Continuing his partnership with producer Alan Parsons 1979 saw Decca release "More Miles per Hour". I've never understood the rationale behind the decision, but the album never saw an American release. Instead, having signed a multi-million dollar deal with Arista the company inexplicably elected to cannibalize the earlier album, combining five of that set's songs with three new Gary Lyon produced studio efforts ('Sympathy', 'Do It All Again', and 'Where Would I Be without You'). Given new artwork and entitled "Sympathy" the album marked a return to a more pop oriented sound similar to Miles debut with "Rebel". Like the debut, the combination of Miles' great voice, a great backing band and his knack for crafting killer melodies with insidiously catchy hooks made this a wonderful album. Simply first class pop-rock, material like 'Where Would I Be without You', the rock edged title track, and 'Do It All Again' was the kind of stuff most power-pop bands would have killed to have at their disposal. Ironically that commercial edge may have proven the album's downfall. With audiences embracing punk, new wave and disco, good old fashioned pop was sooooo yesterday !!! How unfortunate, though Miles occasionally went too bubblegummy - C'est La Via'' could have passed for an Elton John outtake ... (Hopefully Miles gave up the tobacco habit ...) Elsewhere the two albums were tapped for a series of three singles:


- 1979's 'Can't Keep a Good Man Down' b/w 'Sweet Lorraine' (Arista catalog number )
- 1980's 'Where Would I Be without You' b/w 'Fella In the Cellar' (Arista catalog number AS 0504)
- 1980's 'C'est La Vie' b/w 'Sympathy' (Arista catalog number AB 4261)

Backed by an extensive English tour "More Miles Per Hour" hit # 46 in the UK. "Sympathy" did nothing on the US charts.

"Sympathy" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Where Would I Be without You (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
2.) It's Not Called Angel (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
3.) Sympathy (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
4.) We All Fall Down (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -

(side 2)
1.) C'est La Via (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
2.) Do It All Again (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
3.) Can't Keep a Good man Down (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -
4.) Fella In the Cellar (John Miles - Bob Marshall) -

Their second studio release in a year, 1976's self-produced "World Records" has always been savaged by critics who saw it as a sell-out attempt by the band to court a more commercial sound and a bigger audience. While I can see why hardcore VDGG fans were put off by the album, reflecting my own lowbrow tastes, I'll readily admit that I've always enjoyed the album. At least part of the reason I like this outing stems from the fact it isn't as intense and complex as earlier releases. Don't get me wrong, propelled by Hammill's challenging lyrics and full of the band's patented melodic and rhythmic twists and turns this was instantly recognizable as a VDGG product. On the other hand, 'When She Comes' and 'A Place To Survive' may have been two of the most straightforward rockers they ever recorded (both literally kicked butt). Elsewhere 'Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild' even saw the band incorporating reggae into a song ... reggae for gawd's sake !!! No wonder critics had a meltdown. Another big surprise - Hammill was a decent guitarist. Who knew. Nah, he wasn't about to put Beck, or Clapton out of a job, but for a band that had relied on Hugh Banton's keyboards, Guy Evans' drums, and horn player David Jackson it was a surprise to hear an occasional guitar solo (check out Hammill's work about half way through 'Masks'). Standout track was the closing ballad 'Wondring'. Easily one of the prettiest things Hammill ever composed. It wasn't all as impressive. Clocking in at over 20 minutes, the second side suite 'Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild' seemed even longer. Reportedly inspired by one of Hammill's guitars, the composition bounced all over the place without ever establishing much of an identity, though you got to hear some additional Hammill lead guitar (though it was almost drown out by Jackson's squawking sax)..

In the UK 'Wondering' b/w 'Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild' (Charisma catalog CB 297) was released as the single. In France 'Masks (Parts 1 and 2)' was released (Charisma catalog number 6837 345).

The band toured extensively in support of the album, 1976 saw them undertake their first US tour. Unfortunately the album marked the last release by the original foursome. Personality conflicts with Hammill saw keyboardist Banton leave, followed in short order by sax player Jackson. The two were quickly replaced by ex-String Driven Thing violinist Graeme Smith and bassist Nic Potter. The revamped line up also decided to streamline the name to Van der Graaf.

"World Record" track listing:(side 1)
1.) When She Comes (Peter Hammill) - 8:01
2.) A Place To Survive (Peter Hammill) - 10:00
3.) Masks (Peter Hammill) - 6:55

(side 2)
1.) Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild (Peter Hammill) - 20:50
2.) Wondering (Peter Hammill - Hugh Banton) - 6:34

In an effort to hop onboard the punk and new wave jugernaut, the mid-1970s found record companies signing virtually any band with at least one band member sporting a mohawk or a safety pin poking though a cheek. Against that marketing environment it was funny that Van Der Graaf Generator decided to reform in 1975. You also had to wonder what Mercury Records was thinking about (the leather jackets may have confused management into thinking these guys were punks in disguise), when they decided to release the group's comeback album - 1975's "Godbluff" in the States.

Self-produced, the comeback album showcased a series of four extended Peter Hammill penned tracks - the shortest number clocking in at almost seven and a half minutes. Hammill's always been an acquired taste to my ears, his eclectic lyrics and occasionally braying voice not the easiest thing to get accustomed to. That said, VDGG fans rate this one pretty high in the catalog and it certainly had some moments. To my ears it sure sounded like a concept piece, but given Hammill's highly personal lyrics I've never been able to figure out what that narrative was about, leading me to the conclusion there simply wasn't a unifying theme. Dark, driven, and still complex, their sound remained firmly planted in the progressive camp, though in contrast to some of the earlier albums, musically this one was relatively commercial (remember we're talking about VDGG here so I'm using the term loosely). Tracks like 'The Undercover Man' and 'The Sleepwalkers' actually showcased recognizable melodies that you could have hummed if you'd put your mind to it (be sure to check out the weird little cha-cha segment midway in 'Sleepwalkers'). Mind you this wasn't an ELO album. Showcasing Hugh Banton's stabbing keyboards, Guy Evans jazz-influenced percussion, and David Jackson's aggressive sax and flute, 'Scorched Earth' and 'Arrow' showcased a much sharper edge. 'Arrow' may have been the album highlight. Starting out like a bunch of bee bop jazz musicians who stumbled into a rock groove by complete accident, the song then mutated into a soft acoustic piece before a pissed off sounding Hammill started shrieking about what sounded like the reflections of a recent survivor of a battle.

"Godbluff" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) The Undercover Man (Peter Hammill) - 7:25
2.) Scorched Earth (Peter Hammill) - 9:48

(side 2)
1.) Arrow (Peter Hammill) - 9:45
2,) The Sleepwalkers (Peter Hammill) - 10:31

Krautrock, schmockrock ... True, German bands were at the forefront of 1970s-era electronic music. That said, they weren't the only pioneers in the field - witness The Silver Apples, or these guys ... multi-instrumentalist Ken Elliott and drummer Kieran O'Connor - collectively known as Seventh Wave.

Prior to forming Seventh Wave the pair had recorded a couple of albums as members of Second Hand (I've also seen it referenced as Secondhand). After Second Hand called it quits, in 1973 they decided to continue their musical partnership as Fungus. Fungus managed to release one self-financed single before mutating into Seventh Wave (1973's 'Premonitions Pt. 1' b/w 'Premonitions Pt. 2' (Fungus catalog number FUN 1).

Signed by the small Gull label (the Chess-affiliated Janus label acquiring American distribution rights), the duo made their recording debut with 1974's "Things To Come". Co-produced by O'Connor and Neil Richmond, the album's 14 tracks were really difficult to accurately describe. Interesting for a duo these guys managed to sound like an invading army. complete with what sounded like banks of synthesizers. Portions of the album reflected the same cold distance you'd associate with Krautrock. In fact the brief opener 'Sky Scraper', 'Smog, Fog and Sunset' and a remake of the earlier 'Premonition' would not have sounded out of place on an early Kraftwerk album. That said about a third of the album was surprisingly commercial. The fact it had any commercial potential was made even weirder given Elliott didn't have much of a voice - he somehow managed to bounce from sounding like one of the Chipmunks on 'Old Dig Song' to recalling Levi Stubbs being strangled on 'Fail to See'. Elsewhere 'Metropolis' managed to somehow incorporate what sounded like Atari video game sounds, bits of atonal cityscape noise, and Beach Boys-styles harmonies - I'm not making that up ! Elsewhere Gull tapped the album for a pair of UK singles:

- 1974's 'Metropolis' b/w 'Festival' (Gull catalog number GULS 3)
- 1974's 'Fail To See/\' b/w 'Things To Come' (Gull catalog number GUL 10)

"Things To Come" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Sky Scraper (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
2.) Metropolis (Ken Elliott) -
3.) Intercity Water Rat (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
4.) Escalator (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
5.) Old Dog Song (Ken Elliott) -
6.) Smog, Fog and Sunset (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
7.) Fail to See (Ken Elliott) -

(side 2)
1.) Premonition (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
2.) Festival (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
3.) Ever So Slightly (Ken Elliott) -
4.) Communication Skyways (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
5.) Things to Come (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
6.) 1999 ½ (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -
7.) Dance of the Eloi (instrumental) (Ken Elliott) -

As most folks will be able to deduce from the cover art and LP title, 1977's "That's Not Funny, That's Sick" isn't going to win over anyone with a sensitive disposition. Not that National Lampoon was ever known for being particularly sensitive, but on this one they threw away what little internal censorship they might have employed (in fact when reissued in CD format in 2004 the package carried a parental warning label). Ignoring their earlier penchant for politically oriented comedy, this time out the focus was on more mundane topics ranging from free form college radio, confession, and big oil greed with a special focus on potty mouth deliveries. With Bill Murray and brother Brian Dole-Murray running amok through the proceedings, most of the LP was actually pretty funny in a pimply sophomore guy kind of way. Of the 27 sketches (most about a moment in length), highlights included 'Gymnasty' (with a nod to Nadia Commaneci and out of the blue ending), Christopher Guest's skewering of Mr. Rogers interviewing a rock musician ('Mr. Roberts # 1') and Mr. Rogers and the concerned next door neighbor ('Mr. Roberts # 2'), a hysterical X-rated disco song ('Height Report Disco'), and their hijacking segment.

Mind you there's no way you'd ever mistake John Cale for ABBA, or a similar top-40 pop act, but 1975's "Slow Dazzle" was the album where I discovered he was more than an en avant-garde crackpot ... Self-produced with exceptional backing from Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and others, the collection of largely original material sported a strange mixture of punk paranoia, old fashioned commercial pop and rock moves, and occasional nods to his more experimental roots. Yeah, I know that sounds like an impossible combination for anyone to pull off, but Cale somehow found the recipe. Ironically some critics actually slammed the set as being too commercial, demanding a return to his more experimental endeavors. The album started out with 'Mr. Wilson' which was a fawning tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (who would've ever thought Cale was a fan) and stood as one of Cale's best and most commercial compositions - love the way he sings Californ-EYE-A. Hard to believe it wasn't a hit single. The same was true for the ballad 'I'm Not the Loving Kind' (easily his prettiest ballad) and and the unexpected pop ditty 'Ski Patrol'. Elsewhere tracks like 'Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll' (sporting his best Bob Dylan impression) and 'Guts' (a tale of marital infidelity that featured some of Cale's most disturbing lyrics including a chorus thatI've always heard as 'he's got no guts - and stitches don't help at all'), aptly displayed Cale could rock out as hard as any of his competitors. Other highlights included the positively blood chilling cover of 'Heartbreak Hotel' (every time I hear the Presley version I now think about Cale's cover version), 'Taking It All Away' and 'Darling I Need You' (both sporting incideously catchy choruses). To be honest, the only track that didn't strike a chord with me was the bleak story teller narrative closer 'The Jeweller'. Interesting while most critics seem to gravitate to "Fear" which was the first release in Cale's Island Trilogy, this is the LP that I find the most appealing and enjoyable. Well worth checking out !!!