In Camera (Peter Hammill album)

In Camera is the fourth solo album from the English singer-songwriter Peter Hammill. It was released in July 1974.

In Camera
Studio album by
Peter Hammill
ReleasedJuly 1974
RecordedDecember 1973 – April 1974
Studio
GenreArt rock, progressive rock, experimental rock
Length47:47
LabelCharisma
ProducerPeter Hammill
Peter Hammill chronology
The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage
(1974)		 In Camera
(1974)		 Nadir's Big Chance
(1975)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Much of the material was recorded in Hammill's home studio on simple four-track equipment. He then took the tapes to Trident Studios, where additional elements such as drumming from Van der Graaf Generator colleague Guy Evans, and layers of ARP 2600 analogue synthesizer were added. The album has a predominantly dark, gothic, claustrophobic feel, with the lyrics laced with apocalyptic, religious and existential imagery. "Gog" is a particularly intense and demonic song, featuring (even by Hammill's standards) strident and aggressive vocals, grandiose harmonium chords, and powerful drumming. This segués into "Magog", which is virtually a musique concrète piece of sinister drones, percussive noises, and including a ring modulated spoken vocal. Songs such as "Ferret and Featherbird" and "Again" are gentler offerings, and Hammill refers to the first as "something approaching a 'sweet' song".[2] The album was dedicated to Hammill's brother, Andrew.

"Again" was re-worked for Hammill's 1984 album The Love Songs.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Hammill

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Ferret and Featherbird"3:43
2."(No More) the Sub-mariner"5:47
3."Tapeworm"4:20
4."Again"3:44
5."Faint-Heart and the Sermon"6:42
Total length:24:26
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."The Comet, the Course, the Tail"6:00
7."Gog"7:40
8."Magog (in Bromine Chambers)"9:41
Total length:23:21
2006 CD bonus tracks from BBC One John Peel Sessions
No.TitleLength
9."The Emperor in His War Room"6:39
10."Faint-Heart and the Sermon"6:05
11."(No More) the Sub-mariner"6:12

Some CDs index "Gog" and "Magog..." as one track.[3]

Personnel

Technical
  • Peter Hammill – recording engineer (Sofa Sound, Sussex)
  • David Hentschel – recording engineer, ARP programming, mixing, "studio wizardry" (Trident Studios, London)

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "In Camera". www.sofasound.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  3. Virgin CASCD 1089
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