In a Foreign Town / Out of Water 2023 is a new project by Peter Hammill. which features new reworkings of these two of albums originally released in 1988 and 1990 respectively. This is the reason it is listed as a new release and not as a compilation or reissue.
In a Foreign Town was released in its original form in 1988 and featured material with a political edge and saw Hammill explore the use of MIDI technology in the studio and featured contributions from violinist Stuart Gordon.
Out of Water was a slight change in direction, featuring a more band orientated approach with contributions.
Over the years the reaction to the original versions of both albums has mixed, with some fans praising the material but finding the 80s production style not to their taste. Peter has referred to ‘In a Foreign Town’ as having strong songs but having a production style of its time, describing the album as “a crucial set of recordings in terms of my musical development”.
The uncertainty surrounding the rights of both these original albums prompted Hammill to revisit both works in the studio, reworking and re-recording whilst also using elements of the original material to stunning effect. The finished results are remarkable and demonstrate the strength of the original compositions.
CD1 – In a Foreign Town (2023)
01. Hemlock
02. Invisible Ink
03. Sci-Finance (Revisited)
04. This Book
05. Time to Burn
06. Auto
07. Vote Brand X
08. Sun City Nightlife
09. The Play’s the Thing
10. Under Cover Names
11. Smile
12. Time to Burn (instrumental)
CD2 – Out of Water (2023)
01. Evidently Goldfish
02. Not the Man
03. No Moon in the Water
04. Our Oyster
05. Something About Ysabel’s Dance
06. Green Fingers
07. On the Surface
08. A Way Out