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<th align=left>Greg Northrup
&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="progweed" href="http://www.progweed.net"><img src="/pics/progweed.jpg"></a>
</th>
<th align=left>5-November-2001
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<th align=left>Overview
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<p>Peter Hammill</p>

<p>Peter Hammill's solo work and with prog legends Van Der Graaf
Generator has been like a revelation to me.  He is probably my favorite
lyricist and singer of all time.  The existentialist fascinations he
explored in Van Der Graaf are carried over into many of his solo works.  His
obsession with lost love, lost faith, time, space and existence itself are
the cornerstones of both his work with the band and his solo albums. His
highly emotional and overwrought vocals have the capability of expressing
all levels of pain, anger, frustration and love and his expressive and
scathing lyrics are among the most poetic and beautiful I have ever heard.
The solo albums made between VDGG reunions are top-notch, and tend to
streamline VDGG's sound into a more vocally oriented and intimate, yet no
less harrowing, musical portrait.</p>

<p>Hammill is one of the most strongly visionary and uncompromising
artists of our time.  His varied discography is titanic and nearly
impossible to track down in its entirety.  Though his albums are of
varying quality and/or interest to the progressive rock listener, there's no
doubt that Hammill always pursued his musical ambition with the fullest
dedication and integrity.  However, his earlier (and best) albums are still
readily available for the most part.</p>

<p>Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>Fools Mate</i> (1971)</p>

<p>Peter Hammill's solo debut is also one of his weaker albums, made up of
short, poppy ditties that were an intentional departure from his work with
Van Der Graaf Generator. That said, many fans enjoy this album because of
it's somewhat irreverent charm and the fact that it really doesn't take
itself to seriously, unlike the solemn and foreboding work of Hammill's main
band.  One gets the feeling that this album is definitely just "for fun" and
for that reason that album lacks the artistic and emotional power of
Hammill's later works.</p>

<p>All the instrumentation is handled by committee, and every member of
Van Der Graaf Generator guests at some point on the album.  Also of note is
the presence of King Crimson's guitar god Robert Fripp, who also plays on
VDGG's <i> H to He...</i> and <i> Pawn Hearts</i> albums.  Despite all the instrumental
virtuosity possessed by the album's players, the songs rarely allow for much
interesting interplay at all, and after some verse/chorus/verse structuring,
wrap themselves up without any experimental pretense.  The tracks are all
quite enjoyable, &quot;Imperial Zeppelin&quot; is raucous fun and I thoroughly enjoy
&quot;Sunshine&quot;, which has an insanely catchy refrain.  The best songs however,
are the ballads, which really show of Hammill's voice and pack the most
emotional punch. &quot;Solitude&quot;, &quot;Vision&quot; and &quot;Child&quot; are all especially
beautiful.</p>

<p>The album as a whole is not representative of either Peter Hammill
or Van Der Graaf Generator, and I sort of see it as strictly a point of
interest for established fans.  Hammill would release a string of absolutely mind-blowing
works after this one until the close of the decade, both solo
and with VDGG.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>Chameleon in the Shadow of Night</i> (1973)</p>

<p>The first of a classic trilogy in progressive rock history, <i> Chameleon...</i> and
its companion pieces <i> The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage</i> and <i> In
Camera</i>,
are as good if not better than many of the Van Der Graaf Generator albums. <i>
Chameleon...</i> is one of the more simplistically arranged albums that Hammill
was involved in up to that point.  Most of the songs are merely Hammill's
powerful, darkly haunting lyricism accompanied by acoustic guitar, piano, or
minimal orchestration, thereby making this one of the most intimate and
emotional progressive rock albums.   Adorers of Hammill's voice will love
this album.</p>

<p>&quot;German Overalls&quot; and &quot;Slender Threads&quot; begin the album in this
manner, with the simple arrangement of voice and guitar.  Both are strong
tracks if a little off-putting.  I found the minimalism difficult to get
used to, especially in light of his previous work with Van Der Graaf. &quot;Rock
&amp; Role&quot; features a full band and is one of Hammill's best tracks, a haunting
and venomous track with a throbbing rhythmic base, yet still quite
understated. &quot;In the End&quot; is a beautiful track that introduces classical
piano as the primary backing instrument, and is tremendously effective.  It
is only at the end of the album, on &quot;In the Black Room&quot; and &quot;The
Tower&quot;, two
tracks designed to flow together as one,  that the full band kicks in a
rages with an intensity akin to Van Der Graaf Generator's best moments.
These songs are positively incredible, and sound like they could be among
the finest and most intense Van Der Graaf Generator songs, as they are
recorded with the classic VDGG lineup.  A timeless album, though <i> Silent
Corner...</i> or prime VDGG such as <i> Pawn Hearts</i> or <i> Godbluff</i> would be a better
place to start exploring Hammill's extraordinary body of work.  A must-have
for initiates.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage</i> (1973)</p>

<p>Ahhhhhhhh... This is one of my favorite albums of all time.  This album and
its follow-up, the masterful <i> In Camera</i>, show Peter Hammill at his absolute
creative peak.  The songs are focused and melodic yet undeniably dark and
foreboding.  The sense of gothic atmosphere is overwhelming, and Peter
Hammill's voice is at its demonic best. &quot;Modern&quot; opens the album in
classic fashion, a monstrous track centered around Hammill's tortured
vocals, apparently mourning the loss of mankind's spirit as he is
continuously civilized. &quot;Wilhemina&quot; is one of the weaker tracks, a simple
ballad the serves a brief respite before the powerful &quot;Lie (Bernini's Saint
Theresa)&quot;, an introspective account of Hammill's bout with organized
religion, a theme that would be revisited throughout his career, especially
on the next album, <i> In Camera</i>. &quot;Forsaken Gardens&quot; is one of my single
favorite tracks of all time, featuring absolutely gorgeous melodies that
build up to grandiose emotional climaxes, Hammill emotes like few others on
this one. &quot;Red Shift&quot; and &quot;Rubicon&quot; are both decent tracks, but the real
monster on the latter half of the album is the epic &quot;A Louse Is Not a Home&quot;,
which, like &quot;The Black Room/The Tower&quot; from <i> Chameleon...</i> functions as one of
the most intense Van Der Graaf Generator not recorded under their name.
This track is simply indescribable, and it wouldn't be going too far as to
say that this one of the best progressive rock songs ever recorded, quite
simply a tour-de-force of power and emotion.  The song can be so
introspective and haunting and moments, only to switch on the afterburners
and kick  to full-on rage and explosive throttle.</p>

<p>Four out of the seven songs on this album are classics, the other
three are OK, but not on the same level.  Still, these four tracks are
utterly unbelievable. &quot;Forsaken Gardens&quot; and &quot;A Louse Is Not a
Home&quot; are
songs I enjoy with, and at times even above, any of the best single tracks
from Van Der Graaf Generator.  This album is a dark and emotional
progressive rock classic.  My highest recommendation.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>In Camera</i> (1974)</p>

<p>The introspective power of the two previous albums is upheld on <i> In Camera</i>,
Hammill's fourth solo release.  Another classic that at least matches the
grandeur, power and gothic textures of the previous platter, <i> The Silent
Corner and the Empty Stage</i>.  Both albums rank as two of my favorite albums
ever, as well as two of the most indispensable recordings I own.  This one
contains all the Hammill trademarks, the ability to shift from heart
wrenching balladry to scathing, almost demonic bellows, not to mention some
of the finest compositions and lyrics he's ever created.</p>

<p>&quot;(No More) The Sub-Mariner&quot; is an early highlight, with aggressive
vocals over a straining and hypnotic keyboard riff that builds with fury
throughout its course.  Next up is the rollicking &quot;Tapeworm&quot; which explodes
with utter ferocity before moving into the sensitive and restrained ballad,
&quot;Again&quot;, which chronicles the fascination with faded love that Hammill would
later explore more in depth on <i> Over</i> and VDGG's <i> Still Life</i>.</p>

<p>The true gems of the album lie on the latter half. &quot;Faint-Heart and
the Sermon&quot; is a beautifully introspective and emotional tune in which
Hammill at once entertains and indicts the notions of religion and
spirituality. &quot;Comet, the Course, the Tail&quot; continues in the same vein,
with more existentialist lyrics at its core as well as an intense musical
backdrop.  The masterpiece of this album, and one of the finest moments of
Hammill's career, is the brilliant &quot;Gog Magog (In Bromine Chambers)&quot;.
Although the track clocks in at around sixteen minutes total, it really is only
occupied by some eight minutes, before the fading out into ambient soundscapes
for the remainder of the album.  However, these eight minutes encompass what are
possibly Hammill's darkest moments. His voice is at its absolute best,
taking on a totally demonic and venomous character over the twisted and
chaotic musical arrangement.  Guy Evans's pounding drums build with intensity
as Hammill's voice and impossibly dark lyrics lead us through one of the
most evil-sounding songs I've ever heard.</p>

<p>This album and <i> Silent Corner...</i> are the best of his solo career, and
I rank them both with VDGG masterpieces like <i> Godbluff</i> and <i> Pawn
Hearts</i>.  A
must-have for those into dark progressive rock or Van Der Graaf Generator.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>Nadir's Big Chance</i> (1975)</p>

<p>The artistic momentum of Hammill's three previous solo works is sustained on <i>
Nadir's Big Chance</i>, though it features a departure from the sound that made
those albums so incredible.  Instead, this album is more of a straight-ahead
rock album which actually prefaces the punk rock movement that would follow
some two years later.  From what I've heard, punk icon Johnny Rotten even
cited this album as a point of inspiration.  Personally I don't particularly
care for punk rock or even Johnny Rotten's band, the Sex Pistols, and for
that matter don't really care what kind of &quot;indie credibility&quot; the album
has.  Apparently it's a point of interest though, so I thought I'd mention
it.</p>

<p>The album is definitely much more stripped down than previous
albums, and is notable on this point being that it comes from one the
progressive rock icons of the time period.  I was expecting an extremely
raw, almost punk album, and actually held off on getting this one for
awhile.  However, though it definitely has moments of simplified rock music,
it also has a number of slower ballad-like songs and a few progressive
twists and turns.  I actually find it to be an excellent album whose punk
rock significance is somewhat overstated.  This is with the exception of
some of the lyrical motifs, especially on the first song.</p>

<p>The heavier moments, like in the opening title track, are intense
and enjoyable, Hammill's vocals suite the style extremely well.  However,
the middle part of the album goes into some very somber and beautifully
emotive tracks, like &quot;Shingle&quot;.  Also featured is any enjoyable remake of
the Van Der Graaf song &quot;People You Were Going To&quot;, which is another album
highlight. Overall, the album is extremely solid, taking some of the best
aspects of punk and hard rock and melding it with Hammill's personal
eccentricities.  Different than anything else in his catalogue, but still
recommended for initiated fans.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>Over</i> (1977)</p>

<p>Apparently Peter must have been going through some tough times in his
love life during the late 70s, as both his 1977 solo album, <i>Over</i>, and the album
recorded with the recently reunified Van Der Graaf Generator, 1975's <i> Still
Life</i>, were typically overwrought and emotional albums that dealt heavily in
love, passion and rejection.  Though it might have been a tough time for him
personally, the rest of us should be thankful for the release of two classic
albums.  At least something good came out of it.</p>

<p>This is the first Peter Hammill solo album after the reunification
of Van Der Graaf Generator, and lyrical themes that were explored throughout the
<i>Still Life</i> album, most explicitly on the classic track &quot;La Rossa&quot;, are
given more intimate and detailed attention on this, one of Hammill's finest
solo efforts.  The album as a whole seems to chronicle the disintegration of
a particular relationship in which Hammill was involved, and as a result
features some of the saddest, most introspective lyrics and music of his
career.  The scathing rage of his earlier albums is put aside in favor of a
mournful, solemn and bitter tone, with the exception of the ferocious &quot;Betrayed&quot;, where Hammill lashes out uncontrollably at those who have
wronged him.  There is a brief sidestep from this album concept in the track
&quot;Autumn&quot;, which doesn't, on the surface, seem to have much to do with the
other songs.  This track describes the perceptions of an aging couple and
their inability to cope with their children having grown up and left home.</p>

<p>&quot;Crying Wolf&quot; opens with a simple hard rock riff that develops into
one of the more upbeat songs on the album &quot;Time Heals&quot; is a phenomenal
track that features a plaintive melody that really seems to be where the
album concept proper begins.  Subsequent tracks like &quot;Alice (Letting Go)&quot;
and &quot;(This Side of) The Looking Glass&quot; are beautifully morose tracks backed
by Graham Smith's sweeping violin.  The aforementioned &quot;Betrayed&quot; is
definitely one of my favorite Peter Hammill tracks, where he seemingly tears
out his heart as well as his acoustic guitar.  Graham Smith places piercing
violin shrieks throughout that absolutely send chills up my spine. &quot;Lost
and Found&quot; closes out the album with some sort of personal revelation and even
reprises the verse theme from Van Der Graaf Generator's &quot;La Rossa&quot;.  A
fitting end to a harrowing and emotional album.  Could be too overwrought
for some, but I thoroughly enjoy this album.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>A Black Box</i> (1983)</p>

<p>Another powerful album from Peter Hammill that is ranked by many up with his
classic 70s work.  The album is often linked with previous albums <i> The
Future Now</i> (1978) and <i>PH7</i>
(1979) because of stylistic similarities, and in fact <i>A Black Box</i> effectively
closes out that particular chapter in his discography.  Hammill's darkly philosophical
lyrics and powerful voice are still present, making the raging &quot;Golden
Promises&quot; and the ethereal &quot;Fogwalking&quot; winner tracks.  One drawback
to this album is the infusion of new technologies that Hammill has seen fit
to incorporate at the expense of live instrumentalists.  Most noticeable are the seemingly synthetic drums, which
drain the life out of some otherwise
exciting compositions.  The techno/synthesizer abortion &quot;Jargon King&quot; revels
in utilizing gimmicky sounds to the fullest extent possible, and is a low point on the album.  Another high point comes later, however, in the
extended composition &quot;Flight&quot;, which is highly emotional and moves through a
variety of moods and atmospheres throughout its nineteen plus minutes.  However,
it too could have benefited from a more exciting rhythmic base.</p>

<p>Overall a great album that is representative of this portion of
Hammill's career.  Doesn't quite live up to his previous masterpieces, nor
is it particularly &quot;progressive&quot; outside of &quot;Flight&quot;, which actually simply
pastes a number of intriguing passages together sequentially. <i>  A Black Box</i>
is still solid buy for fans of Peter Hammill.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

<p><i>Roaring Forties</i> (1994)</p>

<p>Throughout the 80s and 90s Peter Hammill has released a huge number of
albums of varying quality, with streaks of mediocrity sparked by creative
resurgences.  Which albums function as those creative reawakening depends completely, 
of course, on who you ask.  I'd heard mixed things about <i>Roaring Forties</i>, 
and frankly I was a little disappointed in the end.  The
last studio reference I have for Hammill is 1983's <i> A Black Box</i>, so their is
admittedly a huge gap of creative development I'm missing.  However, in
comparison to the high standards I have for Hammill's work, this album
doesn't really stack up.  The best song is the opener, &quot;Sharply Unclear&quot;,
which visits similar territory to <i> A Black Box</i>. &quot;Gift of Fire&quot; and
&quot;You
Can't Want What You Always Get&quot; are for the most part unimpressive, and
sound like they're from the 80s (though this was recorded in 1994). &quot;A
Headlong Stretch&quot; was the most highly touted portion of the album, and is
pretty good, being an extended track that drifts over six movements over a
number of mildly interesting themes and emotions.  Overall, the attempt to
revive the sidelong epic of yesteryear is unsuccessful in that it just
doesn't pack the same punch that it should for a song of such length.  The
closing ballad &quot;Your Tall Ship&quot; is again, acceptable if not particularly
overwhelming.  An OK album with a few good moments, but I could do without
it.</p>

<p>- Greg Northrup</p>

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<th align=left>Sjef Oellers
</th>
<th align=left>10-March-2001
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<th align=left>Overall
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Peter Hammill was the main composer and creative font of Van der Graaf
Generator. From the early 70s on, Peter Hammill has been releasing solo
albums often accompanied by all or several of the other Van der Graaf
Generator members. One way to label Peter Hammill as a solo artist could be
a "progressive singer/songwriter". A lot of his songs are built around
Hammill's voice and either piano/keyboard arrangements or electric/acoustic
guitar melodies. So the arrangements on his solo albums are in general more
sparse than on the Van der Graaf Generator albums. The backing of a full
band is employed where appropriate. The compositions usually have a more
"traditional" song length than the Van der Graaf Generator epics, but the
compositions are certainly more sophisticated than your average
singer/songwriter. Surprising bridges, unusual song structures and inventive
interludes abound on his 70's output.

<p>On his first album, <i>Fools Mate</i>, he stays closest to the
traditional song format (usually 2-4 minutes). This is a great collection of
moody songs with beautiful melodies, but not yet as brilliant or mature as
the works still to come. The second album <i>Chameleon in the Shadow of the
Night</i>, is his first solo masterpiece. Excellent compositions, where
inventiveness and beauty go hand in hand. The next album <i>The Silent
Corner and the Empty Stage</i> perfects the style of <i>Chameleon in the
Shadow of the Night</i> and is one of the pinnacles of his solo output in my
opinion. An intense album which combines splendidly the sparser arrangements
of Hammill as progressive singer/songwriter and the complexity of his Van
der Graaf Generator work. Let's discuss <i>The Silent Corner and the Empty
Stage</i> more detail. The album starts with a catchy melody on acoustic
guitar, which is soon joined by a lead on electric guitar with a psych edge
and Hammill's vocals. This track (called "Modern") has a spacey psychedelic
atmosphere which is almost completely built around various guitars, fuzz
bass and some great mellotron. The next track,"Wilhelmina, is a beautiful
ballad centered around piano, harmonium, some mellotron and Hammill's voice.
Both tracks show Hammill's ability to create inventive, diverse compositions
with minimal instrumentation concentrated either around guitars ("Modern")
or keyboards ("Wilhemina"). Later on, the compositions become more
elaborate: saxophone, drums, bass guitar, and the complete keyboard and
guitar arsenal are employed. With this instrumental line-up, we are
basically listening to Van der Graaf Generator. It is difficult to point out
favorites, but the spacey, dramatic "Red Shift" is a fantastic continuation
on the Van der Graaf Generator sound. Another highlight is the 12 minute "A
Louse is Not Home", which already hints at the sound that would become Van
der Graaf Generator Mark 2 (see albums like <i>Godbluff</i> and <i>Still
Life</i>).

<p>Another classic is the follow up album <i>In Camera</i>, where Hammill
departs more from the Van der Graaf Generator sound and he presents a
somewhat different style of songwriting. The arrangements on most songs are
even more sober than before, Hammill's voice is mainly accompanied by either
guitar or keyboards. The mood is decidedly dejected. The album ends with a
two-part experimental suite. The first part, "Gog," starts with (church?)
organ foreboding disaster (it seems). A very dramatic piece with mesmerizing
organ playing, menacing vocals and some great, frantic drumming by Guy
Evans. The first part eventually ends in delirium and then segues into the
second part, "Magog," which is really out there. It sounds like collage of
mutated voices, cosmic Krautrock weirdness (a bit like early Cluster),
industrial noises and random percussive sounds.

<p>The next album, <i>Nadir's Big Chance</i>, is a bit schizophrenic in
nature; half of the album shows Hammill in a heavy rock mode (a bit like the
heavier Roxy Music tracks on their first album), but some of his most
beautiful ballads (especially "Shingle") can be found here as well. After
<i>Nadir's Big Chance</i>, the masterful <i>Over</i> was released. The album
is the dramatic account of a relationship about to end. Musically, it
continues on the style presented on <i>In Camera</i>. Mostly a very downcast
and angry album, but nevertheless a fantastic achievement only shortly
spoiled by the over-sentimental, orchestrated song, "This Side of the
Looking Glass." Skip this track and a masterpiece remains. The following
albums, <i>PH7</i>, <i>The Future Now</i>, <i>Black Box</i>, and <i>Sitting
Targets</i> are all excellent Peter Hammill albums containing several of his
signature songs, but I personally find them not as compelling as some of the
albums mentioned above. Altogether, it is downright amazing what a
consistent, high quality output Peter Hammill produced in the 70s.

<p>The 80s show an obvious change in direction. His music has undergone new
wave influences, and although albums like <i>Enter K</i> and <i>Patience</i>
contain several great compositions, I find these albums less appealing than
his 70s output (if only for my personal preferences). For me the biggest
difference is the way the songs are arranged. I don't like this particular
80's sterile style of producing. However vague this may sound, his 70's
albums have a more "organic" feel to them. And yet, <i>Enter K</i> and
<i>Patience</i> are great albums, well worth a listen.

<p>In the mid 80's, Hammill recorded another interesting album called "And
Close as This" with beautiful piano/ keyboards compositions only accompanied
by Hammill's vocals. I find all of his other 80's and 90's output to be
patchy works, where Hammill sometimes goes completely off-track with
diversions into digital synth pop emptiness, new age, plain rock, etc. Most
of the albums contain a few interesting compositions but overall these are
uneven or predictable albums. Hammill seems to write, play and arrange the
music completely by himself even more than before. The most irritating
features, which spoil about all his albums after 1984 are the overkill on
digital synth equipment and the sterile way of arranging the songs. None of
these albums would be a good place to start exploring his discography.
Hammill also released several live albums in the 80's and 90's, which are a
lot more interesting than his studio work of that time. Although these live
albums might not be a bad introduction to his work, his (early) 70's output
is the place to start.

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<th colspan=3><font color=black>Links for further information</font></th>
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<ul>
<li><a target="externalpage" href="http://www.sofasound.com/">Sofa Sound - Official Peter Hammill Website</a>
</ul>


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