Van Der Graaf Generator - 5.1 mixes coming in 2021. It's happening!!

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Looks like it is going to be one big package:

VdGG on the cover of The Wire!!!
New issue on the stands this Thursday, May 13!
THE WIRE - ISSUE 448, JUNE 2021
Van der Graaf Generator special!
With a new box set of all Van der Graaf Generator's albums being readied for release in July, and its singer and songwriter Peter Hammill about to release an album of cover versions as well as a new collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous (aka Future Sound Of London), the cover of the June issue will be a two-part special devoted to these perennial outliers of UK underground art rock. In part one, Emily Bick talks to Hammill, and fellow group members Guy Evans and Hugh Banton, about 50 years of collaboration; while in part two, Mike Barnes, author of A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s, contributes an extensive user's guide to the group's back catalogue, as well as Hammill's parallel and prodigious solo output.
 
Looks like it is going to be one big package:

VdGG on the cover of The Wire!!!
New issue on the stands this Thursday, May 13!
THE WIRE - ISSUE 448, JUNE 2021
Van der Graaf Generator special!
With a new box set of all Van der Graaf Generator's albums being readied for release in July, and its singer and songwriter Peter Hammill about to release an album of cover versions as well as a new collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous (aka Future Sound Of London), the cover of the June issue will be a two-part special devoted to these perennial outliers of UK underground art rock. In part one, Emily Bick talks to Hammill, and fellow group members Guy Evans and Hugh Banton, about 50 years of collaboration; while in part two, Mike Barnes, author of A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s, contributes an extensive user's guide to the group's back catalogue, as well as Hammill's parallel and prodigious solo output.
It has been hinted at in the Peter Hammill feature in PROG magazine that this box set is 'The Charisma Years' so I assume it will not be all of their albums, but the ones from that particular label and era. I still don't have all the info about what is in the box!!
 
It has been hinted at in the Peter Hammill feature in PROG magazine that this box set is 'The Charisma Years' so I assume it will not be all of their albums, but the ones from that particular label and era. I still don't have all the info about what is in the box!!
Like you did with Drastic Plastic, post a pic of your personal VG box set when it’s arrived, Stephen!
 
If the mix and mastering are great on this release, it has the possibility to be all time epic!
Some types of music and bands just so obviously lend themselves to multichannel. This band CERTAINLY falls into that category.
 
Yep, but you could say that about virtually any progressive rock band.

Some bands are better than others (obviously). This band is better than most and they don't have any other multichannel releases.
 
I think Paradiso is 5.1 as well, but not very good.
 
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A few errors(?) in the listing but here you go. Price looks really good for the content. Hi-res blu-ray too!

The Charisma Years 1970-1978 | CD/Blu-ray Album | Free shipping over £20 | HMV Store

A lavish deluxe 20-disc boxed set covering Van der Graaf Generator's entire recorded work for Charisma Records. Between the years 1970-1978 the band released 8 albums (two under the name Van der Graaf) for the legendary Charisma label. Each record was ground breaking and the influence of the band's unique music would be felt in the ensuing decades by artists of many different musical genres. The albums 'H to He Who Am the Only One', 'Pawn Hearts', 'Godbluff' and 'Still Life' have been stunningly remixed from the original multi-track tapes in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound by Stephen W Tayler. These feature on 4 additional CDs and two Blu ray discs. Also featured are two CDs of a recently discovered and previously unreleased entire concert recorded in Paris in December 1976 by French radio and all of the surviving BBC sessions recorded by the band, plus much much more.

Disc 1
Track 1 Darkness (11/11)
Track 2 Refugees
Track 3 White Hammer
Track 4 Whatever Would Robert Have Said?
Track 5 Out of My Book
Track 6 After the Flood
Track 7 Refugees (Single Version)
Track 8 Boat of Millions of Years
Track 9 Darkness (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 20th January 1970)
Track 10 After the Flood (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 20th January 1970)


Disc 2
Track 1 Killer
Track 2 House With No Door
Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room
Track 4 Lost
Track 5 Pioneers Over C
Track 6 Killer (First Version - Previously Unreleased)
Track 7 The Emperor in His War Room (First Version)
Track 8 Lost (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 12th October 1970)
Track 9 Killer (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 12th October 1970)


Disc 3
Track 1 Lemmings (Including Cog)
Track 2 Man Erg
Track 3 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Track 4 Eyewitness
Track 5 Pictures/Lighthouse
Track 6 Eyewitness
Track 7 SHM
Track 8 Presence of the Night
Track 9 Kosmos Tours
Track 10 (Custard's) Last Stand
Track 11 The Clot Thickens
Track 12 Land's End (Sineline)
Track 13 We Go Now
Track 14 Man Erg (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971)
Track 15 Theme One (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971)
Track 16 Vision (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971)
Track 17 Darkness (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971)


Disc 4
Track 1 Theme One
Track 2 W
Track 3 Squid/Octopus (The Pawn Hearts Sessions)
Track 4 Angle of Incidents (The Pawn Hearts Sessions)
Track 5 Ponker's Theme (The Pawn Hearts Sessions)
Track 6 Dimunitions (The Pawn Hearts Sessions)
Track 7 W (First Version) [The Pawn Hearts Sessions]
Track 8 Theme One (Original Mix) [The Pawn Hearts Sessions]
Track 9 Man Erg (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971)
Track 10 W (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971)
Track 11 Killer (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971)
Track 12 Refugees (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 14th December 1971)


Disc 5
Track 1 The Undercover Man
Track 2 Scorched Earth
Track 3 Arrow
Track 4 The Sleepwalkers
Track 5 Scorched Earth (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 3rd July, 1975)
Track 6 The Sleepwalkers (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 3rd July, 1975)


Disc 6
Track 1 A Louse Is Not a Home (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)
Track 2 (In The) Black Room/The Tower (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)
Track 3 Forsaken Gardens (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)
Track 4 Lemmings (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)
Track 5 Scorched Earth (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)
Track 6 Man-erg (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975)


Disc 7
Track 1 Pilgrims
Track 2 Still Life
Track 3 La Rossa
Track 4 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
Track 5 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End
Track 6 Gog (Live at the Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales, 10th May, 1975)
Track 7 Still Life (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 1st April, 1976)
Track 8 La Rossa (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 1st April, 1976)


Disc 8
Track 1 When She Comes
Track 2 A Place to Survive
Track 3 Masks
Track 4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)
Track 5 Wondering
Track 6 When She Comes (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 11th November, 1976)
Track 7 Masks (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 11th November, 1976)
Track 8 Part One (Approx. 35% Of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)


Disc 9
Track 1 Arrow (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 2 When She Comes (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 3 Masks (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 4 Still Life (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 5 Lemmings (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 6 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)


Disc 10
Track 1 Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild) [live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976]
Track 2 Gog (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 3 Sleepwalkers (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 4 Killer (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)
Track 5 Man-erg (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976)


Disc 11
Track 1 Lizard Play
Track 2 The Habit of the Broken Heart
Track 3 The Siren Song
Track 4 Last Frame
Track 5 The Wave
Track 6 Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running)
Track 7 The Sphinx in the Face
Track 8 Chemical World
Track 9 The Sphinx Returns
Track 10 Door
Track 11 Ship of Fools
Track 12 The Wave
Track 13 Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977)
Track 14 The Sphinx in the Face (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977)
Track 15 (Fragments of) A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalker's End (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977)


Disc 12
Track 1 Ship of Fools
Track 2 Still Life
Track 3 Last Frame
Track 4 Mirror Images
Track 5 Medley: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers


Disc 13
Track 1 Pioneers Over C
Track 2 Sci-finance
Track 3 Door
Track 4 Urban/Killer/Urban
Track 5 Nadir's Big Chance


Disc 14
Track 1 Killer (Stereo Mix)
Track 2 House With No Door (Stereo Mix)
Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room (Stereo Mix)
Track 4 Lost (Stereo Mix)
Track 5 Pioneers Over C (Stereo Mix)


Disc 15
Track 1 Lemmings (Including Cog) [stereo Mix]
Track 2 Man Erg (Stereo Mix)
Track 3 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (Stereo Mix)
Track 4 Eyewitness (Stereo Mix)
Track 5 Pictures/Lighthouse (Stereo Mix)
Track 6 Eyewitness (Stereo Mix)
Track 7 SHM (Stereo Mix)
Track 8 Presence of the Night (Stereo Mix)
Track 9 Kosmos Tours (Stereo Mix)
Track 10 (Custard's) Last Stand (Stereo Mix)
Track 11 The Clot Thickens (Stereo Mix)
Track 12 Land's End (Sineline) [stereo Mix]
Track 13 We Go Now (Stereo Mix)
Track 14 Theme One (Stereo Mix)
Track 15 W (Stereo Mix)


Disc 16
Track 1 The Undercover Man (Stereo Mix)
Track 2 Scorched Earth (Stereo Mix)
Track 3 Arrow (Stereo Mix)
Track 4 The Sleepwalkers (Stereo Mix)


Disc 17
Track 1 Pilgrims (Stereo Mix)
Track 2 Still Life (Stereo Mix)
Track 3 La Rossa (Stereo Mix)
Track 4 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) [stereo Mix]
Track 5 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (Stereo Mix)


Disc 18
Track 1 Killer (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 2 House With No Door (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 4 Lost (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 5 Pioneers Over C (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)

Track 6 Lemmings (Including Cog) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix]
Track 7 Man Erg (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 8 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 9 Eyewitness (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 10 Pictures/Lighthouse (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 11 Eyewitness (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 12 SHM (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 13 Presence of the Night (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 14 Kosmos Tours (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 15 (Custard's) Last Stand (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 16 The Clot Thickens (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 17 Land's End (Sineline) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix]
Track 18 We Go Now (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)


Disc 19
Track 1 The Undercover Man (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 2 Scorched Earth (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 3 Arrow (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 4 The Sleepwalkers (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)

Track 5 Pilgrims (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 6 La Rossa (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)
Track 7 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix]
Track 8 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix)


Disc 20
Track 1 Darkness (Beat Club - German TV, 23rd June, 1970)
Track 2 Whatever Robert Would Have Said (Beat Club - German TV, 23rd June, 1970)
Track 3 Lost (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972)
Track 4 Killer (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972)
Track 5 Octopus (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972)
Track 6 Theme One ('Pop Shop', 23rd March, 1972)
Track 7 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers ('Pop Shop', 23rd March, 1972)
Track 8 The Undercover Man (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975)
Track 9 Arrow (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975)
Track 10 Scorched Earth (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975)
Track 11 Sleepwalkers (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975)
Track 12 Wondering (Charisma Promotional Film, 1976) [previously Unreleased]
Track 13 Cat's Eye (Charisma Promotional Film) [previously Unreleased]
Track 14 Van Der Graaf in Concert (The Kohfidisch Open Air Festival, Austria, 17th June, 1978) [previously Unreleased]
 
20 discs for £129 sounds really good. Need to look over the contents but on first glance it looks like a great set and I will definitely buy this.

Now let’s see a new Dutton Vocalion wave and let’s have an announcement for some more Santana from Sony Japan, add to that XTC’s Apple Venus Vol 1 and this year will start to pick up steam at last!
 
It would be helpful to know if the non-remixed albums are at least remastered, or are they the same as the 2005 issues?

Regardless, for me this is a must buy, and for a great price. Four of the best albums in 5.1 by one of the very best UK bands from the 1970s.

Considering the upcoming Gentle Giant surround releases, along with Dutton Vocalion, it appears that support for surround is very strong in the UK!
 
This is a must buy for me regardless, but I really hope that they can improve on the 2005 remastering for the albums that won't be remixed. Some of those, particularly World Record, have some terrible tape hiss and it sounds like the volume was messed with at the start of some tracks. I'm also hoping the just discovered full concert from 1976 is of good quality - the BBC sessions released so far have generally been excellent - good live material from that era is limited.
 
I hope we get an official press release soon. So far HMV and Amazon UK have it listed. I cannot find it anywhere else or more information about it. I am really looking forward to this box set
 
I hope we get an official press release soon. So far HMV and Amazon UK have it listed. I cannot find it anywhere else or more information about it. I am really looking forward to this box set
I really hope so too. The Amazon UK listing is still showing little detail, and the HMV listing has disappeared.
 
I'm in though it would have been nice if Steven Wilson had the opportunity to mix it, long ago I remember Pawn Hearts being mentioned on his wish list
 
Someone on the Hoffman site posted the link to this excellent interview with Stephen Tayler about his very interesting career:

https://www.innerviews.org/inner/stephen-w-tayler
A very good (and long!) read, with some nice photos throughout. Stephen's been involved with a lot of music that I have in my collection. Even more music, when this Van Der Graaf collection comes out!
 
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