Peter Hammill Fool's Mate CD

Although not on par with his best albums (1977's Over, 1978's The Future Now, etc.), this solo debut, Fool's Mate, shows Van der Graaf Generator's Peter Hammill taking his first steps toward later prog rock perfection. What makes Fool's Mate different than VdGG's material is that it's more mainstream, and for the most part, piano and acoustic guitar-based. But Hammill is still able convey the grandness of classic VdGG, as heard in the sweeping sounds of "Re-Awakening." And Hammill never grows predictable. The tracks "Sunshine" and "Imperial Zeppelin" show that he doesn't take himself as seriously as many of his then-contemporaries (an important reason why Hammill's music has held up far better over the years than some other prog rockers). But Hammill's lyrics weren't as sophisticated and developed as they would later come to be, which is understandable, since it is his very first solo outing, after all. And the album's closing song, "I Once Wrote Some Poems," hinted at the style Hammill would pursue more thoroughly on future releases (venomous vocals set against contrasting music). Fool's Mate is not as bad as some Peter Hammill purists make it out to be, but casual fans should check out Over or The Future Now first. ~ Greg Prato

Peter Hammill is one of the most unique and influential voices in prog. He was the pivotal figure in VDGG, who formed in 1967 at Manchester University. His obsession with lost love, lost faith, time, space and existence itself are the cornerstones of both his work with the band and his solo albums. This Reissue of the original 1970 release of 'Fool's Mate' features the 12 original tracks and 5 bonus tracks of the 'Early Demo Versions' for 'Re-Awakening', 'Summer Song In The Autumn', 'The Birds', 'Sunshine' & 'Happy'. Charisma. 2005.

All songs written by Peter Hammill.

Recorded at Trident Studios, London, England.

Personnel: Peter Hammill (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano); Dave Jackson (alto, tenor, flute, saxophone); Bob Fripp (electric guitar); Ray Jackson (harp, mandolin); Rod Clements (violin, bass instrument); Hugh Banton (piano, organ); Nic Potter (bass instrument); Guy Evans (drums, percussion); Martin Pottinger (drums); Paul Whithead.

Personnel includes: Peter Hammill (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano), Robert Fripp (guitar), Ray Jackson (harp, mandolin, background vocals), Dave Jackson (alto & tenor saxophones, flute, background vocals), Hugh Banton (piano, organ, background vocals), Rod Clements (bass, violin), Nic Potter (bass), Guy Evans (drums, percussion, background vocals), Martin Pottinger (drums), Paul Whitehead (tam-tam), John Anthony (background vocals).

Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - 4 stars out of 5 - "It's a confident, potent set, a peculiar mixture of groovy pop; bittersweet love songs and existential poetics."