PAWN HEARTS

I am probably a level 1 for this, as I have heard "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" before, but not the other two songs. I have heard some of the bonus tracks, but as has been my practice throughout this journey, I am sticking with the songs from the original release. It is my understanding, however, that the bonus tracks were intended to be part of the album as the band wanted to do an Ummagumma style double album. The record company refused, however. So, we have a format similar to that later used by Yes on Close to the Edge and Relayer, albeit in reverse, with the "shorter" songs on side one and the sidelong on side 2.

Track 1 - Lemmings (Including COG)

We fade in with a pulsing rhythm along with various sounds including a trilling flute. Hammill begins singing at around 20 seconds. Drums kick in after the first verse and we keep building in dramatic intensity. At around 50 seconds, the feel changes and a riff begins to play on the horns. As always Hammill and company are very intense and dramatic. At around 2 minutes things calm down briefly with a clam organ chord, but we dive right back in. We calm down again after the 3-minute mark. There is a sax melody at around 4:20, that turns into an Avant-garde type of solo. Things quiet down again before the 5-minute mark. Then there is an explosion of indeterminate noises. This one really reminds me of early KC. It is very "free form" at around 7 minutes. They come back together at around 7:30. I like David Jackson's horn parts at around 8 minutes. I also like the peaceful section at around the 10-minute mark. As the song reaches conclusion there are some ambient sounds. It has its moments, but this has not been the most enjoyable VDGG track to my ears.

Track 2 - Man-Erg

This one begins with some piano chords and Hammill joins in on vocals. This one has a more traditional ballad feel to it. So far (one minute in) it is reminding me of the song Refugees from the band's second album. There is still lots of song left, so let's see if it remains so. I like the drum fill that happens at around 1:40. I like when Hammill does this half-sung/half-spoken thing. Beautiful organ happens at 2:45. Then, however, things do indeed shift away from a ballad format. By 3 minutes they begin rocking out. Distorted organ and interesting vocal effects are going on here. By 4:35 an electric piano takes over with a moderate drumbeat behind it. Organ comes back, however, as Hammill begins singing again. There is a mellow instrumental part, primarily featuring saxophone. The intensity increases again after the 7-minute mark. By 7:40 though we go back to the ballad feel. Things are feeling grand and majestic at around 9:15. The heavy organ riff returns and then we work our way toward the big finish. I like it better than Lemmings, but still not going to be one of my all-time favorites.

Track 3 - A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers

This is a 10-part suite (or medley) as follows:

a. "Eyewitness" ? 2:25

b. "Pictures/Lighthouse" (music: Banton, Jackson) ? 3:10

c. "Eyewitness" ? 0:54

d. "S.H.M." ? 1:57

e. "Presence of the Night" ? 3:51

f. "Kosmos Tours" (music: Evans; lyrics: Hammill) ? 1:17

g. "(Custard's) Last Stand" ? 2:48

h. "The Clot Thickens" (music: Hammill, Banton, Evans, Jackson; lyrics: Hammill) ? 2:51

i. "Land's End (Sineline)" (music: Jackson; lyrics: Hammill) ? 2:01

j. "We Go Now" (music: Jackson, Banton) ? 1:51"

(Above copied from the Wikipedia page)

We begin with electric piano at a slow tempo, quickly joined by Hammill's vocals. He goes into a falsetto shortly afterward. Then returns to a normal register. By 2:40 things quiet down with sounds that suggest the ocean. The song is literally about a lighthouse keeper who witnesses disasters at sea and the depression it causes, so that makes sense. There is some foreboding music at around 4:40 on the organ. At around 5:30 a 6-8 rhythm returns. Hammill certainly has a unique vocal style; I'll give him that. I like the horn parts at around 7:45, though perhaps I should refer to them as "porn harts" as David Jackson jokingly called them as he was about to record some of them. The joke led to the name of the album. There is a quieter section around the 10-minute point dropping to nearly nothing by 10:35 before it starts to build back up. By 11 minutes Hammill is in full vocal hysterics. I am enjoying the chaotic middle instrumental section that begins around 11:30. By 13 minutes it has gotten a bit much- Perhaps the lighthouse keeper is going insane? The ensuing lyrics seem to indicate such: "The maelstrom of my memory is a vampire, and it feeds on me/ now, staggering madly, over the brink I fall." Things go suddenly quiet after that dramatic line. Then piano and organ begin playing more calm chords. Nice arranging at around 14 minutes. Hammill's vocals are nice at around 15 minutes. It's very dramatic (again) after the 16-minute point. The music and vocals that follow sound like a deranged circus band. I do believe this is the music of someone going insane. Suddenly the cacophony comes to a close at around 19:10 and piano chords begin. Hammill begins singing again. Nice harmonies around 21:00. The ending section is building a dramatic crescendo to close the song. I actually like it more than the side one songs, but it can get a bit much at times for me.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I don't know that VDGG will ever be one of my favorite bands. I do enjoy some of it, but other times it's just not for me. They are very talented, and Peter Hammill is a singular creative force. However, they get a little too atonal and free form for me sometimes. That said, I'll give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars, as I do think there is a lot to enjoy in APOLHK.

Clicking 3, but really 3.5!