Godbluff
Encyclopedia
Godbluff is the first record released by Van der Graaf Generator
after they reformed in 1975. It is their fifth disc overall.
It features a tighter, more pared-down sound than the band's earlier recordings with John Anthony. Hammill makes extensive use of the Hohner Clavinet
D6 electromechanical keyboard.
The first release of the record in the United States was on Mercury Records. The 2005 reissue added live performances by Van der Graaf Generator of two songs from Peter Hammill
's album The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage
(1974). The tracks were recorded at a concert at L'Altro Mondo, Rimini
, Italy.
The sleeve design and lettering were later parodied on the cover of Fall Heads Roll
by The Fall.
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
after they reformed in 1975. It is their fifth disc overall.
It features a tighter, more pared-down sound than the band's earlier recordings with John Anthony. Hammill makes extensive use of the Hohner Clavinet
Clavinet
A Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
D6 electromechanical keyboard.
The first release of the record in the United States was on Mercury Records. The 2005 reissue added live performances by Van der Graaf Generator of two songs from Peter Hammill
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
's album The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage
The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage
The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage is the third album by British singer-songwriter Peter Hammill. It was released on Charisma Records in 1974, during a hiatus in the activities of Hammill's progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator...
(1974). The tracks were recorded at a concert at L'Altro Mondo, Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, Italy.
The sleeve design and lettering were later parodied on the cover of Fall Heads Roll
Fall Heads Roll
Fall Heads Roll is an album by The Fall, released in 2005. It was recorded at Gracieland Studios in Rochdale, UK and Gigantic Studios in New York, NY. The US vinyl edition of the record is pressed on two discs and contains an alternate version of the track "Blindness". Fall Heads Roll is an album...
by The Fall.
Side one
- "The Undercover Man" – 7:25
- "Scorched Earth" (Hammill, David JacksonDavid Jackson (rock musician)David Nicholas George Jackson , nicknamed Jaxon, is a British progressive rock saxophonist, flautist, and composer. He is best known for his work with the band Van der Graaf Generator and his work in Music and Disability...
) – 9:48
Bonus tracks on CD reissue
- "Forsaken Gardens" – 7:58
- "A Louse Is Not a Home" – 12:47
- Both recorded live on 9 August 1975
Personnel
- Peter HammillPeter HammillPeter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
– voice, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Hugh BantonHugh BantonHugh Robert Banton is a British organist and organ builder, most widely known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
– organsOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
(including bass pedalsBass pedalsBass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
), bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Guy EvansGuy EvansGuy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - David JacksonDavid Jackson (rock musician)David Nicholas George Jackson , nicknamed Jaxon, is a British progressive rock saxophonist, flautist, and composer. He is best known for his work with the band Van der Graaf Generator and his work in Music and Disability...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s and fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...