ENDLESS LOVE
I am listening to After The Flood – Van der Graaf Generator At The BBC from my hometown in Italy, the tiny San Frediano a Settimo. I am still amazed at how good VdGG were in concert, and we Italians always loved them. It made me remember the school reunion I had a few years ago in Sicily. Everyone took different routes in life: judges, surgeons, teachers, working in a shop, etc. However, everyone remembers VdGG, Genesis, King Crimson or Gentle Giant. It was curious to notice that many of my classmates today listen to crappy music, but when I mentioned Peter Hammill and the VdGG, there was always a spark in their eyes, like returning to life.“Oh my God, he was so great… they were so special.”
Progressive rock was so pervasive that there was a copy of Pawn Hearts in almost every student’s room, Peter Gabriel was a musical hero for all of us, and Robert Fripp was the master of all guitarists in the hearts of many. I am positive that you know that Pawn Hearts was the best-selling LP in my country for six weeks, and I remember that it was also challenging to find it! It is almost impossible to believe it today.
British progressive rock (but also the Italian prog!) has shaped a generation in Italy, giving some of the strongest emotions that ever touched this country musically. It would be nice to express my deepest gratitude to the musicians that gave me and my generation the best and unforgettable soundtrack of some of the
most critical years of our life. I can say only that we still love them, and we will always do so.
Vincenzo Leto, Italy