H TO HE, WHO AM THE ONLY ONE

I can't add anything crucial, but for change I want to praise a Truly Outstanding Prog Masterpiece, and along with Pawn Hearts I have no difficulty to say so about this one as well. It's not a perfect album, but to me captivating enough to give full rating.

'Killer' is built on a heavy sax riff and the lyrics are brilliantly strong and very metaphorical. 'House With No Door' has even more depressing lyrics - a painful plea for contact - but the piano dominating music is tender, beautifully matched with Hammill's emotional vocals. 'The Emperor in His War-Room' has some moments of pure magic. Moving seamlessly between calm and loud, it's one of my favourite VdGG tracks. Generally angst and violent contents in music is not my cup of tea, but VdGG has some extraordinary exceptions to the rule.

The B side has two epics. 'Lost' is yet another painful longing for lost love by Hammill. It may not be among their strongest compositions as a whole, but again it has moments of hair- raising emotional strength. 'Pioneers Over C' seems to be the inspiration for the space- themed cover art. A classic, and in its improvisation-like quieter parts reminding of 'Plague of the Light-house Keeper'. Well, Pawn Hearts has three fantastic long tracks and here are five tracks, none of them individually in the level of Pawn Hearts, but still I love this album as much. Both would be on my Top20 of all time Prog albums. One hears its age easily, but it's the part of the magic.