Short Reviews [Peter Hammill - 1994 - “Roaring Forties”]

I was almost shocked when I saw the - incredibly - low rating of the "Roaring Forties" album at Progarchives, and I'm pretty sure that some of the 'raters' (yeah, those who are willing to do anything that helps them create what is just a semblance of their activity as a matter of fact) have either never listened to it or only done so once. No music lover should forget that any profound progressive rock album requires repeated listens. "Roaring Forties" will hardly grab your attention right away. But give the CD several spins and you will love it to death, unless you're a novice to the genre (and, by saying so, I mean classic prog rock - not neo). Most of the music is deep and is chock-full of the arrangements that are highly intricate and intriguing alike. In other words, this is a 100-percent masterpiece. In fact, only two albums from Peter Hammill's solo discography, this one and "The Silent Corner", always gladden me as much as the best Van Der Graaf Generator albums ("H to He", "Pawn Hearts" and "Godbluff"). So please do not believe any hasty conclusions. Rely exclusively on your own ears, your own experience, et cetera.