H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

H To He, Who Am The Only One, in my opinion, is one of the most outstanding albums of the 70s. This record contains very interesting, captivating and truly glorious music full of brilliant ideas, with a lot of mood and tempo changes. It is organ/piano and saxophone oriented, which is quite unusual for the genre of rock. Peter Hammill's singing is very emotional and passionate, the musicianship is just top-notch throughout this whole album (with guest appearences of Nic Potter providing some bass on several compositions and Robert Fripp of King Crimson's fame appearing on track 3).

1. Killer (8:07) is just a powerful song with some very memorable melodies. The plot is telling a story about a killer-shark, which is seeking love. Power in Peter's voice, Hugh's organ work, David's sexophone solos and just brilliant drumming by Guy Evans make this, as frontman once said, 'marine bacteriology' tune, an instant prog classic. (9,5/10)

2. House With No Door (6:03) is a wonderful piano ballad, very emotional, as is the delivery on Peter's singing. It is sad, depressing and incredibly beautiful at the same time. Unforgettable VdGG track and one of the best ballad's they've ever done, IMHO. (9,5/10)

3. The Emperor In His War-Room (9:04) - a) The Emperor - b) The Room Is very atmospheric and structured. Great flute and organ sections. Robert's guitar solo here is very reminiscent of his works with KC, very angular melody, it is a great touch. Darkness, fear and aggression are all very prominent here, not only in music but also in the lyrics: this is a description of tyrant's life and death... I find it to be very close to the actual events in 2022. (9/10)

4. Lost (11:13) - a) The Dance In Sand And Sea - b) The Dance In The Frost The first epic on this album (though almost each song by VdGG sounds like an epic) is in fact my favourite composition here. Why? Well, it has everything that makes prog so special to me. This may be the best example of showcasing different moods, changes of tempo, smart writing with melodies and dissonance, poetic lyrics, dramatic vocal delivery and flowing themes, some crazy instrumental sections (especially, those saxophone lines). It has a personal feel to it, somewhat romantic. (9,5/10)

5. Pioneers Over C. (12:05) is a very spacey epic composition that starts minimalistically, almost ambient-like, but then shifts into several groovy sections, which are used for exploration of different sounds... Eventually the sounds (produced mainly by organ) strip down to Peter's vocals which are followed by chaotic instrumental section, which ends this track and album. (9/10)

2005 Virgin remaster includes 2 bonus tracks: 6. Squid 1 / Squid 2 / Octopus (15:24) makes this particular remaster worth owning. It is a part of Pawn Hearts recording session, after the release of H to He... . This is one of the greatest live performances of that era, very tight performance, sometimes even brutal. It's a crime this appeared only in 2005, but it's a pleasure we have it now! (10/10) Quick note: the song Octopus is the final track on Aerosol Grey Machine (VdGG debut/PH solo). However, the remastered epic is quite different, mainly due to sax addition.

7. The Emperor In His War-Room (first version) (8:50) just as Squid/Octopus has the-live-in-studio feel to it. The main difference from the one on original album is the absence of any overdubbs and Fripp's guitar playing. (8,5/10)

This is an essential record not only for proggers but also for listeners in search of something impressive, adventurous, dramatic and imaginative. A masterpiece!