Van der Graaf Generator
A Grounding In Numbers

The glory days of "Pawn Hearts" have passed, where stylistic perfection was married with an innate class and a complex and deep melodic search; these English gentlemen have aged, there's no denying it. Their offering, always very personal, has settled into calm and refined territories, but far from the endless suites and majestic structures of their early days.

So much so that when a friend informed me of their concert a few kilometers from my city, I was surprised (they are History) but at the same time doubtful: what if they truly have aged and diluted their music with the classic retired pace? Fortunately, curiosity overcame uncertainty, and the concert was exceptional; among old revivals (without the classics "Theme One", "Killers" etc.) and new things, I was convinced to buy their new "A Grounding In Numbers" at their stand.

This LP has proven to be worthy work of a great band that, despite the three decades since their first compositions, has never debased its nature and never bowed to the rules of the music business. Proudly remaining second.

The 15-minute suites are no more, just as long hair has long since fallen, and the poet-farmer shirts are a memory, now the Van Der Graaf Generator are smiling seniors who, live, between songs, exchange a few words with the audience to timidly introduce the next piece, letting the notes do the talking. And the music is a progressive rock with experimental shades (thanks to the extensive use of unorthodox instruments like "many-stringed" basses, unusual percussion, and keyboards on a multifaceted rhythmic base that doesn't just support the flow of the notes—in this sense, John Evans does an excellent job, with a lot of technique but free from gratuitous virtuosity). Absolutely worth noting is the voice of the enlightened leader Peter Hammill, which the years have not diminished in the slightest; if anything, they've even improved it, making it an instrument on par with the others: it fits the structure of the compositions with mastery and never appears excessive or overpowering in the overall balance. Finally, Hugh Banton goes above and beyond playing various keyboards and basses, and backing vocals.

So is everything perfect? Is it the masterpiece we were waiting for after "Pawn Hearts"? Not quite, we are in parallel but distinct universes. The fabric of the music, which remains suspended between medium tones and refined details, is definitely worth more than the songs, which probably would have figured less well in other garments, even if they are of a good level; thus in this album a track-by-track analysis is out of place, the compositions taken individually are not as memorable as the entire album assimilated from start to finish. You could say that "Snake Oil" is an excellent, precise, and averagely pressing piece, and "Mr. Sands" appears as one of the best tracks present here, but it is the album in its completeness that must be listened to without skipping anything, to immerse oneself in the atmosphere created by these old Englishmen, like modern alchemists.

Missing is a perfect piece like "Darkness 11/11", or a ride like "Theme One", it's true. And it's also true that (perhaps) a couple of tracks don't leave a mark like others. But there are no flops, no trivialities, there is pure and simple personality... and an unparalleled class.