Gabriel's First
Help From Robert Fripp & Tony Levin To Name A Few Have Kept Gabriel's Street Cred Intact Over The Years, Unlike Genesis (Who Lost Their Prog Rock Roots To Become A Boring Pop Band). One Could Say This Is The Most Personal Recording Of Peter Gabriel's Career. There's An Edge To This Recording That Keeps You Coming Back To It As It Maintains It Freshness. Modern Love, Humdrum, Here Comes The Flood, Solsbury Hill & Here Comes The Big One Are Highlights. However There Are Really No Weak Cuts Here. The Shame Of It Is The Fact There Aren't Any Bonus Tracks Included. I Mean You Gotta Be Kidding Me. AT This Late Date After 20 Some Odd Years The Record Company Can't Up With Anything New Is A Travesty. .
Peter Gabriel early works are amazing
A must have. Amazing disc made by a talented artist, produced by an amazing man Bob Ezrin.
BK.
PGs best is as diverse as the Beatles White Album!
And the music is fantastic all the way through. Though sounding nothing like the Beatles White album how many albums are as diverse as this one? Not many. Starts out sounding like his last album with Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway on the first track. After that he talks about his feelings of leaving Genesis Salisbury Hill. And the music never stops changing moods,phases,and types all throughout the album. Its a very mixed album like nothing PG would do again. I can name several better debut albums but this is by far one of the best solo effort debut albums ever! It's incredible and
I have always looked and thought of it as the most overlooked album PG ever did even though it is one of his most popular. Great remaster though it is one of those albums that deserves to be and I dream to see released in 5. 1. It is almost unbelievable this album was released in 77. It is far more sophisticated and ahead of way too many 80s albums if most of them. .
from rock star to... bigger rock star
Coming in to this album as a really big Genesis fan, I knew I had to forget about lengthy "epic adventure" musical pieces from the Genesis-era that also included creative instrumental parts in many of their songs, and focus on shorter, more to the point experimental pop rock. Peter Gabriel finally left Genesis to record his first solo album. Well I must say, Peter certainly experiments throughout the album, not really settling on one type of experiment. It's a record of constantly shifting musical ideas.
I don't even know what to think about "Moribund the Burgermeister". It's a highly unusual song, not to mention pretty quiet and spooky in parts, loud and almost Genesis-sounding in other parts. I'm sure with repeated listens it will eventually go somewhere, though. "Solsbury Hill" was the big smash hit. It paints a dark and dreary picture of sadness- trying to move forward to forget about bad memories from the past. "Modern Love" is NOT related to the David Bowie classic released a few years later. Completely different songs. As much as I love the Bowie song, I think this "Modern Love" stands next to it. It's an instantly likeable pop song.
"Excuse Me" is just flat-out weird. It's not what you'd EVER expect Peter Gabriel to do. It sounds like something you'd hear while watching people dance in an old Western film, or while listening to an old multi-part Procol Harum song from the Shine on Brightly album. It's actually really good. "Humdrum" has quiet, beautiful, and haunting bits. Eventually it begins to sound like it was influenced from Italian culture. "Slowburn" points towards a man who has no desire to go back to his Genesis days any time soon. Much different from anything Genesis ever did. The same can be said for "Waiting For the Big One". Almost can be considered a slow bluesy track. I don't know what to make of some of these songs. Many listens are required to fully understand it, I believe. "Down the Dolce Vita" is a few years ahead of its time. It totally screams "the 80's". "Here Comes the Flood" is a nice way to end a pretty bizarre album.
You really need to hear this album. Peter Gabriel's talent shines through on this album. It's no Genesis, but it's not really any worse either. .
Peter Gabriel - Leaves Genesis And Strikes Out On His Own
The album found Peter moving in a new direction while still holding on to some of the prog elements that had made him famous. This was the first solo album for Peter Gabriel after leaving Genesis the previous year. He scored an AOR hit with the bouncy "Solsubury Hill" a song about his departure from his former band. I don't think that this is Gabriel's best solo album, but it does serve as a very nice jumping off point for what would become a storied solo career. For Genesis fans there is prog to be found here. "Moribund The Burgermieister" would have fit right in on "Selling England By The Pound. "Down The Dolce Vita" is an orchestral rocker that would have been perfectly at home on "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". There is also pop / rock represented by songs like "Modern Love". This song was the second single released from the album, but went no where on the charts. Playful whimsy is also represented with "Excuse Me" which almost sounds Zappa-ish to my ears. Two of the highlights of the album are ballads. "Humdrum" is a great little tune and the album closer "Here Comes The Flood" ranks up with the very best material Gabriel has written. He opened his "Up" concert tour with a solo rendition of this song that was truly magical. Overall this is a strong debut from the former Genesis singer, and hints at the many directions Gabriel's career would take in the coming decades.
You can see a complete list of all Peter Gabriel discography, or go back to the Peter Gabriel tabs
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