Van der Graaf Generator WORLD RECORD (Stephen W Tayler 5.1 Mix out in March!)

[rtbluray]

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/van-der-graaf-generator-world-record-2cd-blu-ray-remastered-box-set

• NEW 2CD / MULTI-REGION BLU-RAY VIDEO CLAMSHELL BOX SET FEATURING THE CLASIC ALBUM ‘WORLD RECORD’ BY VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.

• INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL STEREO MIX REMASTERED ALONGSIDE NEW STEREO & 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER.

• PLUS THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FILM OF ‘WONDERING’.

• AND AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET & ESSAY.

Originally released in October 1976, the album was the last to be recorded by the line-up of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton, David Jackson and Guy Evans until their reunion in 2005.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in May 1976, the album featured such material as ‘Wondering’, ‘A Place to Survive’, ‘When She Comes’ and the long piece ‘Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild’.

This new 2 CD / Blu-Ray edition features a remastered version of the original album mix and the single B-side ‘Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)’ along with stunning new stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound mixes by Stephen W Tayler. The Blu-Ray disc also includes the 1976 promotional film of ‘Wondering’. The package and includes an illustrated booklet with essay.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

World Record - Remastered

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering Bonus track

6 Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)

(B-side of single)

DISC TWO

World Record - Stephen W Tayler stereo mix

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

DISC THREE

World Record

High resolution new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

Bonus visual content

6 Wondering

(1976 Charisma Records promotional video)

 

[SHB]

Fantastic! Heard this album only once by VDGG, and was hoping it would get the Tayler treatment. Nice price too! I will certainly be ordering from a US vendor.

 

[Juggsnelson]

Fantastic news!

 

[srbjab]

Immediately pre-ordered from Cherry Red as soon as I got the email notice. I always thought it was odd that this title did not include a 5.1 mix in the Charisma years VDGG box set - but is now available with a matching 5.1 mix by Stephen Taylor. I know this last release by the classic VDGG lineup doesn't get as much love as the earlier titles but I always really liked it. World Record was accused by some of trying to be more "commercial", but how any album containing a 20 minute sprawling epic, Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild), that mixes raw, tortured prog with a reggae beat can be called commercial escapes me.

Hopefully The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome will follow with a similar blu-ray/5.1 treatment. And could a Peter Hammill The Charisma Years box set be in our future? - one can dream.

 

[Woody61]

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/van-der-graaf-generator-world-record-2cd-blu-ray-remastered-box-set

• NEW 2CD / MULTI-REGION BLU-RAY VIDEO CLAMSHELL BOX SET FEATURING THE CLASIC ALBUM ‘WORLD RECORD’ BY VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.

• INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL STEREO MIX REMASTERED ALONGSIDE NEW STEREO & 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER.

• PLUS THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FILM OF ‘WONDERING’.

• AND AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET & ESSAY.

Originally released in October 1976, the album was the last to be recorded by the line-up of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton, David Jackson and Guy Evans until their reunion in 2005.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in May 1976, the album featured such material as ‘Wondering’, ‘A Place to Survive’, ‘When She Comes’ and the long piece ‘Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild’.

This new 2 CD / Blu-Ray edition features a remastered version of the original album mix and the single B-side ‘Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)’ along with stunning new stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound mixes by Stephen W Tayler. The Blu-Ray disc also includes the 1976 promotional film of ‘Wondering’. The package and includes an illustrated booklet with essay.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

World Record - Remastered

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering Bonus track

6 Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)

(B-side of single)

DISC TWO

World Record - Stephen W Tayler stereo mix

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

DISC THREE

World Record

High resolution new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

Bonus visual content

6 Wondering

(1976 Charisma Records promotional video)

Fab news! this Blu Ray of the last of the famous 1975-1976 Trilogy, World Record. For almost 30 years everybody, including Hammill, assumed that to be the last VdGG album....And then came Royal Festival Hall with (a) Present. But I'm also hoping for the even better Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome, by VdG !
Rene
who was at probably (?) the one but last ever VdGG show, the one in Milan before the final one 2 days later at Reutlingen, after which Hammill had serious, life saving, surgery. Happy to have seen him solo in full swing a few weeks back in Milan again!

 

[Nick Loebner]

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/van-der-graaf-generator-world-record-2cd-blu-ray-remastered-box-set

• NEW 2CD / MULTI-REGION BLU-RAY VIDEO CLAMSHELL BOX SET FEATURING THE CLASIC ALBUM ‘WORLD RECORD’ BY VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.

• INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL STEREO MIX REMASTERED ALONGSIDE NEW STEREO & 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER.

• PLUS THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FILM OF ‘WONDERING’.

• AND AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET & ESSAY.

Originally released in October 1976, the album was the last to be recorded by the line-up of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton, David Jackson and Guy Evans until their reunion in 2005.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in May 1976, the album featured such material as ‘Wondering’, ‘A Place to Survive’, ‘When She Comes’ and the long piece ‘Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild’.

This new 2 CD / Blu-Ray edition features a remastered version of the original album mix and the single B-side ‘Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)’ along with stunning new stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound mixes by Stephen W Tayler. The Blu-Ray disc also includes the 1976 promotional film of ‘Wondering’. The package and includes an illustrated booklet with essay.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

World Record - Remastered

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering Bonus track

6 Part One (Approx. 35% of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild)

(B-side of single)

DISC TWO

World Record - Stephen W Tayler stereo mix

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

DISC THREE

World Record

High resolution new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes

1 When She Comes

2 A Place to Survive

3 Masks

4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) 5 Wondering

Bonus visual content

6 Wondering

(1976 Charisma Records promotional video)

Great news. I was so disappointed this wasn’t included in the box.

I think it’s a more consistent album than Still Life and, although it doesn't feature anything quite as good as La Rossa, it has Murglys III - which is a blast from start to finish.

Excited!!!

 

[SomethingAnything]

This is exciting and I'll be getting it for sure. @Stephen W Tayler are you able to tell us the story behind this remix? Was it originally meant for the box set and if so, why was it left off? Or is this an entirely new project?

 

[Stephen W Tayler]

This is exciting and I'll be getting it for sure. @Stephen W Tayler are you able to tell us the story behind this remix? Was it originally meant for the box set and if so, why was it left off? Or is this an entirely new project?

Entirely new , only mixed a few months ago and completed just recently. The original Universal box set never had enough budget to mix every album, 'Wave' the multi track tapes were missing, so World Record has a new licence with Cherry Red. Great album! SWTx

 

[Shermatz]

Great news. I was so disappointed this wasn’t included in the box.

I think it’s a more consistent album than Still Life and, although it doesn't feature anything quite as good as La Rossa, it has Murglys III - which is a blast from start to finish.

Excited!!!

VDGG "World Record" on multichannel, GREAT but I confess I'd rather have the MUCH better earlier album "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other," their 2nd album from 1970 (I think).

I actually bought "World Record" new on US Mercury vinyl back in late '75 (not 100% certain of date). I was already a committed fan, and I was GRATEFUL for the new release. It has some moments, but I also felt like it just showed a disturbing "punching the clock" lassitude, especially in the long, sloppy & cringey "Merglys 3", which fills in most of side two with Pete Hammill's slovenly electric guitar noodling over a lugubrious organ/drum reggae shuffle. "WTF" I thought then, and still think today. I think it's a rapid fall-off in quality from "Godbluff" to "Still Life" to "World Record," though I'll absolutely still defend "Godbluff" & "Still Life" as prime-era VDGG, maybe not equal to "Pawn Hearts," but still prog-rock milestones. Hearing "World Record", I just felt disappointed, I expected better after such trailblazing heroics on the earlier albums.

With decades of reflection & softening of my hot-eyed judgment as a prog extremist who scorned everything else, I still think "WR" is badly degraded by "Merglys 3," BUT there's still some gold to be found on most of side 1, and the closer track "Wondering" is still a blazing high point, with PEAK Hugh Banton keys & Peter's words & delivery hitting on all cylinders finally.

VDGG remains a high-ranked niche band in an already narrow slice of proghead demigods. (We're definitely over-represented here in the Quadraphonic alternate universe! Which I'm properly appreciative of!) To my ears, "Pawn Hearts" remains a prog monument, a towering achievement, BUT I have to admit, it's a VERY "acquired taste," and no one's WRONG if they just don't get it. I admit that for me, much of Gentle Giant leaves me cold, I listen & admire the virtuousity, but after a few minutes, I'm squirming in my seat & glancing at my wristwatch. I'm happy to see these modern 5.1 or Atmos resurrections of 1st wave prog-rock, but I think something like Seventh Wave's genius "Psi-Fi" or Focus "Moving Waves" (or "Hamburger Concerto") ought to be getting this treatment INSTEAD of second-tier releases like VDGG "World Record".

 

[SomethingAnything]

VDGG "World Record" on multichannel, GREAT but I confess I'd rather have the MUCH better earlier album "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other," their 2nd album from 1970 (I think).

I actually bought "World Record" new on US Mercury vinyl back in late '75 (not 100% certain of date). I was already a committed fan, and I was GRATEFUL for the new release. It has some moments, but I also felt like it just showed a disturbing "punching the clock" lassitude, especially in the long, sloppy & cringey "Merglys 3", which fills in most of side two with Pete Hammill's slovenly electric guitar noodling over a lugubrious organ/drum reggae shuffle. "WTF" I thought then, and still think today. I think it's a rapid fall-off in quality from "Godbluff" to "Still Life" to "World Record," though I'll absolutely still defend "Godbluff" & "Still Life" as prime-era VDGG, maybe not equal to "Pawn Hearts," but still prog-rock milestones. Hearing "World Record", I just felt disappointed, I expected better after such trailblazing heroics on the earlier albums.

With decades of reflection & softening of my hot-eyed judgment as a prog extremist who scorned everything else, I still think "WR" is badly degraded by "Merglys 3," BUT there's still some gold to be found on most of side 1, and the closer track "Wondering" is still a blazing high point, with PEAK Hugh Banton keys & Peter's words & delivery hitting on all cylinders finally.

VDGG remains a high-ranked niche band in an already narrow slice of proghead demigods. (We're definitely over-represented here in the Quadraphonic alternate universe! Which I'm properly appreciative of!) To my ears, "Pawn Hearts" remains a prog monument, a towering achievement, BUT I have to admit, it's a VERY "acquired taste," and no one's WRONG if they just don't get it. I admit that for me, much of Gentle Giant leaves me cold, I listen & admire the virtuousity, but after a few minutes, I'm squirming in my seat & glancing at my wristwatch. I'm happy to see these modern 5.1 or Atmos resurrections of 1st wave prog-rock, but I think something like Seventh Wave's genius "Psi-Fi" or Focus "Moving Waves" (or "Hamburger Concerto") ought to be getting this treatment INSTEAD of second-tier releases like VDGG "World Record".

Wow, I can only use that old QQ chestnut: your mileage may vary. As a VDGG fan from fairly early on (Pawn Hearts, then going backwards from there - they were hard to find in Oz record stores), I just embraced the album for what it was and have always loved it. I was blown away by how brave and unique Meurglys III (The Songwriter’s Guild) is and still love every moment of it. While the first side is great too, the highlight for me is the incredible Wondering. One of the band's (and Hammill's) greatest songs and a wonderful way to end the album.

And yes, it would be lovely to someday have a surround remix of The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other, if that was a possibility. But meanwhile, I am very happy for the opportunity to have this.

 

[JediJoker]

VDGG "World Record" on multichannel, GREAT but I confess I'd rather have the MUCH better earlier album "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other," their 2nd album from 1970 (I think).

The multis are missing, unfortunately.