With an extensive solo career spanning dozens of albums, Peter Hammill is certainly more than just the front-man and leader of Van Der Graaf Generator (VdGG). His literate, soul-examining lyrics and his often-anguished vocal delivery make his music perhaps an acquired taste, but his uncompromising artistic vision has shone since his first release, Fool's Mate, back in 1971.
Stylistically, he has forged his own path, touching on progressive rock, punk (before it was even called that), electronic experimentation, intimate singer-songwriter settings, and even opera/musical theatre (with his adaptation of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher).
Hammill's solo career has coexisted with VdGG's activities. The band was offered a contract by Mercury Records in 1968, that only Hammill signed. When VdGG broke up in 1969 he wanted to record his first solo-album. In the summer of 1969 Hammill had a residency at The Lyceum and played weekly solo-concerts there. Eventually the intended solo-album was released under the VdGG-banner as their first album (The Aerosol Grey Machine). Hammill's first official solo-album was Fool's Mate (1971), containing songs from the early (1967/68) VdGG-days.
When VdGG broke up again in August 1972, Hammill resumed his solo-career. Songs that were intended for VdGG, now ended up on his solo-albums, notably "(In The) Black Room (Including 'The Tower')" (on Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night) and "A Louse Is Not A Home" (on The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage). This to some extent makes it difficult to separate Hammill's solo work during the 1970s from his work with the band (for the majority of both his solo-songs and the band's songs he is credited as the sole songwriter, and some of his solo albums feature all the members of Van der Graaf Generator). In general, however, solo Hammill is concerned with more personal matters, while the band's songs deal with broader themes.
Hammill's Nadir's Big Chance (1975} was a great change from the preceding album, In Camera. Whilst In Camera is characterized by extremely intense and complex songs and even has some musique concrete on it, Nadir's Big Chance is notable for its anticipation of punk rock. In a 1977 radio interview, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols played two tracks from the album and expressed his admiration for Hammill in glowing terms: "Peter Hammill's great. A true original. I've just liked him for years. If you listen to him, his solo albums, I'm damn sure David Bowie copied a lot out of that geezer. The credit he deserves, just has not been given to him. I love all his stuff"
Over (1977) contains very personal songs about the break-up of a long-term relationship.
Hammill's first solo-album after the 1978 break-up of Van der Graaf was The Future Now. With the next albums, pH7 and A Black Box, the sound got more compact, more new wave. On those albums, Hammill played the drums himself. What followed was 'the K-group'. In later years Hammill would sometimes refer to the band as a "beat group". The K-group consisted of Hammill himself on guitars and piano, with John Ellis on lead guitar, Nic Potter on bass, and Guy Evans on drums and percussion. They recorded the albums Enter K and Patience.
Hammill's early records, like the VdGG albums, were released on Charisma Records. He parted company with them after pH7 (1979), and then released albums on a number of small labels. A Black Box came out on S-Type, a label run by Hammill and his manager Gail Colson. Enter K and Patience appeared on Naive, Skin and Margin on Foundry and In A Foreign Town, Out of Water and Room Temperature: Live on Enigma Records. In 1992 he formed his own label, Fie!, on which all his albums since Fireships have been released. The label's logo is the Greek letter phi (Φ), a pun on PH-I. Ever since the 1970s he has also had his own home recording studio, appropriately called Sofa Sound (his website was later named after the studio).
Musically, Hammill's work ranges from short simple riff-based songs to highly complex lengthy pieces. Mainly because of his refusal to make anything resembling middle-of-the-road music, and the general absence of any smooth or glamorous sounds in his music, there is much debate amongst his admirers whether Hammill is to be considered a part of the so-called progressive rock scene. In many interviews however Hammill himself has stated that he does not want to be put in the progressive rock music label, or any music label at all.
His output is prolific. Many different styles of music appear in his work, among them artful complexity (for instance Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night), avant-garde electronic experiments (Loops & Reels), opera (The Fall of the House of Usher), solo keyboard accompaniment (And Close As This), solo guitar accompaniment (Clutch), improvisation (Spur of the Moment), film music (Sonix), band recordings (Enter K), and slow, melancholic balladry (None of the Above).
Hammill survived a heart attack in December 2003, less than 48 hours after having finished the recording of Incoherence. In 2005, Hammill announced the reformation of Van der Graaf Generator. In 2004 they had recorded a new album, Present, which was released in April 2005, and from May until November 2005 played a series of well received concerts.
Between 2005 and 2007 Hammill has overseen the remastering of almost all of his pre-Fie! releases, and has also started similar work on his more recent catalogue. The last of the Charisma remasters was released in September 2007.
Hammill's solo-career did not end because of the VdGG-reunion. He released his new album Singularity in December 2006. It was the first solo-album he completed after his heart attack, and for a large part it deals with matters of life and (sudden) death.
In 2007 several gigs by Van der Graaf Generator as a trio (minus David Jackson) have taken place in Britain and the rest of Europe, and their new album Trisector was released in March 2008. Hammill's new solo album, Thin Air came out 8th June 2009. Hammill and the band are touring extensively in USA, Japan and Europe these days.
The Great Experiment
Peter Hammill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"no more conjecture or controversy?
Don't think I could go through it,
I couldn't live with the memory.
Now is the hour, it comes eventually;
how great the power as it falls on me!"
He's raising his sense of occasion to the limit.
Practised, his sense of evasion... or is it?
(No sidestep or dummy run.)
Craving a certain indulgence – would you give it?
Would you give it in time?
Treading water, making waves
from the cradle to the grave;
home by a whisker – close shaves!
I'm waiting, what I said I meant:
no faking The Great Experiment.
I'm waiting, what I said I meant:
no faking The Great Experiment.
Near the end of the reel now,
he's hanging on by his fingertips.
He knows how it feels;
at last the kiss of unearthly lips.
Now is the hour to get a tighter grip.
How great the power as the tide begins to rip!
And he's raising his sense of occasion to the limit.
(The big moment is coming up.)
Practised, his sense of evasion... or is it?
(No sidestep or dummy run.)
Craving a certain indulgence – would you give it?
Would you give it in time?
Treading water, making waves
from the cradle to the grave;
home by a whisker – close shaves!
I'm waiting, what I said I meant:
no faking The Great Experiment.
I'm waiting, what I said I meant:
no faking The Great Experiment.
I'm waiting –
no faking The Great Experiment.
The Peter Hammill song "The Great Experiment" deals with the themes of mortality, memory, and the desire for meaningful experiences. The singer of the song appears to be reflecting on their life, acknowledging that the time has come for their ultimate moment, "The Great Experiment." They seem anxious about the prospect of death and the memory of their life, wondering if there's more to it than what they already know. They crave an indulgence, maybe a revelation or a moment of profound meaning that would make the experiment worthwhile. However, as they wait for this moment, they refuse to fake their emotional state, insisting that they are waiting with sincerity.
The lyrics are full of metaphors related to water - treading water, making waves, and the tide - alluding to the cyclical nature of life, and the inevitable movement towards death. The singer is aware of being close to the end of their journey, but also aware of the enormous power that comes with this realization. They are waiting for something, maybe a sudden epiphany, that will give meaning to their life, and make "The Great Experiment" worth living.
Overall, "The Great Experiment" is a poetic and introspective song that deals with universal human experiences. It reflects on the complex emotions that surround the idea of mortality, and the desire to find meaning in life before it comes to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Is that all there is to it," he asks,
He questions whether there is no more to it than what it appears to be, with no room for controversy or speculation. He doubts his ability to live with the consequences, as he awaits the impeding moment.
"no more conjecture or controversy?
He is skeptical about whether there is any further room for argument or debate on this matter.
Don't think I could go through it,
He lacks the strength or the desire to face the challenges ahead.
I couldn't live with the memory.
He fears the long-lasting impact this experience will have on his life.
Now is the hour, it comes eventually;
The moment he has been dreading is approaching, and he dreads that time has finally caught up with him.
how great the power as it falls on me!"
He feels in awe of the power of the moment he is facing, uncertain about whether he can make it through the other end.
He's raising his sense of occasion to the limit.
He is trying to heighten his senses to make the most of the moment that is upon him.
(The big moment is coming up.)
He acknowledges that the most significant event of his life is about to occur.
Practised, his sense of evasion... or is it?
He is wondering whether he has learned to avoid the challenges in life or whether he's crafty enough to overcome them.
(No sidestep or dummy run.)
He understands that there is no way out of this moment and that he must confront it head-on rather than evade it.
Craving a certain indulgence – would you give it?
He's yearning for a particular pleasure or extravagance, but he needs someone to grant him that luxury.
Would you give it in time?
He's requesting the gratification or comfort he desires quickly, as time is running out.
Treading water, making waves
He finds himself stuck in sustaining the pace of life in a particular way, and yet he's still managing to affect change and make an impact.
from the cradle to the grave;
He's experienced this state that he's in since birth, and eventually, he'll experience it until he dies.
home by a whisker – close shaves!
He's barely managed to avoid the pitfalls that could have derailed him on his journey.
I'm waiting, what I said I meant:
no faking The Great Experiment.
He's resolute in his resolve to confront the challenges ahead truthfully, with no frills or disguises.
Near the end of the reel now,
The journey he's been on is almost over.
he's hanging on by his fingertips.
He's barely holding on, and the challenges he's facing are taking a toll on him.
He knows how it feels;
He's experienced a similar situation before as he confronts the final minutes of his journey.
at last the kiss of unearthly lips.
He's reached the end and is coming face to face with his fate.
Now is the hour to get a tighter grip.
He must hold on, and the time for perseverance is now.
How great the power as the tide begins to rip!
He's amazed at the power he senses emanating as he approaches his destiny.
I'm waiting –
no faking The Great Experiment.
He's persistent in his resolve to face the challenge before him truthfully, with no embellishments.
Contributed by Evelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@moreymiut
To Great!
@studiolegalefedeli
10
@moreymiut
But,a Great don't!