Peter Himmelman Kickstarter Project - album recording May 2016

I know there are a handful of folks here that are admirers of the excellent singer/songwriter Peter Himmelman. I got an email this morning about a kickstarter project for a new album he's going to record next month, "There Is No Calamity", with Steve Berlin producing.

There Is No Calamity - Peter Himmelman's New Recording »

Here's an old thread from this forum about him:
Peter Himmelman - if you like Costello, Dylan, etc, give him a spin... »

 

Shamelessly bumping this thread for a few folks who've sung Peter's praises here in the past (@kwadguy, @strummer101, @AKA-Chuck G, @poidog, @grbl).

Apologies to you guys if you either (a) already knew about this or (b) aren't interested or don't want to be called out like I just did.

Just figure a little exposure would be a good thing for this project.

 

I think it's great that Mr Himmelman is still churning out the music. I'll be looking forward to his next release, as he is one of my favorite singer/songwriters.
He should be more widely recognized. His early band was tight, his words are soulful, insightful, and spiritual and I like listening to what he has to say.
I met him in the late 1980s, and in person he was the man his lyrics suggest him to be.

I wish I could donate to the campaign, but alas, I am hurting for cash myself these days.
Thanks for the heads up.

 

I'm glad you did. My curse in life has been having the most eclectic taste in music of anyone I have ever met. So when an artist reaches #1 on my personal weekly top 40 chart, it says something due to the amount of competition. Peter Himmelman reached #1 in 1989 with "245 Days". I stopped charting years ago and have been meaning to catch up with the artists who had such success to see if more gems exist. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Peter's done some excellent work over the years. From Strength To Strength and Flown This Acid World are his two strongest major label releases, but he's done some brilliant stuff since, too. I think Imperfect World and The Mystery and The Hum are both exceptional records, as well.

I'm always amazed with people who follow Bob Dylan and/or Elvis Costello and don't know this guy. Here's one from The Hum...

 

Himmelman's over-earnestness puts some folks off, but I've liked what I've heard of his music. Though admittedly, I haven't heard anything he's done in the 21st century.

 

Thanks for the post and the call out. I wasn't aware of this. Still a huge fan so will definitely contribute.

 

I saw him open for the Innocence Mission in 1990. I feel old now.

 

Was that the show at Peabody's Downunder? I was there! A really good night on the east bank of the Cuyahoga. I interviewed both bands before the show at Holiday Inn Lakeside.

 

I saw him several times in the early '90s. AMAZING performer--hilarious, too.

The best show of all was probably during his tour for Skin, where he opened by playing the album in its entirety. I had to drive through a snowstorm to get to that one (Cambridge, MA).

A show at McCabe's stands out in my memory, as well...

After he left Sony, he stopped touring so much...with very few shows outside of LA...

 

Also check out 2004's Unstoppable Forces.

 

Yes indeed it was! I think early December.

 

What a great club that was in the 80s-early 90s. I saw a lot of left-of-the-dial acts come through town in those days at Peabody's.

 

I saw the Innocence Mission there the following year too - they originally had to cancel because their equipment was stolen ( I remember sitting in the deli next door for an hour waiting for Peabody's to open).

I also think it was Peabody's where I saw Graham Parker in 1995. He played solo. There must have been no more than 25 people there.

 

Same. My show was in NYC, March 1990. Sadly, they didn't do the Peter/Karen duet on "Running Away", which I think they already had in the can by then.

Somewhere in my tapes, I have a different mix of that tune, with less organ and a louder, more prominent Don Peris guitar part.

 

I started on him after hearing a song on the radio I thought sounded a lot like Costello. I was sitting in a Ben & Jerry's in Burlington, VT at the time. Must have been WIZN. I called the radio station to find out who had just played, then went to Pure Pop to buy the album based on that one radio listen. I forget what song it was but it was from From Strength To Strength when that had just been released.

 

Saw him a couple of times in the early '90's at the Bottom Line in NYC (great place back in the day). Really fun shows. His songs are mostly very serious, but he's hilarious. I remember him going off on wild and really funny tangents (both verbally and musically). I've kept buying all his albums but haven't seen him live in over 20 years. Wonder if he's still that great live.

 

This album is now complete and just been made available at iTunes, amazon, etc.

I've had it for a couple months now and think it's one of Peter's better efforts from the last 10-15 years. In a just world, this song would be burning up the airwaves:

 

No Sussman Lawrence reunion = no sale

 

Thanks for posting the song and info @mrjinks!
The man's still got it.

 

A recent TedX talk by Peter Himmelman:

 

Gonna bump this again. The opening track on the new album might have fit well in @RayS' thread about "songs of hippie hopefulness" - 245th Peace Song. I think this is an intriguing topical song that (perhaps?) attempts to speak to or maybe explain the motivations of those who are displeased with the state of things in America today...

 

I saw him open for Squeeze back in 1988 and bought Gematria soon after. I'll have to give this new one a listen.

 

Just got Calamity yesterday. After one listen in the car, it sounds like it will be a favorite.