ENTER K

This album opens rather strangely. Paradox Drive is probably the popiest song written by Peter so far. The song features a funky groovy mood like."Talking Heads" in the late seventies. Surprising. Maybe a paradox.

But the dark and serious Hammill is back with another jewel and so classic song. Jackson is of course of great assistance in this VDGG effort. Nicely balanced between some fine piano lines and subtle sax. Nothing violent or chaotic here. This is more in line with the "Still Life" period. Unconsciously or not, this is a great VDGG song. A highlight IMO.

With all his mates back (except Banton), more moods of the band are available (and I won't complain). Although short, "Accidents" holds lots of ingredients of a VDGG piece of work. Heavy sounds, tortured Peter and even if the structure is simple, this song features a powerful and impressive finale.

The hectic "Great Experiment" has this hopping style of the "Heads" again. The similarity is even reinforced by the vocal part which, at times, reminds me the style of Byrne. This album is really good so far and "Don't Tell Me" is absolutely on par. It is thanks to such piece of music that I praise the man so much. Absolutely moving and passionate.

And it is not the immaculate beauty of "She Wraps It Up" that should change my mind. Of an easier approach, it still offers these so typical Hammill moments. And the best of him, actually.

Now the alcoholic epic. "Happy Hour". Amazing lyrics, rhythm changes (even some fine flamenco oriented short passage) and this indelible VDGG sound. I can't help, even if this is "solo" album, it has so many things in common with the band that I just have to underline these similarities when they occur. At least it is how I feel when listening to such a track. Another highlight but there are no weak song here.

Actually, it is my favorite Hammill album since "The Silent Corner." in 1974. Four stars.

On Enter K, we hear the new and slightly more accessible direction from Sitting Targets fleshed out with a real rocking band behind him. Almost an entire VDGG cast. Hammill must have drawn a lot of inspiration from working with some other musicians again as the song writing is really superb here.

Paradox Drive is the closest thing to a pop song you'll ever get to hear from Hammill. At least if you would call similar songs like John Cale's Dead or Alive a pop song. What follows is one highlight after the other. With Jackson's leading sax, The Unconscious Life comes close to an 80's reincarnation of VDGG. Accidents is one of my Hammill favourites, perfectly balancing between his new wave experiments and his ever obsessive delivery. Don't Tell Me is one of his great ballads.

The remaining tracks are very good, except maybe for the extra track on the CD reissue Seven Wonders. The next album Patience, performed with the same band, would fully realise the potential that started to shine through here.

Having assembled the K Group - featuring Van der Graaf veterans Guy Evans and Nic Potter as the rhythm section and John Ellis on guitar - to tour material from A Black Box and Sitting Targets, Hammill found that the group were gelling well enough to try them out in the studio. The result is his most band-oriented album since the breakup of Van der Graaf Generator. In particular, as Bonnek mentions David Jackson makes a welcome guest appearance on The Unconscious Life, which gives the thing the air of a VdGG semi-reunion. The rest of the material is more in tune with Hammill's progressive New Wave direction of the early 1980s, with the result being one of his more diverse albums from the period.