Joe Banks – ROCK and ROLE…The Visionary Songs Of Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator: Book Review

The art of arch Progressive wizard and icon, Peter Hammill, is dissected by the deeply inquisitive Joe Banks and Kingmaker Publishing 

PASSION

Let’s face facts. if you’re going to write a book about an artist like Peter Hammill, then you have to have a passion. A genuine dedication and perhaps also be ever so slightly madcap. A little like Hammill himself sporting a half beard on the cover of The Future Now. Granted he probably finished the full shave after the photo shoot, but the thought was there. Not that we’re hinting that Joe Banks is a little wacky, but he certainly has said dedication to all things Hammill to be able to exist on the same page or plane as the man whose own dedication to ranting is legendary.

In some way, part biography (although not the focus), part musical analysis (never overbearing), the book covers Hammill’s whole career, although the magnifying glass is directed specifically on the Charisma years of the Seventies and therefore the bulk and depth of the several hundred pages, and therefore covering what’s perhaps his most iconic work.

DIVISIVE

Hammill is, has been and always will be a divisive musician – “even within the underground” – yet one who’s summed up pretty well on two pages of introduction. “A man who has seen further into the human condition, , and expressed his vision with more passion and eloquence, than just about any other singer-songwriter in rock music’s starry firmament.“

A career built on ferociously following the path of his own choosing at the expense of commercial and financial success, setting out his stall in the early Seventies and refusing to (dirty word alert…) compromise. A recent PROG magazine feature has him declaring how his wife says he writes nice songs – and then spoils them.

As a reminder, Banks maintains a constant thread throughout the text, utilising all manner of expansive and expressive vocabulary that describes the unstable (in the most artistic sense) beast that is Peter Hammill. Open any page at random and stick in a pin to find such phrases such as: “too intense for a mass audience“, “sonically challenging“, “ear drilling salvo” and that’s not even taking into account the oft commented upon primal rawness of the Vital VdG live album that’s as shocking as any Punk era offerings.

THE CHAMELEON

With the promise of succinctness and avoiding analysis, the album ‘review’ / track by track sections are still revealing, descriptive and intelligently covered. What also comes across loud and clear is the way the uncompromising approach resulted in the struggle when placed within the context of their fared alongside their Charisma and progtastic labelmates. One point that still irks Hammill to this day when he’s up against the likes of Sledgehammer.

The ‘Portrait’ chapter reveals an insight into ‘the man’ via peers and colleagues that reinforce the image of a Bowie/Zappa chameleon – indeed Hammill is pictured throughout in an ever changing appearance – beard – half beards – long hair – short hair – dressed (messiah-like) all white – etc. A writer and a poet, who inspired many to the extent that Marillion (and especially Fish) were keen to take him as support on their first major headline tour back in’83 (where bizarrely he was, let’s say, not appreciated by the Marillion fans).

Having covered the Charisma years, there’s a 100 page or so extra section to read on and become even more engaged by the work ethic and work rate. Not in anything like the detail, and considering the vast Hammill library of work – a simple glance at the discography might result in the sound of causal fans jaws dropping, but there’s another book.

THE TMOQ

The Kingmaker trademark of quality. No skimping. 500 pages of quality paper are laid out in a friendly format, peppered with all manner of images and ephemera in what’s becoming the signature house style. Another impressive volume from a publisher who like their Hammill author, has a genuine passion for end products that will delight Prog enthusiasts

Available from the wonderful sales desk at Burning Shed.

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