This was my favorite song in the world when I was 18. The day I got the cd I listened to this song 10 times in a row. That's two hours of just this song! But, yeah, this is a decidedly VdGG style Hammill solo song, but his solo stuff is all over the place. The opening track from this album, Modern, has everything being played by Hammill, so it doesn't sound like VdGG at all, in terms of the arrangement at least. So, I recommend this whole album to react to. It's a fine place to start.
In Camera is probably my favorite PH solo album. Check that out when you have a moment. "(No More) The Submariner", "Faint Heart and The Sermon", "The Comet, The Course, The Tail".
Good choices. Although my favorite solo works from Hammill are Nadir, pH7, The Future Now, The Noise… hard to choose in fact. I may say differently tomorrow :-)
My favourite album of the man. This song is one of those musical tattoos in my head, if you know what I mean. One of those that keeps finding its way to my internal sound system. That goes also for Red Shift(!) and Forsaken Gardens (!!) Very well chosen, impressive example of Hammills intimate thoughts in expression.
That was some of the most interesting music I've ever heard. At first I didn't like it a ton. Then I started liking it. Then I started "really" liking it. That was a real trip. Love the ending too. That was some real art right there. Love it.
Songs like this of course take a little extra effort/time/listens to really 'sink in.' Thx JP. You're the first to react to this song on Planet Earth. BTW - at my age I've had to 'delouse this place' a few more times than I care to remember.
JP reviewed Forsaken Gardens. No news on the health of Peter Hammill. The comment threads aren't the same without your lively debates🙂but I understand since I've been mostly absent myself. Hope you are doing well!
The total commitment of Peter to opening his soul in his music is impressive here ... It simply hits you emotionally. It's so intense it's almost unbearable.
Imagine if VDGG made one more album after Pawn Hearts before the brief hiatus, made up of the four songs that they did together but were featured throughout Hamill's solo work in 1973-1974 (that being (In the) Black Room / Tower, A Louse is Not Home, Gog, and Magog (In Bromine Chambers). That would've been a legendary album.
There is also a very poor bootleg of the song Roncevaux here which might also have made an appearance on that album: ua-cam.com/video/pL4l2g4j66w/v-deo.html There exists also a studio rehearsal/demo tape of the song: ua-cam.com/video/PdEPWjpYITg/v-deo.html
There are live versions of A Louse Is Not A Home and Forsaken Gardens, that were performed by VdGG in 1975, which are bonus tracks on the CD reissue of Godbluff from 2005.
Of all the very diverse descriptions of Peter's work, ''Catchy'' is one I have never heard used before ! Strangely I get exactly what you mean and have to agree - it is definitely catchy.
Your analysis is fantastic... I have been listening to this song since 50 years...and you made me understand things i never catch (i am french can so its hard).... You are a fantastic unique listener.... YES THE END of this song is amazing...just unreal...and Jaxon is a genius.... I felt in love with Peter's music in 73, i was so deep in it ...that in 78 i produced him for 3 shows in Quebec province. hammill is THE MOST AMAZING MUSICIAN' VOCALIST ever to grace Britain...he is also (like we say in french) A poets Maudit ( damned poet) but his work , his incredible way of making things different but always with his own personal signature (kite Neil Young) makes him one of the greatest artist of the 20th century. along with people like Beckett (in theater) but he combines words and music in a unique way, that makes him a real rare genius in his field.... Dot final
one of Hammill's heaviest and deepest hitters!!! classic hammill at his purest and most experimental yet epic! the silence after the end of the song is a statement in itself! it actually is the last song on the album, so it's not a spacer before the next song... it's just peter giving you some alone time before you have to return to the real world... because of the similarities, I consider this song's brother to be Black Room off of Chameleon, because they really both scratch that hammill itch when you just want something that will make the wallpaper curl! honestly, nobody reacts to Hammill solo stuff at all! I was surprised myself to find out, and it still seems strange! I can't imagine why! :) it really is astounding how many solid songs (and for that matter albums) he has that are not just creative but totally unique! you honestly can't go wrong with any of his stuff from the 70s! i'm glad you're enjoying the start of your solo hammill journey :D
Thank you so much for giving visibility to this masterpiece, which is part of my life. For me, listening to Peter Hammill and VdGG is one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life because they really go deep and gave me a lot of comfort when I was very confused with my emotions. So thank you, they deserve to be more recognized.
Hamill has always liked word play, and the title is a play on the saying "A house is not a home", I.e. a real home is more than just a building. Also, the drums you referred to were probably high-tuned regular toms.
Almost. They were surely normal drums recorded at a slower tape speed and sped up. You can tell not just by the higher pitch, but by how ridiculously fast some of the playing is.
Yes, this song was originally written for VdGG. Actually Hammills early solo work is heavily influenced by the band. That was almost throughout the 70s until the band broke up for nearly 3 decades.
Hammill's solo output is so prolific I've never been able to devote the time to take it all in. However, I have ingested some of it, and from one Poe fan to another, he co-wrote and recorded an opera based on Fall of The House Of Usher that is as unhinged as you might imagine. As for this here album cover, it immediately brought to mind the cover of "Bottomless Pit" by Death Grips, though in a less creepy way.
I'm really glad you are coming to Hammill's solo work. This song is an amazing one. IMHO, the best on this album. I would advice, as he has such an immense production, you go to the next album Over, and choose Yoga or Betrayed. Or, as I said yesterday, go to Sea of Memories with PFM. A great Hammill song and performance. Thank you again for helping me get better in his complex lyrics.
"Over" is an intense album! One of Hammill's best, but an emotionally charged performance. Have to be in the right frame of mind to listen. Justin, be prepared ;-)
"Betrayed" is soul wrenching ...ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!! "Time Heals" is also amazing. And the resignation/redemption of "Lost and Found" (with the reprise of "La Rossa" in the middle section).
I've been welded to Hammill and VdGG since around 1975 and this has always been my favourite track on my favourite record. You have done great job analysing the structure and meaning of the song - as ever, who knows but what you took from it is what I have taken from the song over the years. He feels uncomfortable in either the house as a physical structure or the confines of his own mental space. One line that gets me is when he says "And lay your body before the shrine With poems and posies and papers Or, if you catch the ruse, you'll have to choose To stay, a monk, or leave, a vagrant" Like he feels unfulfilled living alone and monastic but the only other option is to become homeless - figuratively speaking. Great job - thanks.
@@JustJP Thanks JP, I have met Peter Hammill a fair few times and he always is so gracious and giving with his time. I met him in '77 and he was sorting a huge beard. I said I nearly did not recognise you and he so "oh the beard - yes, well I'm doing a photo shoot for the next album and all will be reveiled" the next album was The Future Now :). Keep up the Hammill/VdGG fest - they are IMHO head and shoulders above any of their peers - heavy music but with perfect poetry that fit hand in glove. x
If you can read THE vdgg biography they tell of that episode. He left his beard grew so he could do the photo sessions to future now. But to get a good skin (not red just after his cutting) he waited a few days. So he went in the bus and on the streets with his half beard cut and his mates thought he was completely lost for good....
Just one more thing about Hammill, to say how much I love this guy. I said to my daughters that I wanted a Hammill song played at my funerals (as late as possible). The song would be Four Pails.
Nice Chris! This song was actually written by VdGG co-founder (and also a Chris) - Chris Judge Smith. I haven't picked my funeral song yet - but if I have a grave site it might read - 'I'm running still - I shall until - one day - I hope that I'll arrive.' - text from the VdGG song 'Meurgly's III (The Songwriter's Guild).
Hey JP - When you have a first listen - of any group of any song - and you like that song on the first listen enough to say 'I'll add or maybe add that song to my playlist' - how soon do you give those songs their second listen? Don't those second listens reveal much more than the first listens since you're not 'working' - you're just listening for pleasure?
This is from Hammill's best solo album. Because its a very gloomy personal solo album by a prog musician on Virgin Records in '74, its like a companion piece to Robert Wyatt's album from the same year and label Rock Bottom in my mind. You'd probably be pleased if you follow up with the start of Silent Corner, the song "Modern."
Hi Justin ! this is one of the greatest P.H.'s songs ! Peter Gabriel says, in "Anyway" (The Lamb.. S3) : " how wonderful to be so profound, when everything you are is dying underground. " I always applied this sentence to P.H. !
It was recorded for the album after "Pawn Hearts" that never came because VdGG went into a four year hiatus. Other Songs that would probably have been on that album are "Red Shift" and "Forsaken Gardens" from "The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage" too and "(In the) Black Room / The Tower" and "Rock and Rôle" from his album "Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night". The track order for this album (which we named "The Silent Corner in the Shadow of the Night") should in our opinion be this: Side one: 1) Red Shift 8:11 2) Rock and Rôle 6:41 3) Forsaken Gardens 6:15 Side two: 4) (In the) Black Room / The Tower 10:56 5) A Louse is not a Home 12:13 It would have been a great album.
@@vdggmouse9512 I only chose tracks that actually already sound like VdGG, which can not be said of your choices. Actually 4 of the songs chosen by me have all of VdGG in it; only "Rock and Rôle" has Nic Potter playing bass instead of Hugh Banton; the rest of the band are aboard though.
@@BaldJean I understand. My view is - if Hammill wrote it VdGG can play it, i.e. 'Traintime' and 'Faint Heart and the Sermon' both played live by VdGG. Hammill said that if any of my songs are played with/as 'VdGG' - they become VdGG songs.
Remove “Rock and Role” for “Faint Heart and the Sermon” and that could’ve been a top 3 VdGG album. I understand why you went with that song but faint heart is musically a better fit imo
Like you say Peter knows how to bring emotion, pain and despair. If you really want to be ripped apart emotionally you should listen to the Undercover Man of the Godbluff album. But beware it will haunt you for days!
Great reaction to one of the greatest songs in the depths of the galaxies...have you done 'The Comet, the Course the Tail' or anything from 'In Camera'? Considering your reaction here, I think you'd dig the deepness. Would be curious to hear what you think of the production on that too. Peace!
If I were making a Mount Rushmore of progressive rock songs, this one might be on it. There's something about the way Hammill performs existential sadness and dread and despair that leaves me grinning from ear to ear. It's hammy in the best way, audaciously theatrical but also really sincere and deeply felt. "I rarely see their homes in these dark days" - too real, Pete!
DITTO! JP doesn't compromise for money or views. There are a couple of others I check out occasionally but JP is the only one I check out every day. Usually a pleasant surprise with some insight and laughs everyday.
Man... You just clarified so much for me. As a non-native speaker i've loved the song since i first heard it, but just couldn't parse the more dense lyrical passages. You've just explained it in a more human language and it just CLICKED this call to action and immediate relatability. Massive thanks!
This song doesn't sound like anything else on Silent Cornet and the Empty Stage, that's really minor key and low key and this just like a bomb at the end.
This man is an absolute genius...Peter that is...well you too Justin. Genius choice Peter deserves so much more recognition than he got. My guess is because the themes are so dark most of the time. People are uncomfortable facing their own fears and inner demons. They want music to uplift and console them. Not Peter's thing.
But strangely, when I feel depression coming, I go back to listening Peter Hammill, and it helps me get over it. I know I'm not alone, thanks to him. he is a kind of medication for me. And I thank him for that since 40 years.
@@Rowenband Yeah i agree Chris Most of my music collection is on the darker .sadder side It is cathartic "Wow this person feels like i do" It helps But it sure ain't what's on mass marketed music venues , right ? You probably won't see Peter or Roger Waters doing the super bowl halftime show...lol
I like some ELP and KC and more so PFM that Pete Sinfield collaborated on, but for me he is nowhere near the same level as Hammill. Sinfields lyrics are usually slightly pompous and rely on grandiose imagery, metaphysics and mythology - Greg Lake was a better lyricist, just look at ''Trilogy''', ''Still you turn me on'' and ''From the beginning'' Hammill is much more philosophical and psychological but also very vulnerable and human in his musings and he never fails to hit the mark emotionally. Can't argue with greatest vocalist and lyricist though.
This is one of my favourite songs. This is the first reaction video I have ever watched. Justin you need to play this and little else, for a week solid to immerse yourself in the lyrics. The rhymes and similes are astonishing. After that find versions performed on just piano for comparison. The best description I have ever read of the song is 'The Exorcist crossed with BBC1's 'Play For Today', and that seems about right. For what it it is worth Hammill is still the star-check out videos of VDGG autumn tour.
Partial mystery solved. I was gifted 2 of Hammill's works on cassette years ago, and misplaced them. Hadn't given them a thought till he was mentioned on a VDGG review a few months ago. I'd loved them both, back in the day, and this was on one of them. Soon as it started it all came flooding back. This is great, prog at its best. Clever, complex, beautifully written, and played. I need to listen to the rest of the album right now. Now, what was that other album called?
The odds are that the other album is either - 'Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night' (which is one album before this - 1973) or 'In Camera' (which is the album after this - 1974).
Peter Hammill plus others all hooked up with FSOL (Future Sound Of London) and released some stuff recently, they get a little samey samey, just a little too repetitive for my liking, but they are very well produced albums that also has Paul Weller appearing among others, check out:- 1) - The Amorphous Androgynous* & Peter Hammill - We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal. 2) - The Amorphous Androgynous* - We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal Remixes.
Another excellent song selection and, of course, in the interest of repetition song recommendations (remember how solid my Banco recommendation was): HIGH TIDE - Futilist's Lament YEZDA URFA - Boris and His 3 Verses (including Flow Guides Aren't My Bag) CULPEPER'S ORCHARD - Teaparty for an Orchard
Just subscribed relistening to some of my favourite tracks in another light. Nice to listen to a great genre with like minded people as none of my friends are into prog
This is my favorite PH/VDGG song. That wind up at the end of the song--the harmonies give me chills every time. Red Shift (the one with Randy California on guitar) is also excellent on this album.
The vocals are almost theatric. For some reason the vocalist's phrasing reminds me of Chris De Burgh (Spanish Train etc) and although the song is as theatric in it's own way, it is also a lot less pop than De Burgh. Interesting song and great review.
Hammill has something like 40 solo albums, so there's a lot to choose from. And his earliest work is the most celebrated. But "Roaring Forties," "Fireships," and "This" are all incredible later pieces (especially "The Light Continent.") One should neglect "A Black Box" (with a full-side suite "Flight"), and his opera-musical "Fall of the House of Usher." And don't forget the inestimable live disc "Vital" by VDGG.
This is great timing cause ive just been getting into vdgg!! Also not to be needy but you should check out Why Worry by Dire Straits, the second half of the song is very atmospheric.
A few rehearsed VdGG songs ended up on Hammill's solo albums and this is one of them. "Silent Corner" is one of Hammill's best albums and it's well worth exploring the rest of the album. I had a friend who liked VdGG but found it hard to get into Hammill's solo work. But he did like "A Louse is not a Home". I think solo Hammill appeals more to people who enjoy Hammill's lyrics. Musically, the albums can be raw and the production values inconsistent. "In Camera" is quite experimental. Must listen to the proto punk "Nadir's Big Chance" recorded with VdGG just prior to the reformed group in 1975. Watch out for "Over", an emotional powerhouse. It can wreck you if you are not prepared. I don't know if I changed or Hammill changed but I stopped buying his solo albums after "Everyone You Hold". Just connected less with his later material.
"What is this place you call home? Is it a sermon or a confession? Is it a chalice that you use as protection? Is it really only somewhere you can stay?"
personally my fav off this album is red shift...... but what do i know. as for this track , i think it merely compounds the old adage that there's no place like home, because in reality we never get home there truely is no place for us.
As we’re shown further shadows and shimmerings of shenanigan shamdom , so the appeal of such confrontational compositional sureties increases and this song’s non- conformist stature endures beyond this comment section. Multi- layered vocals . Yes. Tender Terror Yes. Dexterous Layerings of Pompous Stereophonic Assault befits these Turbulent Times. Mankind prefers the darkness. Peter knows this. I’m with him all the Way. The Dawning of the Day. 2021nothing else exists. God Knows. Maybe indeed. God Laughs. For Sure. Excellent beyond Description. Well done Mouse . Im glad i waited.
I phone texted my eldest youngling Liverpool fan the night before the Champiins league final in 2005. Liv 3 ac milan 3 liverpool win on pens smicer to score’ just one of a series of lucky calls or Daphne- esque visions of the future? You decide. I’m listening. As i post this Peter sings this song again. Randy Newman My life is Good is it’s distant white sheep cousin. I sang it in the kitchen last night just before hearin this video for the first time ever. Writin this allows me to listen again. And it snowed here yesterday Once a year occurance - if that (Just as Saturday’s quoted Caravan’s lyrics said it would) I mean i could go on... In 1983 no one died In 1984 no one died In 1985 no one died In 1986 there was the incident with the pigeon In 1987 no one died In 1987 no one died But no (I had no idea this louse was coming) Keep Lookin Up!!
@@HippoYnYGlaw In 2005 on May 3 I saw Cream at the Royal Albert Hall - and on May 6 - three days later I saw an afternoon show of VdGG co-founder Chris Judge Smith at a small venue which I do not recall followed by a night performance by VdGG at the Royal Festival Hall where this Los Angeleno saw that show from row 2 right in the center excuse me - centre of the venue. Reports of one death were exaggerated - I only nearly died! (Diolich ?)
I would like to find a few time in order to share with you my reflections about this unique song, but in the end any word is not enough to explain what I feel when i listen to this song.
Hi. Dave from Somewhere (but not here). Another great reaction. Have to say that many of the tracks you play I know pretty well, but for some reason I never got into VdGG and Hammill. Thanks for introducing me. BTW, are you planning to do another 'What's JP Jammin' to?' Some really interesting choices, and although not being a rap fan, I found myself enjoying that Clipping track. Deftones good too; a bit like Avenged Sevenfold, do you think?
Maybe nice to try "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Peter Hammill. It's a later album and an 'opera' in a way with also guest singers; but it's also a return to the darker (more gothic ?) feel in his music ... and it's ofcourse brilliant as always and a lot of amazing voices by Hammill himself Totally different sound maybe; but still as captivating: ua-cam.com/video/vdr_v3IELUI/v-deo.html
Well, this is something 'individualistic'. Prog with a bit of a glam-rock vibe and some vocals that could also fit in a goth band. The flute/sax combination seems to have been nicked directly from Tull's 'A Passion Play'. This needs definitely several respins to fully stomach for me.
@@vdggmouse9512 haha, this time my comment seems to have been pretty off the mark in several regards. It might have to do with the vocals why this came to mind on first hearing it. As some other person commented here somewhere, there is a certain similarity to Bowie and the younger Lou Reed in some moments. Maybe that was why. Anyway, it was not meant to deliberately irritate fans :-)
I just wonder how it can be your first listen when as soon as it finishes you discuss at such depth....did I miss the edit where you listened a few more times & got your examples ready ? 🙂 when I heard it for the first time all I could dribble was wow 🤷♂️ Sorry - I don’t mean to be a cynic you’re doing a good job & I can see you like our man’s work. 👍
No worries Bartus! Can't say exactly, I just enjoy listening and discussing music😄 Ive listened to Van Der Graaf on the channel though, so am somewhat familiar with them and Peter
I find this instructive and perhaps insightful as the inner soundtrack of someone suffering from severe mental illness, but it's not something I'd choose to listen to for entertainment.
David Bowie actually was a huge fan of Peter Hammill. He called himself "Poor man's Peter Hammill" in an interview once. Bowie also was at the reunion concert of VdGG on May 6th 2005 (among other prominent rock musicians who are Hammill fans like Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Fish of Marillion or John Lydon alias Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols, to name but a few).
'A house is not a home' is the commonplace saying transformed by the word 'louse' in the song's title...part of the point of it being that a louse sucks the host's blood...
Every time I listen to Peter Hammill or VDGG I say to myself "this is abrupt, it does not swing". apart from a few rare songs, Peter Hammill & VDGG are really not for me. it's not that it's bad (far from it) but I really can't immerse myself in this music. overall it doesn't touch me musically, vocally, lyrically.
![Peter Hammill [Van der Graaf Generator] "A Louse is not a Home" (react episode 804)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MxplnytqAQ0/mqdefault.jpg)
The greatest vocal performance in history of rock music.
In my opinion Peter Hammill is one of the best and most unique lyricists there has ever been. An absolute genius.
*most* unique, eh? That's pretty unique!
@@markrae1317 You have point...
Gorgeously dark..,,....,,so gothic........,.even the Sex Pistóls loved him..........appealed to diverse peóple........,...a good thing........
Love the ending where Jackson mimics the "I" with the sax.
Only Hammill could write and sing the lyric "There is a lofty, lonely, Lohengrenic castle in the clouds" .
This is his masterpiece imo. Check all the boxes! Musically and lirically. Chills from start to finish.
We finally got the rest of the world to hear 'Louse.' The next step is up to them.
@@vdggmouse9512 now it's time for a "Childlike Faith" reaction hahaha
@@ramoncardinali bingo!
This was my favorite song in the world when I was 18. The day I got the cd I listened to this song 10 times in a row. That's two hours of just this song! But, yeah, this is a decidedly VdGG style Hammill solo song, but his solo stuff is all over the place. The opening track from this album, Modern, has everything being played by Hammill, so it doesn't sound like VdGG at all, in terms of the arrangement at least. So, I recommend this whole album to react to. It's a fine place to start.
I find that In the Black Room, this one and Childlike Faith in Childhoods End are similar structurally.
In Camera is probably my favorite PH solo album. Check that out when you have a moment.
"(No More) The Submariner", "Faint Heart and The Sermon", "The Comet, The Course, The Tail".
Good choices. Although my favorite solo works from Hammill are Nadir, pH7, The Future Now, The Noise… hard to choose in fact. I may say differently tomorrow :-)
Peter Hammill should really stand out as the star in his solo work 😊
My favourite album of the man. This song is one of those musical tattoos in my head, if you know what I mean. One of those that keeps finding its way to my internal sound system. That goes also for Red Shift(!) and Forsaken Gardens (!!)
Very well chosen, impressive example of Hammills intimate thoughts in expression.
Musical tattoo, I like that!
Mine too....stuck with it since 76...when I was in London. Always great PH, maybe this is his masterpiece and all generators too..
That was some of the most interesting music I've ever heard. At first I didn't like it a ton. Then I started liking it. Then I started "really" liking it. That was a real trip. Love the ending too. That was some real art right there. Love it.
Love the procession of feelings 😅
That's how we get hooked on Hammill
Songs like this of course take a little extra effort/time/listens to really 'sink in.' Thx JP. You're the first to react to this song on Planet Earth. BTW - at my age I've had to 'delouse this place' a few more times than I care to remember.
This took me longer to unwrap than 'Plague.' So worth it though. Thanks for requesting this.
Ty Mouse, im still unpacking 🤣
@@JustJP You're doing just Fine, JustJP!
JP reviewed Forsaken Gardens. No news on the health of Peter Hammill. The comment threads aren't the same without your lively debates🙂but I understand since I've been mostly absent myself. Hope you are doing well!
The total commitment of Peter to opening his soul in his music is impressive here ... It simply hits you emotionally. It's so intense it's almost unbearable.
So so true
Imagine if VDGG made one more album after Pawn Hearts before the brief hiatus, made up of the four songs that they did together but were featured throughout Hamill's solo work in 1973-1974 (that being (In the) Black Room / Tower, A Louse is Not Home, Gog, and Magog (In Bromine Chambers). That would've been a legendary album.
There is also a very poor bootleg of the song Roncevaux here which might also have made an appearance on that album: ua-cam.com/video/pL4l2g4j66w/v-deo.html
There exists also a studio rehearsal/demo tape of the song: ua-cam.com/video/PdEPWjpYITg/v-deo.html
There are live versions of A Louse Is Not A Home and Forsaken Gardens, that were performed by VdGG in 1975, which are bonus tracks on the CD reissue of Godbluff from 2005.
@@chefren77 Roncevaux is incredible! One of their best. Such a shame it never got a proper studio recording.
Ronceveaux is one of the best songs vdgg didn't record.
Видимо, парни сильно кому-то мешали. У них часто крал аппаратуру, поэтому явно были кто-то из-за кого были развалы.
So catchy! I'll be whistling this all tomorrow, that's for sure.
Of all the very diverse descriptions of Peter's work, ''Catchy'' is one I have never heard used before ! Strangely I get exactly what you mean and have to agree - it is definitely catchy.
Wow , I'm hip to VDGG, but this new. Peter is digging down deep on this.
Your analysis is fantastic... I have been listening to this song since 50 years...and you made me understand things i never catch (i am french can so its hard).... You are a fantastic unique listener.... YES THE END of this song is amazing...just unreal...and Jaxon is a genius.... I felt in love with Peter's music in 73, i was so deep in it ...that in 78 i produced him for 3 shows in Quebec province. hammill is THE MOST AMAZING MUSICIAN' VOCALIST ever to grace Britain...he is also (like we say in french) A poets Maudit ( damned poet) but his work , his incredible way of making things different but always with his own personal signature (kite Neil Young) makes him one of the greatest artist of the 20th century. along with people like Beckett (in theater) but he combines words and music in a unique way, that makes him a real rare genius in his field.... Dot final
Thank you so much Daniel!
You must absolutely do Chameleon in the shadow of the night!
one of Hammill's heaviest and deepest hitters!!! classic hammill at his purest and most experimental yet epic!
the silence after the end of the song is a statement in itself! it actually is the last song on the album, so it's not a spacer before the next song... it's just peter giving you some alone time before you have to return to the real world...
because of the similarities, I consider this song's brother to be Black Room off of Chameleon, because they really both scratch that hammill itch when you just want something that will make the wallpaper curl!
honestly, nobody reacts to Hammill solo stuff at all! I was surprised myself to find out, and it still seems strange! I can't imagine why! :) it really is astounding how many solid songs (and for that matter albums) he has that are not just creative but totally unique! you honestly can't go wrong with any of his stuff from the 70s!
i'm glad you're enjoying the start of your solo hammill journey :D
Ty jstock! Love what you wrote about the silence at the end!
Brilliant.....,,particularly live....,..
That’s crazy, I literally had this song stuck in my head all day yesterday and don’t even see this until now!
much respect for doing this one. One of the best songs ever written.
Very interesting. Theatre of the mind. Thought provoking mental theatre.
Still would like you to do Fripp’s Exposure if possible.
Peace and Music
Fripp’s Exposure yes please bruv.
Thank you so much for giving visibility to this masterpiece, which is part of my life. For me, listening to Peter Hammill and VdGG is one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life because they really go deep and gave me a lot of comfort when I was very confused with my emotions. So thank you, they deserve to be more recognized.
Thank you Argenis, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Hamill has always liked word play, and the title is a play on the saying "A house is not a home", I.e. a real home is more than just a building. Also, the drums you referred to were probably high-tuned regular toms.
Almost. They were surely normal drums recorded at a slower tape speed and sped up. You can tell not just by the higher pitch, but by how ridiculously fast some of the playing is.
So glad you listened to this one! I've been hoping after discovering your channel recently and your VdGG listens!
Ty! Glad youre enjoying them
You listen......,.a rarity.............l always love his solo stuff........he can do this líve..,..,simply piaño.
Yes, this song was originally written for VdGG. Actually Hammills early solo work is heavily influenced by the band. That was almost throughout the 70s until the band broke up for nearly 3 decades.
Hammill's solo output is so prolific I've never been able to devote the time to take it all in. However, I have ingested some of it, and from one Poe fan to another, he co-wrote and recorded an opera based on Fall of The House Of Usher that is as unhinged as you might imagine. As for this here album cover, it immediately brought to mind the cover of "Bottomless Pit" by Death Grips, though in a less creepy way.
Sounds quite interesting to say the least!
The voices of the house! 'WE ARE USHER!!!'
I'm really glad you are coming to Hammill's solo work. This song is an amazing one. IMHO, the best on this album. I would advice, as he has such an immense production, you go to the next album Over, and choose Yoga or Betrayed. Or, as I said yesterday, go to Sea of Memories with PFM. A great Hammill song and performance. Thank you again for helping me get better in his complex lyrics.
"Over" is an intense album! One of Hammill's best, but an emotionally charged performance. Have to be in the right frame of mind to listen. Justin, be prepared ;-)
"Betrayed" is soul wrenching ...ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!!! "Time Heals" is also amazing. And the resignation/redemption of "Lost and Found" (with the reprise of "La Rossa" in the middle section).
Would love to see "Flight" by PH. The live Margin version would be even better...
I've been welded to Hammill and VdGG since around 1975 and this has always been my favourite track on my favourite record. You have done great job analysing the structure and meaning of the song - as ever, who knows but what you took from it is what I have taken from the song over the years. He feels uncomfortable in either the house as a physical structure or the confines of his own mental space. One line that gets me is when he says
"And lay your body before the shrine
With poems and posies and papers
Or, if you catch the ruse, you'll have to choose
To stay, a monk, or leave, a vagrant"
Like he feels unfulfilled living alone and monastic but the only other option is to become homeless - figuratively speaking. Great job - thanks.
Thank you so much Dream, I like that line and your meaning a lot
@@JustJP Thanks JP, I have met Peter Hammill a fair few times and he always is so gracious and giving with his time. I met him in '77 and he was sorting a huge beard. I said I nearly did not recognise you and he so "oh the beard - yes, well I'm doing a photo shoot for the next album and all will be reveiled" the next album was The Future Now :). Keep up the Hammill/VdGG fest - they are IMHO head and shoulders above any of their peers - heavy music but with perfect poetry that fit hand in glove. x
If you can read THE vdgg biography they tell of that episode. He left his beard grew so he could do the photo sessions to future now. But to get a good skin (not red just after his cutting) he waited a few days. So he went in the bus and on the streets with his half beard cut and his mates thought he was completely lost for good....
perhaps my favorite song ever
A great old PH memory for me. I had always found this song a very deep and meaningful song. Hard to get into, yet also hard to escape. 😎
Appreciate your act, my friend. I have discovered Hammill in 1992. I still consider it the most extraordinary musical experience in my life.
Just one more thing about Hammill, to say how much I love this guy. I said to my daughters that I wanted a Hammill song played at my funerals (as late as possible). The song would be Four Pails.
Nice Chris! This song was actually written by VdGG co-founder (and also a Chris) - Chris Judge Smith. I haven't picked my funeral song yet - but if I have a grave site it might read - 'I'm running still - I shall until - one day - I hope that I'll arrive.' - text from the VdGG song 'Meurgly's III (The Songwriter's Guild).
A perfect, very intelligent analysis. Peter is able to take one on a journey to the very dark realm of a person's soul. What a genius.
Hey JP - When you have a first listen - of any group of any song - and you like that song on the first listen enough to say 'I'll add or maybe add that song to my playlist' - how soon do you give those songs their second listen? Don't those second listens reveal much more than the first listens since you're not 'working' - you're just listening for pleasure?
Usually I listen to the song again the same night or day after 😅 and yeah, I Usually pick so much more on further listens
This is from Hammill's best solo album. Because its a very gloomy personal solo album by a prog musician on Virgin Records in '74, its like a companion piece to Robert Wyatt's album from the same year and label Rock Bottom in my mind. You'd probably be pleased if you follow up with the start of Silent Corner, the song "Modern."
It probably is a little dark (deliciously so), but maybe not so much angst as "Over" ?
Hi Justin ! this is one of the greatest P.H.'s songs ! Peter Gabriel says, in "Anyway" (The Lamb.. S3) : " how wonderful to be so profound, when everything you are is dying underground. " I always applied this sentence to P.H. !
Wow. Anyway always struck me as being very Hammilll-esque.
Love The Lamb, love Hammill, sheer class.
Excellent song. Stunning vocals.
Recommend Genesis’ All in a Louse’s Night. Sorry, I can’t help it. I have a problem.
It was recorded for the album after "Pawn Hearts" that never came because VdGG went into a four year hiatus. Other Songs that would probably have been on that album are "Red Shift" and "Forsaken Gardens" from "The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage" too and "(In the) Black Room / The Tower" and "Rock and Rôle" from his album "Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night". The track order for this album (which we named "The Silent Corner in the Shadow of the Night") should in our opinion be this:
Side one:
1) Red Shift 8:11
2) Rock and Rôle 6:41
3) Forsaken Gardens 6:15
Side two:
4) (In the) Black Room / The Tower 10:56
5) A Louse is not a Home 12:13
It would have been a great album.
I'd probably bump 'Rock And Role' for either 'Modern' or 'The Lie' or 'In The End.'
@@vdggmouse9512 I only chose tracks that actually already sound like VdGG, which can not be said of your choices. Actually 4 of the songs chosen by me have all of VdGG in it; only "Rock and Rôle" has Nic Potter playing bass instead of Hugh Banton; the rest of the band are aboard though.
@@BaldJean I understand. My view is - if Hammill wrote it VdGG can play it, i.e. 'Traintime' and 'Faint Heart and the Sermon' both played live by VdGG. Hammill said that if any of my songs are played with/as 'VdGG' - they become VdGG songs.
Remove “Rock and Role” for “Faint Heart and the Sermon” and that could’ve been a top 3 VdGG album. I understand why you went with that song but faint heart is musically a better fit imo
Like you say Peter knows how to bring emotion, pain and despair. If you really want to be ripped apart emotionally you should listen to the Undercover Man of the Godbluff album. But beware it will haunt you for days!
Great reaction to one of the greatest songs in the depths of the galaxies...have you done 'The Comet, the Course the Tail' or anything from 'In Camera'? Considering your reaction here, I think you'd dig the deepness. Would be curious to hear what you think of the production on that too. Peace!
If I were making a Mount Rushmore of progressive rock songs, this one might be on it. There's something about the way Hammill performs existential sadness and dread and despair that leaves me grinning from ear to ear. It's hammy in the best way, audaciously theatrical but also really sincere and deeply felt.
"I rarely see their homes in these dark days" - too real, Pete!
Not many know this song. This is god tier.
JP, Can i just add that you’re the best ‘Reactor’ on YT 🤔 Music this deep deserves such a thoughtful summary. 👍
I agree. I keep hoping his channel will start to take off. Maybe he needs some dancing girls. That'll do it 😎
DITTO! JP doesn't compromise for money or views. There are a couple of others I check out occasionally but JP is the only one I check out every day. Usually a pleasant surprise with some insight and laughs everyday.
Well ty Mick🙂
Man... You just clarified so much for me. As a non-native speaker i've loved the song since i first heard it, but just couldn't parse the more dense lyrical passages. You've just explained it in a more human language and it just CLICKED this call to action and immediate relatability. Massive thanks!
That means a lot that you said that Tuka, ty so much. I'm glad you enjoyed
I commend you for going to the highest level of prog ! Simply the best
Thank you for helping me rediscover the wonders of PH, VDGG and SW for that matter …. Nothing else matters now- even NY!
Really enjoyed this video! Thanks!
Anytime!
This song doesn't sound like anything else on Silent Cornet and the Empty Stage, that's really minor key and low key and this just like a bomb at the end.
This man is an absolute genius...Peter that is...well you too Justin. Genius choice Peter deserves so much more recognition than he got. My guess is because the themes are so dark most of the time. People are uncomfortable facing their own fears and inner demons. They want music to uplift and console them. Not Peter's thing.
But strangely, when I feel depression coming, I go back to listening Peter Hammill, and it helps me get over it. I know I'm not alone, thanks to him. he is a kind of medication for me. And I thank him for that since 40 years.
@@Rowenband Yeah i agree Chris Most of my music collection is on the darker .sadder side It is cathartic "Wow this person feels like i do" It helps But it sure ain't what's on mass marketed music venues , right ? You probably won't see Peter or Roger Waters doing the super bowl halftime show...lol
Ty sd, im no genius, especially when compared to Mr Hammill!
This hits the spot on this Sunday evening. I wonder what time of day it was when he started on this song. Thanks for this JP.
I dont remember 😅
The greatest lyricist in prog music alongside Peter Sinfield. Cant think of a greater vocalist either!
I like some ELP and KC and more so PFM that Pete Sinfield collaborated on, but for me he is nowhere near the same level as Hammill. Sinfields lyrics are usually slightly pompous and rely on grandiose imagery, metaphysics and mythology - Greg Lake was a better lyricist, just look at ''Trilogy''', ''Still you turn me on'' and ''From the beginning''
Hammill is much more philosophical and psychological but also very vulnerable and human in his musings and he never fails to hit the mark emotionally.
Can't argue with greatest vocalist and lyricist though.
Hammill is simply sensational!
This is one of my favourite songs. This is the first reaction video I have ever watched. Justin you need to play this and little else, for a week solid to immerse yourself in the lyrics. The rhymes and similes are astonishing. After that find versions performed on just piano for comparison. The best description I have ever read of the song is 'The Exorcist crossed with BBC1's 'Play For Today', and that seems about right. For what it it is worth Hammill is still the star-check out videos of VDGG autumn tour.
Thank you so much Bear!
Partial mystery solved. I was gifted 2 of Hammill's works on cassette years ago, and misplaced them. Hadn't given them a thought till he was mentioned on a VDGG review a few months ago. I'd loved them both, back in the day, and this was on one of them. Soon as it started it all came flooding back. This is great, prog at its best. Clever, complex, beautifully written, and played. I need to listen to the rest of the album right now. Now, what was that other album called?
The odds are that the other album is either - 'Chameleon In The Shadow Of The Night' (which is one album before this - 1973) or 'In Camera' (which is the album after this - 1974).
@@vdggmouse9512 Cheers, i'll start with those. That's saved me a day rooting around in the attic.
Red Shift is sooper-dope.
The chad Peter Hammill
😅
These guys were super talented, all of them. Prog rock at its best 👌
For sure Paulo!
I love so much how you explein these lyrics, it make so much more sens now.... cheers!
Ty Tim!
Peter Hammill plus others all hooked up with FSOL (Future Sound Of London) and released some stuff recently, they get a little samey samey, just a little too repetitive for my liking, but they are very well produced albums that also has Paul Weller appearing among others, check out:-
1) - The Amorphous Androgynous* & Peter Hammill - We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal.
2) - The Amorphous Androgynous* - We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal Remixes.
Another excellent song selection and, of course, in the interest of repetition song recommendations (remember how solid my Banco recommendation was):
HIGH TIDE - Futilist's Lament
YEZDA URFA - Boris and His 3 Verses (including Flow Guides Aren't My Bag)
CULPEPER'S ORCHARD - Teaparty for an Orchard
Haven't watched it yet but have to say - F I N A L L Y :D
I hope you'll watch other song from this album too.
Just subscribed relistening to some of my favourite tracks in another light. Nice to listen to a great genre with like minded people as none of my friends are into prog
Ty Jon, goes the same way for you all discussing and commenting with me🙂
"Maybe I'll maybe my life away". best lyrics ever. Great interpretation.
Ty HP; thats a great line indeed
The 'louse' is the reflection of himself rebounds back to him, that haunts him with his loneliness, inside his home.
Try PH's amazing solo piano version at Cracovia in 2019. He had to re-learn the song and received a very well deserved standing ovation for it.
This is my favorite PH/VDGG song. That wind up at the end of the song--the harmonies give me chills every time.
Red Shift (the one with Randy California on guitar) is also excellent on this album.
The vocals are almost theatric. For some reason the vocalist's phrasing reminds me of Chris De Burgh (Spanish Train etc) and although the song is as theatric in it's own way, it is also a lot less pop than De Burgh.
Interesting song and great review.
Hammill has something like 40 solo albums, so there's a lot to choose from. And his earliest work is the most celebrated. But "Roaring Forties," "Fireships," and "This" are all incredible later pieces (especially "The Light Continent.") One should neglect "A Black Box" (with a full-side suite "Flight"), and his opera-musical "Fall of the House of Usher." And don't forget the inestimable live disc "Vital" by VDGG.
This is great timing cause ive just been getting into vdgg!!
Also not to be needy but you should check out Why Worry by Dire Straits, the second half of the song is very atmospheric.
like to hear your take on red shift.
A few rehearsed VdGG songs ended up on Hammill's solo albums and this is one of them. "Silent Corner" is one of Hammill's best albums and it's well worth exploring the rest of the album.
I had a friend who liked VdGG but found it hard to get into Hammill's solo work. But he did like "A Louse is not a Home".
I think solo Hammill appeals more to people who enjoy Hammill's lyrics. Musically, the albums can be raw and the production values inconsistent.
"In Camera" is quite experimental. Must listen to the proto punk "Nadir's Big Chance" recorded with VdGG just prior to the reformed group in 1975.
Watch out for "Over", an emotional powerhouse. It can wreck you if you are not prepared.
I don't know if I changed or Hammill changed but I stopped buying his solo albums after "Everyone You Hold". Just connected less with his later material.
"What is this place you call home? Is it a sermon or a confession? Is it a chalice that you use as protection? Is it really only somewhere you can stay?"
now it's time for godbluff
personally my fav off this album is red shift...... but what do i know.
as for this track , i think it merely compounds the old adage that there's no place like home, because in reality we never get home there truely is no place for us.
Forsaken Gardens, on this album, next please.
Oh yes, that would be wonderful
As we’re shown further shadows and shimmerings of shenanigan shamdom , so the appeal of such confrontational compositional sureties increases and this song’s non- conformist stature endures beyond this comment section. Multi- layered vocals . Yes. Tender Terror Yes. Dexterous Layerings of Pompous Stereophonic Assault befits these Turbulent Times. Mankind prefers the darkness. Peter knows this. I’m with him all the Way. The Dawning of the Day. 2021nothing else exists. God Knows. Maybe indeed. God Laughs. For Sure. Excellent beyond Description. Well done Mouse . Im glad i waited.
You didn't have to wait too long - almost as if you knew it was coming...?
I phone texted my eldest youngling Liverpool fan the night before the Champiins league final in 2005.
Liv 3 ac milan 3 liverpool win on pens smicer to score’
just one of a series of lucky calls or Daphne- esque visions of the future?
You decide.
I’m listening.
As i post this Peter sings this song again.
Randy Newman
My life is Good is it’s distant white sheep cousin. I sang it in the kitchen last night just before hearin this video for the first time ever. Writin this allows me to listen again.
And it snowed here yesterday
Once a year occurance - if that
(Just as Saturday’s quoted Caravan’s lyrics said it would)
I mean i could go on...
In 1983 no one died
In 1984 no one died
In 1985 no one died
In 1986 there was the incident with the pigeon
In 1987 no one died
In 1987 no one died
But no
(I had no idea this louse was coming)
Keep Lookin Up!!
@@HippoYnYGlaw In 2005 on May 3 I saw Cream at the Royal Albert Hall - and on May 6 - three days later I saw an afternoon show of VdGG co-founder Chris Judge Smith at a small venue which I do not recall followed by a night performance by VdGG at the Royal Festival Hall where this Los Angeleno saw that show from row 2 right in the center excuse me - centre of the venue. Reports of one death were exaggerated - I only nearly died! (Diolich ?)
I would like to find a few time in order to share with you my reflections about this unique song, but in the end any word is not enough to explain what I feel when i listen to this song.
Originally written for VdGG, of course, before the "split".
Hi. Dave from Somewhere (but not here). Another great reaction. Have to say that many of the tracks you play I know pretty well, but for some reason I never got into VdGG and Hammill. Thanks for introducing me. BTW, are you planning to do another 'What's JP Jammin' to?' Some really interesting choices, and although not being a rap fan, I found myself enjoying that Clipping track. Deftones good too; a bit like Avenged Sevenfold, do you think?
You're into Steve Wilson who is a big VdGG/PH fan.
@@vdggmouse9512 Yes, I am (seen PT/SW five times). I shall explore VdGG further, hopefully with Justin's help.
Ty Gaia! I'll probably do another one in the coming month. A7X are quite good!
Maybe nice to try "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Peter Hammill. It's a later album and an 'opera' in a way with also guest singers; but it's also a return to the darker (more gothic ?) feel in his music ... and it's ofcourse brilliant as always and a lot of amazing voices by Hammill himself
Totally different sound maybe; but still as captivating:
ua-cam.com/video/vdr_v3IELUI/v-deo.html
The House is I.
Lice choice, it ticks off the perfect box. More fleas? Or am I being a leech for asking? Seriously though it's genius, you must Generate more! Peace.
🐛
Well, this is something 'individualistic'. Prog with a bit of a glam-rock vibe and some vocals that could also fit in a goth band. The flute/sax combination seems to have been nicked directly from Tull's 'A Passion Play'. This needs definitely several respins to fully stomach for me.
VdGG were doing the flute/sax thing long before Ian Anderson ever picked up a sax.
@@TrevRockOne I see. Thanks for letting me know.
Yes, Tull are my favourite band but I think, on the contrary that A Passion Play ha been influenced by Van Der Graaf Generator
First time I saw PH's music and glam rock ever linked. I don't think so but whatever.
@@vdggmouse9512 haha, this time my comment seems to have been pretty off the mark in several regards. It might have to do with the vocals why this came to mind on first hearing it. As some other person commented here somewhere, there is a certain similarity to Bowie and the younger Lou Reed in some moments. Maybe that was why.
Anyway, it was not meant to deliberately irritate fans :-)
Is this actually the first and only reaction to Peter Hammill solo stuff on youtube? How is this possible???
''Sometimes it's very scary here'' ah well, that'll just be that Peter Hammill geezer again..................
I just wonder how it can be your first listen when as soon as it finishes you discuss at such depth....did I miss the edit where you listened a few more times & got your examples ready ? 🙂 when I heard it for the first time all I could dribble was wow 🤷♂️
Sorry - I don’t mean to be a cynic you’re doing a good job & I can see you like our man’s work. 👍
No worries Bartus! Can't say exactly, I just enjoy listening and discussing music😄 Ive listened to Van Der Graaf on the channel though, so am somewhat familiar with them and Peter
true
PH..."the spirit" ...please...?
Oh yeah. Age/time creeps up on us all. The lyrics mean more as the years go on! (I'm now 60!)
Vety nice. The best ist: Gog magog
JP, please could you review Crime Of The Century Supertramp, i think you'd like it...
I've actually done the whole album already😁 it'll be in my playlist section if you're looking for it
@@JustJP oh really?, sorry I missed this, I will watch now, thankyou..
Of course! No problem 😊
Hey JP, if you have a chance react to " Time Heals " from his album Over.
I find this instructive and perhaps insightful as the inner soundtrack of someone suffering from severe mental illness, but it's not something I'd choose to listen to for entertainment.
I can agree with that!
Never thought of it before... but hearing him now in the beginning, his voice is kinda in between David Bowie and Lou Reed.
David Bowie actually was a huge fan of Peter Hammill. He called himself "Poor man's Peter Hammill" in an interview once. Bowie also was at the reunion concert of VdGG on May 6th 2005 (among other prominent rock musicians who are Hammill fans like Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Fish of Marillion or John Lydon alias Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols, to name but a few).
I've heard many people say he sounds like Bowie. As someone who has all the Bowie and VdGG/PH stuff, I can't see it!
@@BaldJean ... and Julian Cope... in an interview, the band he said he'd have most loved to play with.
'A house is not a home' is the commonplace saying transformed by the word 'louse' in the song's title...part of the point of it being that a louse sucks the host's blood...
Oceandeep.,,,.....,,
Every time I listen to Peter Hammill or VDGG I say to myself "this is abrupt, it does not swing". apart from a few rare songs, Peter Hammill & VDGG are really not for me. it's not that it's bad (far from it) but I really can't immerse myself in this music. overall it doesn't touch me musically, vocally, lyrically.
Vocalist... singer... on Twitter, Peter Hammill describes himself as a 'singist'. ha ha, LOL xxx
Anyone else get Bowie meets ELP
No. VdGG predates ELP and once one learns Peter Hammill - it becomes clear - he's a singular talent.