review by daniel

Peter Hammill has written a rock opera based on Edgar Allen Poe’s brilliant short story “The Fall of the House of Usher”. I admit that few rock operas are solid enough to bear the weight of the enormous amount of melodrama that seems so mandatory in the genre ( “Jesus Christ Superstar” might actually be the only one that comes close). But Hammill is not only a great composer and singer, he is also an expert on getting away with melodrama. With a story as strong as Poe’s gothic tale, he cannot go wrong. This has to be a masterpiece.

Surprisingly, Chris Judge Smith, not Hammill, is credited for adapting Poe’s words into lyrics. He has done a great job, wisely sticking close to the original story. The cast includes Hammill as Roderick Usher, Andy Bell (from Erasure!) as Montresor, Lene Lovich as Madeline Usher, Herbert Grönemeyer as the family physician and Sarah-Jane Morris as the chorus. Overall it is a good cast; Hammill is as good as you would expect and Grönemeyer shines as the bizarre doctor. The problem is that Bell, portraying Montresor, or reason, sounds far too wimpy to put up even an illusion of a fight against the rot that has infected the house. Some Bell-dominated parts are even corny enough to fit into a musical (a truly horrible art form).

The main instrumentation consists of violin, organ and, as written in the booklet; “…dozens of electric guitars used in massed groups which fill a choral or orchestral role”. The “guitar-orchestra” does its job, but I am sure a symphony orchestra would bring the piece to a higher level. I do, however, realize that Hammill probably cannot afford to hire a full orchestra. That is a shame, because the piece really deserves it. It is that good. The best parts are sublime and dramatic and usually based on organ or violins combined with Hammill’s voice. When the whole thing climaxes (”For now I say you will hear the wicked truth: We put her living in the tomb!”), I almost forget about the flaws.

There are two versions of the piece. I have the second one, from 1996. I haven't heard the first (from 1991), but it is supposed to feature lots of dated synths so I guess I have the better version. If Hammill decides to make a third, and definite, version I wish he would get rid of Andy Bell, hire an orchestra and do some careful editing (an hour would be an appropriate length). Now, that would be a masterpiece.