Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Peter Hammill performing Refugees by Van der Graaf Generator at the Prog Rock Prom in July 2026. Image © Andy Paradise/BBC The English prog rock band Van der Graaf Generator have very rarely troubled the UK charts. So, based on chart positions, all the recordings released by the band and the solo albums released by …
Continue reading "Off the Beaten Track # 18 – Refugees by Van der Graaf Generator"
On 14 January 2017, I was staying in the Thistle Hotel, Euston, within striking distance of Euston station in London. That evening, I ordered a copy of the original cast recording of Lazarus the musical with music by David Bowie and a book by the Irish playwright Enda Walsh. I know the exact date I …
The Cover of pH7 (1979) by Peter Hammill With typical sarcastic humour, Peter Hammill named his eighth solo album pH7, when it would have been more logical to name it PH (Peter Hammill) 8. He wrote, As a measure of acidity/alkalinity pH7 signifies perfect neutral balance; but these recordings are neither neutral nor balanced. The …
Continue reading "Off the Beaten Track # 16 – Mr X (Gets Tense)/Faculty X from pH7 by Peter Hammill"