Peter Hammill: The Fall of the House of Usher - 2LP EX Van Der Graaf Generator

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28

Hammill does opera! And he does it well... excellent condition in and out! Rare. I purchased this new back in the 90's. Yes, I combine shipping.
Hammill began work on The Fall of the House of Usher back in the early '70s, yet it didn't see the light of day until the early '90s as a hard-to-find European import. He didn't feel it was completely finished until 1991; hence its elongated delay. This rock opera is comprised of six acts, and is based on an Edgar Allan Poe tale with small changes to the story here and there. Unlike Hammill's other material, which is based on progressive rock, Usher has its roots in classical music. Still, it's a safe bet that longtime Hammill and prog-rock fans won't be disappointed with this classical experiment. There are lots of sweeping, churchlike a cappella vocals, which convey nearly all the album's melodies, whereas most rock fans would expect guitars and keyboards to carry out at least some of that task. Synthesizers and drums don't show up until several numbers in, so don't expect to be automatically drawn in. It takes a few listens to grasp the music and the storyline (Chris Judge Smith worked with Hammill on the libretto), with a few highlights being the early Genesis-sounding "The Herbalist" and the soothing "That Must Be the House," to name just a few.

The Fall of the House of Usher is an opera by Peter Hammill (music) and Chris Judge Smith (libretto). It is based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe.

Hammill and Smith, two of the co-founders of Van der Graaf Generator, worked sporadically on the opera from 1973 until its first recording was released on Some Bizzare Records (the only instance of Hammill's work appearing on the label) in November 1991. The album was available on CD, cassette and a limited edition of 500 double vinyl LPs. The cast of singers was:

• Hammill himself, playing Roderick Usher and the House
• Lene Lovich, playing Madeline Usher
• Andy Bell, playing Montresor
• Sarah Jane Morris, playing the Chorus
• Herbert Grönemeyer, playing the Herbalist

Smith's libretto takes certain liberties with Poe's source text. The House itself becomes a vocal part, to be sung by the same performer who sings the role of Roderick Usher. The narrator, unnamed in the story, is given the name Montresor (the name of the narrator of another tale by Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado"), and a romantic attachment between Montresor and Madeline Usher is hinted at.

In 1999, Hammill regained the rights to the music from Some Bizzare and set about revising the piece. He re-recorded some of his own vocals, although the parts of the other singers were untouched. He also removed the percussion, added more electric guitar and remixed the entire recording. The results were released as The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Deconstructed & Rebuilt) on Hammill's own Fie label in November 1999. Hammill regards this version as the definitive recorded version of the opera.[2]

The opera has never been performed live in its entirety. In the 1980s Hammill performed "The Sleeper" a capella at a Poetry reading festival in Amsterdam, October 1983 and in New York, July 1986. At live concerts in 1991 and 1992 Hammill frequently sang a suite of songs from the opera, officially released on the video/DVD In The Passionskirche.

Tracks:

1. "An Unenviable Role"
2. "That Must Be The House"
3. "Architecture"
4. "Sleeper"
5. "One Thing At A Time"
6. "I Shun The Light"
7. "Leave This House"
8. "Dreaming"
9. "Chronic Catalepsy"
10. "Herbalist"
11. "Evil That Is Done"
12. "Five Years Ago"
13. "It's Over Now"
14. "Influence"
15. "No Rot"
16. "She Is Dead"
17. "Beating Of The Heart"
18. "Haunted Palace"
19. "I Dared Not Speak"
20. "She Comes Towards The Door/The Fall"

• Arranged By – Peter Hammill
• Artwork By, Design [Sleeve] – Ridout* 
• Libretto By – Chris Judge Smith* 
• Mastered By – BAZZA (2)
• Performer [All Instruments] – Peter Hammill
• Recorded By – Peter Hammill
• Recorded By [H.o.m.e.] – Les Chappell
• Recorded By [Outside] – Christoph Matlok
• Vocals [Madeline Usher] – Lene Lovich (tracks: B2 C1, C2, D4) 
• Vocals [Montresor] – Andy Bell (tracks: A2, A5, B1, B3 - B5, C1 - C5, D1, D2, D4) 
• Vocals [Roderick Usher] – Peter Hammill (tracks: A4 - A6, B1, B2, C3 - C5, D1 - D4) 
• Vocals [The Chorus] – Sarah Jane Morris (tracks: A1, B1, B5, C5, D1, D4) 
• Vocals [The Herbalist] – Herbert Grönemeyer (tracks: B4, C5) 
• Vocals [The Voices Of The House] – Peter Hammill (tracks: A3, B1, B5, C4, D1, D4, D5)