Unboxing Peter Hammill – The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971–1986 (18CD + 2 Blu-ray Super Deluxe)
On the table today: the Peter Hammill – The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971–1986 super deluxe box. It’s a 20-disc monument (18 CDs + 2 Blu-rays) spanning 13 solo albums, newly remastered, with 5.1 & new stereo mixes for The Future Now and pH7, plus BBC sessions, live material, and a hardback album-sized book that pulls you right into Peter’s world.
Even better: this set is the matching companion to the Van der Graaf Generator Charisma Years box. Same footprint, same design language. They look fantastic side-by-side on the shelf—brother and sister, reunited.
What’s in the box?
- Two disc wallets
- Discs 1–12
- Discs 13–20 (with extra protection for the Blu-rays)
- Fold-outs: tape-box montage, vintage poster (including a lovely portrait)
- Album-sized hardback book
Thick stock, full-page artwork, inner sleeves, posters, session photos, press cuttings, and—crucially—track-by-track notes from Peter Hammill himself
“The book is a major part of the experience. It feels like having the LP on your lap while the artist talks you through it.”
Design & presentation
Textured outer slip with sturdy construction
Consistent layout with the Van der Graaf Generator Charisma set
Inner pockets are snug; as ever, take care sliding discs in/out. I’ve never had an issue.
Sound & mixes
New remasters across the catalogue
5.1 surround + new stereo mixes (Stephen W. Tayler) for The Future Now and pH7
These two got the treatment because their multitracks survive—and the results are superb. The originals remain your historical artefacts; the new mixes open the room up without losing intent.
Content highlights (and where I started)
If, like me, you’re still mapping every corner of Peter’s solo universe, the Blu-rays are a brilliant way in—visual context first. The Play Away Tintagel film is a quirky delight (extra smile from me as a Cornwall resident).
Musically, I gravitated to:
Nadir’s Big Chance – immediate, spiky, addictive
The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage – intense and rewarding
The Future Now, pH7 – the late-’70s left-field pivot that’s aged beautifully
Live/BBC material that adds grit, shape, and era texture
And yes, there’s the breadth you expect from Hammill: whisper-quiet intimacy one moment, sky-splitting drama the next—always in service of the lyric.
Value for money
You’ll see figures like £120–£140 quoted around. For a career-spanning 20-disc anthology with two Blu-rays, fresh remasters, surround/stereo remixes, and a proper album-sized book, this is phenomenal value. We all know single-album “super deluxe” sets that cost more and deliver far less replay value.
“This is someone’s entire artistic arc—from 1971 to the mid-’80s—in a box.”
Who is this for?
Van der Graaf Generator fans who grabbed the Charisma box and want the solo companion
Curious explorers who own a couple of Hammill LPs and fancy the whole story in one hit
Book lovers/physical-media diehards who want the art, the essays, the sleeves, the context
Streaming encourages 26-second skims. This set rewards immersion. Put the disc on, open the book, and let Peter narrate.
Final thoughts
This will be one of my Box Sets of the Year. It’s huge, beautifully curated, sonically strong, and—thanks to Peter’s own annotations—deeply human. If you already own the Van der Graaf Generator Charisma box, this is joined at the hip. If you don’t, you’ll likely want both.
Also watch my full interview with Peter Hammill, where we discuss the box in depth, his distinctive vocal approach, home recording, and whether a future set might cover the later years.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
