I've ordered many items from Burning Shed to the States (CDs, LPs, box sets) and they pack very well. I've also used the German company jpc.de (with no problems) but I have no idea if they'll be selling this.
Found this today, link to HMV Store is not working May 30, 2021 at 7:36pm Quote Post by desertchaos on May 30, 2021 at 7:36pm A few errors(?) in the listing but here you go. Price looks really good for the content. Hi-res blu-ray too! The Charisma Years 1970-1978 | CD/Blu-ray Album | Free shipping over £20 | HMV Store A lavish deluxe 20-disc boxed set covering Van der Graaf Generator's entire recorded work for Charisma Records. Between the years 1970-1978 the band released 8 albums (two under the name Van der Graaf) for the legendary Charisma label. Each record was ground breaking and the influence of the band's unique music would be felt in the ensuing decades by artists of many different musical genres. The albums 'H to He Who Am the Only One', 'Pawn Hearts', 'Godbluff' and 'Still Life' have been stunningly 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, plus much much more. Disc 1 Track 1 Darkness (11/11) Track 2 Refugees Track 3 White Hammer Track 4 Whatever Would Robert Have Said? Track 5 Out of My Book Track 6 After the Flood Track 7 Refugees (Single Version) Track 8 Boat of Millions of Years Track 9 Darkness (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 20th January 1970) Track 10 After the Flood (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 20th January 1970) Disc 2 Track 1 Killer Track 2 House With No Door Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room Track 4 Lost Track 5 Pioneers Over C Track 6 Killer (First Version - Previously Unreleased) Track 7 The Emperor in His War Room (First Version) Track 8 Lost (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 12th October 1970) Track 9 Killer (BBC Radio One 'Top Gear' Session, 12th October 1970) Disc 3 Track 1 Lemmings (Including Cog) Track 2 Man Erg Track 3 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers Track 4 Eyewitness Track 5 Pictures/Lighthouse Track 6 Eyewitness Track 7 SHM Track 8 Presence of the Night Track 9 Kosmos Tours Track 10 (Custard's) Last Stand Track 11 The Clot Thickens Track 12 Land's End (Sineline) Track 13 We Go Now Track 14 Man Erg (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971) Track 15 Theme One (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971) Track 16 Vision (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971) Track 17 Darkness (BBC Radio One 'Sounds of the Seventies Session', 10th June 1971) Disc 4 Track 1 Theme One Track 2 W Track 3 Squid/Octopus (The Pawn Hearts Sessions) Track 4 Angle of Incidents (The Pawn Hearts Sessions) Track 5 Ponker's Theme (The Pawn Hearts Sessions) Track 6 Dimunitions (The Pawn Hearts Sessions) Track 7 W (First Version) [The Pawn Hearts Sessions] Track 8 Theme One (Original Mix) [The Pawn Hearts Sessions] Track 9 Man Erg (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971) Track 10 W (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971) Track 11 Killer (BBC Radio One John Peel Concert, 23rd September 1971) Track 12 Refugees (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 14th December 1971) Disc 5 Track 1 The Undercover Man Track 2 Scorched Earth Track 3 Arrow Track 4 The Sleepwalkers Track 5 Scorched Earth (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 3rd July, 1975) Track 6 The Sleepwalkers (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 3rd July, 1975) Disc 6 Track 1 A Louse Is Not a Home (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Track 2 (In The) Black Room/The Tower (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Track 3 Forsaken Gardens (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Track 4 Lemmings (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Track 5 Scorched Earth (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Track 6 Man-erg (Live in Rimini, 9th August, 1975) Disc 7 Track 1 Pilgrims Track 2 Still Life Track 3 La Rossa Track 4 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) Track 5 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End Track 6 Gog (Live at the Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales, 10th May, 1975) Track 7 Still Life (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 1st April, 1976) Track 8 La Rossa (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 1st April, 1976) Disc 8 Track 1 When She Comes Track 2 A Place to Survive Track 3 Masks Track 4 Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) Track 5 Wondering Track 6 When She Comes (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 11th November, 1976) Track 7 Masks (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 11th November, 1976) Track 8 Part One (Approx. 35% Of) Meurglys III (The Songwriters Guild) Disc 9 Track 1 Arrow (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 2 When She Comes (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 3 Masks (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 4 Still Life (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 5 Lemmings (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 6 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Disc 10 Track 1 Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild) [live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976] Track 2 Gog (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 3 Sleepwalkers (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 4 Killer (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Track 5 Man-erg (Live at Maison De La Mutualite', Paris, 6th December, 1976) Disc 11 Track 1 Lizard Play Track 2 The Habit of the Broken Heart Track 3 The Siren Song Track 4 Last Frame Track 5 The Wave Track 6 Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running) Track 7 The Sphinx in the Face Track 8 Chemical World Track 9 The Sphinx Returns Track 10 Door Track 11 Ship of Fools Track 12 The Wave Track 13 Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977) Track 14 The Sphinx in the Face (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977) Track 15 (Fragments of) A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalker's End (BBC Radio One John Peel Session, 24th October, 1977) Disc 12 Track 1 Ship of Fools Track 2 Still Life Track 3 Last Frame Track 4 Mirror Images Track 5 Medley: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers/Sleepwalkers Disc 13 Track 1 Pioneers Over C Track 2 Sci-finance Track 3 Door Track 4 Urban/Killer/Urban Track 5 Nadir's Big Chance Disc 14 Track 1 Killer (Stereo Mix) Track 2 House With No Door (Stereo Mix) Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room (Stereo Mix) Track 4 Lost (Stereo Mix) Track 5 Pioneers Over C (Stereo Mix) Disc 15 Track 1 Lemmings (Including Cog) [stereo Mix] Track 2 Man Erg (Stereo Mix) Track 3 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (Stereo Mix) Track 4 Eyewitness (Stereo Mix) Track 5 Pictures/Lighthouse (Stereo Mix) Track 6 Eyewitness (Stereo Mix) Track 7 SHM (Stereo Mix) Track 8 Presence of the Night (Stereo Mix) Track 9 Kosmos Tours (Stereo Mix) Track 10 (Custard's) Last Stand (Stereo Mix) Track 11 The Clot Thickens (Stereo Mix) Track 12 Land's End (Sineline) [stereo Mix] Track 13 We Go Now (Stereo Mix) Track 14 Theme One (Stereo Mix) Track 15 W (Stereo Mix) Disc 16 Track 1 The Undercover Man (Stereo Mix) Track 2 Scorched Earth (Stereo Mix) Track 3 Arrow (Stereo Mix) Track 4 The Sleepwalkers (Stereo Mix) Disc 17 Track 1 Pilgrims (Stereo Mix) Track 2 Still Life (Stereo Mix) Track 3 La Rossa (Stereo Mix) Track 4 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) [stereo Mix] Track 5 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (Stereo Mix) Disc 18 Track 1 Killer (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 2 House With No Door (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 3 The Emperor in His War Room (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 4 Lost (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 5 Pioneers Over C (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 6 Lemmings (Including Cog) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix] Track 7 Man Erg (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 8 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 9 Eyewitness (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 10 Pictures/Lighthouse (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 11 Eyewitness (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 12 SHM (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 13 Presence of the Night (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 14 Kosmos Tours (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 15 (Custard's) Last Stand (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 16 The Clot Thickens (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 17 Land's End (Sineline) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix] Track 18 We Go Now (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Disc 19 Track 1 The Undercover Man (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 2 Scorched Earth (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 3 Arrow (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 4 The Sleepwalkers (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 5 Pilgrims (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 6 La Rossa (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Track 7 My Room (Waiting for Wonderland) [high Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix] Track 8 Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (High Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound Mix) Disc 20 Track 1 Darkness (Beat Club - German TV, 23rd June, 1970) Track 2 Whatever Robert Would Have Said (Beat Club - German TV, 23rd June, 1970) Track 3 Lost (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972) Track 4 Killer (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972) Track 5 Octopus (Filmed at the Bataclan Theatre, Paris 18th March 1972) Track 6 Theme One ('Pop Shop', 23rd March, 1972) Track 7 A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers ('Pop Shop', 23rd March, 1972) Track 8 The Undercover Man (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975) Track 9 Arrow (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975) Track 10 Scorched Earth (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975) Track 11 Sleepwalkers (Live in Charleroi Palais Des Expos, 27th September, 1975) Track 12 Wondering (Charisma Promotional Film, 1976) [previously Unreleased] Track 13 Cat's Eye (Charisma Promotional Film) [previously Unreleased] Track 14 Van Der Graaf in Concert (The Kohfidisch Open Air Festival, Austria, 17th June, 1978) [previously Unreleased]
I got the Japanese SHM-CDs which sound nice, so never have to listen to the 2005 masters. But I really hope they are doing a new set of masters for this set.
VDGG is not on the same popularity level as a King Crimson, Jethro Tull, or XTC. gentle giant has a giant box with an exclusive 5.1 mix locked in it
Yep , the reason I got fired up never thought Ide see it. I hope its done well and a Hammill box follows. Ide feel better if Wilson was handling this but we shall see.
I own several of the VdGG SHM SACDs. Not sure if they're the same as the SHM CDs being referenced, but they are flat transfers from the master tape and sound fantastic! Since I don't have surround capability, I likely won't need to get this box set even if the original mixes are remastered (though I would expect Stephen W. Taylor to do a great job if he's allowed to master with full dynamics--but then again, I think he's a recording and mixing engineer rather than a mastering engineer, so who knows who would master the original mixes).
As mentioned, they are flat transfers and sound great. The bonus tracks were the same as the 2005 CDs though, except the levels were adjusted. No idea if they are still available. Mostly I have the SHM-CDs, but I did get a couple of the SACDs as well.
If one one can't find the SHM-SACDs/CDs, the original 1980s Virgin UK CDs are extremely similar and probably cheaper to find.
This is a bit complicated. The 2015 SHMs were flat transfers of the basic album but using the 2005 mastering for the bonus tracks. They're the ones to get but they're no longer in print and getting difficult and expensive to find. There was a subsequent issue which I've never heard but which apparently use the 2005 mastering throughout and are a lot easier to find. Using H to He as an example: Flat Transfer - Van Der Graaf Generator – H To He Who Am The Only One (2015, SHM-CD, CD) 2005 Mastering - Van Der Graaf Generator – H To He Who Am The Only One (2016, SHM-CD, CD) There was a lot of discussion on here about the difference and how to tell the issues apart, search Van der Graaf SHM-CD.
I've got pretty much the whole VDGG catalog on original Virgin UK cd and vinyl that I got years ago and is a prized part of my collection. I remember coming across the 2005 remaster of Pawn Hearts back in the day and purchasing it. Big mistake! Horribly loud, a real ear bleeder. All the nuance of the original recording gone. I got rid of it pretty quickly and decided to never try to 'upgrade' my VDGG collection ever again. But this box set does look awfully tempting, if done right, sound-wise.
Man I missed these. Looks like the flat transfers are the way to go. Discogs claims both 2015 shm and sacd are flat transfers. The 16 are the ones that go back to the suck with the 2005. If I understand it correctly. Not sure I need them with all the og cds and records but I bet they sound sick. Its like with Sab you have a alternative with the affordable 2009's to the the sacd flats but with VDGG up until this box and depending how that goes there is not a cheep option. I need to keep on top of this stuff better.
When he had younger ears Im sure it would have been fine. Love the guy to death so we will forgive him.
I've got the early, original cd issues of all VDGG albums and the 2015 SHM-SACD editions. There isn't a big difference between the two, i'd dare to say they're almost indistinguishable. My advice is to get the early cd pressings that are still easy to find cheaply.
I am fortunate to have them all as SHM HR Cutting, Platinum SHM and SACD-SHM. All 3 versions use the same sources and mastering. They have very nice mini sleeves as well but unfortunately seem to be out of print and starting to go up in value. VDGG and this is just my off the top of my head opinion may be one of those bands/acts from the past whose popularity/interest in is going up rather than down. Re the Japanese SACD SHM cds etc I have found they are worth buying on release or as soon as I find out they exist for acts I care about as they do not stay at a normal price forever. It is a shame the 2005 versions are not that great as it was good to have cds with bonus tracks and the catalogue back in print. I too would love Peter Hammil's solo albums from the 70s done in the same SHM-SACD etc series but for whatever reason it never happened. Maybe this time assuming Universal own them all we will get this VDGG box and a PH one at some point.
Most of PHs solo records are on his own Fie! or other small labels and are unlikely to have been sold to the megacorp. His last major label (Virgin) records were in the mid-1980s.
I shall look at my old records and Discogs again! I sort of always thought of PH's solo albums certainly the 70s ones as sort of connected to the VDGG albums. I know they are different but they are all filed together at Chez Torch.
Looks good! My only thought is, a disc of circulating off-air/bootleg material would have been a nice extra - the December 71 BBC session version of "Refugees" is here, but not "A Plague of Father Christmases," and what happened to the rest of the September 1971 In Concert ("Theme One"/"Dambuster's March"?). Was there no room, either, for the single edit of "Meurglys III"? I'll also add my voice to the chorus wishing Time Vaults had been included... I know the concept is the Charisma Years, but it's not as if the band weren't on the label at the time that material was recorded. But these are petty complaints compared to what we are often given in box set land. I'm definitely in for a copy. After all, it's not as if most of us reading this are incapable of ripping an augmented version for ourselves. (I'll be adding Cherry Red's Aerosol Grey box as Disc 0).
