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What about Peter Hammill Voice?
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Barbu View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 29 2020 at 16:41
A wizard of the voice, research master extraordinaire.
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Lush

I like everything he's done on record, I did find him a bit overwrought live at NF in 12.
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https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
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Originally posted by dougmcauliffe dougmcauliffe wrote:

It is one of the most unique voices i've ever heard. The thing is, the dude can actually sing, but he moreso uses his voice as an instrument. He also was sort of doing those somewhat gutteral vocals far before they were expanded on in genres like death metal. Same can be said for the singer of Comus.


I was thinking how to answer this thread, yet your answer sums my thoughts perfectly.
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Well there is a reason why Scorched Earth gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. The guy is not pissing about.
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An acquired taste that, unfortunately, I have had a great deal of difficulty acquiring.
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Classic Peter Hammilll might be the best singer in prog even if an acquired taste..

That latest album he did with Isildur's Bane was just awful though. It was sad to hear him struggle.
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Originally posted by someone_else someone_else wrote:

...
Back to topic: The ultimate example of an acquired taste. He is a great vocalist, though few might believe that at first hearing.

Hi,

My thoughts are that some of those folks have never heard anything except the school choir and some kind of lollipop music with cheap vocals that were enhanced with various utilities so you can't tell that the voice is not right, or perfect.

I find it strange that someone says that about a singer, or any "orator" at all ... because it is all about their delivery and ability to make their material shine ... instead of hitting the right notes on the scale.

No one ever said those kinds of comments about Olivier, Burton and many others on the stage, and some voices are down right .... goodness ... but it made the work come out strong ... and a different voice or singer is no different, except that now the "audience" has the right to kill them!

Something is wrong with the perception of the whole thing ... and I think that the top ten mentality is the problem ... funny he didn't say this about Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and others!



Edited by moshkito - April 29 2020 at 07:46
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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A stranger, a worldly man, a stranger, a worldly man, a stranger, a worldly man......Hysterical !!
And on Fripp’s Exposure album - Disengage..........unhinged 🤪
Only PH can get away with the controlled uncontrollability.
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A very unique performer, and I love his voice. I can understand why some don't though.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
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Waaaay back when I was first getting into prog rock as a niche, his voice turned me off. I couldn't get past it. Because of this, VDGG remained shelved for years for me. After a certain amount of exposure and personal taste, VDGG and Peter became a top 5 prog rock band for me. I love his voice!

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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It's an interesting one. He puts great emphasis on certain words, and the emotion he conveys is incredible.
I love it, but I can definitely see why others wouldn't. 
There's something honest about the way he sings, it's bizarre and difficult to describe.
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Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

Quite useful if you need to clear mice or other small rodents from an outbuilding.

Permanently.
 

Well, rats are known to avoid places from which other rats have fled with fear .

Back to topic: The ultimate example of an acquired taste. He is a great vocalist, though few might believe that at first hearing.
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I have no problem with him. One of the best singers in prog imo.
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On some songs I love him, others I don't.
PROGMATIC
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Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

I'd rather listen to nails scratching down a blackboard for a week.

If I may paraphrase Charles Baudelaire (who was originally referring to Wagner):

I love Hammill, but the vocality I prefer is that of a cat hung up by its tail outside a window and trying to stick to the panes of glass with its claws.
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

‘The Hendrix of the voice’ as I read somewhere.
The way he articulates every word, phrase and mood - unbelievable. Can go from soft to guttural in a split second, can be absolutely bonkers at times. He writes intelligent lyrics and the music is mostly adventurous and unique to match. He’s not everyone’s cuppa, but one of the greatest of our time.


Can't say it better...
If you got ears, you gotta listen — Captain Beefheart
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Originally posted by jamesbaldwin jamesbaldwin wrote:

I think there is a great difference between 1969-71 records and 1975-77 records.

I love Hammill's voice in Aerosol / The Least / H to to He / Pawn Haerts: in these Lp he touches the higher notes with an angelic and wonderful voice (Refugees) and he touches the more dramatic notes with an expressionist voice.

Instead in Godbluff (partially) /Still Life / World Record (most of all) / The Queit (partially) he is not able to catch the higher notes and so he sings with an hoarse and strangled voice that it is difficult to listen to.


Yeah I feel very much the same way about this! Enjoy the later VdGG albums as well, but nowhere near as much as the earlier albums and Peter Hammill's debut.
I'm guitarist and songwriter for the prog-related band Mother Bass. Find us at http://www.motherbass.com. I also enter stages throughout the Netherlands performing my poetry.
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Not really my favorite, though he is a good singer, with good technique. I just don't like his tone. 

Edited by Manuel - April 28 2020 at 09:04
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I'd rather listen to nails scratching down a blackboard for a week.
A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
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Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

Quite useful if you need to clear mice or other small rodents from an outbuilding.

Permanently.




You must be listening to Yoko One a bit too much! Big smile
I was just joshing; I'm a big Hammill & VdGG fan. Yoko, not so much...
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