THE AEROSOL GREY MACHINE

3.5 stars. Yes, I've been thinking for a long time about what the final score of this album should be, going between a weak and nondescript three and a quite confident four, in favor of which I made my final choice, tilting my average score of 3.5 for the better and that's why...

Indeed, let's be conditioned and accept the fact that this album has significant drawbacks in the context of comparing it with the later works of the Generator, which makes it possible to talk about it as if twice - in retrospect - in comparison with the "future" of the band's work in relation to it and as a separate, important, independent, non- generational record., and, let's say, Hammill's solo album. And throughout my review, for further reasons, I will adhere to both positions in order to ultimately, in order to avoid any dissonances in my own point of view, give a complete picture of this very remarkable work.

In general, this album in comparison with others has always been somewhat underestimated, just paled against the background of its younger brethren. And there are several reasons for this. Firstly, of course, the sound, which here is devoid of that purely Generator gloom and depressiveness, and secondly, the composition, which is not yet classical here, and in general, you are guaranteed to forget some of the participants after listening to the record. I will try to link both of these factors, starting with a rather objective clarification (which actually says to some extent for all the long- term mistakes of the album) that this work was originally intended as a solo album by Hammill In some places, the rest of the album's participants (who, with the exception of Hammill himself and some mysterious flutist Jeff Pitch, were about four) simply do not have enough space to realize themselves and their instrumental skills. This is especially noticeable in the organist Hugh Benton, who, often preferring the piano to his organ here, sometimes wants to be heard as a soloist, but this does not happen, and, with the exception of the piano solo stylized by Viennese Classics from the introductory Afterwards - we will talk more about the compositions later - he does not receive due attention. And although Benton, I believe, is akin to Tony Banks from Genesis, was not a virtuoso-oriented and speed- generous keyboard player, here you want to hear him more often and precisely as a "foreground" musician The same applies to the other members of the band - Hammill overlaps them with its pronounced poetic and musical personality. And of course, one cannot but say that the composition itself, the main core of which has already been formed here, is not complete, because there is neither David Jackson nor Nick Potter yet. And this has a lot of influence, because no matter how hard, for example, the former bassist - Keith Ellis - his parts are in any case quite plain and average. Of course, the best thing on this album is Hammill in full - a poet, songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and leader, who forms the sound of the band in a key way. Sound... It is, as many have already noted regretfully, not a Generator, which I will still argue with. Despite the obvious composition problem, in connection with which we can no longer get what, for example, was on Pawn Hearts, the sound of bands in a purely Hammill image is still very atmosphere and sometimes able to catch up with horror, and there is a lot to say about it. And then we move on to the compositions

The album opens with the "Afterwards" already mentioned above - an almost five-minute near-psychedelic work that immediately sets the listener up for a completely positive calm mood. This is already a good start - beautiful vocals, unhurried tinkling accompaniment of acoustic guitar and very gentle, high-pitched vocals of Hamill - everything you need for happiness.

The two-part "Orthenthian St." continues the line of this psychedelia, marked by the annoying accompaniment of Benton's "D" note and rhythmically clear Evans percussion in the first movement and the Pentatonic piano at the beginning of the second movement, in accordance with the change of mood of which you can already hear the first echoes of the future sound of Generator - rebellious, disturbing. Hammill's vocals here reach those intonations that he will later achieve in his best compositions like "plague of the lighthouse keepers...", etc. Otherwise, Orthenthian St. this is quite a good six-minute rock number

"Running Back", apparently written under the influence of folk music, and containing some pastoral, mysterious motifs - in itself is a very minimalistic thing in its composition, the best part of which is beautiful harmonic developments accompanied by guitar and solo flute (which in themselves perfectly harmonize each other with a friend) with Hammill vocals. In some places, the composition can create a very unusual mood, and therefore it is strongly recommended to pay attention to it when listening.

"Into A Game" is interesting to me as an example of a heavier, but, by the way, almost devoid of the previous anxiety Generator - something gives "Cat's Eye". I will note Keith Ellis' good bass line, which, combined with Evans' powerful playing, makes the composition more rock-oriented. And add here Hammill's aspiring vocals, which by the end is replaced by less noticeable, already more howling - and it will be even better. I will also note Benton's inconspicuous piano, playing in small seconds and leading its melodic line in the background.

Although "Aerosol Grey Machine" and "Black Smoke Yen" are different numbers, due to their short duration and, equally, low content, I will consider them as one whole, although the latter of them tends to the first rock epic of the album, as if preluding it. The first track will be remembered by you as one of the most optimistic things of the whole band's creativity, no more. But "Black Smoke..." is a pretty interesting number on, suddenly, 13/8. Evans plays triols, and Ellis' minimal bass complements it, according to which Evans somehow improvises. In general, I consider it necessary to consider "Black Smoke..." as a preliminary track to the next thing.

One of the central things of the album is the eight-minute semi-psychedelic "Aquarian" - a vivid example of emancipation, even a certain lightness, which, if you think about it, is not quite characteristic of the band even on this album, not to mention others. In general, Aquarian is built in the form of a rondo on the interaction of a verse and a chorus, in which Hammill's epic lyrics are replaced by a laconic organ. And only at the end of the composition gets a certain development, passing through a gradual crescendo, asserting from the former psychedelic mood some kind of lost ecstasy - the organs flirt dissonantly - and Hammill stops singing fantastic journeys and starts talking to himself - a similar Generator technique has been used more than once in the future - this is clearly seen on "After The Flood" or "A Plague...". A good thing and very memorable.

The beginning of "Necromancer" with its incomprehensible electric whistles smacks of Pink Floyd's wounds, and the main organ riff generally resembles Soft Machine with their "Lullabye Letter". In this psychedelia, Evans' metronomic playing saves, which, at the same time, generally takes 5/4 at first, only with the introduction of vocals switching to the song "square" 4/4. In the middle, the sound changes, Hammill takes long notes, we begin to feel the magic sung in the text in our ears and head.

One of the reasons that keeps many people from forgetting "Aerosol..." is his latest composition - the eight-minute Octopus, which is the darkest and most memorable thing on the album. The composition begins with a "twitching" ostinate riff, built on an interval of a small second - an interval, frankly, gloomy and very narrow - Ellis was able to realize himself as a minimalist bassist throughout the album. Hammill's alienated vocals also come in here, which often breaks down into his characteristic scream. Well, a kind of cherry on the cake here are Glissando-Benton's passages, which, to match the name, water waves will tremble - the theme of water depths will then be revealed more than once at Generator - you know where. The composition itself is quite long - in places all the music is given only to Benton - he takes a moderate pace, creating colorful landscapes with his organ, and his long, sustained notes - like water jets - deprive the composition of a clear structure, turning it into a purely expressionist opus all the perception of which comes only from the emotional mood of the listener. And only the same rhythmic pattern of the eighth percussion still leaves a reminder of wholeness in it, but it also goes back to the end, when the group, as in Aquarian, takes a rapid crescendo, and the organ takes even darker chords - no, not chords, but just clusters. This thing will be remembered for a long time.

Well, I have to admit, while I was listening to this album again for my review, I began to like it even more, because no matter how far from any other album this record would be, there are still a lot of good things in it, which I think it makes no sense to talk about again - otherwise if necessary, you can go back and reread my opinion recorded at the moment. In any case, I think that some compositions from this album, such as Octopus, for example, were so successful that they may well fit into the later work of the band, perhaps only yielding to it from an instrumental point of view - not from an atmospheric or lyrical one - the band always had everything in order with it - Hammill solo album after all... In conclusion, I will try to tell you who and how to listen to this album. Well, first of all, I strongly do not recommend avoiding this thing, even if you are not a fan of the band or are biased specifically about this work - it is worth your attention, do not think otherwise, please. It will be useful to note the importance of this work for those who are just planning to get acquainted with the band, without imagining what it is worth starting their acquaintance with - or for those who are just afraid to go to later albums for fear of blowing their roof off with this apocalyptic rock. Yes, this is also worth considering - the album is suitable for beginners for obvious reasons.

4/5 is a great album, not without flaws, but important and irreplaceable.