Peter Hammill – The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971-1986 – I was thinking about thinking about writing this but it really didn’t get me very far, what is there left to say? Well a million things obviously, this man’s back catalogue is ridiculous (as well as being ridiculously good). You think you’ve maybe heard it all but then there’s a whole load more and this massive box set is only a little bit of what he has waiting for you! This is his Charisma and Virgin periods from 1971 until 1986. Mr Hammill has done loads more since, he’s still making very fine albums, although we demanding fans (yes I am a fan, it is no secret) could do with something new, there was the rather rewarding reworking of the albums In A Foreign Town and Out of Water in 2023 and that excellent album of other people’s songs back in 2021 and he was absolutely breath-takingly brilliant at the Royal Festival Hall in front of an adoring (sold out) crowd a week or so back. Come on Peter, a quick EP or something, just a couple of new songs…

Big expensive box sets like this are of course really only for the already committed fan (with the cash), the kind of person who would go to Mannheim on a rainy Saturday and spend the last of their money on coffee and cheese just to say they had done so. The kind of people who expect a review to forensically examine every detail of the new mixes, to ask questions about why this session track was chosen and not that one or get into why we’re told the Kansas City concert recording here, a recording of the Kansas City, Missouri show from February 16, 1978 is complete and yet the Skeletons of Songs release of that performance has Refugees on it while this version doesn’t? I mean the kind of people who buy these things ate the rabid details hungry fans and they’ve probably all rushed out and bought it on day one. 

Truth is, I’m listening to an online promo version, the label only got on our case after the release date, and here we are with all the songs at once on some online player or other, I’m 40 or so songs in, hours in, there’s still 67 songs between me and a solo version of Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers and those storms tearing me limb from limb. By the way, as an aside, I never said it in the live review the other day but I knew that gig was going to be special when I encountered someone collecting for Trinity House at Liverpool Street station on the way in, someone collection for lighthouse keepers! I mean, come on, if that wasn’t a sign and yes it did honestly really happen! Yes, I do know pretty much all this material, maybe not some of the actual recordings or live versions but these songs are mostly old friends. I don’t have the box set, I don’t even have downloads or advance promo discs, just a link to listen on line which is why there’s been no radio play on the Other Rock Show (people ask us why we didn’t play this or that this week, we can only play what we get sent or can afford to buy but listing to these songs here again is wonderful, all of them, all 183 of them (while a backlogue of everyone else’s new releases builds up in the the inbox)  

Hang on, I’ve just got to this 1977 John Peel session version of Afterwards, it is so achingly beautiful, I haven’t listened to this version with Graham Smith for ages, the 76th song of the 183 that are on this preview playlist that I have access to as a reviewer. And what am I to say about the actual Box set without really having it to hand? Without holding it, reading it, studying it? Saw the Van Der Graaf box set in a shop the other day, still way way beyond my pocket, more than happy to find a used copy of The Margin with the live album and some rather tasty K Group action in the same shop though (so yes, that version of The Future Now got some radio play this week)     

And now I’m listening to another version of Vision, if I was to be forced to name my favourite song by anyone ever in the whole history of everything, then this is it. Oh I see, this rather erratic player has taken me back to the fourth track on the list, let’s jump to track 92, oh it’s jumped back to track six and good morning sunshine and this is impossible. Oh, we’ve jumped to track 57, one, two three four, look at these jerks, I’ve been hanging around here waiting for my chance to review all this, I’m going to scream, going to shout, going to bang on this keyboard, look at these jerks! This is Peter (or Rikki) playing punk before punk was properly a thing of course (Johnny knew, others ignored it, those who know know)   

AI told me recently that Nadir’s Big Chance was a song about Peter Hammill’s dissatisfaction with the music scene, how wrong could AI get it? Does AI ever get anything right? Doesn’t AI know that Rikki Nadir and Peter Hammill are not the same person? That there are many Peter Hammills and none of them are called Rikki Nadir? There are so many versions of Peter Hammill to be found within this massive collection, there’s many lifetimes of work, so many dramatic interludes. The evolution from say 1971’s Fool’s Mate to something like the excellent PH7 album in the late 70s here is fascinating when listened to in one whole lump. I;m listening to it all while painting in for mush no (and no, not painting by numbers, watch out for that next exhibition, will Peter affect it? Probably)    

Oh the institute of mental health, how fitting. What am I to say? Do I trot out the line about all the respected singers who hold Peter Hammill in the highest esteem – Hey AI?  – “Highest esteem means to hold someone or something in very high regard, expressing great respect, admiration, and a favorable opinion. It indicates a high level of value and is used to show strong approval and respect for a person’s character, achievements, or skills” hey AI there’s a U in favourable, and yes, I mean I could trot out the list (again) and tell you we’ve seen Bowie, Lydon and Fish all paying full attention at the same Hammill gig (a theatre in Euston, mid 80s), that we’ve had long chats about Mr Hammill with Bruce Dickenson (at a Sack Trick Gig in Fulham), with Marc Almond (in an art gallery in Shoreditch) with Voivod when we put then on and they refused to get on stage until Plague of Lighthouse had finished and how disrespectful it would be to go on while it was still playing over the PA (we agreed of course, the gig had to run late), is this anyone’s business? it can’t all be yesterday’s papers. 

Peter Hammill is existential, he is essential, he is a constant challenge, not only to us, but to himself. I was quite surprised to hear him declare there to be nothing too embarrassing in this beautiful box set. I love how he’s pushed himself, pushed his voice, re invented, uncluttered, cluttered, opened up, closed the book, the door, smashed the mirror and so much more, I’m still replaying that performance from a couple of weeks ago and smiling inside about it….   

And here we are in October 2025, the box set has been out for a few weeks now, Peter Hammill in 76, he just played a short UK tour, his London show was possibly the best I’ve ever seen him perform and yes I have seen quite a few, it is a sentiment repeated by quite a few others who just saw him on this tour.

This 183 song box set is full of treasure, I honestly don’t think there’s an under par song or version of a song on here. Pretty much everything he’s done, both as a solo performer and fronting the gigantic thing that is Van Der Graaf Generator is worth your time, if you don’t know you really could start almost anywhere and of course if you don’t know you aren’t going to go out and buy a box set but hey, go start exploring…

Oh there’s so much to Peter Hammill, his work as a solo artist takes us all over the place before we even get to the Van Der Graaf and start to think about the K Group or indeed more recently those two albums with Isildurs Bane. There’s so much to explore with this box set. I can’t tell you about the new mixes or the 5.1 whatever on these new versions of old friends, Suzy or Mike might know but I’m just standing on the tallest building listening on a computer rather then something proper (I’m told by others the new versions and fresh mixes are excellent). And yes there is haze around the window panes of this attempt at some kind of review…

 I don’t know, why isn’t Peter Hammill held in the highest of regards by the music press, the critics, the general public, why when I told my mother who I went to see last week did she say who? She knew who Neil Young was when I said I’d been to see him back in the Summer, she knows who Leonard Cohen is, she probably knows about Nick Drake, why, with all this music, this language, all these words to get lost in, why is he not a household name? Why is it just us few and the bloke out of Soft Cell and the bloke out of the Sex pistols and the bloke out of Iron Maiden who know? And why when we do know we get totally hooked, no one ever ever said “oh Peter Hammill, I quite like him”.

That phrasing, the way he used words. Have you heard marc Almond’s recordings of Vision? Look them up, find them, treat yourself.  Better still, find Peter’s version. I’m no fan of Spotify, but if you don’t know, just go find Vision on there, then go and find these 183 songs or versions of songs – hang on here’s a YouTube link – then go and find the hundreds of others, you’ll suddenly find you’ve been listening to him for forty odd years and still finding new things every day. Does anyone else ever have a back catalogue like this? That is a serious question, how may albums is it now?     

Oh look I can’t review this, it needs whole books to be written about it, I could quote off the cheat sheet (the press release) like they have to do to hit the deadlines at the glossies, do I even have a press release? I have a version of Still Live playing very loudly now, the guy in the next studio is trying to paint outside (and that is living!) he must be curious by now? We could talk of dystopia and endless ecstasy and living for ever, we could talk of our other selves and doors that wont open, we have to say eclectic but always instantly him, always that voice, that way of putting words together one after the other. Don’t look back… 

I guess this whatever this piece is could go on forever, i guess the bottom line is if you know you know. A lot more should though, it is selfish of us, all the you and me, the he’s and she’s to bolt the door and keep this all to ourselves, these are treasures that everyone should know. No, I can’t seriously review this box set, it is of course brilliant, will you dance with me?  A fine fine record of a fine fine catalogue, if ever a box set was vital… (sw) 

Previously

ORGAN THING: Peter Hammill, Royal Festival Hall, London, October 2025 – And then he was gone again, just that almost fragile white-clad figure, by himself, heading for the stage door, cheers ringing around the building, people just nodding at each other, no one saying much, silence, just right, everything about it just so right, wow!

Oh look, I do have a press release. Although, “enjoyed”? From what saw last week, he’s still enjoying… I guess Ishould go and proof read this whatever this piece is now, if only there was time. Here’s the press release, the track listing is down there

Peter Hammill first came to prominence as a founder member and voice of the legendary progressive rock group Van der Graaf Generator. Alongside his work with the band Peter Hammill enjoyed a long career as an innovative and ground-breaking solo artist. Beginning with his first solo album “Fool’s Mate” in 1971, Peter recorded a series of acclaimed albums for both Charisma Records and Virgin Records covering a wide range of moods, but all undeniably uniquely original.

‘The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971 – 1986’, released on 26 September, is the ultimate collection of his early solo work. This 18CD+2Blu-Ray set is a super deluxe box set which comprises all 13 albums released by Charisma and Virgin, all newly remastered from the original master tapes, along with new 5.1 and stereo mixes of ‘The Future Now’ and ‘pH7’ by Stephen W Tayler, rare BBC sessions and live recordings and a Blu-ray video disc of rare previously unreleased European television performances. Accompanying the music is a 76 page, 12 inch squared, hardbacked book featuring extensive commentary on each album by Peter alongside many rare images. A limited run featuring an exclusive postcard will also be available.    

Having founded Van der Graaf Generator in 1967, Peter Hammill remains to this day a formidable, unwavering and prolific artist. For much of his early musical life his work would weave between solo albums and that of the band, each with their own journeys, often his solo work having a more personal theme. After the band broke up in 1978, he continued to release solo albums at an incredibly prolific rate.

Through the period of this boxset (71-86) Peter (almost unintentionally) established himself as an artistic and song-writing inspiration for his peers and, indeed, for younger generations. Numerous artists of the punk era acknowledged his uncompromising approach as an influence and major chart bands of the eighties also namechecked him. It is widely reported by people working closely with him at the time that David Bowie took huge inspiration from Peter’s work in the mid-70’s.

His principles never deviated from his original artistic intentions, unaffected by whatever were the musical trends of any given era. His songwriting can swing from traditional hook-based tracks through to highly complex lengthy pieces passing by full-on ballads along the way. There are very few artists like Peter Hammill and ‘The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971 – 1986’ super deluxe set is testament to a unique talent.”

SuperDeluxe 18CD+2Blu-Ray Boxset. Released 26 September 2025 – Pre-order here – (Go for the Burning Shed option, don’t be an Amazombie)

This is the performance that originally hooked me….

The full track listing….

Peter Hammill – The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971 – 1986

CD One:
“Fool’s Mate”
1. Imperial Zeppelin
2. Candle
3. Happy
4. Solitude
5. Vision
6. Re-Awakening
7. Sunshine
8. Child
9. Summer Song in the Autumn
10. Viking
11. The Birds
12. I Once Wrote Some Poems
Bonus tracks:
Demo session
Recorded in January 1971
13. Re-Awakening (demo)
14. Summer Song in the Autumn (demo)
15. The Birds (demo)
16. Sunshine (demo)
17. Happy (demo)

CD Two:
“Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night”
1. German Overalls
2. Slender Threads
3. Rock and Role
4. In the End
5. What it’s Worth
6. Easy to Slip Away
7. Dropping the Torch
8. (In the) Black Room / The Tower
Bonus tracks:
9. Rain 3am
Recorded in 1973
10. Time for a Change
11. German Overalls
12. Easy to Slip Away
13. In the End
BBC Radio John Peel session – 9th July 1973

CD Three:
“The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage”
1. Modern
2. Wilhemina
3. The Lie (Bernini’s Saint Theresa)
4. Forsaken Gardens
5. Red Shift
6. Rubicon
7. A Louse is Not a Home

CD Four:
Live Recordings 1974
1. Rubicon
2. Red Shift
BBC Radio John Peel session – 18th February 1974
3. Solitude
4. Time for a Change
5. The Birds
6. Out of My Book
7. Slender Threads
8. German Overalls
Live at Montreal University Sports Centre – 21st April 1974

CD Five:
“In Camera”
1. Ferret and Featherbird
2. (No More) The Sub Mariner
3. Tapeworm
4. Again
5. Faint Heart and the Sermon
6. The Comet, The Course, The Tail
7. Gog
8. Magog (In Bromine Chambers)
Bonus tracks:
9. The Emperor in His War Room
10. Faint Heart and the Sermon
11. (No More) The Sub Mariner
BBC Radio John Peel session – 3rd September 1974

CD Six:
“Nadir’s Big Chance”
1. Nadir’s Big Chance
2. The Institute of Mental Health, Burning
3. Open Your Eyes
4. Nobody’s Business
5. Been Alone So Long
6. Pompeii
7. Shingle Song
8. Airport
9. People You Were Going To
10. Birthday Special
11. Two or Three Spectres

CD Seven:
“Over”
1. Crying Wolf
2. Autumn
3. Time Heals
4. Alice (Letting Go)
5. This Side of the Looking Glass
6. Betrayed
7. (On Tuesday’s She Used to Do) Yoga
8. Lost and Found
Bonus tracks:
9. Afterwards
10. Autumn
11. Betrayed
BBC Radio One John Peel session – 21st April 1977

CD Eight:
“The Future Now”
1. Pushing Thirty
2. The Second Hand
3. Trappings
4. The Mousetrap
5. Energy Vampires
6. If I Could
7. The Future Now
8. Still in the Dark
9. Mediaeval
10. A Motor-Bike in Afrika
11. The Cut
12. Palinurus (Castaway)

CD Nine:
The All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, USA
16th February 1978
1. House With No Door
2. Time Heals
3. This Side of the Looking Glass
4. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
5. Easy to Slip Away
6. Still Life
7. Lizard Play
8. Time for a Change
9. Been Alone So Long
10. Modern
11. If I Could
12. Last Frame

CD Ten:
The All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, USA
16th February 1978
1. The Comet, The Course, The Tail
2. The Lie (Bernini’s Saint Theresa)
3. The Mousetrap (Caught In)
4. In the End
5. Medley: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers / The Sleepwalkers
6. Man-Erg

CD Eleven:
“pH7”
1. My Favourite
2. Careering
3. Porton Down
4. Mirror Images
5. Handicap and Equality
6. Not for Keith
7. The Old School Tie
8. Time for a Change
9. Imperial Walls
10. Mr X (Gets Tense)
11. Faculty X
Bonus tracks:
12. Mediaeval / Time for a Change
13. Mr X (Gets Tense)
14. Faculty X
BBC Radio John Peel session – 24th September 1979
15. The Polaroid
A-side of single – Released as Charisma CB 399 in August 1979
Credited to Rikki Nadir

CD Twelve:
“A Black Box”
1. Golden Promises
2. Losing Faith in Words
3. Jargon King
4. Fogwalking
5. The Spirit
6. In Slow Time
7. The Wipe
8. Flight
Flying Bird
The White Cave Fandango
Control
Cockpit
Silk Worm Wings
Nothing is Nothing
A Black Box

CD Thirteen:
“Sitting Targets”
1. Breakthrough
2. My Experience
3. Ophelia
4. Empress’s Clothes
5. Glue
6. Hesitation
7. Sitting Targets
8. Stranger Still
9. Sign
10. What I Did
11. Central Hotel

CD Fourteen:
“The Love Songs”
1. Just Good Friends
2. My favourite
3. Been Alone So Long
4. Ophelia
5. Again
6. If I Could
7. Vision
8. Don’t Tell Me
9. The Birds
10. (This Side of) The Looking Glass
Bonus track:
11. Just Good Friends (instrumental)
B-side of single – Released as Charisma CB 414 in May 1985

CD Fifteen:
“Skin”
1. Skin
2. After the Show
3. Painting By Numbers
4. Shell
5. All Said and Done
6. A Perfect Date
7. Four Pails
8. Now Lover
Bonus track:
9. You Hit Me Where I Live

CD Sixteen:
“And Close as This”
1. Too Many of My Yesterdays
2. Faith
3. Empire of Delight
4. Silver
5. Beside the One You Love
6. Other Old Cliches
7. Confidence
8. Sleep Now

CD Seventeen:
“The Future Now”
Stephen W Tayler stereo remix
1. Pushing Thirty
2. The Second Hand
3. Trappings
4. The Mousetrap (Caught In)
5. Energy Vampires
6. If I Could
7. The Future Now
8. Still in the Dark
9. Mediaeval
10. A Motor-Bike in Afrika
11. The Cut
12. Palinurus (Castaway)

CD Eighteen:
“pH7”
Stephen W Tayler stereo remix
1. My Favourite
2. Careering
3. Porton Down
4. Mirror Images
5. Handicap and Equality
6. Not for Keith
7. The Old School Tie
8. Time for a Change
9. Imperial Walls
10. Mr X (Gets Tense)
11. Faculty X

Disc Nineteen – Blu ray
“The Future Now”
Stephen W Tayler High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound mix / new stereo remix
1. Pushing Thirty
2. The Second Hand
3. Trappings
4. The Mousetrap
5. Energy Vampires
6. If I Could
7. The Future Now
8. Still in the Dark
9. Mediaeval
10. A Motor-Bike in Afrika
11. The Cut
12. Palinurus (Castaway)

“pH7”
Stephen W Tayler High resolution 5.1 Surround Sound mix / new stereo remix
1. My Favourite
2. Careering
3. Porton Down
4. Mirror Images
5. Handicap and Equality
6. Not for Keith
7. The Old School Tie
8. Time for a Change
9. Imperial Walls
10. Mr X (Gets Tense)
11. Faculty X

Disc Twenty – Blu-ray
The video vaults
1. In the End
2. German Overalls – French TV – Rock en Stock 1973
3. The Lie
4. Forsaken Gardens
5. A Louse is Not a Home – Swiss Television 1974
6. Energy Vampires
7. My Room  – French TV – Chorus 1979
8. Tintagel By the Sea -BBC TV – “Playaway” 15th December 1979

Peter Hammill at the Royal Festival Hall just days ago…