"In a Foreign Town" is the sixteenth studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Hammill, originally released in 1988 on Enigma Records and later reissued on Hammill's own Fie! label. The album has received mixed reactions from fans, with some critiquing its 1980s rhythm tracks and production as dated.
Despite this, the album is appreciated by others for its political engagement. It addresses various issues, including apartheid in "Sun City Nightlife," big business in "Sci-Finance (Revisited)" (a reworking of the Van der Graaf Generator song "Sci-Finance" from Vital), and global politics in "Hemlock." The track "Time to Burn" serves as a tribute to Tony Stratton Smith, who passed away shortly before the album's release. Additionally, the song "This Book" is a cover of "Abrir y Cerrar" from the 1986 album Bandido by Spanish artist Miguel Bosé, with Hammill credited as a co-writer on several tracks.
