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Equality 7-2521 
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 Topic: Peter Hammill Solo
Posted: January 12 2009 at 21:51 |
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It's rare I start a thread, but Peter Hammill is really destroying me right now.
I don't have too great a representation of his solo work I suppose. I only own Fool's Mate, Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night, In Camera, Silent Corner And The Empty Stage, Nadir's Big Chance, Over, and A Black Box, but I'm fairly convinced he couldn't force a bad record out of himself.
Enough is said around here about his vocal talent and his VdGG writing, but what about his solo work. Two things primarily strike me about it. The emotive capability he has with his writing, even when confined to his voice and an acoustic guitar, is striking. Also more importantly maybe is how everything comes off so genuine. Nothing from his acoustic ballads to his off-the-wall electronic experimentation seems the least bit forced.
Anyway discussion.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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memowakeman
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 00:37 |
thanks to my girlfriend i discovered several Hammill albums that are really worth listening, one of them that really caught my attention due to its music, it's compositions and what it transmits is PH7, i highly recommend it to you!
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Follow me on twitter @memowakeman
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npjnpj
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 02:08 |
Hammill solo is one great experience. Given the sheer volume of his output though, it's quite overwhelming and can become a bit much over longer periods of time.
I had a time when Hammill was never out of my player until quite suddenly, just from one day to the next (about the time 'Out Of Water' was released), I went completely off him. This actually lasted for six years until I got re-aquainted with his work. Since then I've been careful not to overdo it, but some of the excitement is gone.
He's absolutely unique though, and although I've spent some time catching up with his output until 'Singulatrity', I miss the variation. A bit of a case of whether the albums have either 'a high recognition value' or are 'more of the bloody same'.
As for my favourites, I'd point to 'Black Box', where his first period seemed to peak, 'Typical' the live double-CD release with just PH, an electric guitar, and keyboard (probably because I was at one of those concerts,...ah memories), and the original 'House of Usher' (the one that wasn't mucked about with). And I mustn't forget to mention 'Nadir's Big Chance' that sticks out like a very good sore thumb.
As for his sonic albums: Very fascinating indeed, I was especially taken with the concept of 'The Appointed Hour' together with Roger Eno, that shows very interesting results.
Edited by npjnpj - January 13 2009 at 02:11
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BaldJean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 28 2005
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 03:30 |
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Hammill is indeed extremely prolific. I highly recommend his opera "The Fall of the House of Usher", especially in the 1999 version. unfortunately it is currently only available from e-bay or amazon or sources like that, at sometimes ridiculous prices. I think all of his albums are worth buying, though of course even Hammill can not maintain the same high level of quality all the time with such a huge output. but there is no really disappointing album in his output. his live albums are all extraordinary good too
Edited by BaldJean - January 13 2009 at 13:35
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 A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Equality 7-2521
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 08:59 |
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Yeah I've been trying to track down Usher for awhile, the best price I've seen was $45 which is still too steep.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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TGM: Orb
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 13:08 |
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Hammill is simply incredible. His voice is beyond expressive, his compositions are always memorable and effective, his lyrics are a cut above just about anyone else in the business (Roger Waters excepted).
Listening to A Louse Is Not A Home (one of my top ten songs ever) at the moment, and it's every bit as incredible as I remember it. I've got a fair few of his albums now (I think The Future Now and pH7 aren't as strong as the others, but it's early days for those two at the moment). I also picked up Fool's Mate recently. I love it to pieces, even if noone else seems to.
Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night is one of my absolute favourite albums.
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Anaon
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 14:55 |
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It's not the usual favourite one, but Over is my favourite one, I think it's a really beautiful, emotional, masterpiece!
And these ones too Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night, In Camera, Silent Corner And The Empty Stage are must-have!!
The song "A Louse Is Not A Home" is fantastic!!
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jimmy_row
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 18:00 |
Easily one of my favorite singers...and songwriters. I'd have to say that his solo material is mostly up to the same level as VdGG if not more impressive due to the volume. I'm most familiar with the older stuff and I love the stylistic evolution between the Van der Graaf sounding Silent Corner and the crunchy rock stuff like Nadir and experimental Black Box. Some of the lyrics (especially with Van der Graaf) can be tiresome, even moreso if you're not in the mood - he wasn't as consistent with words as he was with music, but he was about as good a lyricist as anyone doing the progressive rock thing then. In addition to his solid output, his unwillingness to shovel out any cheesy crap (when others were doing it) gets tons of respect from me.
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Signature Writers Guild on strike
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Alberto Muńoz
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Posted: January 13 2009 at 18:06 |
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Great one!! very deep lyrics and music, i have almost all his cd's love the man to death
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moshkito
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Posted: January 15 2009 at 14:04 |
Hi
It's nice to see this, and I'm sure that Peter will be flattered, and humble all the same ... and say ... it's just me ... who else did you think it was? (Did I paraphrase that ok?)
Do I have a favorite ... nope .. the minute I say that another cut eats me up!
That said ...
Over ... hard to leave behind Alice and/or Yoga
Skin ... After the Show and the end medley's last 3 songs ... in my book this is the most incredible comment and attack (not in a mean way) on New Age fad'ists ... I remember playing this to a lady once (owned a hip New Age store etc etc ... ) and she used to say ... so angry ... and I decided that it was not worth telling her that her ears were plugged .... it's not angry at all! Never was! Expressive yes. Angry no.
Out of Water - I happen to think that A Way Out is by far one of the best things I have ever heard ... and you and I can not look in the mirror many times thinking ... I could/should have said that ... regardless of what it is or was ... there was always a reason ... and this song is all about that ... in one swell foop!
At this point I am 10 years behind, with X My Heart the last album I have.
It's funny ... at 23 I was listening to Bernina ... and thought ... wow ... Abelard and Heloise are alive and well ... and in a new language ... and one I could understand. To me,. like YES' Topographic Oceans, Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, and a handfull of others ... this was the CLASSICAL music of my generation ... the very thing that pop music could not do or wished to do, or EVER could ...
Some of those bands lost their power in the rock press and became just another band. It's almost impossible for anyone here to actually say ... anything remotely ... as bad as that ... some wines get better with age ... some singers improve beyond imagination ... because ... it's easy ... it's not about ego or imagination ... it's about who you are. Adn I'm sure that Peter has no worries on that score at all.
I have not heard The Fall of the House of Usher ... but somehow I see that as the construct/deconstruct of his own imagination and thinking ...
I'm just glad to see such inspiration and care and beauty still alive and well ... and being productive.
I've come to understand that all this non sense about being who you are ... is just that ... all about how open and honest you can and want to be ... and in this sense, Peter has always been an idol of sorts ... it doesn't matter which album I touch ... the "reality" is there, and I almost feel like ... I can wake up now!
More SKIN!
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Zargus
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Posted: January 16 2009 at 17:53 |
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I got most of this 70s albums and are yust about to start buying his 80s ones, so far i havent been dissapointed with anything from him solo or vdgg his yust incridible. I dont think i ever realy hade an musical idol but if i hade one it whuld be Hammill. I think its very simpel with PH ither you dont like him or you love him, and if you love him like some of us do you know he whuld never dissapoint you ;)
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rosenbach
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 03:45 |
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Definetely one of my favourite singers, even when he's solo on stage like in the "Skeletons os songs" bootleg, he doesn't seems to need anybody else there.
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Cygnus X-2
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 04:07 |
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I'm more and more drawn to his solo work. His solo piano works (like In the End or Wilhelmina) are always incredibly striking to me and are amongst my favorite pieces of his. I like that he keeps his solo style different than his style with VdGG (not counting the pieces on his 70s albums meant for VdGG, like Black Room and Louse), it really shows his versatility and range. Another piece that really struck a chord with me was (This Side of) the Looking Glass, his emotive capabilities are almost overwhelming for me at times (actually read my review of Over and you'll get an idea of how his solo music has deeply affected me).
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Rocktopus
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 04:10 |
 memowakeman wrote:
thanks to my girlfriend i discovered several Hammill albums that are really worth listening, one of them that really caught my attention due to its music, it's compositions and what it transmits is PH7, i highly recommend it to you!
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Of the ones the topicstarter is missing PH7 and The Future Now are the two I would reccomend getting first. The two following the brilliant Black Box: Enter K and Sitting Targets are great new wave-sounding albums. There's quite a few 80's and 90's albums I wouldn't reccomend.
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Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
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Equality 7-2521
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 14:50 |
Cygnus X-2 wrote:
I'm more and more drawn to his solo work. His solo piano works (like In the End or Wilhelmina) are always incredibly striking to me and are amongst my favorite pieces of his. I like that he keeps his solo style different than his style with VdGG (not counting the pieces on his 70s albums meant for VdGG, like Black Room and Louse), it really shows his versatility and range. Another piece that really struck a chord with me was (This Side of) the Looking Glass, his emotive capabilities are almost overwhelming for me at times (actually read my review of Over and you'll get an idea of how his solo music has deeply affected me).
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Agree fully and ROBERT!! 
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Equality 7-2521
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 14:51 |
Yes those are the next two on my list unless FotHoU becomes available. I have Black Box really good stuff there especially side 1. I'm sure I'll own his whole discography at some point.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Cygnus X-2
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 15:47 |
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crimson87
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 16:18 |
The only album from PH that I own is Fool's mate and I'ts quite good despite being very different from VDGG
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Equality 7-2521
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Posted: January 17 2009 at 18:27 |
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Cygnus X-2
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Posted: January 18 2009 at 14:02 |
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Peter Hammill Solo
