FOOL'S MATE

Fool's Mate was my first Hammill solo album. I got it soon after finding Pawn Hearts and Godbluff, almost 25 years ago. Time Flies. I've always found it a most satisfying album with an exciting VDGG-lite sound that you will not find on anything else featuring Perter Hammill. Only Nadir's Big Chance represents a similar attempt at basic ballad and rock song writing, be it in a much rougher jacket there.

Fool's Mate is not only the lightest; it's also the brightest moment in Hammill's catalogue. It sure features a lot of beautiful melancholic ballads but how many other Hammill songs do you know that are sheer fun like Imperial Zeppelin, Re-awakening or Sunshine (the title alone)?

I guess appreciation will largely depend on the moment you came to listen to this album. For me it's always been an excellent and unique album, a first 4-star in an endless series of strong Hammill solo albums.