Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog News, Press Releases
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - New Peter Hammill disc released Nov 3rd
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedNew Peter Hammill disc released Nov 3rd

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Topic: New Peter Hammill disc released Nov 3rd
    Posted: October 06 2017 at 09:32
Peter Hammill's latest CD ("From The Trees") is released November 3rd

Team Rock (the people responsible for 'Prog' and 'Classic Rock' magazines) has already posted a review, calling it "a finely crafted masterpiece" and summing it up by writing "'From The Trees' demands to be held among his evocative best."


I have heard it myself and think it's fantastic. The second cut, "Reputation," is one of my fave Hammill cuts *ever* (didn't see that coming at this late stage in the game), a sad little waltz ruminating on the nature of fleeting fame. He hasn't lost a thing and it's great to see that he's still capable of coming up with that chord combination that stays in your head for days after you hear it.




Edited by bucka001 - October 06 2017 at 09:33
jc
Back to Top
The.Crimson.King View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2017 at 11:04
I'll have to check this one out!  Was just saying in another thread one of the great things about VDGG is they never embarrassed themselves chasing horrible musical trends and continue to release great albums to this day Wink
Back to Top
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2017 at 12:24
Originally posted by The.Crimson.King The.Crimson.King wrote:

I'll have to check this one out!  Was just saying in another thread one of the great things about VDGG is they never embarrassed themselves chasing horrible musical trends and continue to release great albums to this day Wink

I know! I honestly believe that VdGG's A Grounding In Numbers (from 2012) is just a fantastic album and it has two or three of my fave VdGG tunes (any era) on it. Last year's Do Not Disturb is also really solid and down right brilliant in parts. Two wonderful albums that are very recent by a band who was doing groundbreaking stuff throughout the 70s. Hammill, too, seems to have gotten into the groove on his solo albums. I have been sent a copy of the new one, it's so good. Truthfully, I was less excited about some of his 90s and early 00s output. I always thought his work was honest, creative, and done for the right reasons but some of it just didn't grab me in those years. But something has been lit inside of him with the VdGG reunion of '05 -- every solo disc since then has re-captured the magic he had in his best periods. Pretty astounding that he / they can still be so damn good at this late stage of the game, and also very rare.
jc
Back to Top
The.Crimson.King View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2017 at 14:02
Cool.  For me Trisector is the 5 star album of their 21st century output (though I love all 4)...and the more I hear Do Not Disturb the more it grows on me.  To think after all these years VDGG would be the last of the 70's prog monsters to continue releasing brand new music of the same quality as 40 years ago...wow!  I guess I shouldn't be surprised though...when I saw PH (with Stuart and Mozart) on the Room Temperature Live tour in San Francisco, I was blown away by the energy they were able to breathe into the rearrangement and performance of the old songs.  That kind of passion, craft and dedication never really goes away!

Your positive review of the new PH is really exciting...can't wait to hear it Thumbs Up
Back to Top
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2017 at 14:14
Originally posted by The.Crimson.King The.Crimson.King wrote:

...when I saw PH (with Stuart and Mozart) on the Room Temperature Live tour in San Francisco, I was blown away by the energy they were able to breathe into the rearrangement and performance of the old songs.  That kind of passion, craft and dedication never really goes away!

I saw four gigs on that tour: Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Toronto. Surpassed my ridiculously high expectations. They were *so* good. Here's a really cool vid I posted on Youtube that should bring back memories for you of that tour. It's from Much Music (Canada's MTV), they showed up at the Toronto '90 gig (I was there and remember talking to the camera man), filmed a bit of the gig, and had apparently interviewed PH earlier in the day. Then the short segment was broadcasted a few days later, this is it.


jc
Back to Top
The.Crimson.King View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2017 at 15:32
That vid was fantastic!!!  Though I couldn't stop laughing when the host said PH was supporting, "his 4th solo record, 'Out of Water'" LOL  Wasn't that about his 24th by then?  Still cool that he got any TV coverage at all.

So for me, being able to see the SF "Room Temperature Live" show was a dream come true.  I was playing in my 1st serious prog band back in '78 and the guitarist had recently seen PH at this tiny club in SF called the Mabuhay Gardens.  Just PH and a piano...I was so jealous!  For so many years!!!  When I heard about the 1990 tour I immediately bought a couple tickets. 

It was at this SF club called Slims in a pretty bad part of town on Mar 21st (my ex-wifes bday).  I remember walking from the car to the club...there must have been 20 people who hassled us for spare change each one a little more aggressive than the last...creepy.  We finally get in and there's no place to sit except way back at the elevated tables.  There was a staircase on the far left surrounded by a short chain link that lead down to the bathrooms and kitchen.  My ex had to hit the bathroom so I stood against the chain link waiting for her.  I was only about 10 ft from PH's electric piano setup.  While she's still gone the show starts, so I stay there waiting...a couple minutes later she comes back and joins me and nobody from security told us to move!  So we didn't! 

I can't tell you how "awesome" (in the literal definition of the word, not the slang) it was to experience PH at close range like that.  The energy and intensity coming off the stage was incredible.  The interplay between him and Stuart and Mozart was often funny.  It seemed PH spent a lot of the night throwing dirty looks at Mozart.  I don't know if Nic was having an off night timing wise, but it was definitely amusing to pick up on.  Hearing and seeing PH up close go from his angelic falsetto to guttural demonic scream in the wink of an eye was unforgettable.

Like you, I had pretty high expectations but had no idea it would be such an amazing and life altering experience.  Still amazing just to think about all these years later Wink
Back to Top
Tom Ozric View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 07 2017 at 00:07
This is great news - one of the very few artists I (stoop to) buy CD’s of.
Love A Grounding In Numbers. So much to indulge in. As many say, never a dull moment in the Hammill / VDGG camp !!

Edited by Tom Ozric - October 07 2017 at 06:29
Back to Top
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2017 at 07:58
Originally posted by The.Crimson.King The.Crimson.King wrote:



So for me, being able to see the SF "Room Temperature Live" show was a dream come true.  I was playing in my 1st serious prog band back in '78...
 
Great SF story, thanks!

My own crazy story from that tour (or one of them) involves my old pal Dave and me taking this photo with Peter in Toronto '90. This was taken long before I knew Peter (or had any idea I'd write a book on the band). Dave and I (and some other friends) had seen Peter three nights in a row prior to this (Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland). Dave and I decided to drive to Toronto to catch one more show (Hammill, with Stuart Gordon on violin, and Nic Potter on bass, was that good on that tour). But the Toronto gig (a club that sat about four or five hundred) was sold out. We were completely dejected. The tour manager, some guy also named Dave, said hi to us (he recognized us from the previous nights) and asked how we were doing. "Not so good, the show is sold out." So he goes and talks to Peter, who looks over at us and nods, and then comes walking back over to us. "We need your names, Peter's putting you on the guest list." Amazing! Then Hammill comes over and takes some pix with us, this is one of them. I thought, "What an awesome guy!" We were elated beyond belief. So we (my buddy, me, and another guy who was the dude behind "Pilgrims," the VdGG fanzine) went out for dinner and walked around the streets of downtown Toronto a bit, arrived at the venue to see a monstrously long line out the door waiting to get in to see The Master, and walked right past them... "Yeah, we're on the guest list." (Lol!). Great times!
 



Edited by bucka001 - October 09 2017 at 08:00
jc
Back to Top
The.Crimson.King View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2017 at 15:51
Wow, fantastic story!  That is so cool that he took some photos with you guys as well.  I recall in the late 90's I was on the Pilgrims mailing list and I believe someone was selling a video of a complete Room Temperature Live show...might have been the Toronto gig...not sure.  I'm shocked nobody has uploaded it to youtube yet Wink

So, I'm wondering about the 4 shows that you saw.  Did PH open them with an unaccompanied piano/vocal version of My Room?  I always wondered why it wasn't included on the Room Temp CD?  Any idea?

And I don't know if you remember me, but I bought my copy of the book 3 or 4 years ago direct from someone in the UK who I think you referred me to?  Anyway, the book is fantastic and I'm just getting ready for my first re-read...excellent job and a must for any VDGG/PH fans Thumbs Up
Back to Top
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2017 at 10:13
Originally posted by The.Crimson.King The.Crimson.King wrote:

Wow, fantastic story!  That is so cool that he took some photos with you guys as well.  I recall in the late 90's I was on the Pilgrims mailing list and I believe someone was selling a video of a complete Room Temperature Live show...might have been the Toronto gig...not sure.  I'm shocked nobody has uploaded it to youtube yet Wink

So, I'm wondering about the 4 shows that you saw.  Did PH open them with an unaccompanied piano/vocal version of My Room?  I always wondered why it wasn't included on the Room Temp CD?  Any idea?

And I don't know if you remember me, but I bought my copy of the book 3 or 4 years ago direct from someone in the UK who I think you referred me to?  Anyway, the book is fantastic and I'm just getting ready for my first re-read...excellent job and a must for any VDGG/PH fans Thumbs Up

He did open with My Room in Chicago for sure (remember it well) and possibly in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and/or Toronto (I do feel like it was at least one other show I saw besides Chicago). Dunno why it wasn't included on RTL, maybe he just wanted to spotlight the band only. 

At least two of the shows I saw were filmed in their entirety by an audience member (not me!), the Toronto and Milwaukee shows. I feel like both were offered up for sale by Pawn Hearts, the Canadian VdGG appreciation society / archive (I def know Toronto was). I have both tucked away in a storage box somewhere on VHS, haven't watched either in decades but should pull those out some time (at this point, they'd be nostalgic, which is weird). I also know that the Philly '90 show was filmed, that gig was supposed to be a belter. There might be clips of Philly and Toronto on Youtube or elsewhere, at least I feel like I've seen tunes from both online somewhere (could be wrong).

Glad you enjoyed the book!
jc
Back to Top
The.Crimson.King View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2017 at 11:21
Originally posted by bucka001 bucka001 wrote:

He did open with My Room in Chicago for sure (remember it well) and possibly in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and/or Toronto (I do feel like it was at least one other show I saw besides Chicago). Dunno why it wasn't included on RTL, maybe he just wanted to spotlight the band only. 


He definitely opened with My Room in SF.  I clearly remember looking up and there he was, 10 ft in front of me alone at the piano Wink

Here's a cool resource of his setlists from the '90 tour.  Interesting in that he didn't start every show with My Room, some were started with The Wave...

https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/peter-hammill-43d69fe3.html?page=45

Back to Top
bucka001 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 16 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 864
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 17 2017 at 14:03
Here's my review of it, on the VdGG homepage (Jim C)

Cliff notes version: "Buy it, it's excellent"

jc
Back to Top
Rasvamakkara View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: January 01 2009
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 127
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 27 2017 at 08:04
In the case of From the Trees (ordered via sofasound.com) pre-order certainly meant a pre-order - the album arrived here in Finland yesterday.

I've now listened to the album a couple of times and I like it a lot! The album may be (deceptively) simple compared to many other PH albums, but there are plenty of interesting hooks and twists in the songs. Most importantly, the album simply sounds really pleasant. Even though the lyrical matters of the songs aren't happy, I find the album to be really relaxing and soothing. It's an excellent album to listen to while lying peacefully on the couch or during an evening bus ride. I also have a feeling that this album is a grower (which PH album isn't?) despite the bit more traditional approach. So yeah, I second the recommendation in the previous comment to buy the album. I am a PH fanboy, but I can't seem to grasp how he manages to be constantly so excellent.


Edited by Rasvamakkara - October 27 2017 at 08:05
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.141 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.