Live At Rockpalast was recorded at the formal setting of the Leverkusen jazz festival in 2005, which suited the group well; always brilliant when playing to a musically aware audience. It is a classic capture of the reformed band on great form.
Van der Graaf Generator were one of the most original and inspiring bands of the 1970s. This boxed set celebrates this second era of Van der Graaf Generator with all of the albums issued by the band between 2005 and 2016. Including the albums Present, Real Time, Trisector, Live At The Paradiso, A Grounding In Numbers, Alt, Merlin Atmos and the long deleted live double album and concert DVD ‘Live At Paradiso’ and the rare additional live CD previously issued only on the limited Japanese release of ‘Real Time’.
For once, a recitative is the focus of a cantata. In BWV 47, the opening chorus, two arias, and the final chorale are grouped around the central statement "Mankind is dirt, stench, earth and ashes," which can hardly be surpassed in clarity. It takes a soloist with a powerful voice and experience of life to get the message across credibly!