Radical Research Podcast

Crawling out of Manchester to work strange machinations on the English psych-pop era of the late 1960s, Peter Hammill and Van Der Graaf Generator’s sonic architecture was a mirror to that decade’s creative promise and a murder of its utopian ideals. They documented their deeds throughout eight albums between 1969 and 1977, revving up the electrostatic contraption again in the 2000s when the world might have finally been ready for them. When we wear the Keep Prog Weird slogan on our backs, it is the spirit of Van Der Graaf Generator we honor and praise. Note I: Chris Judge Smith wasn’t mentioned in this episode, but should have been. He founded Van Der Graaf Generator with Peter Hammill in 1967, but left in 1968 after the recording of the band’s first single, “People You Were Going To” / “Firebrand”. He’s been recording as a solo artist since then, and as of 1994 has been simply known as Judge Smith. Note II: www.lotfp.com for all of your weird horror and fantasy role-playing needs! Music cited, in order