Price: £120.00
Format: Boxset
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
CatNo: 3523454
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Van Der Graaf Generator The Charisma Years Boxset Peter Hammill
A deluxe 20 disc (17 CD / 3 Blu Ray) box set covering Van der Graaf Generator’s entire recorded work for Charisma Records
 
Between the years 1970-1978, VdGG released 8 unique and uncompromising albums for the legendary Charisma label.
 
This set features all eight of the band's Charisma albums remastered from the first generation master tapes plus much more.
 
Additionally, H to He Who Am the Only One, Pawn Hearts, Godbluff and Still Life have been 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 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, 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.
 
Packaged with a 68 page book and rare photos, The Charisma Years is a definitive account of an essential career.
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 tracks
 
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 Mutualité, 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 Mutualité, 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
 
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 EighteenBlu-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
 
Bonus Tracks
 
Boat Of Millions Of Years
Theme One
W
 
Disc NineteenBlu-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 TwentyBlu-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