The Aerosol Grey Machine

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Aerosol Grey Machine

| type = studio

| artist = Van der Graaf Generator

| cover = The_aerosol_grey_machine.jpg

| alt =

| released = September 1969

| recorded = January 1969, 31 July – 1 August 1969

| venue =

| studio = Marquee and Trident Studios, London, England

| genre = Progressive rock, psychedelic rock

| length = 46:58

| label = Mercury (USA), Fontana (Germany), Vertigo (Italy & Netherlands)

| producer = John Anthony

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other

| next_year = 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.{{cite book |last1=Christopulos |first1=J. |last2=Smart |first2=P. |title=Van der Graaf Generator – The Book |page=59 |publisher=Phil and Jim |date=2005 |isbn=0-9551337-0-X}}

Releases

The Aerosol Grey Machine was released in September 1969 by Mercury, in the US only.{{cite book |last1=Christopulos |first1=J. |last2=Smart |first2=P. |title=Van der Graaf Generator – The Book |page=58 |publisher=Phil and Jim |date=2005 |isbn=0-9551337-0-X}} An initial edition contained the song "Giant Squid" instead of "Necromancer", but that was a mis-print which was corrected immediately. On the sleeve and on the LP label of the misprint only "Necromancer" is named, but the song is mentioned in the song album credits though, which makes it very likely that initially the LP should feature it.

The LP was released in 1974 by Fontana Records in Germany and by Vertigo in some other European countries. The first UK release was in Feb 1975 also by Fontana.

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.

In the same year Peter Hammill's own UK record label FIE! Records also released the album, but in a different edition. The Fie CD uses a slightly different running order and adds "Giant Squid" along with a previously unreleased early version of "Ferret and Featherbird" as part of the album, and not as bonus tracks at the end of the CD. For this release Hammill also united both parts of "Orthenthian Street" into one song by an initially intended cross fade.

Reception

{{album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}} {{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-aerosol-grey-machine-mw0000231868 |title=The Aerosol Grey Machine – Van der Graaf Generator | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic |last=McDonald |first=Steven |website=AllMusic |accessdate=24 March 2015}}

}}

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". 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."{{cite book |last=Stump |first=Paul |title=The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock |date=1997 |publisher=Quartet Books Limited |isbn=0 7043 8036 6 |page=293}}

Track listing

{{track listing

| all_writing = Peter Hammill, except as indicated

| headline = Side A

| title1 = Afterwards

| length1 = 4:55

| title2 = Orthenthian St (Parts I & II)

| length2 = 6:18

| title3 = Running Back

| length3 = 6:35

| title4 = Into a Game

| writer4 = Hammill, Hugh Banton, Keith Ellis, Guy Evans

| length4 = 6:57

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side B

| title1 = Aerosol Grey Machine

| length1 = 0:47

| title2 = Black Smoke Yen

| writer2 = Banton, Ellis, Evans

| length2 = 1:26

| title3 = Aquarian

| length3 = 8:22

| title4 = Necromancer

| length4 = 3:30

| title5 = Octopus

| length5 = 8:00

}}

{{track listing

| headline = 1997 German CD bonus tracks

| title10 = People You Were Going To

| length10 = 2:44

| title11 = Firebrand

| length11 = 4:08

}}

{{track listing

| headline = 1997 FIE! CD

| title1 = Afterwards

| length1 = 4:58

| title2 = Orthenthian St

| length2 = 6:19

| title3 = Running Back

| length3 = 6:36

| title4 = Into a Game

| writer4 = Hammill, Hugh Banton, Keith Ellis, Guy Evans

| length4 = 6:57

| title5 = Ferret & Featherbird

| length5 = 4:34

| title6 = Aerosol Grey Machine

| length6 = 0:46

| title7 = Black Smoke Yen

| writer7 = Banton, Ellis, Evans

| length7 = 1:27

| title8 = Aquarian

| length8 = 8:21

| title9 = Giant Squid

| writer9 = Hammill, Banton, Ellis, Evans

| length9 = 3:19

| title10 = Octopus

| length10 = 7:57

| title11 = Necromancer

| length11 = 3:30

}}

Personnel

;Van der Graaf Generator

; Additional personnel

  • Jeff Peach – flute on "Running Back" and "Ferret & Featherbird"
  • Chris Judge Smith (only on bonus tracks) – slide-saxophone and harmony vocals on "People You Were Going To", co-lead vocals on "Firebrand"

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
Chart (2019)

! Peak
position

{{album chart|UKIndependent|48|date=20190503|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}
{{album chart|UKRock|9|date=20190503|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}

References

{{reflist}}