In my opinion PETER HAMMILL is the most thoughtfull and non-commercial rock-musicians.
He went in his musical images further even than Fripp, Eno and Zappa. Two last
Years he is my most favorite musician (including VDGG). My favorite album of
VDGG/Hammill is (of course!) PAWN HEARTS. THE SILENT CORNER..., LOOPS AND REELS,
THE ROARING FORTIES are fantastic too. Hammill has only strong albums (I've
heard almost all of his albums, except GODBLUFF, SITTING TARGETS, PH7, ...HOUSE
OF USHER and some other). George, you differ discographies of VDGG and Hammill,
but I cannot agree with you, 'cos almost all of these albums were recorded by
constant musicians. As VDGG as Hammill albums improve united thoughts and theories;creation
of VDGG and Hammill are indissoluble. There were only one leader-figure, who
made all ideas and composed all material. How do You think: WHO? ...Right!
- THE SILENT CORNER AND THE EMPTY STAGE
- OVER
- ENTER K
Very interesting record, structurically unlikes on other VDGG/PH records of
that period, but sometimes reminds "Aerosol Grey Machine" (one of the best!)
spiritually. Two songs unlikes on ten others - "Imperial Zeppelin"&nbssp;& "Sunshine",
they are fast-temped and gay. If to listen with good attention, you can find
all ballads sad and gloomy (and it is so beautifull!). Some songs was recorded
with ROBERT FRIPP - "Imperial Zeppelin", "I Once Wrote Some Poems", "Child",
"The Birds", "Sunshine", "Viking" but there's hard to hear Fripp's guiar (strangely,
but fact).
Fool's Mate is really influenced by German music (Pawn Hearts is influenced more, though). It's hard to separate the best song, all are equally good, maybe "Imperial Zeppelin", or "Reawakening" , or "Child" with it's wonderfull echoes. Full your collection by this album, it's worth it.
As one of the best Hammill's albums, as one of the 1974-best albums (I think
that 1974 is THE year of art-rock apopheous - Producing of The Lamb (Genesis),
Queen-2 and Sheer Heart Attack, Relayer (Yes), Country Life (Roxy Music)...).
There is only one not very interesting "Rubicon". Other songs are eternal classics. Attention: 1st half of album has no drums ( 3,5 songs from beginning). The most emotional PH record. Silent Corner is opening by apocaliptic multi-guitar sounds of "Modern", absolutely unequal song. You are falling into death hot atmosphere... You can find gloomy mistical atmosphere in the end of "Wilhelmia", but its other parts are light and nice (with some keyboards as on Procol Harum's "Shine On Brightly"). Next song - "The Lie" - is the best. I have no words - it's nesessary to hear it! The dark medieval suite. "Forsaken Gardens" is a very nice sad ballad, it reminds me my early childhood, sometimes I even want to cry. "Red Shift" is another one Hell-sounding composition, with interesting effects-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s, sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh... "Rubicon" is the simple, gentle ballad. "A Louse is not a Home" is another grand suite, mmm! Did you recognize many moments from SILENT CORNER on NICK CAVE's albums?
Auf wieder sehen, meinem freunden!
Send your comments and
review of this long-titled one!
After first listenings I thought that I disliked this album. But then I understood, that "Over" is very strong. Possibly it's not very originally, but's thoughtful, intelligent and honest (take your attention to Hammill's vocal - It sound with strongest trust to music, Peter is like an old actor, who plays his list role in life and is ready to die during playing). All the songs are strong, I cannot really decide the best or the worst. When me and my friends went out to mountains (this time I lived in Tashkent) I always took my guitar, and oftenly I played "Autumn", "Yoga"... They sounded very good (even when performed by me! :-)).
1982 year. Almost all you could hear this year were disco, pop and post-punk. But this album was the antithesis of those styles. It can be called as art-psychedely of 80s (let me say so) influenced with hard-rock and Brian Eno. ENTER K contains much guitar-sounds "a-la Fripp" and powerful riffs. Album has no any compromise with pop-music (as other PH-albums).All the songs are basically equal good. As OVER, ENTER K consists of different 8 songs. The beginning of 1st song PARADOX DRIVE sounds like a parody of early 80s music, but then it sounds like solid hard-rock number. Second song is nice piano-ballad with heavy mid-section; it' s named UNCONSCIOUS LIFE. This song has a solid philosophy and unusual sound. The next number is my favorite on album. ACCEDENTS is classical Hammill' s number, it has magic guitar effects (like Frippertronics), sometimes it seems that King Crimson makes an accompaniment for Hammill. Great song. The 4th song THE GREAT EXPERIMENT is more typical, but is such interesting and powerful. DON' T TELL ME is (as UNCONSCIOUS LIFE) sad thoughtful ballad. Its very gentle and contains an excellent sax-solos of David Jackson. (By the way, Hammill plays with his old friends here Jackson, Evans and Potter; nowadays Hammill plays with Potter and Jackson too). SHE WRAPS IT UP is another powerful but nice number. HAPPY HOUR is he longest song on album. It sounds 9 minutes. Maybe this song could be some shorter but I like it as it is. There' s an excellent bass-playing in the middle of the song, and the drummer sounds extraordinary and wonderful too. Very good hard-rock number with sincere powerful vocal. The 8th song SEVEN WONDERS is the weakest on album. But it sounds rather good too. To my opinion ENTER K is the best Hammill' s album in 80s that I' ve heard (I' ve heard SKIN (1985) and IN A FOREIGN TOWN (1988)). Buy it, you' ll be well-satisfied.
Do you like masterpieces? It’s one of them. Maybe NONE OF THE ABOVE is the quintessential work of Hammill’s creation of 20 last years. It is a thoughtful philosophical album full of slow, melancholic mystic and very nice music. Hammill sings by deep spirit, and all melodies are unlimitly-excelent. I even can call the style of this album “Unlimitism”, because it sounds really unlimitly. Almost all of the songs are ballads, arranged with acoustic guitars, piano and breathy keyboards; there’s almost no drums and electric guitar (you can hear electric guitar only on LIKE VERONICA, and it sounds mystic-beautiful and ominously). Also this album can be called as psychedelic (in the best sense of this word). TOUCH AND GO is the most suitable introduction for the album. This song sounds optimistically and inspiredly. The next song is the absolute masterpiece, it’s called NAMING THE ROSE. It sounds as Tibet prayer, mystically, gently and heavenly. HOW FAR I FELL is a grand masterpiece too. It seems that song were recorded in old gothic church with choir of angels. SOMEBODY BAD ENOUGH is simpler and turns you from heaven back to your arm-chair. Then TANGO FOR ONE follows, the gentlest ballad on album, wonderful song. And then – another masterpiece LIKE VERONICA. It sounds as from hell with pulsing rhythm and satanic guitar, this song is like a fire burning from underground. But the darkest song is the next masterpiece IN A BOTTLE. I can even call this song “The Prayer of Death”, because it sounds so. And then the coda of album follows. This song’s called ASTART. As the intro it sounds calmly and optimistically. You feel as if you were traveling from Heaven through Earth to Hell, and now you’re in reality again. By the way, all the album (except ASTART) sounds perfectly unreal, as from the World of Imaginations. Hammill has confirmed again that nowadays he’s the most faithful of intellectual music traditions.