|
..:: audio-music dot info
::..
|
Peter Hammill: Fireships
[1] I Will Find You (P.Hammill) - 4:46
[2] Curtains (P.Hammill) - 5:49
[3] His Best Girl (P.Hammill) - 5:05
[4] Oasis (P.Hammill) - 5:44
[5] Incomplete Surrender 6:38
[6] Fireships (P.Hammill) - 7:20
[7] Given Time (P.Hammill) - 6:38
[8] Reprise (P.Hammill/D.Lord) - 4:19
[9] Gaia (P.Hammill) - 5:33
| A
r t i s t s , P e r s o n n e l |
|
Peter Hammill - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Wind,
Percussion, Vocals, Arrangement, Producer
David Lord - Strings, Percussion, Keyboards, Orchestration, Bass,
Arrangement, Producer
Nic Potter - Bass
Stuart Gordon - Violin
David Jackson - Soprano & Alto Saxophone, Flute
John Ellis - Guitar
Paul Ridout - Artwork
Martin Bailey Reynolds - Photography
| C
o m m e n t s , N o t e s |
|
1991 CD FIE 9103
1993 CD FIE 9103
2006 CD Fie 9103
Recorded and mixed at Terra Incognita, Bath, November 1990 - August
1991.
Remastered at Terra Incognita in 2006.
Originally released in 1992, Fireships was the first release on Peter
Hammill's own Fie! Records label and was also the first (and last!)
release in the 'BeCalm' series. Operating at the gentler and more
introspective end of PH's output, Fireships is one of the most melodic
and highly regarded albums of his long and varied career. Despite the
softer and more texturally lush production, the album contains the
uniqueness, invention and emotional bite found at the heart of the best
Hammill recordings
This PH Album is the best ever I hear from Peter
Hammill - may be partially David Lord's fault. The intro sog I will Find You is something wich
goes under the heart and skin - getting 15 stars from 10. During the
hearing od the Album 'till the Fireships PH gives his positive
sound to us. Up to the naming Album song the known PH speaking/singing
to us. Given Time (at the
first two and a half minutes) makes me crazy and produces a dejá vù of
Steven Hackett's Genesis best times. In this song PH goes back
"positive", but no way out, there's no sound played or singed on the
wrong place or at wrong time. The Reprise,
labeled as PH/Lord co-production is something outside of tme music
mormal world - it is something more. Gaia
is a "Happy End" if you want so - but is this a "Happy" or/and "End"? I
don't know.
Buy this album what ever it cost's if you have the possibility to do
so... You will get a diamond.
audio music dot info
Fireships is one of Hammill's most consistently quiet, intimate works;
a collection of relationship odes similar in mood to 1984's The Love
Songs. Hammill, even at his most reflective, is highly poetic and
intense. Each of the nine numbers is given ample room to breathe, with
most ranging between 5 and 7 minutes. A hint of tragedy, a smoldering
fire, burns below the surface of even the most languorous numbers, like
the highlight "His Best Girl."
Roch Parisien - All-Music Guide
© 1992 - 2002 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.
Fireships is an album by English singer and songwriter Peter Hammill.
Originally released in 1992, it was the first release on Hammill's own
Fie! Records label. It was reissued in remastered form in 2006. The
sleeve notes label the album "Number 1 in the BeCalm series", and its
songs are generally at the gentler, more introspective end of Hammill's
work. Hammill's next album, the more rocking The Noise (1993), was
similarly labelled as "Number 1 in the A Loud series". Hammill decided
to put the quiet and loud songs he had recently written and recorded on
separate albums. At around the same time, Virgin Records, the owners of
Hammill's back catalogue on Charisma Records, were planning to issue a
compilation of his earlier work. When he explained the concept of the
BeCalm and A Loud series to them, they decided to issue two
compilations along similar lines - The Calm (After The Storm)
(containing quieter songs) and The Storm (Before The Calm) (containing
more aggressive material). Originally, Hammill planned to continue this
separation between quiet and loud music on subsequent albums, but the
plan was soon abandoned. Two of the album's tracks, "I Will Find You"
and "Curtains", have become staples of Hammill's live set. At the time
of the album's release, Hammill (in a rare piece of merchandising)
issued a limited edition of 500 numbered prints of the cover, signed by
himself and the artist, Paul Ridout.
Wikipedia
Fireships is the first in Peter Hammill's "BeCalm" series, and is
characterized by sparse song arrangements designed in collaboration
with co-producer David Lord, with Hammill rarely if ever venturing into
his higher vocal registers. While works of just a couple years earlier
(e.g., Out of Water) sound dated in terms of production, the spare
nature of Fireships lends to it sounding as crisp and clean as if it
were made yesterday. The songs here are represented in both personal
messages and more objective storytelling. "I Will Find You" shows how
much Hammill has matured as a songwriter. Again, fans that are only
familiar with the Van Der Graaf Generator era of his work probably
couldn't imagine him writing such a positive song of hope and resolve,
but here it is, and sung with the same level of cathartic release for
which he is known in his darker songs. With "His Best Girl," Hammill
sets his poison pen on trophy wives, and here the album's minimalist
approach is very effective in creating a sense of tension. The main
line of the song is: "And you will always be his…/and you will always
be his best girl." I like the first line, which both conveys hesitation
or distraction (which fits with the other lyrics in the song) and
simultaneously indicates dependence. The best track of the album,
however, is the stunning "Gaia." Its lyrics refer to the chaos theory
images of butterflies creating storms on the other end of the world
through the beating of their wings. However, Hammill carries this image
further as a metaphor for humans, toiling in a world where they will
ultimately "freeze in flight beneath the starry sky." The song speaks
insightfully to a sense of connectedness and belonging, and so it seems
Hammill thankfully hasn't abandoned his existential searches just yet.
Matched with a perfectly hushed orchestral backing, the aura of
fragility conveyed in "Gaia" delivers as powerfully as the best tracks
on David Sylvian's Secrets of the Beehive. or the rest of the album,
however, I regret to say that the spaciousness of the tracks ultimately
proved a bit too inert for me. A shame, for I can see Fireships being a
waiting masterpiece for just the right person. Though I was not that
person, I do think it deserves to be heard nonetheless, particularly by
those who are interested in exploring a quieter side to Hammill's work.
Joe McGlinchey
Dubbed as number one in the "BeCalm" series, Fireships is
something enthusiasts of Hammill's
music have been waiting for since the miraculous And Close As This:
an album in the
introspective style. My only caveat regarding this release is the
unpleasant monotonous beat
that takes over the first track after a promising beginning. Other than
that, this is Hammill at
close to his finest. Curtains bears the stamp of the Hammill enigma
wonderfully. The lyrics
avoid being too direct a treatment of well-worn topics, which is my
general complaint about
his later work. A marvellous ambience and creation of a perfect
ambiguousness of topic and
music. Most touching. Even the regrettably transparent yet trenchant
lyrics to His Best Girl
cannot spoil the sparse but lovely music. Hammill sings in his Sunday
best glowing lower
register. Enchanting. The gentle rhythms and vocal stroking of Incomplete
Surrender lead into
the title track which takes a little while to accustom to compared to
the rest of the material but
which contains more development than most of the album. Tasteful use of
percussion and
restrained dynamics make this song worthwhile. Given Time has
some of Hammill's finest
guitar material I think. Occasionally, he will cohere with a harmony
for a few notes quite
remarkably, creating what Debussy used to call "harmonic moments". They
are here and stand
out nicely. A lovely song that reminds me of the final track A Way
Out from Out of Water. A
reprise of Fireships leads into Gaia. I do still have
an aversion to lyrics treating such worn
and topical material in such a direct way. It either sounds banal or
else short of what could be
achieved, assuming, as I do, that Hammill is capable of far exceeding
banality. Nevertheless,
the music if powerful and lovely. One of the strongest tracks on the
album. This album certainly
encourages repeated listens and whenever one plays it, a reminder of
what a minor gem this
release is, is afforded.
© 1996 Phil Kime
I Will Find You
Trapped like a rabbit by the future glare,
onrushing headlights that blind you,
a frightened runaway,
at least you know I care,
I will seek, I will search, I will find you.
We are written in the star-crossed sky,
the spirit music reminds you...
you can run and hide, but surely by and by
I will seek, I will search, I will find you.
Far away, in another life
you say you're going to find your freedom...
don't run away to another life.
Don't be afraid, there's no dark unknown,
no shadow stalking behind you;
don't be afraid,
when you're lost and most alone
I will seek, I will search, I will find you.
Far away, in another life,
things might not be so very different...
don't run away to another life.
Trapped like a rabbit by the future glare,
onrushing headlights that blind you,
a frightened runaway,
at least you know I care,
I will seek, I will search, I will find you.
Curtains
Well, Tommy woke that morning
with a headfull of rocks
and Sylvia was in shock.
The story they'd been faking
had frozen on their lips
and fallen through the brush of fingertips
and though they packed their bags,
ready for the road,
the curtains and the bedroom door
stayed closed.
For Sylvia and Tommy this is a curtain call
they've been running away for years
but pride in flight
precedes a certain fall.
So Tommy rubs his stubble
as if to check his face is there
and Sylvia combs her hair
just like nothing really happened...
they'll carry on as before
but this thing won't work, will it, any more.
And though the bags are packed
ready for the road
the curtains and the bedroom door
stay closed.
For Sylvia and Tommy
there's nowhere left to hide:
they've been running for years
to find some kind of thrill
to take away the emptiness
that they both feel inside.
Making the fictional
out of the matter of fact;
masquerade the picture
but now the frame's all cracked.
For Sylvia and Tommy
there's nothing left to try:
they've been running for years
to find some kind of life
that offers an excitement
that the rest of us pass by.
So Tommy woke that morning
with a headfull of rocks
and Sylvia was in shock.
This story they'd been faking
was frozen on their lips
and falling through the brush of fingertips
and though the bags are packed
ready for the road
the curtains and the bedroom door
stay closed.
For Sylvia and Tommy
there's nowhere left to go:
they've been running away so long
there's just no strength to carry on
they can't get back to what they knew
a life abandoned once and long ago.
His Best Girl
Foot down in the GTi Cabriolet
to the villa in the South of France for vacation....
Keep your head down, baby,
keep your hair in golden curls
and you will always be his,
and you will always be his best girl.
Fast forward on the handycam video;
top that tan up, glowing U/V on the sunbed;
at the health farm you'll be
guarding his investment well.
Keep your head down, baby,
keep your wits about you now...
and you will always be his,
and you will always be his best girl.
Beads and bangles, it's too late
to claim your independence now:
your rings and baubles are
the marks of his possession.
Keep your head down, baby,
keep your counsel to yourself.
Keep your hair on, baby,
keep your wits about you now
and you will always be his...
but will you always be his best girl?
Foot down in the GTi Cabriolet,
his new friend's young enough
to be your daughter...
Foot down in the GTi Cabriolet.
And you will always be his,
but will you always be his best girl?
Oasis
Beside the pool of clear water,
fed by a secret spring, your lips are sealed
but in your body language
angels sing.
I swear on the Bible,
swear on the sacred and profane
I think I'm drowning in the vortex
your eyes contain.
Your secret face,
show me your secret face.
With stars and moonlight for shelter,
your breathing close in my ear,
the wind is whispering a mystery
for me to hear:
your secret name.
Tell me your secret name,
oasis in a desert world,
tell me your secret name.
Let me drink from the well of secrets,
pluck the fruit from the tree
and feel your secret world envelop me.
Your secret face,
show me your secret face.
Show me your secret face,
naked as the sun,
silent as the stars,
secret oasis in a desert world.
Incomplete Surrender
Sweetheart, I want to hold back nothing
sweetheart, I want to give my all.
Roll on the feminine side,
the lion lies down with the lamb.
Beneath the male surface,
the chaos merchant, we're all half-human:
understand only love's not blind,
only love surrenders up the heart.
The woman's heavy with the future,
with intuition unalloyed;
behind the smirk of the macho man
is the quivering lip of the little boy.
Put it all in place, I can almost taste it,
so I surrender up my heart.
I want nothing more than to be
one for once, to feel you one with me;
no finer mystery, no mystery when we start
to surrender up our hearts.
Sweetheart,
I want nothing more than to be
one for once, to feel you one with me;
there's no mystery, no mystery when we start
to surrender up our hearts.
Where's the bridge to take us
across the sexual divide?
What arc of heaven makes us complete,
makes the planets clash and the stars collide?
With emotions bare we were both alive
for a second there
and we both surrendered up our hearts.
Sweetheart, I want to hold back nothing,
sweetheart, I want to give my all.
And we both surrendered,
incomplete surrender....
Fireships
There's a smokescreen on the horizon,
fireships under sail tonight...
Here's the Armada of Souls,
here's the flotilla from God knows where;
from gopher-wood to the last of the ironclads
in common concert they send up the flares.
While we turn and turn around
the rocket hits the roof...
we never think that we'll get burned,
we're fireproof,
we think we're fireproof.
Keep a stiff upper lip, the band play on
through the raising of the toast;
the captain's steady at attention on the bridge;
it's surface matters
that appear to matter most.
We watch the galleons run aground,
still we stand aloof;
we never think that we'll get burned,
we think we're fireproof.
We think we're fireproof,
we never think that we'll get burned;
We sail on fireships,
we never think, so we'll get burned.
Straight for the eye of the hurricane,
down to the last eye tooth
we never think that we'll get burned,
we think we're fireproof.
Here's the Armada of light,
here's the flotilla, for heaven's sake....
We're sailing under a flag of convenience,
casting our messages in bottles in our wake.
So we turn and turn around
the rocket hits the roof...
we never think that we'll get burned,
we think we're fireproof.
We never think that we'll get burned,
we think we're fireproof.
Given Time
There's no time for dull regrets,
no-one underwrites your debts.
No satisfaction guaranteed,
but this much I believe
we make the lives we lead.
Best foot forward, face the day
as the moment slips away
like a whisper on the wind;
the tide turns as it breaks....
Given time
we lead the lives we make.
The curve that we trace in time
a shape of our own design.
Say it's over when it's done
did you learn to touch someone?
Long ago and far away,
voices linger on...
long ago, just yesterday,
caught in the clay of material need.
Given time
we make the lives we lead.
Given time
we make the lives we leave.
Reprise
We think we're fireproof,
we never think that we'll get burned;
we think we're fireproof,
we never think, so we'll get burned;
we think we're fireproof.
Reprieve,
reprise.
If he got to do it all again
would he do it over and over?
In reprise, reprieve?
But will she always be his?
Gaia
Butterflies on the wheel
of a world that turns unyieldingly...
every fragile beating wing
moves the motor of the thing,
oh, Gaia!
Butterflies stir a breeze
and the ripples flow unceasingly:
far away the cyclones swirl.
It's a whole, connected world.
Oh, Gaia!
Wipe those tears from your tired eyes:
every breath you take a sacred sigh.
Butterflies on the wheel
making order out of chaos
and each ripple in the air
turns the motor everywhere.
Cry those tears, then dry those tired eyes:
every breath you take keeps you alive.
Butterflies as we are
freeze in flight beneath the starry sky
but the ghosts fly on and on...
in this sense we all belong,
oh, Gaia!
And the sum of all the parts
is the all-forgiving heart
of Gaia.
Oh, Gaia!
Currently no Samples available!
