Peter Hammill Solo at His Funky, Rocking Best

[flytomars]

I think that if you have hopes of the 80s releases being on the same level as those 3 albums, you're going to be very disappointed.

I beg to differ: true, they are the "progiest" of the lot, but these days I tend to enjoy albums like Black Box, Future Now, Sitting Targets much more- they have fantastic songwriting, a production which grew on me (once Ive got over the "eighties" sound) and quite alot of energy.
I love Gog or Louse is not a home and for me they are epic, but there is also place for the shorter, lighter pieces too.

[moecurlythanu]

^ But do you think he's likely to share your enthusiasm? Do you think that your view is a majority view among Prog-Rock fans, or just based on Zappathustra's taste, he'll like the 80s stuff as much as the 70s?

[flytomars]

^ But do you think he's likely to share your enthusiasm? Do you think that your view is a majority view among Prog-Rock fans, or just based on Zappathustra's taste, he'll like the 80s stuff as much as the 70s?

Very good question, I guess it depends how much he immerses himself in the catalog-
They wont be his favourites at the begining, with that I agree. But relating to your quote:
"being on the same level as those 3 albums, you're going to be very disappointed." - not going to be disappointed in the long run (if he gets there - that depends on him)

[bRETT]

Hammill's fans are always going to be divided-- He can be aggressive/rocking or darker/more esoteric, and most seem to prefer one mode over the other. Me, I think "Vital" is his greatest album.

[arthurfrayn]

This may be a non answer, since it's a VDGG cut, but Smoke off of Grounding in Numbers is deliberately funky...

[Zappathustra]

^ But do you think he's likely to share your enthusiasm? Do you think that your view is a majority view among Prog-Rock fans, or just based on Zappathustra's taste, he'll like the 80s stuff as much as the 70s?

It's not so much a matter of taste as of quality. Of course if we had this discussion 20 years ago you would be right, and there are still preferences and prejudices but I haven't been that dedicated to the cause of prog rock the last 20 or so years. I will post here my impressions as soon as I have any.

[Kcrimso]

I beg to differ: true, they are the "progiest" of the lot, but these days I tend to enjoy albums like Black Box, Future Now, Sitting Targets much more- they have fantastic songwriting, a production which grew on me (once Ive got over the "eighties" sound) and quite alot of energy.
I love Gog or Louse is not a home and for me they are epic, but there is also place for the shorter, lighter pieces too.

I agree 100% with this.

[pmrviana]

I agree 100% with this.

Me too, and I'd even include Enter K and Patience up there as well...

EDIT: Oh, and I just realised he didn't mention PH7, which is one of the best from this period!

[tonewalk]

As good as any other thread to revive. Maybe the new album and tour will both be funky and rocking. From the FB page:

Peter Hammill will play in Japan and Italy in October and November. Great news! Furthermore, the new album will definitely be out by then.

Japan in October:

25th Haretara Sonrarni Mamemaite, Daikanyama, Tokyo
26th Coo, Sapporo
27th Pit Inn, Shinjuku, Tokyo
28th Pit Inn, Shinjuku, Tokyo
29th Pit Inn, Shinjuku, Tokyo

and then Italia in November:

9th Roma Auditorium Parco della Musica
10th Napoli, Basilica di ASan Giovanni Maggiore
11th Terni, Teatro Secci
13th Chiari (BS), Auditorium Toscanini
14th Milano, La Salumeria della Musica
15th Tolmezzo (UD), Teatro Candoni
17th Livorno, La Goldonetta

And, it looks like he's appearing at IB Expo 17 on November 25 at Kulturhuset in Halmstad, Sweden, as a guest of Isuldur's Bane:

https://www.facebook.com/ibexpo/

[Obscured]

^ Best bet is to check his website:

http://sofasound.com/touring.htm

By the way, he also mentions possible VdGG plans in 2018.

** There aren't any immediate plans for VdGG shows or, indeed, activity; 2018, though, may be a different matter, without making any promises.**

[polmico]

Ok, so possibly possible.

[Zappathustra]

Not funky, but still brilliant
https://youtu.be/T-18nuBxwck

[spacefreak]

A Black Box comes close.

Indeed...

[bRETT]

The closest thing to 'funk' in his oeuvre

....is "Place to Survive" on World Record (which is pretty darn close).

[polmico]

Not funky, but still brilliant
https://youtu.be/T-18nuBxwck

Not enough PH dancing. Pass.

[Zappathustra]

Being carried by two dancers is dancing man

[the winter tree]

I have always loved his song "Perfect Date" off of "Skin". I've never understood all the negativity directed at the Skin album. I think its a very strong album with great production. I have both versions on vinyl - the original with the wrong track listings and the corrected one. I actually prefer the " wrong " version.

[mx20]

I have always loved his song "Perfect Date" off of "Skin". I've never understood all the negativity directed at the Skin album. I think its a very strong album with great production. I have both versions on vinyl - the original with the wrong track listings and the corrected one. I actually prefer the " wrong " version.

There are some really great melodies on Skin, although I never quite warmed to the sound of it. Seems like Skin got a bit of a US college radio push from the US label, didn't it? That's my recollection, anyway.

My favorite artifact from this period, though, is the version of the title track on Room Temperature Live.

[flytomars]

^ true, take this song for example:

[Mister Triscuits]

I like Skin a lot. "After the Show" is a definite PH classic, "Now Lover" a fine proggy epic, and I even think PH's stabs at synth-pop in the title track and "Painting by Numbers" work nicely. But my favorite thing on the album is the sublime "Shell"...even if I can't help hearing "Escher sketch" as "Etch-A-Sketch."

[Kai]

I have a pretty good tolerance for eighties synth-pop sound, but I still think Skin is not a success in the production department. This tends to distract a bit. But I agree that most of the compositions are very good. And on "Painting By Numbers" the tacky fanfare that follows the opening line of the chorus perfectly reflects the lyric and is probably quite intentional, especial as he disrupts the smooth-flowing "pop approach" later in the song with his normal idiosyncrasy.

[flytomars]

Shell is one of my all-time Phavourites,
I keep forgetting it is from Skin-
For me this track is from "the calm after the storm", the album that got me hooked on PH solo material.