Nadir's Big Chance

Nadir's Big Chance is the fifth solo album by Peter Hammill, released on Charisma Records in 1975.

Nadir's Big Chance
Studio album by
Peter Hammill
Released1 February 1975
Recorded1–7 December 1974
Studio
GenreProgressive rock, garage rock, proto-punk, art rock
Length48:24
LabelCharisma
ProducerPeter Hammill
Peter Hammill chronology
In Camera
(1974)		 Nadir's Big Chance
(1975)		 Over
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Sounds(favourable)[2]
Tentative Reviews[3]

It was recorded shortly after a decision to re-form the band Van der Graaf Generator (of which Hammill was the singer and principal songwriter) and Nadir's Big Chance is actually performed by the reformed Van der Graaf Generator line-up.

The album's songs vary greatly in style, as acknowledged by Hammill in the sleeve notes, which refer to "the beefy punk songs, the weepy ballads, the soul struts".

In a 1977 Capital Radio broadcast, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols played two tracks from the album, "The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning" and "Nobody's Business", and expressed his admiration for Hammill.[4]

The album includes two of Hammill's most frequently performed ballads, "Been Alone So Long" (written by Judge Smith) and "Shingle Song", and a reworking of Van der Graaf Generator's first single from 1968, "People You Were Going To".

The album saw Hammill's first use of the Hohner clavinet D6 keyboard, which went on to feature prominently on the next few Van der Graaf Generator albums (particularly Godbluff).

In the song "Pushing Thirty" (from The Future Now, 1978), Hammill claims that he "still can be Nadir". The Rikki Nadir persona returned in October 1979, when Hammill released a single titled "The Polaroid" under the name, with "The Old School Tie" from pH7 as the B-side. It was included on some American pressings of pH7.

"Been Alone So Long" was re-worked for Hammill's 1984 album The Love Songs.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Hammill, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriterLength
1."Nadir's Big Chance" 3:27
2."The Institute of Mental Health, Burning"Hammill, Chris Judge Smith3:50
3."Open Your Eyes" 5:10
4."Nobody's Business" 4:15
5."Been Alone So Long"Chris Judge Smith4:20
6."Pompeii" 4:50
Total length:26:02
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Shingle Song"4:10
2."Airport"3:02
3."People You Were Going To"5:10
4."Birthday Special"3:40
5."Two or Three Spectres"6:20
Total length:22:22

Personnel
  • Peter Hammill – voice, acoustic and electric guitars, Hohner clavinet, piano (7, 9), bass (11)
  • David Jackson – saxophone (all tracks)
  • Hugh Banton – bass guitar (1-10), piano (2, 6, 11), Hammond organ (3, 9)
  • Guy Evans – drums, percussion (all tracks)

Technical
  • Pat Moran – recording engineer (Rockfield Studios, Monmouth)
  • Mike Stone – mixing (Trident Studios, London)
  • Dinu M'Brela (alias of Peter Hammill) – cover design
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References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "Don't ignore this one". Sounds. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  3. "Review". Tentative Reviews. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  4. "There has been an error". www.fodderstompf.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.


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