Peter Gabriel

[Barty]

Hello folks.
I read a few comments about BDaW reminding people of early Peter Gabriel.  I have 'So' which I think is excellent but I've never really bothered to discover anything else by him. I'm not interested in his Genesis proggy stuff but if anyone could please recommend any of his early albums, I'd appreciate it.
Cheers
Barty

[Rusco]

Hi Barty,

I'm not sure but I think 'So' album was maybe third or fourth of Gabriel's records. I'd like to strongly recommend 'Passion' album which is a very powerful experience to go through although there are not not vocals in many of its songs. There's only the thing that it was probably recorded after 'So', and am not sure was it originally a soundtrack to a movie or not  . (Last Temptations of Christ? Dunno...)

Maybe sozbot's better with Peter Gabriel's stuff here.

EDIT: Ok, 'So' was fifth studio album if we don't count the 'Birdy' soundtrack.

I bought Gabriel's second album 'Scratch' (1978) to friend of mine as birthday gift, but don't know was it good or did he like it.

[Master Ray]

My opinion?  Get hold of an album called 'Hit', it's about £3.50 on Amazon.  It's a double CD covering the whole of Mr Gabriels career, including plenty of rare stuff.

For my money, his later stuff is WAY better than the earlier...

[Rusco]

his later stuff is WAY better than the earlier...

Yea, agree with that. It also seems now that there's some sort of big revival of Peter Gabriel's career. He's touring right now, but it wouldn't be a wonder if he'd get awarded for some great prize of his work. And not only by musical means but as a pro-worker on behalf of human rights in eighties.

There was a film called Biko in -87 where Gabriel did a song too. It was actually recorded before 'So' and was some kind of hit song then. I think it was much more nearer to the 'So' era and sounded quite similar to that.

[szmurf]

A place where I might actually be of help.  Big Gabriel fan, so:

'So' is his 5th solo album, and generally considered his best.

1 (usually referred to as 'Car') is, IMO, his worst, although it has two great songs 'Solsbury Hill' and 'Here Comes Flood'.
2 (usually referred to as 'Scratch') is a step up, but a bit hit and miss.
3 (usually referred to as 'Melt') is where he hits his stride.  Absolutely brilliant from start to finish.  It has the song 'Biko' that Rusco mentioned.  It's also his dive into world music.
4 (usually referred to as 'Security' because Geffen in the US got tired of him not giving titles to his albums and forced him to come up with something).  Very tribal sounds on this one.
'So' is next and you already know about that one.
'Us' is another classic; Chuck full of goodness.
'Up' is his last proper solo album.
He's done 3 soundtracks and 'Passion' is the soundtrack to 'Last Temptation of Christ' and it is great, but he more or less curated that album and didn't really compose it.  He started a world music label/recording studio (RealWorld Records) and has a ton of great world music releases.  Passion is sourced from sounds of the Middle East and northern Africa.
Hit is a definitely a great place to start (you'll get all the hits and the second disk is called Miss which are singles that didn't quite make it in the world).
Another option is to get New Blood which is him re-recording his songs accompanied by an orchestral score, which I really like.  His voice has changed over the years, but it's still got that sound that I love.
He's also done a covers (song swap) album, but we won't talk about that.
Hope he does something for you.

[Master Ray]

I'd just like to say how brilliant and exciting it is to get into an established artist like Mr Gabriel... it's not like finding a new band, where you have one album and maybe a couple of singles if you're lucky...  there's so much stuff to dive into, sort the wheat from the chaff and just enjoy!

How I envy the NMA newbie in 2013...

 

[Barty]

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice. Looks like I've got my Christmas prezzies sorted now.

Cheers again

Barty 

[sozbot]

Hi Barty,

I'm not sure but I think 'So' album was maybe third or fourth of Gabriel's records. I'd like to strongly recommend 'Passion' album which is a very powerful experience to go through although there are not not vocals in many of its songs. There's only the thing that it was probably recorded after 'So', and am not sure was it originally a soundtrack to a movie or not  . (Last Temptations of Christ? Dunno...)

Maybe sozbot's better with Peter Gabriel's stuff here.

EDIT: Ok, 'So' was fifth studio album if we don't count the 'Birdy' soundtrack.

I bought Gabriel's second album 'Scratch' (1978) to friend of mine as birthday gift, but don't know was it good or did he like it.

*waves*

If you like "So", I'd recommend "Us" as the next logical step. It's a bit more experimental in some ways, but it follows on strongly from what "So" began.

[Barty]

Cheers for the advice Sozbot - I'll invest in that.

Barty

[Master Ray]

Also, if you want to get into the live concert thing, the DVD of the SECRET WORLD tour is amazing... oh, to have been at that show... spectacular.

[DannySan]

I've never really taken to Peter Gabriel but following a few of the recommendations on here I will have to have another look at his stuff. Thanks

[Knievel]

I'm a bit late to the party here but I want to strongly recommend his fourth Lp - very tribal and where I think the Dog Wolf comparisons are most fitting - The song Rythmn of the Heat is about Carl Jungs experiences with African drummers and the entire LP has this feel to it - Gabriel banned cymbols from the studio for the record and it's great to hear a rock record that has not one single cymbol crash.
The one previous is very good The third LP or 'Melt'- I like the first two but I agree with others' statements that they are patchy and I'm afraid I dropped off at So - the Jackie Wilson Swing of Big Time and The smaltzch of Red Rain and that Phil Collins heartbreak thing he did with Kate Bush - at the time I just couldn't stand it; I was just getting into Bauhaus and The Sisters back then, maybe I'd like it these days...
Anyway - my vote goes to the fourth LP 'Security/Mask'

[Knievel]

OK - quick ps - coupla hours later just listened to US - great Lp...thanks for the recommendation folks...DannySan and Barty looks like you're in for a treat whichever era you go to first...

[Rusco]

I know only the song called Digging in The Dirt from Us. It was in MTV in -93 many times and remember the video which somehow reminded the famous Sledgehammer video too from the midst of eighties. Maybe I should try Us album. I remember that Digging didn't make so huge impression to me. But your votes for the album seem quite good.

[...] the Jackie Wilson Swing of Big Time and The smaltzch of Red Rain and that Phil Collins heartbreak thing he did with Kate Bush - at the time I just couldn't stand it; I was just getting into Bauhaus and The Sisters back then, maybe I'd like it these days...

I think the highlights with So album was in the songs like Red Rain and In Your Eyes. Big Time is such of a party song but good though. But what was the ending song at the B-side? Very relaxing and beautiful song I think. If I remember right there was some kinda bonus track in cassette version or something?

Btw, I've always had a view that Peter Gabriel worked somehow together with the NY dub genius, bassist and producer Bill Laswell. I've seen a photo from So era of them and always thought that Laswell played some bass lines in So album. (You know those awesome deeeep Red Rain bass riffs.) But when I checked it from the vinyl version - there was nothing mentioned about him. Can anyone remember did he play there anything? At least, they've co-worked together later on in nineties and 2000.

[Master Ray]

Can't find my copy of SO, but wasn't it 'we do as we're told (milgrams 37), or something like that?