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Rating:
Here we are reviewing the seventh LP by Van Der Graaf Generator, the last, excluding the recent "Present", signed by their classic lineup. World Record was released in the same year as its predecessor, "Still Life" (1976), but musically it is profoundly different from all previous works by Hammill and company; the only way to prove this statement, however, is to analyze the five songs contained in it.
Those who are already familiar with the VDGG, listening to songs like "When She Comes" or "A Place To Survive", cannot help but notice that something in their style has changed: the compositional approach of the four is somehow more spontaneous, almost jazz. A very important role is played by Guy Evans's drums, whose regular rhythms are followed by organ riffs quite catchy, sometimes doubled by the sax. On this sound texture, decidedly unusual for a band that in the past had so loved creating dark and gothic atmospheres, stands the unmistakable voice of Hammill, who, sometimes "speaking" now singing, punctuates every syllable of his always perfect lyrics. The vocalist, however, unlike in "Still Life", leaves plenty of space for the solo forays of his companions, especially Dave Jackson, who has the opportunity to express his talent in long solos. Despite this, the 17 minutes of the first two songs (played excellently, for God’s sake) are still rather boring and do not deliver great emotions.
Things get better with the next "Masks": after a sweet opening, dominated by a sax that leaves you breathless, the song proceeds slowly, then decisively picks up speed in the central part, led by the electric guitar. Finally, it resumes the initial theme and concludes with an endless and anguished scream by Hammill. The singer, in particular, delivers here one of his best vocal performances ever. Clearly, the enigmatic story he tells us (a man who hid all his feelings and emotions behind a mask, when he took it off, discovered he had no face left) must have been very dear to him.
However, at least in my opinion, it's the 20 minutes of "Meurglys III" that alone are worth the price of the record. Meurglys is the name of Hammill's guitar, and the song is dedicated to it: the multi-instrumentalist leader talks about it as his best friend, the only one he can trust, the only one able to understand him and help him through difficult moments of his life simply by playing and composing new songs with it. The lyrics of this piece are truly heartfelt and deep, which cannot help but resonate with us little composers who try to write songs with our acoustic guitar or our piano, only to retreat into the world created by our pseudo-lyrics…
Well, I wanted to focus on its lyrics, but it's important to emphasize that "Meurglys III", from an instrumental point of view, perhaps represents VDGG's most accomplished attempt. Banton's organ no longer plays "riffettini", but reconstructs the sound cathedrals of the old albums, supported by Evans' robust foundations, who manages to keep truly impossible times. The suite does not have as many different parts as "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers" (from Pawn Hearts), but it still manages to alternate schizophrenic moments dominated by Jackson and his bleeding sax, with calmer parts, decorated by the voice. But the absolute protagonist of the song is "Meurglys III". This time Hammill does not just use it to accompany himself, but launches into intricate phrasing and sudden interventions worthy of the best Robert Fripp. The last 5 minutes of the suite host a superb dialogue precisely between Meurglys and Jackson's sax, which seem to compete to find the most absurd sounds. Exhilarating. A dialogue that could have easily lasted another 6 minutes and brought the album to a strong conclusion in place of the embarrassing "Wondering", the only truly low point of the album.
In conclusion, my judgment on this "World Record" is more than positive. However, although the suite touches moments of pure musical ecstasy, the album has several weak points, and this does not allow me to give it the highest rating. An item that nonetheless cannot be missing from the shelf of those who love this great band.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
03 Masks (06:56)
He's a man of the past and one of the present,
a man who hides behind a mask behind a mask;
a clown, a fool, believing it cool to be down
or that the game is all about who laughs the last.
So he tells all his problems to his friends and relations,
exposes his neuroses to their view.
They accept as fact every masochistic mumble of his act--
how could they know what was false and what was true?
Sometimes when he wakes
he feels he's walked into a dream
but all it takes
to remind him things are what they seem
is the belief that the man behind the mask can really dance
Pirouetting smile
he sees himself cavorting,
Pierrot for a while
before aborting
to find relief in the shelter of the dark, most telling mask.
After all the pantomimes are ended
he peels all the make-up off his face
to reveal, beneath, the tears running all down his cheeks:
alone, he opens to the world...but it's much too late.
He's been left, in the end, without a face.
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