Peter HammillCountry of origin:England Type of music generally:Progressive rock/evocative/eclectic/experimental Status:Most recent release, ...all that might have been... (2014) See also:Sofa Sound: An Official Peter Hammill site Comparisons:Peter Gabriel's darker, more troubled twin, or what would happen if Gabriel were possessed by the spirit of John Lydon. Covers/own material:All own material, with occasional cover of old bandmate's stuff. General comments:Peter Hammill is one of the great underrated musical forces in British music—he's been composing and gigging since he was 16, first with his band, Van der Graaf Generator, as well as solo. He himself eschews the tag "progressive", and his solo music tends to be of a more reflective, personal nature than that of Van der Graaf Generator, although still fired through with characteristic anger and passion. He has one of the most powerful voices in music, today, one that can range from a fiercely wounded roar to a sweet, pure croon all in one note. He has been cited as an influence by a range of artists, including David Bowie, John Lydon and Glen Matlock, Mark E. Smith and Graham Coxon. While his recent studio works have lacked the energy and excitement of his earlier material, he's continually full of surprises, and not about to be consigned to the "nostalgia" bins yet, not by a long way. It should also be stressed that he's not for everybody—his melodramatic delivery is not everyone's cup of tea, and in recent years his quality control has slipped and betrayed a definite need to work with other musicians and producers. If, however, you've ever wandered what people listened to before Radiohead and Coldplay came along, then Hammill is the prototype that they all owe a huge debt to. Warning: Everything that follows is highly subjective, IMHO to the max. Hammill fans are an emotive lot, and if you ask 10 of them for their verdict on any one album, like as not you'll get 10 different opinions. Take my opinions with a large grain of salt. Then listen for yourself. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Comments about live performance:Last night I went to see Peter Hammill in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Although his recent output has been uneven (his last album, IMHO, being particularly bad) his live shows have always been quite special events. Last night, however, was even more special. It was, quite honestly, not only the best Peter Hammill show I've been to, but will probably rate as one of the best concerts I've been to, full stop. Looking even thinner than I've ever remembered, but still full of energy, intensity, and joy, and still possessing the most phenonemal voice in the history of music, he treated us to a comprehensive retrospect of his career, mercifully light on his most recent album (curious, yet refreshing considering this tour, ostensibly, is in support of that album). Switching between piano and acoustic guitar, he was accompanied solely by Stuart Gordon on violin, although for the most part they played as a duet, Hammill relishing the interplay, and giving Gordon his due. I've never been a big fan of Gordon, but last night his contribution was exciting, beautiful, breathtaking, revelatory. While Hammill was (as always) amusing, deprecating and warm in his between-songs "banter", at times he seems possessed by the songs themselves, swallowed up and spat out the other end. I have to admit, I worried for him—looking terribly frail, some songs obviously left him drained, and the finale of his encore was almost frightening in its intensity. A night to remember, and (for those fans out there) made even more potent by realising that a) David Jackson, his old sax player dating from Van der Graaf days was in the audience and b) Guy Evans, his drummer also from those days, was sitting right next to me. Recommended first album:Sitting Targets, but after a career spanning 35 years, it's kind of hard to pick just one (again, see the above caveat). For a more recent, mature, Hammill, try X My Heart. Recordings:
Fool's MateRelease info:1971—Charisma—CASCD 1037 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—all lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums and percussion Produced by:John Anthony Comments:Not, officially, a solo release, but a series of Van der Graaf Generator offcuts revisited. Still, a typically early-'70s offering, characteristically skewed, heartfelt and beautiful. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Chameleon in the Shadow of the NightRelease info:1973—Charisma—CASCD 1067 Availability:Currently unavailable. Ecto priority:For Hammill fans Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums and percussion Produced by:John Anthony Comments:Reflections on nothingness and beingness and life on the road make for a rather turgid outing. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Silent Corner and the Empty StageRelease info:1973—Charisma—CASCD 1083 Availability:Not easy to find, but worth it Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, piano Guest artists:Randy California—guitar on "Red Shift" Comments:A lush and dramatic album, bringing together members of Van der Graaf Generator, and arguably the best of his early works, melding the gothic with the progressive to haunting and stirring effect. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) In CameraRelease info:1974—Charisma—CASCD1083 Availability:Unknown Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, tape loops Guest artists:Guy Evans—percussion Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:More songs of love, loss and loneliness, but with a couple of surprises: the snarling, spitting "Tapeworm", which hints at things to come, and an experiment in electronic sounds and tape loops in "Magog (In Bromine Chambers)". The latter is admirably ahead of its time, but is far from easy listening. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Nadir's Big ChanceRelease info:1975—Charisma CASCD 1099 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—guitars, vocals and keyboards Guest artists:Hugh Banton—bass, keyboards Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Hammill takes on the guise of Rikki Nadir, proto-punk, for an album that swings between swaggering rock to angst-filled ballads, and delivers a seminal, lo-fi kick in the head. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) OverRelease info:1978—Charisma—CASCD 1137 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Recommended for fans Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Charting the end of a relationship, this tends to lapse into maudlin self-pity and turgid navel-gazing. It has its fans, though. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Future NowRelease info:1978—Charisma—CASCD 1137 Availability:Fair to good Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, tape loops and sonic experiments Guest artists:David Jackson—saxes Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Hammill sheds his skin once again, here stripping his arrangements to their barest and experimenting with electronica and drum machines. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) pH 7Release info:1979—Charisma—CASCD 1146 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion Guest artists:David Jackson—saxes Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:More bare-boned and barbed-wire arrangements, with a snarling, angry energy offsetting the more sentimental moments. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) A Black BoxRelease info:1980—Virgin—CDOVED 140 Availability:Fairly available Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, tape loops, drums Guest artists:David Jackson—saxes and flutes Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Hammill takes on pretty much all the instruments, here, as well as dealing out some extraordinary electronic sounds, and the result is a raw, rough-edged and difficult album, but one that rewards listening to those who dare. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Sitting TargetsRelease info:1981—Virgin—CDV 2205 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Back with a full band, Hammill produces his best work yet, an album throbbing with fierce beauty and exhilarating passion. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Enter KRelease info:1982—Fie! Records—FIE 9101 Availability:Available from Sofa Sound Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, keyboards, guitars Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums, percussion Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A more refined and complex product than its predecessor, but it has a quirky energy all of its own. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) PatienceRelease info:1983—Fie! Records—FIE9102 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums, percussion Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:This lacks the bite of Enter K, and certainly of Sitting Targets, but still manages to produce a couple of Hammill's best material in its second half. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Love SongsRelease info:1984—Charisma—CASCD 1166 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:For fans and completists only Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Produced by:David Lord Comments:The label milks him for all he's worth with a compilation of...well, love songs, and this reeks of 1980s MOR packaging, right down to the cheeeeeesy cover. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The MarginRelease info:1985—Virgin—CDOVD 345/ Fie! Records FIE9125 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, piano Guest artists:John Ellis—lead guitar, backing vocals Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A record of Hammill's tours with his "beat" group, the K Group, this includes some Van der Graaf Generator material. The audience reaction has been carefully excised, which detracts from the live feeling, but the 2001 re-release not only adds copious background notes but also an additional disc that, while somewhat challenged on audio finesse, captures the rough-edged squall that it must have been. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) SkinRelease info:1986—Virgin—CDOVD 344 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars and keyboards Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums and percussion Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A tight, intelligent and stirring work, admirable considering that so many of his contemporaries had been swallowed up and eviscerated by the '80s. On this he covers the stunning "Four Pails", written by old ex-Van der Graaf Generator mates Chris Judge Smith and Max Hutchinson. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) and close as thisRelease info:1986—Virgin—CDV2409 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—keyboards Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Something of an experiment, in which the entire album was composed and performed solely by Hammill on keyboards, this holds some truly inspired music—"Too Many of My Yesterdays" and "Other Old Clichés" for instance—but the lack of instrumental texture begins to pall. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) In a Foreign TownRelease info:1989—Fie! Records—FIE 9108 Availability:Currently unavailable Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:It's a strong, sharp album, and the songs are certainly accessible, but the reliance on drum machines and samplers and the re-treading of old ground rob this of a lot of its soul. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Out of WaterRelease info:1990—Enigma Records—CDENV 1003 Availability:Available from Sofa Sound Ecto priority:For fans Group members:Peter Hammill—guitars, vocals, keyboards, percussion Guest artists:John Ellis—guitars Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Anaemic and rather aimless, despite the presence of old band-mates, this has an all-too heavy mix of sentiment and melodrama, which drown out the otherwise intelligent lyrics. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Room temperature liveRelease info:1990—Fie! Records—FIE 9110 Availability:Available from Sofa Sound Ecto priority:For fans Group members:Peter Hammill—guitars, piano Guest artists:Stuart Gordon—violin Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A ragged and weary live set, recorded during a North America/Canada tour, with Hammill accompanied by Stuart Gordon on violin and old Van der Graaf Generator mate Nic Potter on bass. Hammill's voice sounds strained, while excessive noodling and a funereal pace slow the songs down into a sagging, tuneless torpor, in risk of stalling altogether. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Fall of the House of UsherRelease info:1991—Some Bizzare—SBZ CD 007; 1999—Fie! Records—FIE 9121 Availability:Available from Sofa Sound Ecto priority:For fans Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion Guest artists:Sarah-Jane Morris—vocals Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A rock opera based on Poe's short story, this was a long-running project, a collaboration with old Van der Graaf Generator mate (and treasured eccentric) Chris Judge Smith, who wrote the libretto. It certainly boasts an interesting cast (want to hear Erasure's Andy Bell duet with Hammill? You got it!), but...is just...so...bad, confirming every doubt you'll ever have had about rock operas. There are a couple of bright spots, but it sinks beneath the weight of melodrama and pretension. Apparently, the 1999 re-release, which Hammill completely rearranged and remixed, is much better. I can only take his word for it. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) FireshipsRelease info:1991—Fie! Records—FIE 9103 Availability:Available from Sofa Sound Ecto priority:For fans Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, strings, wind Guest artists:David Lord—strings, percussion, keyboards, Nic Potter—bass Stuart Gordon—violin David Jackson—saxophones, flute John Ellis—guitar Produced by:Peter Hammill and David Lord Comments:There are a couple of more than decent tracks in here, but overall this is a dour, middle-aged and over-orchestrated album. Worryingly, Hammill declared it the first in a "Be Calm" series. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The NoiseRelease info:1992—Fie! Records—FIE 9104 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A far heavier, noisier album than he's done in many a year, this shows signs of his old energy, edge and wit resurfacing. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) There Goes the DaylightRelease info:1993—Fie! Records—FIE 9106 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended for fans Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitar Guest artists:Stuart Gordon—violin, guitar, backing vocals Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:An energetic enough live outing, but the songs lose something in their translation to the basic guitar and drums format, and the sinuous and sinister rhythms of songs such as "Empress's Clothes" get ironed out into something far more straightforward and banal. In the end, this is actually rather dull. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Roaring FortiesRelease info:1994—Fie! Records—FIE 9107 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:The songs may be overlong, but they have an astonishing energy and a drive behind them that indicates that the old fire is burning in Hammill once more, and once more he sounds as if he's very much enjoying his work. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Peel SessionsRelease info:1995—Strange Fruit—SFRCD136 Availability:U.K. Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Graham Smith—violin Produced by:Nick Gomm, Peter Watts, John Etchells, Tony Wilson Comments:A selection live radio sessions for the mighty John Peel stretching from 1974-1988, this is as good an introduction to Hammill for the curious as any, presenting stark, simple arrangements around his powerhouse of a voice. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) X My HeartRelease info:1996—Fie! Records—FIE 9111 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Essential Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards Guest artists:Stuart Gordon—violin Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A gem of an album: Slow burning anger mixed with a barbed melancholia and Hammill's still-powerful, emotion-wracked voice make for great listening, and a lesson for all of his contemporaries in maturing with dignity, intelligence and power. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) Everyone You HoldRelease info:1997—Fie! Records—FIE 9117 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A slow, languorous, often ponderous effort, more of a throwback to his Fireship mode and therefore disappointing after X My Heart, but the overall effect is still haunting, and "Phosphorescence" rates as one of his most achingly beautiful compositions (his daughters help out on backing vocals. Ahhhh). (adamk@zoom.co.uk) The Union Chapel concertRelease info:1997—Fie! Records—FIE 9115 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Guy Evans—drums, percussion, MIDI pads & samples, blue drums Produced by:Peter Hammill & Guy Evans Comments:The record of a one-off concert with Hammill and his Van der Graaf Generator drummer, Guy Evans, which took in solo material all around, improvisations and, finally, a full-blown Van der Graaf Generator reunion. A night, as Hammill said, of "serious fun", and while you really had to be there, this is the next best thing. It's a bit of preaching to the converted, but you don't get better sermons than this. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) ThisRelease info:1998—Fie! Records—FIE 9118 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars and keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Almost excellent, fatally flawed. This contains material ("Stupid" and "Always is Next") that rates among Hammill's most exciting and interesting work, as well as slightly more becalmed songs of dreamy beauty and intelligence. The final track, however is "The Light Continent", a 14-minute tuneless dirge that goes nowhere forever. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) TypicalRelease info:1999—Fie! Records—FIE 9119 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, piano, guitar Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:A belated outing for these 1992 live gigs around Europe, in which it is purely, totally Hammill, switching from keyboard to guitar and back again. He still has a tendency to deconstruct the rhythm of some of the songs to almost breaking point, and while there are moments of indulgence and some ham-fisted playing, the sheer passion and intensity he brings to his vocal performances leave the listener in awe. Stay hanging on for the very hidden tracks at the end of the second disc, which are more than worth it. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) none of the aboveRelease info:2000—Fie! Records—FIE 9122 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:For fans only Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Arguably his worst album (well, it's got my vote), which manages to be cloyingly sentimental, obvious, tuneless and dull. The faux Latin groove of "Somebody Bad Enough" make the toes curl, as does the boyband wistfulness of "Astart". (adamk@zoom.co.uk) what, now?Release info:2001—Fie! Records—FIE 9123 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Manny Elias—drums Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Once again, Hammill staggers back from the brink and delivers a stunning album of delights. Some of the songs are a bit obvious, but otherwise he's very much back on form. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) ClutchRelease info:2002—Fie! Records—FIE 9127 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, lute Guest artists:Stuart Gordon—violin Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:As with as close as this, this seem more like an exercise, a collection of songs composed and played solely on guitars. It contains some sterling stuff, but also material that's laboriously obvious, as Hammill decides to tackle the headlines (paedophilia, religious fanaticism, anorexia) and brings little new to the respective subjects, while "Once you called me" fulfils the toe-curling sentimentality quotient. Worth getting, however, for the good stuff, which rates among his best. (adamk@zoom.co.uk) IncoherenceRelease info:2004—Fie! Records—FIE 9129 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Peter Hammill—vocals, guitars, keyboards Guest artists:Stuart Gordon—violin Produced by:Peter Hammill Comments:Something of an intellectual exercise, an album that—although composed of 14 separate songs—plays as one long, seamless piece based on the theme of communication. Admirable ambition, admirable sentiments and undoubted intelligence and passion, but the DIY production buries the potential under tinny keyboards, and it sorely needs a rhythm section to drive it forward. There are many fine aspects to this album, but it does leave the nagging feeling that it could have been a lot, lot better. Further info:Hammill has the habit of turning up in odd places, most noticeably doing vocals for Robert Fripp's Exposure (his "Chicago" is a vocal tour de force) and backing vocals on Peter Gabriel's 4 (Security in the US). He also has performed onstage with Italian prog-rockers PFM, as well as punks The Stranglers, as well as opening for Marillion, who were fans: Their Script for a Jester's Tear had, in its cover artwork, the cover of Hammill's Over. When Pere Ubu's Dave Thomas performed an all-star concert in London a few years ago, Hammill was sitting in on guitar. He has collaborated with Roger Eno on The Appointed Hour in 1999. Thanks to adamk for work on this entry.
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