Van Der Graaf Generator-The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other (1970)

The start of the successful career of the British band Van Der Graaf Generator didn't begin with the psychedelic, still rather rudimentary, and to some extent baroque "The Aerosol Grey Machine" (1969), but thanks to their second release, "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other", the band gained significant prominence in the world of rock with an album that paved the way for them in the early 70s progressive scene. This second release contrasts dark landscapes like the demanding "Darkness (11/11)" with David Jackson's incisive saxophones almost on the verge of suffocation, or the bewitching "White Hammer" and its disconcerting ending, with sublime moments of luminous fragility like the beautiful and unmissable "Refugees", where an emotional Peter Hammill, without falling into sentimentality, caresses the verses instead of singing them. But it's not until the album's final track that VDGG's full-fledged progressive influences emerge, with the expansive and intricate "Alter the Flood". Here, Hugh Banton's keyboards and David Jackson's saxophone intertwine in an intense, otherworldly layering, while Hammill subtly accompanies them with acoustic guitar and his distinctive vocal style. "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other" is not only a spectacular album but also the cornerstone for the band's future sound. From this point on, VDGG would prioritize the development of expansive works infused with jazz elements, frenetic avant-garde improvisations, and sublime melodies, all set to sophisticated and intelligent lyrics the product of the brilliant mind of the unique and irreplaceable Peter Hammill.