Search - Peter Hammill :: In the Passionkirche Berlin 1992

For completists only

IDorfman | 08/12/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Superior versions of all but two of the tracks on this CD can be found on Hammill's "Typical" CD which contains songs recorded from the same tour of northern Europe in 1992. What makes this a desirable item is the nearly 20 minute "Usher's Suite" which is unavailable elsewhere. What is disappointing is the quality of the release. Audience applause is edited out, causing songs to end abruptly or segue immediately into the next song. So, it doesn't feel like it is a complete recording of the actual concert. The volume level varies throughout the recording, especially on "Future Now" which startled me with its loud beginning and ends just as abruptly. Worst of all, the guitar intro and first verse of "Modern" are omitted. The song just suddenly begins mid sentence! Aside from this, what you get is pure live Hammill. He hits bum notes occasionally, but sings his heart out. That's what makes Hammill a one-of-kind performer. Whereas on "Typical" he culled together the best versions of his concert staples from that period, even skillfully combining versions from two different performances on two tracks, here you get some less than perfect versions. This would be okay if it was an unedited version of the complete performance, which it obviously isn't."