Kosmik Radiation Radio - October 4, 2016 Playlist

Feel My Electric Organs
A Keyboard & Synthesizer Special

CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Van der Graaf Generator "Godbluff" 1975 (UK)

After a four year hiatus following their greatest masterpiece, VDGG was reborn. Sort of. Actually, the musicians in the band (Hugh Banton, Guy Evams & David Jaxon) continued to play together on singer/songwriter/leader Peter Hammill's solo albums during their 1971-1975 "hiatus" (truly several of those albums should be thought of as lost VDGG records). But the group's second era from 1975-78 was actually quite distinct from their initial 1969-1971 run. The first batch of their LPs were classics from the dawn of prog rock that stand up mighty well against more popular groups like Yes, ELP and even King Crimson, which means that they include all the cliches of prog as well: 20-minute songs, epic solos, gratuitous studio effects (but at least they didn't have Roger Dean do their album covers). In contrast, the second era of VDGG is really quite unique in the prog world, in that the songs still average 10 minutes apiece (there are only two per side on this LP) but the playing is very restrained and the arrangements and production are downright tasteful. Even the album cover is starkly non-pretentious. The standout tracks on Godbluff are "Arrow" which is about what it feels like to get shot by an arrow (Hammill always did have unique concepts for songs), and "The Sleepwalkers" which ranges from metal to jazz to cabaret and is among the Top 3 VDGG tracks of all time (the others are "Lemmings" and "Pioneers Over c" if you ask me).

(N) = New Release

Artist	Song	Album	Year	Country
The Moog Cookbook	25 Or 6 To 4 (Chicago)	Ye Olde Space Bande Plays The Classic Rock Hits	1997	USA
Suicide	Ghost Rider	Suicide	1977	USA
Stereolab	I'm Going Out Of My Way	Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements	1993	UK/France
Perrey & Kingsley	Spooks In Space	The In Sound From Way Out	1966	France/USA
Silver Apples	Velvet Cave	Silver Apples	1968	USA
TONTO's Expanding Head Band	Cybernaut	Zero Time	1971	USA/UK

Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve	The Soft Bounce	The Soft Bounce (N)	2016 (Phantasy Sound)	UK
Fujiya & Miyagi	Serotonin Rushes	EP 1 (N)	2016 (Impossible Objects of Desire)	UK
Tobacco	Warlock Mary	Sweatbox Dynasty (N)	2016 (Ghostly International)	USA
Children of Leir	Bad Little Woman	Children of Leir (self-titled third album - N)	2016 (self release)	UK

Dick Hyman	The Topless Dancers Of Corfu	Moog - The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman	1969	USA
Richard Hayman	Dansero	The Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine	1969	USA
Enoch Light & The Light Brigade	Ob-la-di Ob-la-da (The Beatles)	Spaced Out	1969	USA
Claude Denjean	Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)	Open Circuit	1973	France/Canada

Van der Graaf Generator	Arrow	Godbluff CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1975	UK
Van der Graaf Generator	The Sleepwalkers	Godbluff CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1975	UK
Van der Graaf Generator	Theme One	A-side 7" single (USA version of Pawn Hearts)	1971	UK

Emerson Lake & Palmer	Knife-Edge	Emerson Lake & Palmer	1970	UK
Triumvirat	Spartacus	Spartacus	1975	Germany
Egg	The Song Of McGillicudie The Pusillanimous	Egg	1970	UK
Vangelis	Main Sequence	Albedo 0.39	1976	Greece

Cluster	Caramba	Zuckerzeit	1974	Germany
Sun Ra	Disco 3000 (excerpt)	Disco 3000	1978	USA
Herbie Hancock	Hornets (excerpt)	Sextant	1973	USA

Todd Rundgren's Utopia	The Ikon	Todd Rundgren's Utopia	1974	USA