Most blogs are full of 2008 summations and 2009 resolutions

Most blogs are full of 2008 summations and 2009 resolutions. Here in Israel, the passing of the civil year isn't much of a big deal; celebrations are held mainly by the Russian immigrants, and certainly not by those who live by the Jewish calendar. I have a joke which only makes sense to the financial population: What's the longest day in the year? Most people would answer June 21 (or is it June 24?), but the real answer is 31 December, because financially that day seems to last for a week if not longer, as everyone tries to complete all financial transactions in the closing year.

Businesses do stock-taking on 1 Jan, but as we have learnt to our cost, the Russian workers are normally not in a fit state to count stock on Jan 1 (nor count anything else save for the amount of aspirin that they need to take), so we delay it for a few days. I'm at work, basically 'on call' if anyone needs anything, but otherwise it's very quiet here.

31 December brings to mind the sleeve notes to Van der Graaf Generator's "Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other" album, which were written on 31/12/69, thirty nine years ago ("Well, it's the last day of an old decade; tomorrow we can start anew" - PH). I've been listening to that album recently, and I have to say that it has worn the years very well. VdGG had a habit of making records with very strong 'A' sides and less strong 'B' sides, and LWCD is no exception to that rule. Opening with the double punch of 'Darkness' and 'Refugees' (immediately displaying the two diametrically opposed poles of VdGG music) and following up with the incredible menace of 'White Hammer' (which also has an optimistic ending), that first side was a real jaw-dropper.

On the other hand/side, 'Whatever would Robert have said' is neat, but doesn't have the anger or menace of 'Darkness'. I love 'Out of my book', complete with its metrical games, but this is more of a throw-back to an earlier incarnation of VdGG, even if it was partly composed by David Jackson. The closer, "After the flood", always seemed to be over-theatrical, short on lyrics and over-exaggerating its punch; I have to admit that whilst listening to it again, my appreciation of its musicality has increased - 12 tone music, indeed!

It is also instructive to compare LWCD to a similar, almost debut, record released a few months earlier in October 1969 (not that I was aware of this at the time; my first listens to this record and LWCD came at around April or May 1970): "The Court Of The Crimson King". Widely claimed as the first progressive record, it certainly had a huge impact at the time, but I think that it hasn't worn well.

There's no arguing that "21st century schizoid man" is a one of its kind piece, the mind-blowing middle section compensating for the simplistic verse section. But of the rest... "I talk to the wind" is pretty but not progressive (as is "Out of my book"), "Epitaph" is massive, huge, but also harmonically simple, "Moonchild" is best not talked about, and the eponymous title track I find to be pompous, overblown and over-rated.

I don't want to be cynical, but one 'progressive music litmus test' is whether my wife can listen to a track; if the answer is 'yes', then the track is not progressive. I would never dare to play her LWCD, but ITCOTKC can be played at will, albeit without the opening track. "Epitaph" has even found its way onto one of her compilation discs (but not "Starless", which starts off as an Epitaph homage and ends up somewhere else entirely).

As far as I am concerned, LWCD is far better than ITCOTKC, and it is a shame that fewer people recognise its importance and value.