Still Life (Van der Graaf Generator album)
| Still Life | ||||
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| Studio album by Van der Graaf Generator | ||||
| Released | 15 April 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 12-25 January 1976 at Rockfield Studios (except "Pilgrims" and "La Rossa" : June 1975 during Godbluff sessions) | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 44:38 | |||
| Label | UK Charisma Records USA Mercury Records |
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| Producer | Van der Graaf Generator | |||
| Van der Graaf Generator chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
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Still Life is an album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, originally released in 1976. It was their second album after reforming in 1975, the first being Godbluff. One live bonus track was added for the 2005 re-release.
The album cover shows a Lichtenberg figure. The image was described by journalist Geoff Barton in Sounds: "It's actually a frozen-in-action shot of an electrical discharge from a real Van de Graaff generator machine, set in acrylic."
All songs written by Peter Hammill, except where noted.
Geoff Barton of Sounds wrote: "Where "Still Life" scores over past LPs is in its precise and accurate reproduction of leader Hammill's vocals. He never really sings, rather he murmurs, shouts, screams or speaks, and this wide range of tonality has presented in the past often insurmountable problems for engineers, technicians and suchlike. Here, however, every subtle nuance of the 'chords has been captured successfully, providing greater variation, an abundance of light and shade.. "Still Life" is an essential album. If you think you have problems, listen to Hammill's and you'll probably never be able to worry about anything insignificant ever again."
Jonathan Barnett of New Musical Express, describing the songs on the album, wrote: "They start off with the kind of morbid over-sensibility, y'know.. smart ass existentialist one-liners like that, accompanied by furtive, lurching manic melodies that emphasise the personality disorientation of the whole thing."
Steven McDonald, for AllMusic, notes that Hammill songs take ".. a dead run at a grandiose concept or two - the consequences of immortality on the title track, and the grand fate of humanity on the epic "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End." McDonald concludes: "The true highlight, however, is the beautiful, pensive "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)", with its echoes of imagination and loss. Hammill did not achieve such a level of painful beauty again until "This Side of the Looking Glass" on Over."
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