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A lavish deluxe 20 disc boxed set comprising 17 CDs and 3 Blu Ray discs 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. This boxed set features all of their Charisma albums newly re-mastered from the first generation master tapes and much more.
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. In addition there is a Blu ray disc featuring all of the surviving VdGG television footage and promotional films including their appearance on German TV’s “Beat Club” in 1970, their 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, a live performance shot by Belgian TV in Chaleroi in September 1975, the promotional films of “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.
Lavishly packaged with a 68 page book and rare photos, “The Charisma Years” is the definitive collection of work by Van der Graaf Generator.
Tracklist
CD One:
“The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other”
Released as Charisma CAS 1007 in February 1970
Darkness (11/11)
Refugees
White Hammer
Whatever Would Robert Have Said?
Out of My Book
After the Flood
Bonus tracks:
Refugees (single version)
Boat of Millions of Years
A & B-sides of single – Released as Charisma CB 122 in April 1970
Darkness
After the Flood
BBC Radio One “Top Gear” session – 20th January 1970
CD Two:
“H to He Who Am the Only One”
Released as Charisma CAS 1027 in December 1970
Killer
House with No Door
The Emperor in His War Room
Lost
Pioneers Over C
Bonus track:
Killer (first version) – Previously unreleased
The Emperor in His War Room (first version)
Recorded at Trident Studios in July 1970
Lost
Killer
BBC Radio One “Top Gear” session – 12th October 1970
Previously unreleased
CD Three:
“Pawn Hearts”
Released as Charisma CAS 1051 in October 1971
Lemmings (including Cog)
Man Erg
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Eyewitness
Pictures / Lighthouse
Eyewitness
SHM
Presence of the Night
Kosmos Tours
(Custard’s) Last Stand
The Clot Thickens
Land’s End (Sineline)
We Go Now
Bonus tracks:
Man Erg
Theme One
Vision
Darkness
BBC Radio One “Sounds of the Seventies” session – 10th June 1971
CD Four:
Theme One
W
A & B-sides of single – Released as Charisma CB 175 in February 1972
The Pawn Hearts sessions:
Squid / Octopus
Angle of Incidents
Ponker’s Theme
Dimunitions
W (first version)
Theme One (original mix)
Man Erg
W
Killer
BBC Radio One John Peel Concert – 23rd September 1971
Refugees
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 14th December 1971
CD Five:
“Godbluff”
Released as Charisma CAS 1109 in October 1975
The Undercover Man
Scorched Earth
Arrow
The Sleepwalkers
Bonus tracks:
Scorched Earth
The Sleepwalkers
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 3rd July 1975
CD Six:
“Live in Rimini 9th August 1975”
A Louse is Not a Home
(In the) Black Room / The Tower
Forsaken Gardens
Lemmings
Scorched Earth
Man-Erg
CD Seven:
“Still Life”
Released as Charisma CAS 1116 in April 1976
Pilgrims
Still Life
La Rossa
My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
Bonus tracks:
Gog (live)
Recorded at the Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales 10th May 1975
Still Life
La Rossa
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 1st April 1976
CD Eight:
“World Record”
Released as Charisma CAS 1120 in October 1976
When She Comes
A Place to Survive
Masks
Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)
Wondering
Bonus tracks:
When She Comes
Masks
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 11th November 1976
Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)
B-side of single – Released as Charisma CB 297 in October 1976
Previously unreleased on CD
CD Nine:
Live at Maison de la Mutualite´, Paris
6th December 1976
Previously unreleased
Arrow
When She Comes
Masks
Still Life
Lemmings
Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
CD Ten:
Live at Maison de la Mutualite´, Paris
6th December 1976
Previously unreleased
Meurglys III (The Songwriter’s Guild)
Gog
Sleepwalkers
Killer
Man-Erg
CD Eleven:
“The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome”
Released as Charisma CAS 1131 in September 1977
Lizard Play
The Habit of the Broken Heart
The Siren Song
Last Frame
The Wave
Cat’s Eye / Yellow Fever (Running)
The Sphinx in the Face
Chemical World
The Sphinx Returns
Bonus tracks:
Door
Ship of Fools
B-side of single
Released in France as Charisma 6837 441 in September 1977
The Wave (demo version)
Cat’s Eye / Yellow Fever
The Sphinx in the Face
(Fragments of) A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers / Sleepwalker’s End
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 24th October 1977
CD Twelve:
“Vital”
Released as Charisma CVLD 101 in July 1978
Ship of Fools
Still Life
Last Frame
Mirror Images
Medley: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers / Sleepwalkers
CD Thirteen:
“Vital”
Released as Charisma CVLD 101 in July 1978
Pioneers Over C
Sci-Finance
Door
Urban / Killer / Urban
Nadir’s Big Chance
Disc Fourteen
“H to He Who Am the Only One”
Released as Charisma CAS 1027 in December 1970
THE NEW STEREO MIX
Killer
House with No Door
The Emperor in His War Room
Lost
Pioneers Over C
Disc Fifteen
“Pawn Hearts”
Released as Charisma CAS 1051 in October 1971
THE NEW STEREO MIX
1.Lemmings (including Cog)
- Man Erg
- A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Eyewitness
Pictures / Lighthouse
Eyewitness
SHM
Presence of the Night
Kosmos Tours
(Custard’s) Last Stand
The Clot Thickens
Land’s End (Sineline)
We Go Now
Bonus tracks:
- Theme One (new stereo mix)
- W (new stereo mix)
Disc Sixteen
“Godbluff”
Released as Charisma CAS 1109 in October 1975
THE NEW STEREO MIX
The Undercover Man
Scorched Earth
Arrow
The Sleepwalkers
Disc Seventeen
“Still Life”
Released as Charisma CAS 1116 in April 1976
THE NEW STEREO MIX
Pilgrims
Still Life
La Rossa
My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
Disc Eighteen – Blu-ray Disc:
“H to He Who Am the Only One”
High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
Killer
House with No Door
The Emperor in His War Room
Lost
Pioneers Over C
“Pawn Hearts”
High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
Lemmings (including Cog)
Man Erg
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
Eyewitness
Pictures / Lighthouse
Eyewitness
SHM
Presence of the Night
Kosmos Tours
(Custard’s) Last Stand
The Clot Thickens
Land’s End (Sineline)
We Go Now
Disc Nineteen – Blu-ray Disc
“Godbluff”
High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
The Undercover Man
Scorched Earth
Arrow
The Sleepwalkers
“Still Life”
High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix / New Stereo Mix / Original stereo mix
Pilgrims
La Rossa
My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End
Disc Twenty – Blu-ray Disc
The video vaults:
Darkness
Whatever Would Robert Have Said
“Beat Club” – German TV 23rd June 1970
Previously unreleased
Lost
Killer
Octopus
“Pop Deux”
Filmed at The Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972
Broadcast 27th May 1972 on French TV
Previously unreleased
Theme One
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
“Pop Shop”
Recorded 23rd March 1972
Broadcast RTBF TV, Belgium 21st September 1972
FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE
The Undercover Man
Arrow
Scorched Earth
Sleepwalkers
“Live in Charleroi Palais des Expos – 27th September 1975”
Broadcast RTBF TV Belgium 17th April 1976
FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE
Wondering
Charisma promotional film 1976
Previously unreleased
Cat’s Eye
Charisma promotional film
Previously unreleased
Van der Graaf in Concert
The Kohfidisch Open Air Festival, Austria 17th June 1978
Broadcast by ORF TV, Austria 1st July 1978
Previously unreleased