IN CAMERA

This is by far my favorite solo album from Peter Hammill. Of the few solo albums I own by him, I found them hit or miss. For example, 1977's Over I just plain couldn't get into (I realize he was undergoing a messy divorce and had to express that). Ph7 is pretty good, though, and The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage is one of his best. In Camera follows Silent Corner, but the only VdGG member involved here is Guy Evans (OK, so was Chris Judge-Smith, but he was only a very early member of the group). Aside from Evans, is also David Hentschel for the ARP synth programming and Chris Judge-Smith (as mentioned before). Paul Whitehead is also credited, but he was totally unaware he even performed on the album because he already moved to the United States by this time, and was likely an earlier recording he made that was just lying around. Before I go any further, there's definitely a debate about what ARP synth is being used on this album. I've seen sources state ARP 2600. I have always suspect it was the ARP 2500, and here's the reason why: David Hentschel used a 2500 Elton John's "Rocket Man" and most notably "Funeral for a Friend". He programs the ARP on In Camera, Peter Hammill plays it here, and he never used any ARP on any of his other solo albums leaving me to believe it was David Hentschel's 2500. Plus it has a lot of sounds that seem too elaborate and sound effects too complex for a 2600 (I should know, I own a 2600, and I can't get it to do many of those sounds heard on In Camera). Unless there were photos taken of In Camera sessions, I can only guess. Plus the album only states "ARP synthesizer", which could mean (in 1974) Odyssey, Pro Soloist (which would hardly be those), 2600 or 2500.

It seems a couple of the songs on In Camera were Aerosol Grey Machine and Pawn Hearts leftovers, I mean to say, written during that time period, but recorded at the end of 1973/beginning of 1974. Anyways, this stuff is just as great as anything coming out of Van der Graaf Generator. "Ferret and Featherbird" is a gentle acoustic number you often hear from Hammill, this being written in 1969, so it wouldn't seem out of place on The Aerosol Grey Machine (itself intended as a Hammill solo album, but leaked out as a VdGG album). "(No More) The Sub-Mariner" is nothing short of amazing. Those ARP synth sounds are just unbelievable, and the dramatic approach Hammill gives us is truly a sight to behold! I really love that powerful pulsing synth sound that Hammill does here. "Tapeworm" rocks even more than your typical VdGG, while "Again" is a gentle acoustic number that leads to the dramatic "Faint-Heart and the Sermon". Again the ARP rears its heard, with some synth sounds that don't sound too different from "Funeral for a Friend" that leads me to think it was a 2500. It also has some cool synth effects, but I shouldn't forget the nice Mellotron passages found here. "Gog"/"Magog (In Bromine Chambers)" is truly unbelievable. Dramatic to a capital "D" with harmonium being used and his melodramatic voice. You start thinking the reason for a solo career is because some of this stuff would been too melodramatic even for VdGG standards (you can almost imagine Hugh Banton, Guy Evans, and David Jackson telling him to "Cool it down on the melodrama"). Then the album ends up with some strange sound effects that just sound plain sinister. This is truly a career highlight for Peter Hammill, as far as I'm concerned. This album is very much a classic and to me a five star rating, comes with my very highest recommendation!