing a lot more gray hair—or in some cases, no hair—but this was no progressive rock dinosaur, going through the motions in capes and spandex. Still, when saxophonist/flautist David Jackson quit following the tour, leaving VdGG as a trio with singer/pianist/guitarist Peter Hammill, keyboardist Hugh Banton and drummer Guy Evans—founding members, all—most fans thought, regretfully, that it was over for good.

Instead, the remaining trio released Trisector (Virgin, 2008), and even the biggest skeptics had to admit that, despite the obvious loss of Jackson's colors, it was a far better—and certainly more consistent—album than Present. Three years of touring—again, documented on the equally stunning Live at The Paradiso (Voiceprint, 2009), and including a stop at the 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival—proved that VdGG could not only continue as a trio, but that it could actually surpass its previous work both in the studio and in concert, uncannily avoiding the seemingly inevitable calcification and sedimentation of time, and performing on spare, almost spartan stages with no visuals other than some effective and well-designed lighting. A Grounding in Numbers represents a number of firsts for VdGG: it's the group's debut for Esoteric Recordings; it's the first album, since its classic Pawn Hearts (Charisma, 1971),to involve an outsider in the process, in this case engineer/producer Hugh Padgam (Peter Gabriel, Yes, XTC, Genesis); and, most importantly, it's the group's best album since its early-to-mid-1970s heyday, easily standing alongside Pawn Hearts and Godbluff (Charisma, 1975) as a new classic in the group's 40-plus year history.

A Grounding in Numbers' 13 tracks—another first for VdGG, with only three songs breaking the five-minute mark, and a full five under three minutes—don't run continuously, yet there's a cohesion of theme and musical purpose that makes the album feel, instead, like a 49-minute suite, where the increasingly cathartic "Bunsho" references the opening "Your Time Starts Now," without ever entering the bombastic and self-indulgent territory of the dreaded "concept album." Hammill continues to explore personal matters—including the passage of time and approaching end of life, explored more thoroughly on Trisector but less pervasively so here—singing with as much unbridled power and vitality as ever; his lyrics sometimes direct, but elsewhere as oblique as always. Who, after all, would make a line like "P to the power of one-times-pi is minus one" the chorus to the appropriately titled "Mathematics"? A pianist capable of navigating complex arrangement, effortlessly conjoined with Banton on the interlocking contrapuntal lines that weave in and out at the start of "All Over the Place," his guitar playing remains paradoxically raw—more punk than prog on the potent mixed meters of "Embarrassing Kid." Still, on the softer "Splink," his warm-toned slide guitar demonstrates there's always more to discover in Hammill than might appear.

Banton continues to assume much of the group's sonic breadth, leaping between keyboards tones—largely organ but, with his modifications, far more texturally expansive—while concurrently working his bass pedals. Evans demonstrates even greater range than usual, from his gentle brushwork on "Your Time Starts Now" to the tribal toms underscoring the sonic interlude, "Red Baron." But it's together with Hammill—where the whole truly exceeds the sum of the parts—that they explore more raucous and rocky terrain than usual on the propulsive "Highly Strung," while building to an anthemic climax on "All Over the Place," ending the album on an unresolved yet absolutely perfect note.

Effortlessly cohesive, combining some of Hammill's most lyrical writing since Still Life (Charisma, 1976), and some of his most effectively layered vocals since Pawn Hearts, with the group's most unsettling, dissonant and unfettered music since that same classic album, the shorter pieces might suggest that this is Van Der Graaf lite; but while many of its songs can, indeed, be taken as separate entities, it's when they're taken together, in their full, 49-minute glory, that A Grounding in Numbers's biggest rewards are revealed. Other decades-old groups may continue to mine their past catalogs for legions of fans hungry for a bit of nostalgia, but Van Der Graaf Generator, instead, continues to create compelling new music that takes its innovations of 40 years ago into a new millennium. A Grounding in Numbers possesses everything that made Van Der Graaf Generator great back in the day, while its avoidance of so many of classic prog's trappings mean it remains relevant, meaningful and, most of all, vital.

John Kelman - March 19, 2011
© 2015 All About Jazz



In 2005 after an absence of 27 years, one of only a handful of the old school “progressive” rock bands worthy of the over used description, the mighty Van Der Graaf Generator, unexpectedly reformed with the classic line up and blessed the world with “Present” a double cd of superb noise. Whereas most of their contemporaries that were still performing were content to gift a shadow of former glories on new works while peddling greatest hits tours to their ageing audiences, VDGG still had that manic and unpredictable edge, albeit mellowed by time, that made them such a great band all those years ago.

Derailed somewhat by the departure of sax impressionist David Jackson (aka Jaxon) after the Present tour the band bravely decided to continue as a trio, and 2008 saw the release of the somewhat underwhelming Trisector, which sounded more like a Peter Hammill solo album than a group work, and has not been played much chez moi since its release. I will have to dig it out before I see them live soon, as some of its songs will doubtless be played at the gig.

Which brings us to now, and the release of A Grounding In Numbers, a title reflected in the concerns of the album, the passing of time, how life links to mathematical theory, but perhaps also a sly reference to their former sax honker, who, after the “classic” VDGG split the first time round became a Maths teacher – who knows?

The sound is much fuller than Trisector, which suffered by having several large Jaxon shaped aural holes, and for a bunch of guys in their 60s still retains some of the old edginess of old, and Hugh Padgham’s production is unfussy and clear. Do not expect manic Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers like sections though, as, like everyone else, they have mellowed with age. The structure of the album is different from previous albums too. The longest song is only 6’01″, and their are 13 songs in all, spread over 50 or so minutes. VDGG make a pop album?

The album opens with Your Time Starts Now, a slow ballad ruminating on the way time passes at an ever increasing rate as we get older, and their ain’t long left baby, so if you’re gonna do it, do it now. Time is a  recurrent Hammill theme throughout his solo career in particular, and is not unsurprisingly reprised these days given his age and his health scares of a few years back, from which he has now thankfully fully recovered.

Next up is the wilfully obscure Mathematics, a gentle hymn to the beauty of the equation it would seem. Only Hammill could get away with a chorus that includes the line “e to the power of i times pi plus one is zero, e to the power of i times pi is minus one” like it was something Jedward might have come up with. It comes from something called “Euler’s Identity”, voted Best Equation Ever by readers of Marvel Comics in 1975, or…..possibly not!

Highly Strung is an autobiographical declamation, sonically a cousin of All That Before, making PH sound a million miles away from the gentle soul he comes across as in interviews. The closest thing to a pop song on the album, the verse lurches along like a man in danger of losing all motor control at any second. Marvellous! Red Baron, the first of two instrumentals on the album, allows one to turn off the lyric decipher control for a couple of minutes, before we’re into Bunsho where the protagonist is too close to his art to be able to get a handle on it. As PH puts it “I can’t see my stream.” If you’ve ever written or created anything, even something as insignificant as this review, you’ll know where this coming from. Is its content ”sublime” or just “workaday”? Musically I could imagine Peter Gabriel coming up with this number.

Following this is for me the best song on the album, Snake Oil, which has all the ingredients of a VDGG epic crammed into its 5’20″, Ensemble rhythmic mastery to the fore, changing time signature on a whim and still making sense. Hugh Banton starts it off with a nostalgic Hammond (or a modern synthesis of that sound) led groove of the old school into a heavy slow stomping middle section, lyrically decrying the need to endlessly repeat a formula to appease the herd, the song seems to end about half way through, leaving the listener hung out to dry. A weird instrumental called Splink follows, some slide guitar with a atonal cyclical harpsicord (?) rising and then fading. Quite eerie.

The possibly also autobiographical Embarrassing Kid is a bit of mess to be frank and on first few listens seems a bit all over the shop. Guitar led it stumbles along in a semi coherent fashion, and being lyrically somewhat trite it’s not the most compelling thing on the album. Medusa sets things back on track with a song much in the Hammill mode of menace. Mr Sands, theatrical code for announcing a fire alarm or similar without panicking the audience, as in PH’s ”Well Mr Sands is in the house, commotion in the stalls” is another highlight. With an intricate time signature, Banton sounds almost Emerson like, but in a far less bombastic fashion, if you can imagine that! Another proto-epic in the making.

Smoke is a cautionary tale about one’s historical trail left on the internet, to an almost funky groove. You could dance to it if so inclined. This leads seamlessly into 5533 to keep in with the mathematical theme. I’ve absolutely no idea what this is about, perhaps someone can enlighten me? The album ends with All Over The Place, a tale of lost identity and disillusion. Musically fairly quiet and reflective, slowly building on the rising keyboards of  Hammill and Banton, it provides a sombre end to an album that for VDGG is a somewhat low key effort.

One notices that, like the last two albums, PH’s lyrics on some of these songs are far less intricate, and dare I say it, obscure than those on solo albums over the same period and on VDGG albums pre-reformation. Perhaps he is deliberately attempting to make VDGG more accessible than in the past, although having said that, songs like Mathematics & 5533 are as left field as he ever was. Musically this is as the most restrained I’ve heard the band. Perhaps they are at last comfortable in their own skin rather than itching to get out as in the past?

Don’t buy this if you’re expecting another Pawn Hearts or Godbluff or Still Life. If you look on the 21st century VDGG as a separate entity then you’ll not be over-egging the expectation pudding. Better than Trisector, I’m hoping this will continue to grow on me.

VDGG have a problem, not that they probably see it this way. Fans of the two mainstream mega successful bands who could be said to have reignited the prog rock flame over recent years, Radiohead and Muse, are not going to be buying this in droves. Curious youngsters who delve into their dad’s and (gulp) grandad’s record collections and are intrigued by VDGG may be tempted, but those few aside the market for the new VDGG largely remains with their old fans. Perhaps they are shining examples of that hoary old muso cliché…”We make the the music we like, if anyone else likes it then that is a bonus.” Not that I’m complaining, having missed them first time round, tomorrow I’ll see them live for third time since the reformation, and long may it continue!

Roger T. - March 26, 2011
Copyright © 2010-2015 Prog Sphere & Prog Sphere Promotions



A Grounding in Numbers is the eleventh studio album by the British rock group Van der Graaf Generator. It was released on 14 March 2011. This date, if written as 3,14, comprises the first three digits of the number π. The second track, "Mathematics", refers to Euler's identity, sometimes known as the mathematical poem. The album's release signals a continuation in the direction set by the current trio lineup, but it is released on a new label, Esoteric Records, a departure from previous releases on Virgin/Charisma. Hugh Padgham is the mixer of the album.

Preparations for the work on the new album began in late 2008 and early 2009, when the band members started gathering song fragments and exchanging "ideas, theories, policies and directions". In April 2010 the band met up for intensive sessions in Cornwall where the whole album was arranged, rehearsed and recorded in the course of one week. Over the next months the tracks were overdubbed, edited and adapted by the band members (who were continuing to exchange files over the internet or on CD-R) in their own studios. By September 2010 the material was ready to be mixed and at that point Hugh Padgham was approached. After three weeks in his London studio, Sofasound, the album was completed.

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