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Peter Hammill graciously accepted to answer a few questions
from his fans through the Couch Noise site. Much work was done to include as
many questions as possible from as many different people as possible. Oddly
enough, many questions were similar and easy to regroup. Unfortunately, some
sent in numerous good questions and some were left unasked to leave room for
everyone. The questions and answers are as sent in, besides the occasional
spelling correction.
MORE MORE MORE
When should we expect a new album? Are there any known plans for the next
shows? - Ilan Segal
next album will be early next year. next
shows: 2 in greece in dec, 2 (x2) in japan in feb.
then, who knows?
How many copies do you sell of a song album like "What, Now?" as opposed to
one in the "experimental vein"
like "Unsung"? Which has been your best-selling album? - Janos Aranyasz
about 2:1 songs vs. experimental.
needless to say, exact figures remain confidential ;-).
fireships had a big reach partly because
media exposure was still (kind of) possible at the time.
Do you plan to release some kind
of collection of rarities (single versions, b-sides, collaborations, etc.)
on CD? - Mikayel Abazyan
no.
i) there's not enough/enough of interest
ii) i'd rather something new/different. more live stuff may eventually
emerge...
Why has Enter K been released
again? After all it had been Fie's first official release back in 1991 and
it still sounds pretty good to me... What are the main differences between
the two versions? Is similar work being planned on its companion disc
'Patience'? - Ben Hur
we ran out of stock of "k" and
all parts - artwork & cd master - had been lost. it seemed appropriate to
take the opportunity to remaster and re-cover. "patience" may well receive
the same treatment as and when we run out of stock, but no promises.
Many European TV stations (Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria..) have
material in their vaults. So my question is:
Why not collect the rights of all the material from European TV stations and
release it on DVD's? - Adrian Haegele
actually, not much exists of
solo work. dvd production is also,
apparently, yet another universe. i still prefer audio-only
Is there any plans for any of your music to be published. I really would
like try and fill in the chords I can't figure out for some of my favourites
(e.g. German Overalls) - Peter Townend
sorry, no. i hold it all in my
head...
USHER
Lou Reed has recently delivered The Raven - a comprehensive tribute (?)
to Poe...
er, yes.
Have you ever considered trying to work with him on Usher or any related
material ? - Charles Underwood
nope
How likely is it that the staging of Usher will ever be staged? - Sean
Kelly
unlikely at this stage but not
impossible. expense is the bugbear...not only in a financial sense: i would
have to invest and incredible amount of time and energy (again) to get this
one up and running. if i didn't have other things to do....
Has there been any recent interest in producing The Fall of the House of
Usher as a live opera or as a dramatic film?
- Michael K.
there does remain some interest
but see above
SONGWRITING
In an old interview (Zig Zag) you said something along the lines that the
great thing about popular song is that it can deal with any subject - even
'the price of bananas'. Does that still hold true today? (We'll draw a veil
over the fact that, inspired, I then tried to write a song on the price of
bananas; failed!) - Sean Kelly
i'm sure that banana song must
be possible...globalisation? economic imperialism? cultural diversity?....
yes, it still holds true, songs
can be serious and silly at the same moment
Time...a big topic in your work...and my personal favourite. I find it at
the heart of all your best songs. I like how it ties in with your dealings
with; memory, movement, journeys and of course film and theatre. My
question....has your thoughts on "Time"...and the meaning of....changed in
recent years? Of course I think on how all of us find time to be moving
faster as we all get older. But...in your work....are you conscious of a
major difference in your writing of the subject with your own self growing
older? - Sue
since, at heart, my stuff on
time really comes down to the fact that we can only experience it linearly
rather than dimensionally it's evident that my thoughts "change" along
that linear path. frankly, the process and self-appreciation of ageing is in
itself an effect of the inability to jump the dimension.
erm, i think i'm more articulate
about this - from time to time - in song?
Once you said (something along the lines) that songs on a certain subject
get written because you don't know the answer - if you knew the answer you
wouldn't write the song! But some of your more recent songs suggest you
certainly do know the answer - there is a moral clarity about them (eg fed
to the wolves, just a child etc) Have you changed your opinion about the
song form? Have you changed your moral opinion? Is age bringing a greater
degree of certainty? or are these simply clearer issues that you have chosen
to write about (and if so why?) - Sean Kelly
Recently there have been several "social" songs, about violence against
women, pedophilia, anorexia.. I think these are difficult subjects to treat
in a song. What is your view on this? Do you think you can still add
something new, an interesting angle or do you just want to draw the
attention on these problems? - Jan Luyckx
in both of these... well, these
songs are, i think, "commentary" things, which are evidently "clearer" than
those other mysteries. what *does* remain mysterious to me, though, is how
these subjects insist upon being written into song as i go through the
process. i did not, for instance, start the music for "wolves" or, even more
to the point "veronica" with an idea that the subject matter would be what
emerged...
Where some albums done under the influence.. which? - Laurent Grima
what, electromagnetism?
I have read that you have said that the photo in question in 'Sign' was in
Akron Ohio...the show at Kent State Univ. That evening was my first
>exposure to the "live experience" (i was totally blown away, although not
as emotionally shell-shocked as some in the audience, but you went out of
your way to leave me with some words which remain with me to this
day..."don't take it all so hard, it's just serious fun."), anyway, more to
the point, i would be most curious to hear more of the story behind the
song.
i'm out of the frame
Another related question: did the impenetrable fog after the show have
>anything to do with inspiring "Fogwalking"?
- Hugh Manatee
nope, that fog was definitely
london.
Ok one that has intrigued me for years. Are "The Octopus" and "La Rossa" one
and the same ? - Frank
nope
Can you tell/explain something about the meaning /background of "primo on
the parapet" and does it have a connection with primo levi? - Leo Prins
entirely about primo levi.
AND FINALLY
Whose music do you currently listen to? - Keith Knight
not a lot, as ever. classical of
all eras when i get the opportunity.
Is there a grand piano you prefer playing, what make is the one you have at
home, seen in the vpro video, and what's the least favourite you've played
in concert. - Jim Chamberlain
i do like a bosendorfer &
steinways of course. my own piano is a gors & kallman from 1911.
the least favourite has to be one i *didn't* play, in the melkweg sometime
back in the horizontal era. three keys were physically missing around middle
c when i arrived for sound check....
Seems almost every fan has at least one Peter Hammill bootleg. What's your
opinion on fans making private tapes of your concerts and how >does that
compare to a (semi) official bootleg like 'Tides'?
Your last time in Québec (1999) my local vinyl dealer said you came in and
bought 2 vdgg/ph vinyl bootlegs... any truth to that story? - Sean
er
private tapes are private tapes and matters of enthusiasm. bootlegs are
simple theft and an insult to me or any other artist. but i condemn the
manufacturers rather then the purchasers.
"tides" - while it was out - was theft.
i haven't been a vinyl man for a good many years but i might well have
looked to see what was around ;-)
Are your wife and children fans? (of the music) - Brett Allen
strangely my wife has become
more and more so lately, particularly of VdGG (which, of course, she never
experienced.)
How do you see your music evolving in the next 10 years? - Jean-Marie
Saunier
i don't know but i look forward
to finding out
er, that's it
peter
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