Audio CD review:
Peter Hammill - Veracious

Peter Hammill - Veracious

Band: Peter Hammill Title: Veracious Rating: Release Date: 2006-02-20 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: A Better Time 2: Gone Ahead 3: Driven 4: Nothing Comes 5: Amnesiac 6: Nightman 7: Like Veronica 8: Bubble 9: Easy to Slip Away 10: Primo on the Parapet 11: Shingle Song 12: A Way Out

Truly, ltd. He has the emotional range of a punk rocker and the amelodic bent of a 12-toner. It was during the fourth listen of this album, one of many live albums I have by him, not to mention quite a few studio albums as well as some VdGG albums (the best of which in my opinion is 'Vital' 1978), that I realized why I find Peter Hammill frustrating and fascinating, but rarely memorable. Three notes (not octaves, but notes, chords if you must) comprise his vocal passions, as far as I can tell: melancholia, stentoria, and screaming. He surrounds these notes with lots of musical textures, only some of which hang together. He sings as if cracking a smile would upset the structure of the known universe. So I rate his stuff by how much I'm moved despite his grievous limitations. He'd shown higher promise early on, especially with ballads. At WTJU, my college radio station, someone had written on the copy of Hammill's 'Love Songs' LP "the most beautiful album ever made. " I'd almost agree it's that good, from melodies to lyrics to even the album cover. On this 1984 collection, Hammill revisited and improved on his back catalogue. The finest thing I've ever heard him do is in fact a live revisitation: of "Afterwards" at a 1977 Peel session (the CD compilation containing it has long been out of print). I love the original on the first VdGG album, 'The Aerosol Grey Machine' (1969), but I care for the remake as much as for Dylan's Budokan performance of "Shelter from the Storm" or Charlie Rich's demo of "Feel Like Going Home. " Hammill's contemporary album, 'Over,' chronicled the end of a relationship and is arguably his best collection of original songs. Unfortunately, Hammill either gave up on love or found it (in his case, they're about the same) because his music changed thereafter--that little wing had flown. Hs best live album is, I think, 'Room Temperature' (1990), which suggests if he couldn't write songs like that anymore, he could still remember them. 'Typical' (1999) seems like the beginning of forgetting. With 'Veracious,' he's depending so heavily on his ability to declame that the words become meaningless as they leave his mouth. Stuart Gordon's stunning violin can be forgiven for distracting the listener from that void--Hammill does a nice job of appreciating Gordon's contribution in the liner notes (and elsewhere). But if there's a good song on the album, I'd at least like a key to the code. I don't look forward to the future. The line between raving and senility, the third note obscured. . CHAMELEON IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE STAGE Going as far back as Chameleon's "Easy to slip away" -- a real treat for we long-time listeners -- and Rikki Nadir's "The Shingle Song" (simply "Shingle" on NBC) Hammill reinterprets his and our pasts with an immaculate reading of the now centuries-old technique musicologists term "word painting". This is an eclectic collection, even for Hammill. It's an approach that Hammill often favors, one which assigns the instruments to the primary task of not simple accompaniment, but the more interpretive and strenuous work of supporting, shading, extending and amplifying the meaning of the words being sung. Seeing that Hammill's lyrics are typically more complex than those of less gifted artists, the music becomes at moments no less than a sonic encyclopedia of remarkable depth -- or pretty much business as usual for pH and Gordon. Throughout, the interpretations surprise and engage the listener -- no mean feat while performing known material. When the first syllables of "The Shingle Song" emerge from complete silence, frail and distant, the sense of change and sadness is almost overwhelming. Throughout "Veracious" Hammill allows his voice a range of expression that actually exceeds the studio work. More and more, Hammill's live performances push towards an extremely theatrical delivery. Here accomplished within a duo-cum-trio format (piano+violin+voice or guitar+violin+voice) these artists raise specters and tremors not unlike the controlled demolition, fury and desperation of the best moments from "Clutch". Hammill's playing is appropriately varied: achieving the exceedingly fragile as well as gate-cracking fury. Gordon's violin proves to be a shape-shifter of the highest degree, becoming alternately serene, aloof, horrified and embittered. This is a remarkable range achieved by only two musicians, and it should continue to stand as an example for performers arriving on stage with no less than 40 tons of gear solely dedicated to not much more than helping them squeak on through. Just one complaint -- unrelated to the music. The last few covers, and again this time, are about as lame as covers can be. From the perspective of conception and execution, is it too much to ask that Hammill's covers start to demonstrate the same level of sophistication as the music? I mean, really -- "Still Life of Truth with Sheet Music n' Candle"? This show ain't no "Evening with Pachelbel". Hammill Perfections "Veracious" continues that tradition and form, pulling out blinding versions of "Amnesiac", "Like Veronica", "Primo On The Parapet" and "Way Out" from preceding works. Finding your way to this page indicates that you are already well versed in all things VDGG and Peter Hammill, therefore it's useless to preach to the choir about the unique offerings from an artist who has remained true to his art form for the past 30 plus years. Accompanyment from Stuart Gordon on Violin, Hammill plays through performances from three different location and time periods across the globe. Amazingly delicate, Deeply provoking, Hammill remains one of the few relavent artist left in the world today who paints their musical canvases with artistic integrity. Highly recomended for those seeking substantiated evidence that music is indeed alive and well into the 20th century. You can see a complete list of all Peter Hammill discography, or go back to the Peter Hammill tabs