Peter Hammill - Sitting Targets

[Proghound]

The Future Now
Black Box
PH7
Sitting Targets
Those post VDG Mark II solos - the sound changed became more compact more edgy not losing that experimental touch what an amazing streak

Great list! Definitely favorites, I really enjoyed A Black Box, especially back in the day.

[Lino]

When it first came out, it dominated my turntable like few albums have. Wasn't a lot of great prog coming to Southern Ontario record stores around 1980 so we looked forward to Hammill albums lol

On his last solo tour here, he pulled out the acoustic and did an absolutely stunning rendition of the title track. I'll never forget it.

[Proghound]

i remember in Feb 1978 taking a date, who knew nothing at all about "Art rock", to see Peter Hammill and Graham Smith at The Cellar Door in Wash DC. It was “The Future Now” tour, I believe. I will never forget how impressed she was with the performance, which I thought was really special since she had no idea who he was.

[Steve F.]

i remember in Feb 1978 taking a date, who knew nothing at all about "Art rock", to see Peter Hammill and Graham Smith at The Cellar Door in Wash DC. It was “The Future Now” tour, I believe. I will never forget how impressed she was with the performance, which I thought was really special since she had no idea who he was.

It was indeed The Future Now tour and I saw the same set of shows. They played two shows a night on Feb 13 and Feb 14. I saw them on February 13, driving down into DC the middle of a pretty severe snowstorm!

I took a date too, but she was a Hammill fan.

[Proghound]

LOL- I was there on the 14th- they must have had the roads plowed by then Steve!

your old friend Ralph

[Udi Koomran]

I am fond of Enter K
Yes it was the last one for me and I got to see it live so... I have a soft spot for it

[pmrviana]

About the K group albums, I have always thought they were a step down from Sitting Targets, but having listened to those again last week, I found them to be much better than I remembered. The sax solo on Labour of Love is really intense! Traintime is another great tune, a true Hammil classic! Paradox Drive, Now More than Ever, Don't Tell Me, The Unconscious Life, Accidents, are also great songs from those 2 albums. Of course there's also some less inspired ones, and Happy Hour goes on for a lot longer than it should... but overall there's nothing really bad and the good stuff is just as brilliant as always!

[Proghound]

I enjoyed this solo period more than his earliest solo stuff, and later solo stuff... hands down. But unless you lived it, its hard to explain.

[gryphs also]

I'm surprised for the love for Sitting Targets. I honestly thought is would get ripped.

Yes, it is more straight ahead than earlier pH albums, but it still is Hammill still on a decade long peak. I still enjoyed the K Group material. Skin is where I started to get off the train.

[Udi Koomran]

Did he play drums on these albums ?

[Udi Koomran]

Was Nadir the prototype for this series of albums ?
What a great album...
ground breaking stuff

[at least 100 dead]

Did he play drums on these albums ?

IIRC, he does play all of the drums on Black Box and pH7. In the liner notes to the latter states: “I’ve never pretended to be much of a drummer, but this was the time when I felt that I really had to begin to understand what happens with drums. The only way to do that was to hit the skins myself.” And: “The drumming's pretty strange, I admit...but I wanted to find out about it!”

On Sitting Targets, Guy Evans plays most of the drums (except for “What I Did” and “Central Hotel”). Other than that, some kind of Roland (?) pre-MIDI beatbox thingy is employed.

[Steve F.]

Was Nadir the prototype for this series of albums ?
What a great album...
ground breaking stuff

I always felt that the prototype was him deciding he wanted to NOT have guest musicians (mostly) and recording all parts himself even if that meant no drums or PH doing the drums.

IIRC, first blooming of this notion is The Future Now - iirc, Nadir has real drumming.

[progman1975]

Anyone done an a/b with the '89 virgin and the remaster???

[pmrviana]

IIRC, he does play all of the drums on Black Box and pH7. In the liner notes to the latter states: “I’ve never pretended to be much of a drummer, but this was the time when I felt that I really had to begin to understand what happens with drums. The only way to do that was to hit the skins myself.” And: “The drumming's pretty strange, I admit...but I wanted to find out about it!”

I just love the PH drumming on those 2 albums. Very unconventional indeed!

[olivetti]

Anyone done an a/b with the '89 virgin and the remaster???

The remasters, done by Hammill sucks big time!
Compressed to death!
Hurt my ears!

Beside that, agree with most of the replies in the thread!
Just love Black box and Sitting targets!

[Lino]

It was indeed The Future Now tour and I saw the same set of shows. They played two shows a night on Feb 13 and Feb 14. I saw them on February 13, driving down into DC the middle of a pretty severe snowstorm!

I took a date too, but she was a Hammill fan.

Did he have Nic Potter on bass too?

[Steve F.]

Did he have Nic Potter on bass too?

No - just Graham Smith on viola and PH on guitar and piano.

[mx20]

Did he play drums on these albums ?

Don't forget Morris Pert on percussion on Sitting Targets.

I love Sitting Targets & A Black Box more than almost any other PH solo album (except, perhaps, In Camera). I think they're that good.

I'm also a fan of the K Group stuff, but I've never enjoyed The Margin live album (though I loved the Rockpalast video!).

I used to claim to love The Future Now & pH 7, but, with years of dust on my shelf bearing witness, I don't really think the songs hold up as well as Hammill's best work. Cool aesthetic, though, but mixed results.

[at least 100 dead]

I always felt that the prototype was him deciding he wanted to NOT have guest musicians (mostly) and recording all parts himself even if that meant no drums or PH doing the drums.

IIRC, first blooming of this notion is The Future Now - iirc, Nadir has real drumming.

I’d say so too, although the relatively minimalistic “The Institute of Mental Health” does hint at 78-81 PH, however tentatively.

If you’re looking for other prototypes or “incipient species”, check out In Camera’s “Magog”. It rears its frightful head throughout Hammill’s 78-81 work, informing pieces such as “Jargon King”, “The Cut”, “A Motorbike in Africa” and even “Mr. X”.

In a way, PH only really became PH with The Future Now. Prior to that, the distinction between his solo stuff and VdGG is fuzzy. (If you listen to “In the Black Room” or “A Louse” - they’re VdGG in all but name. Even something like “Lost & Found” would’ve been right at home on World Record, regardless of the personnel employed.)

[Mister Triscuits]

If you’re looking for other prototypes or “incipient species”, check out In Camera’s “Magog”.

I once called out for "In Bromine Chambers" at a PH solo show. He laughed and said "I've gotten some strange requests before...!"

[at least 100 dead]

I once called out for "In Bromine Chambers" at a PH solo show. He laughed and said "I've gotten some strange requests before...!"

He probably did not play it, or did he?

[Mister Triscuits]

He probably did not play it, or did he?

He did not.

[Steve F.]

I once called out for "In Bromine Chambers" at a PH solo show. He laughed and said "I've gotten some strange requests before...!"

The highlight of when I saw VDGG for the 1st time was them doing Gog. It was astonishing.

[Mister Triscuits]

The highlight of when I saw VDGG for the 1st time was them doing Gog. It was astonishing.

I'll bet! Was that the NYC '76 show?