review by thomas

When Peter Hammill began his solo career for real in 1972 all of the graafers would appear on one record or the other. On this, his fourth solo outlet, all three members of the classic VdGG line-up appear: meaning Banton, Evans and Jackson. It’s very VdGG sounding (especially “Red Shift” sounds like an VdGG outtake or lost demo) albeit at the very same time it’s not, but I don’t think any lovers of VdGG will dislike this. What you can say about Hammill versus VdGG is that Hammill on his own always seemed to be more electric, leaning more towards the electronic news of the day.

More focus is on Hammill’s voice and his lyrics of course, but otherwise this might just be the course that VdGG would have taken if they haven’t split, although with less saxophones, that’s for sure but with more of Hammill, be it Hammill the singer, Hammill the guitarist or Hammill the keyboard player.

I have a lot of problems deciding if this album or “In Camera” from the same year is the best Hammill solo album I have heard but in the end I think they come in at the same place: very good and very well done. Like other solo efforts from the thin depressing man this one can be very demanding and hard to get into, but when one do the reward is music that pleases the soul.

This is progressive rock on the outermost corner (no pun intended), close to avant-garde music but richer, warmer and more beautiful than most music in that genre, or so I imagine. Recommended for all who likes a challenge or just some splendid music.