- Audio CD (12 Jan 1996)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Virgin
- ASIN: B000026XVN
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 306,079 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Product details |
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This classic album from 1986 features Peter Hammill truly 'solo', accompanied only by piano and computer treatments. Hammill's album liner notes explained the rationale behind this sparse approach: 'The music on these recordings consists of one pass of hands across a keyboard. On two songs this is piano. The remainder are performances which were initially played, in their entirety, into computer sequences. These were then used to control a variety of sound sources. The songs, though composed of many different parts, are still only played by one pair of hands.' The songs themselves range from the gently lyrical to the highly dramatic - in fact, some of Hammill's best work: 'Too Many of my yesterday' which became a firm live favourite; 'Other old cliches' another superb Hammill love song; and 'Empire of Delight' co-written with Keith Emerson. At the time of its release, critical opinion was divided: some thought the album too bare, others regarded it as the definitive distillation of Hammill. Now, it is generally regarded as a classic. The cover features a shot by Anton Corbijn of Hammill's eye - later blown up to unnerving giant size in an Amsterdam exhibition of the photographer's work.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well, in 1986, Peter Hammill clearly decided to do something "slightly different" for the released of his eleventy millionth solo album. He decided to do 8 songs "live in one take unplugged at the keyboard".
For two of these (the first song on each side) the board of keyness in question was indeed a grand piano (albeit rather duffly recorded - he even manages to distort the mic in some places! but then the Rules were One Take Only.... oh well, at least its a real grand piano, and thus sounds innately rather, er, grand.)
On the remaining tracks, his board of keyness was actually very much 'plugged' - indeed, he plugged it into a variety of highly dubious mid-80s MIDI sound modules. Thus we get to hear Extremely Naff Plasticy Digital Piano Samples (very ikky lack of velocity sensitivity...), yucky syprupy chorssed 'Rhodes' sounds, plastic fake Hammond organs, and even, at one farcical moment, a bevy of MIDI percussion whipcracks. Great clods of hammered MIDI notes stick together and flam, latency wreaking havoc with the timing. In short, a bit of a dog's dinner!
For two of these (the first song on each side) the board of keyness in question was indeed a grand piano (albeit rather duffly recorded - he even manages to distort the mic in some places! but then the Rules were One Take Only.... oh well, at least its a real grand piano, and thus sounds innately rather, er, grand.)
On the remaining tracks, his board of keyness was actually very much 'plugged' - indeed, he plugged it into a variety of highly dubious mid-80s MIDI sound modules. Thus we get to hear Extremely Naff Plasticy Digital Piano Samples (very ikky lack of velocity sensitivity...), yucky syprupy chorssed 'Rhodes' sounds, plastic fake Hammond organs, and even, at one farcical moment, a bevy of MIDI percussion whipcracks. Great clods of hammered MIDI notes stick together and flam, latency wreaking havoc with the timing. In short, a bit of a dog's dinner!
...And yet - this album is actually really rather good. Such is the sheer determined intensity and poise in Hammill's vocal delivery, the forthright articulation in his lyrics, the sheer projected focus and urgency of his artistic persona,
that it can't help but be compelling - the faintly risible MIDI musical setting almost seems to make it more so, with Hammill striding out in "Silver" and "Confidence" atop great ungainly plastic zig-zag of MIDI madness.
"Too Many of My Yesterdays" is quite sublime solo at the grand piano (free of MIDI shenanigans), and "Sleep Now" a lovely closing lullaby.
All in all, a stalwart addition to the vast Hammill cannon.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
