Van Der Graaf Generator – World Record (2CD/Blu-ray Boxset)

Van Der Graaf Generator’s (VDGG) seventh studio album, released in 1976, is generally seen to be a last hurrah of the classic line up, coming as it did at the end of a fertile creative period, following closely behind two very well received albums in Godbluff and Still Life. The circumstance of its release means it tends to be judged in comparison to its immediate predecessors, rather than on its own merits.

This remastered version of World Record, by Stephen W Tayler, is a great excuse to re-visit an album that you may not have fully engaged with before, especially, if like me, you have only dabbled in VDGG’s extensive back catalogue. In fact, this is the first time I have been able to really enjoy listening all the way through a VDGG album, so presumably it does contain less of the complexity and extremes that the band is renowned for, and as such, being more ‘accessible’ it is perhaps looked on less favourably by the diehards.

The full package, from Cherry Red’s Esoteric label, is a 2 CD/Blu-ray edition featuring the remastered version of the original album mix, a Stephen W Tayler stereo mix, including Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild). The Blu-ray disc includes stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes, the 1976 promotional film of Wondering and the package also includes an illustrated booklet with essay.

Now, bear with me for a few paragraphs whilst I focus on the centrepiece of the album Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild. I was a little surprised listening to the album, and this track in particular, just how much I was enjoying it, and I began to contemplate why I hadn’t become such an enthusiastic fan of the band previously. I came to the conclusion that it was all about my perception of the balance between order and chaos. Much like King Crimson (I guess we are really comparing Peter Hammill and Robert Fripp here) the music they orchestrate is driven by the juxtaposition of exquisitely managed order and challenging, often improvised, chaos. I would rank King Crimson higher on my personal all-time list primarily because I prefer their version of ‘order’, although with both bands, I struggle with the dissonance of some of the ‘chaos’ that they create.

Whilst I was listening to Meurglys III, and thinking about this comparison, I started to notice a similarity between the structure of the first section of this piece and the King Crimson classic Starless. Each has a gentle melodic, ordered introduction that lasts until around the 4’20” mark. At this point King Crimson dial down the melody and begin a more reflective instrumental section with guitar and percussion to the fore, and VDGG similarly dial down the band’s contribution to create space for Peter Hammill’s spoken-word elegy to his favourite guitar. Both pieces continue with sublime instrumental sections that begin a slow build up to more chaotic passages. Saxophone features on both songs and Hammill’s rather haphazard guitar contributions mirror, to a degree, Fripp’s increasingly dynamic tones.

VDGG choose to bring the chaos to a hard stop at 12’45”, whereas King Crimson close out Starless with a sumptuous, melodic, ordered finale at 12’17”. To my ears, two wonderfully structured progressive tracks that embody the brilliance of both bands, and also, maybe the reason why I prefer one over the other. Of course, Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild has another section, but I’m inclined to classify that as a separate track all together, especially in light of the Starless comparison.

This realisation of the similar approach taken by the two bands will definitely prompt me to try again with the VDGG back catalogue. I am presuming that this discovery may lead to other, similar examples, given how the early prog pioneers were so astute at picking up influences from each other and developing them to suit their own brand.

Going back to the consider the album as a whole, it now makes a lot more sense to me. World Record’s instrumental sections are in the main built around straight-forward riffs, making it a less challenging listen, and with the new mastering it is a real treat being able to follow each part of the instrumentation. Side one contains three excellent mid-length prog tunes, each one providing the drama created by mixing the ordered with the chaotic, the virtuoso musicianship, and the distinctive VDGG sound, and the mix as a whole just feels right.

The reggae-inspired, second part of Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild does come across as ‘filler’ material, and looking back it would be fascinating to know whether it genuinely fitted in as part of the overall vision for the track, or was added in later in the song-writing process. Personally, I don’t dislike it as much as some other reviewers that I have read, but the final track Wondering does the perfect job of providing an ordered emotional balance to what has gone on before, so ultimately that ‘filler’ section is the only questionable sequence in a most satisfying album.

I think World Record has aged particularly well and is ideally suited to modern-day re-engineering processes. The more consistently melodic feel to the songs, the less complex arrangements and the (by comparison) more restrained vocals have allowed Mr Tayler the space to clean up the overall sound, to separate and accentuate the individual elements and thereby create a lush sounding record with all the hallmarks of a modern-day prog rock release.

TRACK LISTING
CD 1
– World Record (Remastered)
01. When She Comes (7:58)
02. A Place to Survive (10:00)
03. Masks (6:55)
04. Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild (20:47)
05. Wondering (6:33)

Time – 52:13

CD 2
– World Record (Stephen W Tayler Stereo Mix)
01. When She Comes (7:58)
02. A Place to Survive (10:00)
03. Masks (6:55)
04. Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild (20:47)
05. Wondering (6:33)
06 Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) (4:27)

Time – 56:40

BLU-RAY
– World Record
High resolution new 5.1 Surround Sound & Stereo Mixes
01. When She Comes (7:58)
02. A Place to Survive (10:00)
03. Masks (6:55)
04. Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild (20:47)
05. Wondering (6:33)
– Bonus Visual Content
Wondering (1976 Charisma Records Promotional Video)

MUSICIANS
Peter Hammill – Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Hugh Banton – Organs, Bass Pedals, Mellotron
David Jackson – Alto, Tenor & Soprano Saxes, Flute
Guy Evans – Drums, Cymbals, Percussion

ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records | Esoteric Recordings
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 28^th March 2025

LINKS
Van Der Graaf Generator – Website (Peter Hammill) | Facebook | Info at Cherry Red Records