The Future Now

The Future Now is the seventh studio album by Peter Hammill, released on Charisma Records in 1978. It was the first solo album Hammill released following the 1978 breakup of his band Van der Graaf Generator, although he had released numerous solo albums while VdGG were active. The album contains twelve short songs, several in the new wave style of VdGG's last studio album, The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome.

The Future Now
Studio album by Peter Hammill
Released	September 1978
Recorded	18 March – 26 April 1978
Studio	Sofa Sound, Byfleet, Surrey
Genre	Art rock
Length	41:21
Label	Charisma
Producer	Peter Hammill
Peter Hammill chronology
Over (1977) The Future Now (1978) pH7 (1979)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

The album cover shows a set of photographs by Brian Griffin, portraying Peter Hammill with half of his moustache and beard shaven.

"If I Could" was re-worked for Hammill's 1984 album The Love Songs.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Hammill

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pushing Thirty"	4:21
2.	"The Second Hand"	3:29
3.	"Trappings"	3:34
4.	"The Mousetrap (Caught In)"	4:07
5.	"Energy Vampires"	2:57
6.	"If I Could"	4:43
Total length:		23:08

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Future Now"	4:14
2.	"Still In The Dark"	3:41
3.	"Mediaevil"	3:07
4.	"A Motor-Bike In Afrika"	3:11
5.	"The Cut"	4:21
6.	"Palinurus (Castaway)"	4:10
Total length:		22:42

Bonus tracks

Recorded live at the All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, on 16 February 1978

13. "If I Could"
14. "The Mousetrap (Caught In)"

Personnel

• Peter Hammill – guitars, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, electronics
• David Jackson – saxophone (1, 2, 12)
• Graham Smith – violin (5, 6, 12)

Technical

• Peter Hammill – recording engineer (Sofa Sound, Byfleet, Surrey)
• Pat Moran – mixing (Rockfield Studios, Monmouth)
• Brian Griffin – photography

External links

• Peter Hammill's notes on the album