Trisha Shetty (Editor)

The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage

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Released
  
8 February 1974

The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (1974)
  
In Camera (1974)

Release date
  
8 February 1974

Label
  
Charisma Records

Length
  
49:15

Artist
  
Peter Hammill

Producer
  
Peter Hammill

The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage wwwprogarchivescomprogressiverockdiscography

Recorded
  
April, September and October 1973

Genres
  
Rock music, Progressive rock, Art rock

Similar
  
Peter Hammill albums, Progressive rock albums

Peter hammill the silent corner and the empty stage full album


The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage is the third album by British singer-songwriter Peter Hammill. It was released on Charisma Records in 1974, during a hiatus in the activities of Hammill's progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. However, like many of Hammill's albums of this period, all the members of Van der Graaf Generator perform on the recording, blurring the distinction between solo and group work.

Contents

The cover was designed by Bettina Hohls, ex-member of the psychedelic German rock band Ash Ra Tempel. Bettina Hohls had also contributed to the cover of Hammill's earlier album Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night.

The lengthy "A Louse is not a Home" is a full blown prog rock epic featuring melodramatic lyrics about (among other things) the nature of identity. It was originally written for Van der Graaf Generator's album following Pawn Hearts, an album that because of the band's split never came to be. It features all of Van der Graaf Generator's ex-members. "The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)" partly alludes to the Ecstasy of St Theresa by Bernini. "Red Shift" features Spirit guitarist Randy California on lead guitar. Hammill has often performed the song "Modern" in concert.

Peter hammill modern


Track listing

  1. "Modern" – 7:28
  2. "Wilhelmina" – 5:17
  3. "The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)" – 5:40
  4. "Forsaken Gardens" – 6:15
  5. "Red Shift" – 8.11
  6. "Rubicon" – 4:11
  7. "A Louse is Not a Home" – 12:13

The following bonus tracks were included on the 2006 CD reissue:

  1. "The Lie" (Live at the All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, on 16 Feb. 1978) - 6:31
  2. "Rubicon" (BBC session, Feb. 1974) - 5:02
  3. "Red Shift" (BBC session, Feb. 1974) - 5:51

Personnel

  • Peter Hammill – Guitars, piano, bass guitar (on 1, 2, and 6), harmonium, keyboards, vocals, mellotron, and oscillator
  • Randy California – Lead guitar on "Red Shift"
  • Hugh Banton – Organ, bass (on 3, 4, and 7), keyboards, background vocals
  • Guy Evans – percussion, drums
  • David Jackson – Flute, alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones
  • Technical
  • Pat Moran - engineer
  • David Hentschel - mixing
  • Bettina Hohls - artwork
  • Songs

    1Modern7:28
    2Wilhelmina5:18
    3The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)5:42

    References

    The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage Wikipedia