1971 Peter Hammill - Fool's Mate (LP-24-96) torrent

Peter Hammill – Fool's Mate
Label: Charisma/9199 190 | Released: 1971 | This Issue: 1972 | Genre: Progressive-Rock
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC | 24bit/96kHz






A1 Imperial Zeppelin
A2 Candle
A3 Happy
A4 Solitude
A5 Vision
A6 Re-awakening

B1 Sunshine
B2 Child
B3 Summer Song (In The Autumn)
B4 Viking
B5 The Birds
B6 I Once Wrote Some Poems

- Peter Hammill / guitar (acoustic), guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Ray Jackson / harmonica, mandolin, harp, vocals (background)
- Nic Potter / bass
- Hugh Banton / organ, piano, keyboards, vocals (background)
- Rod Clements / bass, violin
- Guy Evans / percussion, drums, vocals (background)
- Robert Fripp / guitar
- Martin Pottinger / drums
- Paul Whithead / drums
- John / vocals (background)
- David Jackson / saxophone

Dutch demo pressing

Equipment With New Stylus










Van Der Graaf's frontman Peter Hammill's first solo-album comes right at my favorite moment of VdGG history. The sound of the band of the '69-'71 period was especially well put onto record by producer Mark Anthony, whose absence in later years in de studio would be a disadvantage to the band in my opinion. I just love that soulfull sound with the pastoral reverbs and classic- rock organs of 'H to He' (1970). Moreover, Peter Hammill's voice sounded best in this period in my opinion. Soulfull, free, deep, emotional - but not too troubled.

Fool's Mate feels to me like a logical step forward from the VdGG debut 'Aeresol Machine', which originally was planned to be Peter Hammill's debut. The songs are short, tight, slightly adventerous without being bombastic. Clearly progressive and innovative, but without the elements that would eventually lead to progressive rock's demise. All songs are original in their own way and the performances of Peter Hammill are destinctively different on every one of them. Some songs are playfull and could even be considered to be happy-sounding, whilst on side two slightly darker (but not bleak!) compositions give depth to the total listening experience. VdGG is present as a backing band, but the sound is often a bit more eclectig with use of more instruments. The background presence of Robert Fripp on one of the later songs can't be missed by the fans.

This is a perfectly enjoyable record from start to finish. I liked it at first spin, I adored the eight spin I've just had. One of Peter Hammill's finest, happiest and most easily approachable. Only stubbern masochistic progressive rock listeners would look down on such a fine album. Five stars!

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