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Van Der Graaf Generator / The Charisma Years 1970-1978

Extensive 20-disc box set (17 CDs, 3 blu-ray)

By Paul Sinclair

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The Charisma Years / Van Der Graaf Generator 17CD+3blu-ray box set

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4.7

English prog rock band Van Der Graaf‘s entire recorded work for Charisma Records is being released in a 17CD+3 x blu-ray box set. This package features remastered albums, bonus tracks, BBC sessions, rare video footage, new stereo remixes and 5.1 surround versions.

The studio albums features on The Charisma Years are as follows: The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other (1970), H to He Who Am the Only One (1970), Pawn Hearts (1971), Godbluff (1975), Still Life (1976), World Record (1976) and The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome (1977). All of these have bonus tracks such as A-sides, B-sides and all of the surviving BBC sessions recorded by the band. CD 4 is almost an entire disc of Pawn Hearts sessions.

Additionally, the double live album, Vital (1978) is included, as is a recently discovered and previously unreleased entire concert recorded in Paris in December 1976 by French radio.

Van Der Graaf Generator’s The Charisma Years 1970-1978 (click image to enlarge)

The last four CDs in The Charisma Years (CD14 to CD17) are new stereo mixes of H to he Who Am the Only One, Pawn Hearts, Godbluff and Still Life. These have been remixed from the original multi-track tapes by Stephen W Tayler.

Two blu-rays also include these stereo mixes in hi-res and offer 5.1 surround sound mixes of all four of those albums. These have also been created by Stephen W Tayler.

Finally, this mammoth box concludes with another blu-ray with rare and unreleased video footage. This is apparently “all of the surviving Van Der Graaf Generator television footage and promotional films” and includes the band’s appearance on German TV’s Beat Club in 1970, a filmed appearance at The Bataclan in Paris in 1972 for the French TV show Pop Deux, the 1972 appearance on Pop Shop for RTBF Belgium, the promotional films for ‘Wondering’ and ‘Cat’s Eye’ and a 20 minute documentary with live footage shot by Austrian television at The Kohfidisch Open Air Festival, Austria in June 1978. 

The Charisma Years comes packaged with a 68-page book and is released on 3 September 2021, via UMC/Virgin.

Tracklisting

The Charisma Years 1970-1978 Van Der Graaf Generator / 20-disc box set

    • CD 1: The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other
      1. Darkness (11/11)
      2. Refugees
      3. White Hammer
      4. Whatever Would Robert Have Said?
      5. Out of My Book
      6. After the Flood
      Bonus tracks
      1. Refugees (single version) – A-side April 1970
      2. Boat of Millions of Years – B-side April 1970
      3. Darkness (BBC Radio ‘Top Gear’ session 20 Jan 1970)
      4. After the Flood (BBC Radio ‘Top Gear’ session 20 Jan 1970)
    • CD 2: H to He Who Am the Only One
      1. Killer
      2. House with No Door
      3. The Emperor in His War Room
      4. Lost
      5. Pioneers Over C
      Bonus tracks
      1. Killer (first version) – Previously unreleased – Recorded at Trident Studios in July 1970
      2. The Emperor in His War Room (first version) – Recorded at Trident Studios in July 1970
      3. Lost (BBC Radio ‘Top Gear’ session 12 Oct 1970) – previously unreleased
      4. Killer (BBC Radio ‘Top Gear’ session 12 Oct 1970) – previously unreleased
    • CD 3: Pawn Hearts
      1. Lemmings (including Cog)
      2. Man Erg
      3. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers:
        a) Eyewitness b) Pictures / Lighthouse c) Eyewitness d) SHM e) Presence of the Night f) Kosmos Tours g) (Custard’s) Last Stand h) The Clot Thickens i) Land’s End (Sineline) j) We Go now
      Bonus Tracks
      1. Man Erg (BBC Radio One Sounds of the Seventies session – 10 June 1971)
      2. Theme One (BBC Radio One Sounds of the Seventies session – 10 June 1971)
      3. Vision (BBC Radio One Sounds of the Seventies session – 10 June 1971)
      4. Darkness (BBC Radio One Sounds of the Seventies session – 10 June 1971)
    • CD 4
      1. Theme One (A-side of single Feb 1972)
      2. W (B-side of single Feb 1972)
      3. Squid / Octopus (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      4. Angle of Incidents (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      5. Ponker’s Theme (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      6. Dimunitions (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      7. W (first version) (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      8. Theme One (original mix) (from Pawn Heart sessions)
      9. Man Erg (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert 23 Sep 1971)
      10. W (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert 23 Sep 1971)
      11. Killer (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert 23 Sep 1971)
      12. Refugees (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert 14 Dec 1971)
    • CD 5: Godbluff
      1. The Undercover Man
      2. Scorched Earth
      3. Arrow
      4. The Sleepwalkers
      Bonus tracks
      1. Scorched Earth (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 3 July 1975)
      2. The Sleepwalkers (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 3 July 1975)
    • CD 6: Live in Rimini 9th August 1975
      1. A Louse is Not a Home
      2. (In the) Black Room / The Tower
      3. Forsaken Gardens
      4. Lemmings
      5. Scorched Earth
      6. Man-Erg
    • CD 7: Still Life
      1. Pilgrims
      2. Still Life
      3. La Rossa
      4. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
      5. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
      Bonus tracks
      1. Gog (live) – Recorded at the Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales 10 May 1975
      2. Still Life (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 1 April 1976)
      3. La Rossa (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 1 April 1976)
    • CD 8: World Record
      1. When She Comes
      2. A Place to Survive
      3. Masks
      4. Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)
      5. Wondering
      Bonus tracks:
      1. When She Comes (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 11 November 1976)
      2. Masks (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 11 November 1976)
      3. Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) – B-side of single Oct 1976 – Previously unreleased on CD
    • CD 9: Live at Maison de la Mutualite, Paris (6 Dec 1976 – previously unreleased)
      1. Arrow
      2. When She Comes
      3. Masks
      4. Still Life
      5. Lemmings
      6. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
    • CD 10: CD 9: Live at Maison de la Mutualite, Paris (6 Dec 1976 – previously unreleased)
      1. Meurglys III (The Songwriter’s Guild)
      2. Gog
      3. Sleepwalkers
      4. Killer
      5. Man-Erg
    • CD 11: The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome
      1. Lizard Play
      2. The Habit of the Broken Heart
      3. The Siren Song
      4. Last Frame
      5. The Wave
      6. Cat’s Eye / Yellow Fever (Running)
      7. The Sphinx in the Face
      8. Chemical World
      9. The Sphinx Returns
      Bonus tracks
      1. Door
      2. Ship of Fools (B-side of French single from Sep 1977)
      3. The Wave (demo version)
      4. Cat’s Eye / Yellow Fever (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 24 October 1977)
      5. The Sphinx in the Face (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 24 October 1977)
      6. (Fragments of) A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers / Sleepwalker’s End (BBC Radio One John Peel session – 24 October 1977)
    • CD 12: Vital (live album)
      1. Ship of Fools
      2. Still Life
      3. Last Frame
      4. Mirror Images
      5. Medley: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers / Sleepwalkers
    • CD 13: Vital (live album)
      1. Pioneers Over C
      2. Sci-Finance
      3. Door
      4. Urban / Killer / Urban
      5. Nadir’s Big Chance
    • CD 14: H to He Who Am the Only One (New stereo mix)
      1. Killer
      2. House with No Door
      3. The Emperor in His War Room
      4. Lost
      5. Pioneers Over C
    • CD 15: Pawn Hearts (New stereo mix)
      1. Lemmings (including Cog)
      2. Man Erg
      3. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers:
        a) Eyewitness b) Pictures / Lighthouse c) Eyewitness d) SHM e) Presence of the Night f) Kosmos Tours g) (Custard’s) Last Stand h) The Clot Thickens i) Land’s End (Sineline) j) We Go now
      Bonus tracks
      1. Theme One (new stereo mix)
      2. W (new stereo mix)
    • CD 16: Godbluff (New stereo mix)
      1. The Undercover Man
      2. Scorched Earth
      3. Arrow
      4. The Sleepwalkers
    • CD 17: Still Life (New stereo mix)
      1. Pilgrims
      2. Still Life
      3. La Rossa
      4. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
      5. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
    • Blu-ray #1: ‘H to He Who Am the Only One’ and ‘Pawn Hearts’
      Both albums in High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
      H to He Who Am the Only One
      1. Killer
      2. House with No Door
      3. The Emperor in His War Room
      4. Lost
      5. Pioneers Over C
      Pawn Hearts
      1. Lemmings (including Cog)
      2. Man Erg
      3. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers:
        a) Eyewitness b) Pictures / Lighthouse c) Eyewitness d) SHM e) Presence of the Night f) Kosmos Tours g) (Custard’s) Last Stand h) The Clot Thickens i) Land’s End (Sineline) j) We Go now
    • Blu-ray #2: ‘Godbluff’ and ‘Still Life’
      Both albums in High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
      Godbluff
      1. The Undercover Man
      2. Scorched Earth
      3. Arrow
      4. The Sleepwalkers
      Still Life
      1. Pilgrims
      2. La Rossa
      3. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
      4. Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
    • Blu-ray #3: The Video Vaults
      1. Darkness (‘Beat Club’ – German TV 23 June 1970) – previously unreleased
      2. Whatever Would Robert Have Said (‘Beat Club’ – German TV 23 June 1970) – previously unreleased
      3. Lost (‘Pop Deux’ Filmed at The Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18 March 1972 – Previously unreleased)
      4. Killer (‘Pop Deux’ Filmed at The Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18 March 1972 – Previously unreleased)
      5. Octopus (‘Pop Deux’ Filmed at The Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18 March 1972 – Previously unreleased)
      6. Theme One (‘Pop Shop’ Recorded 23 March 1972 for RTBF, Belgium) First official release.
      7. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (‘Pop Shop’ Recorded 23 March 1972 for RTBF, Belgium) First official release.
      8. The Undercover Man (Live in Charleroi Palais des Expos – 27 September 1975) First official release.
      9. Arrow (Live in Charleroi Palais des Expos – 27 September 1975) First official release.
      10. Scorched Earth (Live in Charleroi Palais des Expos – 27 September 1975) First official release.
      11. Sleepwalkers (Live in Charleroi Palais des Expos – 27 September 1975) First official release.
      12. Wondering (Charisma promotional film 1976) Previously unreleased
      13. Cat’s Eye (Charisma promotional film) Previously unreleased
      14. Van der Graaf in Concert (The Kohfidisch Open Air Festival, Austria 17 June 1978 recorded by ORF TV). Previously unreleased

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