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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In the later canon of pH's work, THIS takes a special place in my opinion quite simply because of "Unrehearsed". It has the legendary epic feel without sounding at all dated, although it maybe harks back - like Hugh Banton's organ on "Bubble" from the previous album EVERYONE YOU HOLD - to earlier solo records, with David Jackson excelling on flutes and sax. Along with the familiar metaphors from the world of theatre it contains advice (or the impossibility thereof) given to a younger person by the pH character. One can't help imagining a grown-up Wilhelmina from THE SILENT CORNER turning to the singer for help. Here pH does not build tension through repetition (as in "Happy Hour" on ENTER K), but develops a coherent, moving masterpiece. "Since the Kids" is a lament for old age, recalling "Autumn" on OVER, without the heartbreaking drama, which, to this reviewer, is a pity. Although some of the material on THIS would not be out of place on more pedestrian efforts like X MY HEART or FIRESHIPS, there are a number of highlights, like "Stupid" in which pH has a stab at mad Arab chanting, or "Nightman" with Stuart Gordon's gorgeous violin. All in all, even the less exciting compositions like "Fallen (The City of Night) include daring, chaotic moments, and the three fragments act as beautiful introductions or seamless transitions. The instrumentation (some exquisite string arrangements) and the production work are first rate throughout. Unfortunately, the album's closer, the 14-minute "The Light Continent" is not exceptional or varied enough to warrant its length in spite of some beautiful polar imagery. It cannot compare to the VdGG-esque "A Headlong Stretch" on ROARING FORTIES as far as pH's more recent epics go, though it is clear that it was not meant to in any case. A bit of a let-down to one of pH's best albums of the 90s. But, in case I haven't said this yet, THIS is worth buying for "Unrehearsed" alone !
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Of course every Peter Hammill-album is special, and that certainly applies to this one. Released in 1998 after the
brilliant albums X My Heart and Everyone You Hold it had high
standards to make up to. But it succeeds completely, from the
great opener Unrehearsed to the epic The Light Continent.
Other highlights are Nightman, Fallen the City of Night and
the rocking Always is Next.
Hammill keeps on producing the very best in an already
impressive catalogue.
brilliant albums X My Heart and Everyone You Hold it had high
standards to make up to. But it succeeds completely, from the
great opener Unrehearsed to the epic The Light Continent.
Other highlights are Nightman, Fallen the City of Night and
the rocking Always is Next.
Hammill keeps on producing the very best in an already
impressive catalogue.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When "This" was originally released in 1998 I considered it to be a disappointment and a lesser Hammill offering but my respect for it has slowly but surely increased over the years. To my ears Hammill albums don't usually date and there are distinct differences in style and approach from album to album; indeed it seems that conscious attempts are made to distinguish each recording from its predecessor. In the case of "This" each individual piece is very different to the next; not all of them work equally well, but there's palpable originality here. "Unrehearsed" is undoubtedly a classic and would be a strong contender for a Hammill "best of" album. I'd also love to hear it live but haven't as yet. In the late 90's I might have been tempted to see "This" as a one-track album, but in retrospect "Stupid", "Since the Kids" and "Always is Next" are very strong too. The 14 minute "The Light Continent" doesn't quite work for me but it's so different to anything that Hammill has produced before or since that I'd rather praise the originality and experimentation in contrast to other artists who might have gone down the route of reeling off a guaranteed fan pleaser by rote. "This" is well worth revisiting or buying if it isn't already in your collection.
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