Artist: VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR
Album: PAWN HEARTS REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1971/ 2005
EAN/UPS: 0724347489020
Media type: CD

Pawn Hearts is the fourth album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, released in October 1971 on Charisma Records. The original album features just three tracks, including the side-long suite "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers". The album was not commercially successful in the UK, but reached number one in Italy. It has since seen retrospective critical praise and was reissued on CD in 2005 with extra material.

The songs for the album were worked out while on tour in 1971, with further development and arranging at manager Tony Stratton-Smith's house in Crowborough, Sussex over a two month period. The original plan had been to release more material, making up a double album, but Charisma vetoed the idea. A non-album single, "Theme One" was included on some releases in the US and Canada. The album's strong commercial showing in Italy resulted in a number of lucrative promotional tours there, but the resulting pressure led to the band's split in August 1972.

TRACKLIST:
No.     Title     Writer(s)     Length

1.     "Lemmings"             11:40
2.     "Man-Erg"             10:26
3.     "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers"       Hammill, Banton, Evans, Jackson     23:13
4.     "Theme One (Original mix)" (A different mix from the version on the U.S. and Canadian LPs or the UK single)     Martin     3:16
5.     "W (First version)" (The February 1972 single used the second version)           5:04
6.     "Angle of Incidents"       Evans     4:48
7.     "Ponker's Theme"       Jackson     1:28
8.     "Diminutions"       Banton     6:00

LINE-UP:

    Hugh Banton – Hammond E & C, Farfisa Professional organs, piano, mellotron, ARP synthesizer, bass pedals, bass guitar, psychedelic razor, vocals
    Guy Evans – drums, tympani, percussion, piano
    Peter Hammill – lead vocals, acoustic and slide guitar, electric piano, piano
    David Jackson – tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, flute, vocals

Additional personnel:
    Robert Fripp – electric guitar