FOOL'S MATE

Most PH albums can be compared to some other PH albums - for example In Camera and Silent Corner are close to each other - but what would you compare to his first solo album? The funny thing is that it came the same year as Pawn Hearts (1971, I'm sure) but is almost the perfect opposite of it. Happy, light, reminding of 60's pop in song structures. Progressive elements are almost absent in the compositions (12 quite simple songs each less than 5 minutes); the overall sound is not that far from VDGG, with more or less the same lineup. My favourites are 'Candle', 'Solitude', 'Child', 'Viking' and 'The Birds'. Although it's not Hammill as his most typical, it's easy to enjoy by a PH fan and, despite the lightness, is among his best albums, I think. Paul Whitehead's cover art is a classic too.