2. Still Life - 7:24
3. La Rossa - 9:52
4. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) - 8:02
5. Childlike Faith in Childhood's End - 12:24
The second album of the reformed Van Der Graaf Generator finds the band normalizing a little more as they focus on live performance pieces instead of studio creations. These are nonetheless challenging songs, musically and lyrically bearing the band's unique stamp.
It starts with two relatively sedate works. "Pilgrims" is a gorgeous song about societal outcasts with stirring chord changes, perfectly paced dynamics, and classically influenced melodies. Similar restraint is shown on "Still Life". Its brilliantly conceived science fiction story is supported by celestial organ playing from Hugh Banton, which midway through bursts into a rock anthem driven by Guy Evans' smashing drums and David Jackson's wailing sax before ebbing back down to the quiet melody.
As great as those songs are, one might suspect the band of getting soft at this point. Hence "La Rossa", a true scorcher about desperation and desire. An insistent 6/8 beat drives this piece relentlessly, and Hammill screams forth his crisis - he wants more from a close platonic friend but doesn't want to ruin their relationship, and he feels caught in the pattern of their interactions. The turbulent music reflects the lyrical mood, straining against the perceived bonds, quieting for dismal reflection, then amping up for its desperate resolution. It is perhaps the best musical representation of an overly intellectual male worrying too much about a romantic relationship - I can identify with that.
After all that excitement, we get another reflective mood piece in "My Room (Waiting For Wonderland)". The simple melody is hypnotic and mysterious, supporting a lyric of disillusion and abandonment. It is a welcome calm before the storm that is "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End". Another philosophical epic with varying moods, conflicting styles, harsh tones, and dramatic chord progressions, it uses Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel as a springboard for thoughts on creation, existence, afterlife, and the future of humanity. Pretty heavy stuff, but always stimulating, even if we disagree in our conclusions.
Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 overly intellectual males
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