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ScorchedFirth View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Later Period of Peter Hammill
    Posted: August 22 2012 at 14:01
I've not heard much good stuff about Peter Hammill's later period solo albums. Let's say "Loops and Reels" (1983) onwards so as to fix a date for arguments sake. I'm not really familiar with his work from this point onwards, but what I have heard hasn't exactly been great.

Still, it's hard to believe that every single thing he's done since 1983 is entirely without merit, so from anybody who has some knowledge of this era, I'd like to know if there are any albums that buck the trend, or any hidden gems of tracks in the seemingly comparatively poor later era of Hammill's solo work. Perhaps people could recommend some of their personal favourites.

Thanks.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2012 at 16:02
I can't say I'm that familiar with his work from the 80s onward, but what I've heard isn't bad at all.  The first one I got was called "In a Foreign Town" (1986 I think), and it suffers a bit from being very 80s sounding.  Not bad, but just not the kind of thing you look for in a Hammill album.  Another I have, though, is quite good, it's called "X My Heart" from 1996.  It seems comparable in quality to stuff like "Enter K" (1982), another good album.  Also, I've never heard his more recent album "Singularity", but the reviews look pretty positive.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2012 at 18:10
Has Hammill's classic songwriting solo output been low in the last 10 years? 
I love "In a Foreign Town."  I haven't been checking up on him, and it would be
really sad to think he hasn't had a chance to dig his teeth and pull on the current
economic crises.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2012 at 01:05
I haven't heard nearly all of the post Loops and Reels albums (I know all the prior albums very well), but there are some gems there. The problem with Hammill's later period seems to be inconsistency. There are albums that are mostly ok, but amidst the more forgettable tunes there are some spectacular songs. Examples of this include A Way Out from the album Out of the Water and Four Pails from Skin. The album And Close as This is it's own number and I rank it as one of my favourite PH albums. Few albums have moved me in the same way as this wonderful offering of emotion. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2012 at 06:44
Originally posted by Rasvamakkara Rasvamakkara wrote:

I haven't heard nearly all of the post Loops and Reels albums (I know all the prior albums very well), but there are some gems there. The problem with Hammill's later period seems to be inconsistency. There are albums that are mostly ok, but amidst the more forgettable tunes there are some spectacular songs. Examples of this include A Way Out from the album Out of the Water and Four Pails from Skin. The album And Close as This is it's own number and I rank it as one of my favourite PH albums. Few albums have moved me in the same way as this wonderful offering of emotion. 


Those were pretty good. He seems to have retained all his lyrical power, which is encouraging.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2012 at 15:09

You need "Clutch" from 2002





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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2012 at 18:26
Hi,
 
I have not heard the last couple of albums, but I can say with all the grace in the world that his period up to and around "Out of Water" and "X my Heart" is where his material stops for me, and I think that his concern for making the VdGG thing work is what has caused his personal stuff to not get better. I did not think that "Singularity", or "Tri-Sector" was as vital as his earlier albums had been, band of otherwise. But maybe I am hearing something in there that is no longer strong, and is now just reflective ... and asking for absolution!
 
I'll get his latest and listen to it with all my heart, for of all the poets out there, Peter Hammill, is, still, the best one of my lifetime!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2012 at 09:09
I think the reason why you don't hear much about them is because Hammill kind of moved away from prog entirely for a long period, which is the preferred style of a good 99% of his fanbase.  I've heard a few tracks from the 80's and 90's and they're different; the songwriting is still there but he does fall into the digital trappings of the era, which is maybe why some of those albums aren't holding up.  His latest solo albums, from what I've heard, are excellent.
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