The Aerosol Grey Machine
Studio album by
Van der Graaf Generator
ReleasedSeptember 1969
RecordedJanuary 1969, 31 July – 1 August 1969
StudioMarquee and Trident Studios, London, England
GenreProgressive rock, psychedelic rock
Length46:58
LabelMercury (USA), Fontana (Germany), Vertigo (Italy & Netherlands)
ProducerJohn Anthony
Van der Graaf Generator chronology
The Aerosol Grey Machine
(1969)		 The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
(1970)

The Aerosol Grey Machine is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. It was first released in the United States in 1969 by Mercury Records.

Content

The album was originally intended as a solo album by the band's lead singer and main songwriter, Peter Hammill. When the band signed with Charisma Records, a deal was worked out whereby The Aerosol Grey Machine would be released under the Van der Graaf Generator name, in return for Mercury releasing Hammill from his earlier contract.[1]

Release

The Aerosol Grey Machine was released in September 1969 by Mercury, in the US only.[2] An initial edition contained the song "Giant Squid" on the cover but that was a mis-print (on the record "Necromancer" was featured instead), later pressings corrected the mis-print. This version of the LP was later released in Europe by Fontana Records.

The album was reissued on CD in 1997 by Repertoire Records in Germany, using the original running order of the album as released on LP, and featuring the first single as bonus tracks. Another 1997 release, by Peter Hammill's own UK record label FIE! Records, uses a slightly different running order and adds "Giant Squid" along with a previously unreleased early version of "Ferret and Featherbird" as bonus tracks.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [3]

In his retrospective review, Steven McDonald of AllMusic called it "A raw, energetic effort that sometimes did little to show off the young Hammill's talents" that "nevertheless has some fine moments that hint at the possibilities for future releases".[3] Paul Stump, in his 1997 History of Progressive Rock, commented that the album "said little unsaid elsewhere at the time; it was poetically skewed pop, arcanely arranged and cautiously extended."[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Hammill, except as indicated

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Afterwards" 4:55
2."Orthenthian St (Parts I & II)" 6:18
3."Running Back" 6:35
4."Into a Game"Hammill, Hugh Banton, Keith Ellis, Guy Evans6:57
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Aerosol Grey Machine" 0:47
2."Black Smoke Yen"Banton, Ellis, Evans1:26
3."Aquarian" 8:22
4."Necromancer" 3:30
5."Octopus" 8:00
1997 German CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
10."People You Were Going To"2:44
11."Firebrand"4:08
1997 FIE! CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Afterwards" 4:58
2."Orthenthian St" 6:19
3."Running Back" 6:36
4."Into a Game"Hammill, Hugh Banton, Keith Ellis, Guy Evans6:57
5."Ferret & Featherbird" 4:34
6."Aerosol Grey Machine" 0:46
7."Black Smoke Yen"Banton, Ellis, Evans1:27
8."Aquarian" 8:21
9."Giant Squid"Hammill, Banton, Ellis, Evans3:19
10."Octopus" 7:57
11."Necromancer" 3:30

Personnel

Van der Graaf Generator
Additional personnel
  • Jeff Peach – flute on "Running Back"
  • Chris Judge Smith – slide-saxophone and harmony vocals on "People You Were Going To", chorus vocals on "Firebrand"

References

  1. ↑ Christopulos, J.; Smart, P. (2005). Van der Graaf Generator – The Book. Phil and Jim. p. 59. ISBN 0-9551337-0-X.
  2. ↑ Christopulos, J.; Smart, P. (2005). Van der Graaf Generator – The Book. Phil and Jim. p. 58. ISBN 0-9551337-0-X.
  3. 1 2 McDonald, Steven. "The Aerosol Grey Machine – Van der Graaf Generator | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. p. 293. ISBN 0 7043 8036 6.
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