All songs written by Peter Hammill except "Wondering" (Banton/Hammill).
Released in the latter half of 1976 as a half-hearted attempt at some sort of commercial focus in the U.K. and U.S., World Record suffers from several ailments: there was much tension in the band at this point, particularly between leader Peter Hammill and keyboardist Hugh Banton. In the end, the band would split apart, with Banton and wind player David Jackson leaving, while Hammill and drummer Guy Evans recruited replacements. World Record is very much a divided record, sounding beautifully clean, but lacking in both performance and focus. Evans plays as well as ever, but without the creative spark of earlier records; Hammill, meanwhile, was responsible for the rambling, scattered "Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild)," a lumbering piece named after one of his guitars. Of the cuts present, the best are the operatic "Masks," which mines one of Hammill's favorite themes, that of identity, and "Wondering," written in collaboration with Banton. "Wondering" is beautifully hymn-like until the very end, when it suddenly becomes querulous and uncertain, ending the album both with a note of hope and a desperate question. ~ Steven McDonald
Reissue of the 1976 classic album has been remastered and includes the original tracks plus the 2 bonus tracks: 'When She Comes' (BBC Version) & 'Masks' (BBC Version). EMI. 2005.
Personnel: Peter Hammill (vocals); David P. Jackson (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Guy Evans (drums, cymbals, percussion).
Van Der Graaf Generator: Peter Hammill (vocals, guitar), David Jackson (flute, soprano, alto & tenor saxophones), Hugh Banton (keyboards), Guy Evans (drums, cymbals, percussion).
This CD is your friend! If you've heard of Van Der Graaf Generator, then this is the CD to own!
This is the CD with the epic "Meurglys III" on it. Enough said. Submitted by pschroeder (North Tonawanda,NY,USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
de puta madre un cd cojonuo Submitted by koldo (spaña) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
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