The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage is the third album by British singer-songwriter
Peter Hammill. It was released on
Charisma Records in 1974, during a hiatus in the activities of Hammill's
progressive rock band
Van der Graaf Generator. Other ex-members of Van der Graaf Generator also perform on the recording.
The lengthy "A Louse is not a Home" is a song about the nature of identity. It was originally written for Van der Graaf Generator's album following Pawn Hearts, an album that because of the band's split never came to be.[3] It features Van der Graaf Generator's ex-members and was (just like "In the Black Room" from the previous album) played live by the group already in mid 1972 (just before the split) and again with the reformed band in 1975. "Forsaken Gardens" (also played live in 1975) and "Red Shift" are two more songs which feature ex-VdGG members. "The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)" partly alludes to the
Ecstasy of St Theresa by
Bernini. "Red Shift" features
Spirit guitarist
Randy California on lead guitar. Hammill has often performed the song "Modern" in concert. "Wilhelmina" is written for
Guy Evans' newborn baby girl, Tamra.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Peter Hammill
Side one
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Modern"
7:28
2.
"Wilhelmina"
5:18
3.
"The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)"
5:41
4.
"Forsaken Gardens"
6:16
Total length:
24:43
Side two
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Red Shift"
8:11
2.
"Rubicon"
4:41
3.
"A Louse is Not a Home"
12:15
Total length:
25:07
2006 CD reissue
No.
Title
Notes
Length
1.
"The Lie (Bernini's Saint Theresa)"
Live at the All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, on 16 February 1978
6:31
2.
"Rubicon"
BBC session, February 1974
5:02
3.
"Red Shift"
BBC session, February 1974
5:51
Personnel
Peter Hammill – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars (1, 2, 5, 6), piano (2, 3, 4, 7),
Mellotron (1, 2), bass guitar (1, 2, 6),
harmonium (1),
oscillator (6)