Complete Peter Hammill collection

[Progatron]

Has anyone here done this? I'd love to see some collections out there, as well as any comments/advice from Hammill collectors on what I may be missing that I don't realize.

After years of gradually amassing the PH albums (an exhausting and expensive hobby, like collecting Zappa and Miles), I'm closing in on what I'd consider the "complete" collection (on CD that is, I'm not counting things like singles and alternate vinyl pressings, etc and I am also excluding several redundant compilations). So, "complete" for my tastes anyway. I do have quite a few vinyl LPs of both PH and VDGG but I am not a vinyl collector, and I don't even have a turntable.

Anyway, here's what I know I still need. I've always got an eye out on Discogs, Ebay, amazon marketplace, etc. for deals, as I am not spending fifty bucks on a live CD that is really only for completion's sake. If I were a rich man....

In The Passionskirche (live Berlin '92) ... I've heard this and much prefer the material on Typical, so it's never been a priority.
Spur Of The Moment (Hammill/Evans)
Tides (is this even an official Hammill release? It doesn't appear to be)
Offensitchtlich Goldfisch (German versions of 12 assorted tracks)
The Fall Of The House Of Usher (second version 1999)
"The Polaroid" 45 single (I'd like to have it just for fun)

... I also just have the 2-disc version of Pno, Gtr, Vox, as I did not jump on the 7-disc box quickly enough at the time.

Here's what I do have:

Fool's Mate
Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night
The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
In Camera
Nadir's Big Chance
Over
The Future Now
ph7
A Black Box
Sitting Targets
Music Box (Essen '81 boot CD)
Enter K
Patience
Loops And Reels
The Love Songs
The Margin+
Skin
And Close As This
In A Foreign Town
Out Of Water
Room Temperature Live
The Fall Of The House Of Usher (first version)
Fireships
The Noise
There Goes The Daylight
Roaring Forties
The Peel Sessions
X My Heart
Sonix
The Union Chapel Concert
Everyone You Hold
This
The Appointed Hour
Typical
None Of The Above
What, Now?
Unsung
Clutch
Incoherence
Veracious
Singularity
Thin Air
Pno, Gtr, Vox (2-disc)
Consquences
Otherworld
...All That Might Have Been (3-disc)

[flytomars]

We seem to share the same collection more or less,
I might have the 99 usher (need to check at home) but anyway dont find it essential as the first version which is a MUST HAVE (PH at his most dramatic vocals, and that says alot)
Also might have Offensitchtlich Goldfisch (I think it is still sealed :P)
From the list that you do have I am missing Music Box (dont have any "original" bootlegs on CD except for Stations of a lonesome trip which I really like),
And the appointed hour which seems unessential (am I wrong?).
Since you wrote Spur of the moment I will add the union chapel with the first VDGG reunion which has many tracks from this release.

[alanterrill]

Has anyone here done this? I'd love to see some collections out there, as well as any comments/advice from Hammill collectors on what I may be missing that I don't realize.

Well you've covered all his studio albums but there are many appearances on other people's albums -many don't amount to much more than backing vocals, a production credit or a bit of keyboard playing - however, I think you need Robert Fripp's 'Exposure' on which he contributes lead vocal on four (I think) tracks of which Disengage and Chicago are essential. Also Ayuo's 'Songs From a Eurasion Journey' is excellent -Hammill does vocals on six tracks and wrote the lyrics for them.

[bRETT]

Well you've covered all his studio albums but there are many appearances on other people's albums -many don't amount to much more than backing vocals, a production credit or a bit of keyboard playing - however, I think you need Robert Fripp's 'Exposure' on which he contributes lead vocal on four (I think) tracks of which Disengage and Chicago are essential. Also Ayuo's 'Songs From a Eurasion Journey' is excellent -Hammill does vocals on six tracks and wrote the lyrics for them.

And the "Stranglers & Friends" live CD with two Hammill vox (and some Fripp guitar).

[AstroProg]

Before Peter Hammill played at NEARFest a few years back, I wanted to familiarize myself with his music before the show. I realized that there were way too many CDs to wade through, so I made my own greatest hits collection. I found a website with setlists from the previous few tours, and downloaded those songs. Not only did I quickly become a fan, I also knew every song he played at the show. He really does perform his best songs live.

[100423]

Also Ayuo's 'Songs From a Eurasion Journey' is excellent -Hammill does vocals on six tracks and wrote the lyrics for them.

I'm not familiar with this. I need to check it out...

[Progatron]

And the appointed hour which seems unessential (am I wrong?).
Since you wrote Spur of the moment I will add the union chapel with the first VDGG reunion which has many tracks from this release.

No, you're not wrong. It's okay, but one of the titles I rarely pull off the shelf. As for Union Chapel, that's in my list.

Well you've covered all his studio albums but there are many appearances on other people's albums -many don't amount to much more than backing vocals, a production credit or a bit of keyboard playing - however, I think you need Robert Fripp's 'Exposure' on which he contributes lead vocal on four (I think) tracks of which Disengage and Chicago are essential. Also Ayuo's 'Songs From a Eurasion Journey' is excellent -Hammill does vocals on six tracks and wrote the lyrics for them.

Oh, I've had Exposure for many years. I should have added that I'm not seeking out every appearance on others' albums. Naturally though, I do have his appearances on the PG albums he contributed to. And his contribution to PFM's Live In Japan 2002, and the English version of Le Orme's Felona And Sorona which he wrote the lyrics for.

[tonewalk]

I'm pretty close to the full set - perhaps missing only the German CD.

I enjoy 'Spur' a great deal - it's a big change from everything else he's done and it's probably my most played Hammill CD in recent years. With hindsight I would have liked to see Guy and Peter work together some more.

I'm not generally a big fan of his live albums, but 'Tides' is the exception - it includes a very powerful version of 'Too many of my yesterdays'.

[flytomars]

Well you've covered all his studio albums but there are many appearances on other people's albums -many don't amount to much more than backing vocals, a production credit or a bit of keyboard playing - however, I think you need Robert Fripp's 'Exposure' on which he contributes lead vocal on four (I think) tracks of which Disengage and Chicago are essential. Also Ayuo's 'Songs From a Eurasion Journey' is excellent -Hammill does vocals on six tracks and wrote the lyrics for them.

Exposure is essential IMHO, and the Ayuo album is very nice albeit very "world music" and prehaps a bit too melodic and naive for my taste.
I have another Ayuo album with PH vocal contribution but if memory serves it is mostly spoken word (need to revisit it).
I also have a collaboration with a female Cello player (my memory fails me... need to check the name when I am home) with a nice kitschy love song, but this one is definately not essential.

No, you're not wrong. It's okay, but one of the titles I rarely pull off the shelf. As for Union Chapel, that's in my list.

Ooops I missed it... Then I guess that apart for some random collaborations, our collections are similar

[alanterrill]

I'm not familiar with this. I need to check it out...

Here's a taste:http://peterhammill.com/phx/audio/air

and

[Progatron]

I enjoy 'Spur' a great deal - it's a big change from everything else he's done and it's probably my most played Hammill CD in recent years.

Interesting... I'll likely get this title next.

[thedunno]

you need the Pno, Gtr, Vox box-set.
It was released in a limited edition but its great. I sold the 2cd set after I got the box.

[Progatron]

you need the Pno, Gtr, Vox box-set.
It was released in a limited edition but its great. I sold the 2cd set after I got the box.

Yeah, I was kicking myself for not jumping on that. I'll get it one day.

[Kai]

I have another Ayuo album with PH vocal contribution but if memory serves it is mostly spoken word (need to revisit it).
I also have a collaboration with a female Cello player (my memory fails me... need to check the name when I am home) with a nice kitschy love song, but this one is definately not essential.

Yes, Hammill does only a spoken word bit on the first track of Earth Guitar. "Melodic and naive" is a fit description for that album as well, which is why I like it . Though I like the track with Hammill the least, and that was the only reason I originally went for the album in the first place!

I'm sure that everybody knows this by now, but I'll just remind that Hammill did one non-kitschy love song with Alice, "Now And Forever", on her Il Sole nella pioggia album. Perhaps not essential on its own, but the album itself is very good.

[flytomars]

Ok, got home, my bad re female cello player- its actually a male player named Wulfram Huschke, and it also has Marian Faithful guesting on another song.
Turns out I do have an original Goldfisch and a CDr version of tides.
Another bootleg that is very good and was not mentioned is "Skeletons of songs" which is a great live document.

[zombywoof]

I've got ...

Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night
The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
In Camera
Nadir's Big Chance
Over
A Black Box

What else do I need?

[alanterrill]

I've got ...

Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night
The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
In Camera
Nadir's Big Chance
Over
A Black Box

What else do I need?

Are you serious? If so then you really need Fool's Mate, Ph7, The Future Now, Sitting Targets , ph7, Enter K and Patience at the very least.

[tonewalk]

To those I'd add 'And Close as This' (PH stripped very bare) as essential.

[Oreb]

I've got ...

Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night
The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage
In Camera
Nadir's Big Chance
Over
A Black Box

What else do I need?

Of the studio material, the only truly fundamental albums you're missing are the re-make of Usher, Singularity and Thin Air.

Live, I think The Margin + and Veracious are picks of the crop.

That said, I'm a completist for the man.

[flytomars]

Of the studio material, the only truly fundamental albums you're missing are the re-make of Usher, Singularity and Thin Air.

Live, I think The Margin + and Veracious are picks of the crop.

That said, I'm a completist for the man.

Strange choices for the studio- I would go with the recommendations above for PH7 to Patience + as close as this, and mabe add fireships from the 90s and Thin Air from 00s.
And after that, Usher but the original one, not reconstructed. (I love this one extremely but it does require some initiation )

[the winter tree]

Back in the mid/late 70s when I was in high school I bought a cool Hammill compilation album onvinyl called VISION that I found in the cutout bin of my local record store. It featured tracks off of his early solo albums. I had read the Genesis book I KNOW WHAT I LIKE by Armando Gallo and saw a photo of Hammill but had never heard his music until I bought VISION, although I took PAWN HEARTS out of my local library when I was 13 but didn't realize it was Hammill.

[Oreb]

I would go with the recommendations above for PH7 to Patience + as close as this, and mabe add fireships

You've chosen some of his weakest stuff IMO. He went through a long, bland period with only occasional gems like This within the murk. The brush with death re-energised his muse.

[flytomars]

You've chosen some of his weakest stuff IMO. He went through a long, bland period with only occasional gems like This within the murk. The brush with death re-energised his muse.

I agree that the brush with death re-energised his muse, but to call the streak of records between PH7 and Patience a bland period and his weakest stuff? Say what?
This must be some sort of misunderstanding?

[Oreb]

I waited in the rain for hours.
*shrug*
You were late.

[flytomars]

I waited in the rain for hours.
*shrug*
You were late.

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