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 The single was withdrawn under pressure from Mercury, since it violated the contract band members Hammill and Smith signed the previous year.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.
Darkness
Van der Graaf Generator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life crawls from the past, watching in wonder
I trace its patterns in me
Tomorrow's tomorrow is birth again
Boats burn the bridge in the fens
The time of the past returns to my life
And uses it
That may form in the sand
Don't look in my eyes, you may see all the numbers
That stretch in my sky and color my hand
Don't say that I'm wrong in imagining
That the voice of my life cannot sing
Fate enters and talks in old words
They amuse it
The hands shine darkly and white
Only in dark they appear
Bless the baby born today,
Flying in pitch, flying on fear
They shine in my eyes and touch my face
Where I have seen them placed before
Don't blame me, please, for the fate that falls
I did not choose it
I did not, no no, I did not
I truly did not choose it
The opening lines of "Darkness" seem to invoke a sense of dread and infinite darkness that has persisted through the ages, with life precariously emerging from this darkness. The singer contemplates their own existence and the patterns of life that have shaped them. The repetition of "tomorrow's tomorrow is birth again" suggests a cyclical nature to life, with each new beginning holding the potential for both wonder and disaster. The mention of burning boats creates a sense of finality and sacrifice, with no turning back from the choices we make.
The second stanza is riddled with ambiguity and suggests a disconnect between the singer and those around them. They seem to experience the world in a way that others cannot, with letters formed in sand, numbers in the sky, and a voice that cannot sing. The mention of fate entering and talking in old words implies a sense of inevitability, with the singer powerless to change the course of their life. The final lines of the stanza suggest that fate has a sense of amusement, perhaps reflecting the idea that our struggles might be amusing to some higher power or simply the realization that the futility of our actions can be comical.
The final stanza brings us back to the present moment as the singer reflects on their own personal experience of the world. Hands that shine darkly and white appear only in the darkness, perhaps symbolizing a sort of spectral guide or mischievous entity. The mention of a baby born today flying in pitch, flying on fear is a haunting image that suggests fragility and uncertainty, with even new life unable to escape the darkness that looms over us. The final lines of the song suggest a sense of resignation, with the singer acknowledging that they did not choose the fate that has befallen them, but that they must live with it nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Day dawns dark, it now numbers infinity
The new day starts with darkness that seems to have no end
Life crawls from the past, watching in wonder
Life begins with curiosity and reminiscence of past
I trace its patterns in me
I try to understand life by observing and analyzing my own experiences
Tomorrow's tomorrow is birth again
Every new day is a chance for new experiences and growth
Boats burn the bridge in the fens
Sometimes, to move forward in life, we must burn our bridges and let go of the past
The time of the past returns to my life
The memories of the past always resurface and have an impact on the present
And uses it
The past affects the present and the future, shaping our experiences and decisions
Don't blame me for the letters
I am not responsible for what fate has in store
That may form in the sand
The future is uncertain and unpredictable
Don't look in my eyes, you may see all the numbers
My life is a mystery that cannot be deciphered by others
That stretch in my sky and color my hand
The unknown future and my destiny shape my life
Don't say that I'm wrong in imagining
My dreams and aspirations are valid, even if they seem unrealistic
That the voice of my life cannot sing
I have the power and the right to shape my own destiny
Fate enters and talks in old words
Destiny is predetermined by previous experiences and patterns
They amuse it
Destiny is indifferent and unaffected by human emotions and desires
The hands shine darkly and white
My fate is both mysterious and inevitable
Only in dark they appear
Sometimes, truth can only be revealed in darkness and solitude
Bless the baby born today,
Wish the newborn a bright and happy future
Flying in pitch, flying on fear
The future is both exciting and terrifying
They shine in my eyes and touch my face
My fate is always present, affecting my emotions and perceptions
Where I have seen them placed before
Experiences of the past shape how I perceive the present and the future
Don't blame me, please, for the fate that falls
I am not responsible for what happens to me, I can only control how I respond
I did not choose it
I have no control over what life throws at me
I truly did not choose it
I accept my fate and embrace the unknown future
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Peter Hammill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Daniel-tx5vk
Here's the lyrics:
Day dawns dark, it now numbers infinity
Life crawls from the past, watching in wonder
I trace its patterns in me
Tomorrow's tomorrow is birth again
Boats burn the bridge in the fens;
The time of the past returns to my life
And uses it
Don't blame me for the letters that may form in the sand;
Don't look in my eyes, you may see all the numbers
That stretch in my sky and colour my hand
Don't say that I'm wrong in imagining
That the voice of my life cannot sing
Fate enters and talks in old words:
They amuse it
Hands shine darkly and white;
Only in dark do they appear
Bless the baby born today
Flying in pitch, flying on fear
(Wicked little Scorpio, doomed to die a thousand times before he lives.)
They shine in my eyes and touch my face
Where I have seen them placed before;
Don't blame me, please, for the fate that falls:
I did not choose it
I did not, no, no, I did not
I truly did not choose it.
@edo9997
I was looking for the Van der Graaf generator for my physics exam, and I found a great band :)
@escolaeb13a
Now, that's a find!🙃
@yoichim5915
Now you've got full marks for the exam 👍
@cunobelinusX31
Take some acid or mushrooms and get into Nicola Tesla
@Saltibango
Haha great way to meet them!
@written12
Different than, and similar to Mr. Van Der Graf’s invention.
@morbo4497
The most criminally underrated band ever
@nightrock4u
I always hate it when people write over underrated bands, but here it´s true.
@ghislaindidier6306
Unique, powerful, creative, poetic, intense, inspiring.
@ikarusxv
@Sky Nox the only time when it's really applicable