Audio CD review:
Peter Hammill - None of the Above

Peter Hammill - None of the Above

Band: Peter Hammill Title: None of the Above Rating: Release Date: 2000-05-22 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Touch and Go 2: Naming the Rose 3: How Far I Fell 4: Somebody Bad Enough 5: Tango for One 6: Like Veronica 7: In a Bottle 8: Astart

Peter Hammill's most 'literary' album Each song here has a strong narrative - tales within songs. A quite beautiful album, though much underrated by fans. Love lost and celebrated in 'Naming the Rose'; a man's obsession with a younger woman in 'How Far I Fell'; domestic violence in 'Like Veronica' and is that a hint of the novel 'Perfume' contained in 'In A Bottle'? Hammill has always had a strong narrative inclination but here it's at its most fully-formed. The album is veiled in a textured, filmic production, the rich tenor of Hammill's voice presented here more vividly than perhaps on any of his other albums. Backing vocals come and go, drifting in and out like veils of mist, lead vocals up-front, filling the screen, Hammill almost a narrator rather than a singer, leading us through the stories. An excellent cover, too, appropriately like a little notebook showing the composition and drafts of the lyrics in Hammill's distinctive spidery scrawl. Listen in and be carried away into other worlds . Another "be calm" cd from Hammill All songs are quiet and introspective. I would compare this newest outing from master hammill to several of his past CD's: mainly "Everyone you hold", a little "X my Heart" and some of " This". He plays all instruments except for a couple of songs, and even his two daughters, both accomplished singers, appear here. This is not one of his best records, i must admit; it lacks a little strength and passion in my opinion. It contains several excellent compositions and a few dull ones. Anyway, it is well worth as for Hammill fans. Everyone You Hold Part II Subdued, but excellent songwriting. Hammill's recent recording, None of the Above, follows the pattern of his 1997 release, Everyone You Hold. The CD does not contain as many catchy hooks as Everyone You Hold or have the soundscapes between the songs. So, the album isn't as accessible. I personally feel the first half of this recording is much better than the second half, with Touch and Go, How Far I Fell and Somebody Bad Enough being my favourite tunes. Lyrically, Somebody Bad Enough seems to be "Energy Vampires" (from The Future Now) Part 2 except this time Hammill takes the perspective of the obsessive fan within the lyric. The second half tends to miss the mark sometimes musically. The songs search hard in trying to find a melody, but fall a little short. However, the closer "Astart" is quite good but could have used some better production and a better sounding piano keyboard! So, all in all, a decent effort but not as strong as Everyone You Hold, which in my books is one of Hammill's finest. You can see a complete list of all Peter Hammill discography, or go back to the Peter Hammill tabs