Spur of the Moment (album)
Encyclopedia
Spur of the Moment is an album of experimental music by Peter Hammill
and Guy Evans
, originally released as cassette tape on the Red Hot label. A remastered version was released on CD on the DaTE label in February 1988 (not in 1991, as Sofa Sound suggests). It was the first time Hammill and Evans played together on a CD since their days as members of Van der Graaf Generator
. The album is currently out of print.
Hammill plays grand piano, guitar and keyboards driving samplers and synthesizers, and Evans plays acoustic and electronic drumkits. The music is instrumental and entirely improvised. According to the booklet, instruments and fundamental note-patterns were decided upon prior to performing a piece, but no further structure was arranged in advance.
A number of songs from Spur of the Moment was played live in a number of concerts by Hammill and Evans in 1997. A recording of one of these concerts was released as The Union Chapel Concert
.
In the booklet of the CD "Surprise" and "Little did he know" appear as two different titles, but on the CD itself track 2 is called "Surprise / Little did he know" (and consequently the total number of tracks is 11).
The original cassette had songs 1-6 on side A, and songs 7-12 on side B.
Both players regularly play each other's instruments. As the booklet states: "In much of this music the straight edges of the conventional instrument/instrumentalist picture become blurred; often the overall effect is of one instrument being played by four hands in some strange modern variant on the traditional piano duet."
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
and Guy Evans
Guy Evans
Guy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
, originally released as cassette tape on the Red Hot label. A remastered version was released on CD on the DaTE label in February 1988 (not in 1991, as Sofa Sound suggests). It was the first time Hammill and Evans played together on a CD since their days as members of Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
. The album is currently out of print.
Hammill plays grand piano, guitar and keyboards driving samplers and synthesizers, and Evans plays acoustic and electronic drumkits. The music is instrumental and entirely improvised. According to the booklet, instruments and fundamental note-patterns were decided upon prior to performing a piece, but no further structure was arranged in advance.
A number of songs from Spur of the Moment was played live in a number of concerts by Hammill and Evans in 1997. A recording of one of these concerts was released as The Union Chapel Concert
The Union Chapel Concert
The Union Chapel Concert is a live album by Guy Evans and Peter Hammill, recorded in the Union Chapel in London, 3 November 1996, and released as a double CD in March 1997...
.
Album cover
The album cover shows parchment with lines of red and green paint, and in some places a "2" or "two" is discernable.Track listing
All songs written by Hammill/Evans, except where noted.- "Sweating it out"
- "Surprise"
- "Little did he know"
- "Without a glitch"
- "Anatol's proposal"
- "You think not?"
- "Multiman"
- "Deprogramming Archie" (Hammill/Evans/Ridout)
- "Always so polite"
- "An imagined brother"
- "Bounced"
- "Roger and out" (Hammill/Evans/Ridout)
In the booklet of the CD "Surprise" and "Little did he know" appear as two different titles, but on the CD itself track 2 is called "Surprise / Little did he know" (and consequently the total number of tracks is 11).
The original cassette had songs 1-6 on side A, and songs 7-12 on side B.
Personnel
- Peter HammillPeter HammillPeter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
- grand piano, guitar and keyboards driving samplers and synthesizers, and engineer - Guy EvansGuy EvansGuy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
- acoustic and electronic drumkits - Paul Ridout - programming, sequencing, manipulation, and engineer
Both players regularly play each other's instruments. As the booklet states: "In much of this music the straight edges of the conventional instrument/instrumentalist picture become blurred; often the overall effect is of one instrument being played by four hands in some strange modern variant on the traditional piano duet."