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This is easily one of my favorite Peter Hammill Records. I felt compelled to write a review because I feel that some reviews that I've read (on Amazon and elsewhere) unjustly gave it a low rating.
Hammill plays all the instruments and, yes, he is competent but not a virtuoso in all of them, but his music has always been so much more about creativity and expression than about flash. Others who criticized him for using drum machines miss the whole point - If it sound cold, it's because it's SUPPOSED to! Stylistically you might say that this one is similar to
The Future Now
and
pH7
, its predecessors, though perhaps even more experimental.
Unlike a number of PH albums, this one actually starts out on a strong note. "Golden Promises" is a good, fairly straight-ahead rocker. I'm not clear exactly what he means, but it warns against "groupthink" of one sort or another (religious, political, etc.). The next track, "Losing Faith In Words" is another relatively straightforward rocker, but already incorporates some experimentation. "Jargon King" continues the communication breakdown theme, and thoroughly immerses you in avant-garde sounds and dissonant talk-singing from Hammill.
"Fogwalking" is the highlight of the album, and in my opinion, on of the best tracks that PH ever did. The lyrics are really outstanding, and the eerie, moody music is very effective. As usual he leaves a lot open to multiple interpretations. On one hand, evidently he does like to go for evening strolls in the fog (he is English), which inspire his creativity, but there's more going on here. When talks about fall-out and wreckage, it's not clear whether he means physical wreckage or human. The lines about "clumsy slow motion" and "fog spores breeding in my head" suggest the fog in question is not a meteorological condition. In the last line he says "fogwalking through what used to be Whitechapel". Clearly this is a reference to Jack the Ripper (Whitechapel is the seedy neighborhood where ol' Jack did his nasty business), and the music fits right in, but what does he mean by "used to be"? Buy the album just for this one!
"The Spirit" is another straightforward tune that people have argued doesn't fit in with the album, and theoretically they're right. By itself it's a fairly non-descript track, but in its context provides a good contrast sandwiched between two experimental tracks. "In Slow Time" is stylistically similar to "Fogwalking", and is somewhat reminiscent of the stuff Bowie & Eno had been doing around the same time.
After a brief noisy return to the "Jargon King" thing, you get to "Flight", which takes up the second half of the album. This track is the main reason why some reviewers malign this album, but I strongly disagree. The lore goes that he did it as a second attempt at a long-form piece, after Van Der Graaf Generator's "Plague of the Lighthouse Keepers" was not well received. Personally I think "Plague..." is excellent
Pawn Hearts
(review forthcoming). Some of the critics also commented that by 1980 the time for 20 minute songs had long passed, but the fact is that PH never did anything to be fashionable, but pursued his own vision. Perhaps a passage or two are a bit slow, but it is a great showcase for his versatility and his singing skills. The song is made up of various segments all using metaphors relating to...flight (what else?). As is the case with "Plague...", it seems to be about a trip through insanity.
It's certainly one his most experimental albums and may not be the easiest to get into, but anyone who appreciates PH's work ought to check this one out. If I have any criticism, it's for the sound quality, particularly on "Flight". Keep in mind that he was bumped off his label after his previous album, so this this is a DIY album. The sound quality is flat on a lot of it. I have an old copy of the CD, and have not heard the recent remastered version, so I don't know how much of an improvement that one is. People interested in pursuing Peter Hammill's music ought anyway not to be put off if it is not "glitzy" sounding. It is the sound of a highly unique and individualistic talent pursuing his vision, even if he has to do it out of his house!
