The signature Van der Graaf Generator sound in the 1970s was a combination of Peter Hammill's distinctive and dynamic voice and David Jackson's electronically-treated saxophones, generally playing over thick chordal keyboard parts (such as Hammond organ and/or clavinet). Van der Graaf Generator albums tended to be darker in atmosphere than many of their prog-rock peers (a trait they shared with King Crimson, whose guitarist Robert Fripp guested on two of their albums), and guitar solos were the exception rather than the rule.
Hammill is the primary songwriter for the band, and the line between music written for his solo career and for the band is often blurred.
The band first formed in 1967 while its members were studying at Manchester University. The three-piece was comprised of Peter Hammill (guitar and vocals), Nick Pearne (organ) and Chris Judge Smith (drums and wind instruments). The group was named after a piece of electric equipment designed to produce static electricity, the Van de Graaff generator. The name was suggested by early member, Chris Judge Smith (the misspellings are accidental). On the basis of a demo, this blues- and jazz-influenced first incarnation were offered a recording contract with Mercury Records.
In 1968, Pearne was replaced by Hugh Banton. The band were able to secure Tony Stratton-Smith as a full-time manager. Through him, the band acquired a bass guitar player, Keith Ian Ellis. Drummer Guy Evans joined not too long afterward. This line-up recorded a series of demos for Mercury, before releasing a single ("People You Were Going To" b/w "Firebrand") on Polydor Records. The single was withdrawn under pressure from Mercury, since it violated the contract band members Hammill and Smith signed the previous year. Judge Smith left the band, amicably, shortly after the recording of the single.
Although the band performed on BBC Radio 1's Top Gear radio show in November, and was touring successfully, it broke up in June 1969. Pressures leading to this included financial difficulties, the theft of the band's gear and transport in London, combined with Mercury's refusal to let the band record and Stratton-Smith's refusal to let the other members of the band sign to Mercury too (only Hammill remained now of the original three who had signed with Mercury).
In July 1969, Hammill went to record his first solo album at Trident Studios. Banton, Evans, and Ellis joined him as session musicians. Through a deal worked out by their manager, Hammill's intended solo album, The Aerosol Grey Machine, was released by Mercury under the band's name in return for releasing the band from their contract. The album was initially only released in the United States with hardly any promotion at all, so sales were minimal.
Ellis left (eventually joining Juicy Lucy and a very brief incarnation of Iron Butterfly among others) and was replaced by Nic Potter, and David Jackson (saxophones and flutes) was added to the line-up. Tony Stratton-Smith formed Charisma Records and signed the band as his first act. Before recording their second album, The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other.
A new sound was established, leaving behind the psychedelic influence of The Aerosol Grey Machine in favour of darker textures influenced by jazz and classical music. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other was well received, and was swiftly followed by H to He, Who Am the Only One. Potter left mid-way through that recording, and the band decided to carry on without a bass guitarist, with Banton on hand and feet bass pedals. Robert Fripp of King Crimson contributed guitar on the song, "The Emperor in His War-Room".
The Hammill/Banton/Jackson/Evans quartet that resulted from H to He, Who Am the Only One is now considered the 'classic' line-up, and went on to record Pawn Hearts. The album contains just three tracks, "Lemmings", "Man-Erg" and the twenty-three-minute concept piece "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers". Fripp again provided a cameo appearance on guitar. The album proved highly successful in Italy, topping the chart there for twelve weeks. The single "Theme One" was a success in Italy too, an instrumental piece, originally written by the Beatles producer George Martin as a fanfare for the BBC radio station Radio 1, later to appear on U.S. pressings of Pawn Hearts. They toured Italy for a while, but the shows were plagued by different extremist organizations from Red Brigade to neo-fascists. The band toured extensively from 1970 to 1972, but a lack of support from the record company and also financial difficulties caused the band to implode, and Hammill left to pursue a solo career.
The three remaining members recorded an instrumental album with Nic Potter, Ced Curtis, and Piero Messina, under the name The Long Hello. Their self-titled album (The Long Hello) was released in 1974.
Hammill's split with the group was amicable, and Banton, Jackson and Evans, among others, all contributed to his solo work at various times. By 1975, the members of the band were ready to work with each other again, and they recorded three new albums in just twelve months. The sessions were produced by the band themselves (all previous Van der Graaf Generator albums had been produced by John Anthony at Trident Studios), and displayed a somewhat tauter, more streamlined sound. Godbluff in particular saw Hammill making significant use of the Hohner clavinet keyboard. Still Life followed within the same year.
At the end of 1976, following World Record, first Banton and then Jackson departed in 1977. Nic Potter returned to replace Banton, and in a typically eccentric move Jackson was replaced by a violinist, Graham Smith (formerly of Charisma folk-rock band String Driven Thing). This line-up produced the album The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome. The band also shortened its name to Van der Graaf. Charles Dickie then joined the band on cello, documented on the live double-album Vital. By the time Vital was released, in the summer of 1978, the band had already split, because of lack of record company support in the United States and financial difficulties.
In 1982 a collection of out-takes and rehearsal recordings from the period 1972-1975 was released (initially on cassette only), called Time Vaults. These are not studio-quality recordings.
Banton, Jackson and Evans all made occasional appearances on Hammill's solo albums following the 1978 split, and the classic line-up also played occasionally together. In 1996, the quartet appeared on stage during a concert by Hammill and Evans at the Union Chapel in London to perform "Lemmings" (the whole recording was released as The Union Chapel Concert in March 1997). In 2003, Banton, Jackson, and Evans joined with Hammill to perform the song "Still Life" at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Both of these appearances were unannounced to the audience in advance.
Following the Queen Elizabeth Hall performance, discussions between the band members led to writing and rehearsal of new material in mid-2004. A double CD, Present, containing this material was released in April 2005. A reunion concert took place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on the 6th May 2005, followed by several European dates in the summer and autumn of 2005. The concert in Leverkusen, Germany on the 5th November 2005 was filmed for a TV show ("Rockpalast") and was broadcast on the 15th January 2006. A DVD from that concert had been announced on Hammill's website in 2006. However, so far only one track thereof, "Wondering", has been officially released (on a DVD that came with the Rockpalast anniversary edition of the German magazine Eclipsed in June 2007).
Hammill stated in a December 2005 newsletter that there were no plans for further recordings or performances by the classic Van der Graaf Generator line-up. In September 2006, Hammill announced that the band would be continuing as a trio, for live and studio work, without Jackson.
A live album, Real Time, was released on the 5th March 2007 on Hammill's label, Fie! Records. It contains the entirety of the band's 2005 concert at the Royal Festival Hall.
In April and July 2007 the band played as a trio in different places in Europe. A concert on the14th April 2007 in the Melkweg in Amsterdam was recorded and streamed on the FabChannel website.
The first trio recording, Trisector, was released on the 17th March 2008. Live concerts were played in Europe in March and April, and in Japan in June, among them, one at the Gouveia Art Rock Festival. There were further concerts in January 2009 in Europe, and it was announced that the band would play several concerts in Canada and the United States in 2009, among them one at NEARfest in 2009. It was the first time Van der Graaf Generator had visited the United States since 1976.
A Place to Survive
Van der Graaf Generator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's easy to say, when you're so down,
That everything's pointless;
Your eyes burn, your ears howl,
Your limbs are disjointed.
Barren fields, the barren earth, never more will it flower.
Rub your face and your hands in the dirt:
So stand straight, looking over your shoulder;
Walk on, though you fear to arrive;
Don't wait till you know that it's over,
Be strong - it's your place to survive.
While the holocaust rages around you,
Be the eye of the storm;
Though the extent of disaster astounds you,
Forearmed is forewarned.
You may have passed time in happier ways,
But there are other mountains to climb:
You've never lived as you're living today -
Now is the time!
Stand straight, though your back breaks from trying,
Walk on - even now you must strive.
Don't wait - while you're waiting, you're dying;
Be strong, it's your place to survive.
The universe is doubtless
Unfolding just exactly as it should
And these dreams of remorse or foreboding
Just won't do you any good.
The joy, the passion, possessions you own,
The bitterness and the pain,
the end of everything you've ever known...
All these are ordained.
Stand straight looking into the future,
Walk on - we've each got our own lives.
Don't wait for a guru or tutor,
Be strong - it's your place to survive.
Stand straight, looking over your shoulder,
Walk on: though it hurts, you're alive.
Don't wait...if you wait it's all over;
Be strong - it's your right to survive.
The lyrics of "A Place to Survive" by Van der Graaf Generator speak to feelings that everyone can relate to. The song describes the fight to continue walking forward despite feeling hopeless and weighed down. It asserts that while the world may be a barren wasteland and filled with pain, one must never give up. The lyrics suggest that despite the chaos of life, one can be the eye of the storm, a force that refuses to be swept away.
The song encourages people to stand up tall, even when their back may feel like breaking from the burden of life's struggles. It tells us to look to the future and to not be afraid to walk in the direction of our dreams, even if we are fearful or unsure of what we may find. The lyrics urge us to be strong and to take ownership of our lives. They remind us that waiting for someone else to come and save us is not a realistic solution, it is up to us to fight for our own survival.
The song is powerful and inspiring, its lyrics reminding us that no matter what life may bring, we have the strength inside to keep moving forward. The message is universal and timeless, making it a classic song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
It's easy to say, when you're so down,
That everything's pointless;
When you are feeling low, it is natural to think that nothing has any meaning or value.
Your eyes burn, your ears howl,
Your limbs are disjointed.
When you feel depressed, your senses and movements get affected badly.
Barren fields, the barren earth, never more will it flower.
The environment looks bleak and it seems like there is no hope of growth or progress.
Rub your face and your hands in the dirt:
Now is the hour!
Even amidst chaos and destruction, there is a chance to start afresh and rebuild.
So stand straight, looking over your shoulder;
Walk on, though you fear to arrive;
You need to face your fears and move forward, even if the journey is tough and uncertain.
Don't wait till you know that it's over,
Be strong - it's your place to survive.
Don't give up hope too soon, instead stay strong and keep fighting for your survival.
While the holocaust rages around you,
Be the eye of the storm;
In the midst of chaos, it is important to stay calm and composed, like the eye of a storm.
Though the extent of disaster astounds you,
Forearmed is forewarned.
Even though the situation may seem dire and overwhelming, being prepared can help you face the challenge better.
You may have passed time in happier ways,
But there are other mountains to climb:
You've never lived as you're living today -
Now is the time!
While it's true that life may have been happier in the past, there are still new things to experience and accomplish now.
Stand straight, though your back breaks from trying,
Walk on - even now you must strive.
Even if the task seems insurmountable, it is important to stand tall and keep pushing through.
Don't wait - while you're waiting, you're dying;
Be strong, it's your place to survive.
Waiting for the right moment won't help you in a difficult situation. You need to take charge and be strong to survive.
The universe is doubtless
Unfolding just exactly as it should
And these dreams of remorse or foreboding
Just won't do you any good.
You must accept that the universe works in mysterious ways, and dwelling on negative thoughts won't serve any purpose.
The joy, the passion, possessions you own,
The bitterness and the pain,
the end of everything you've ever known...
All these are ordained.
All the ups and downs in life are predestined and inevitable.
Stand straight looking into the future,
Walk on - we've each got our own lives.
Instead of being stuck in the past, it is important to focus on the future and live your own life to the fullest.
Don't wait for a guru or tutor,
Be strong - it's your place to survive.
You don't necessarily need someone else's help to get through a difficult phase. You have the strength within you to survive.
Stand straight, looking over your shoulder,
Walk on: though it hurts, you're alive.
Even if the past is painful, it has made you who you are and you should embrace your experiences to move forward.
Don't wait...if you wait it's all over;
Be strong - it's your right to survive.
Waiting for someone else to rescue you won't help you survive. You must take control of your own fate and be strong.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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It's easy to say, when you're so down..
that everything's pointless'
your eyes burn, your ears howl,
your limbs are disjointed
Barren fields, the barren earth, never more will it flower.
Rub your face and your hands in the dirt:
now is the hour!
So stand straight, looking over your shoulder;
walk on, though you fear to arrive`
don't wait till you know that it's over,
be strong - it's your place to survive.
Albert Postolides
I was 12 in 1975 and my older brother was 16 t the time, after that, I became hooked onto Peter Hammill and all his subsequent albums, such a relief about Musical Poetry in a world of "Musical Entertainment". VDG Generator opened my senses to another world, one of pure creativity.
Norma Meza
Such a great piece of music. Extraordinary band and Hammill is the best singer, the lyrics are amazing, pure poetry!
Albert Postolides
Pure Poetry indeed
Free Spirit
i came late to loving this band and got into them through my passion for Marillion. Peter Hamill is a poetic genius. i had rare form of paralysis, Guillain Barre Syndrome 10 years ago. This song was so relevant to my life then - it kept me going. i now have a bad fracture and this song is inspiring and motivating me again.. The power of music generally and progressive rock specifically
Mario Anton
Sensacional!!!!!
Crinklechips
Life affirming and ass kicking! One of the best bands ever in ones humble opinion.
Elizabeth Innes
sidsmiff Absolutely!! Next best thing to a religious experience - saw them 3 x. my friend saw them in London England, just incredible band.
Crinklechips
I'm jealous! I haven't seen them live but I live close to Peter H. I'm keeping my eyes peeled but I haven't seen him yet 😉. 
Alessio Glorioso
''while the holocaust rages around you, be the eye of the storm;
though the exent of the disaster astounds you, forearmed is forewarned.''
BRUTAL
Pete
My favourite all time song by them . Very uplifting when you are down