seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Puerto Rico
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Jamaica
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from China
My personal problem with trying to listen to Steve Hackett's, Anthony Phillips' and Tony Banks' solo carrier is that I cannot stop myself from thinking: Phil Collins would have done a better job on the vocals, even in a lunch break amount of time.
Genesis: together and apart (WIP)
3 years ago started list (based on this) which I do very slowly and change around on and off... Most of them I've already listened to several times. Ofc I find the Genesis albums lowkey almost always stronger than solo album (which is why the ranking of Genesis albums are meaningless and probably not exactly how I would rank them?) but I have some big favourites and lot of it I enjoy.
Also these are simply my favourites, has noting to do with their "quality" (whatever that even means).
Still so many albums left...
(*internally screams*)
First two Phil Collins album are so special to me; they are honest, raw, heartbreaking, understated, emotional, restrained, groovy, dark, artsy, melodic, spacey, great sounding... like they have it all. Come back to me early 80s Phil Collins I miss you :(((
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush in 1982 really just decided to abuse the Fairlight CMI to death and made two insane, dramatic, ugly-beautiful art rock album.
Some of the most popular Phil Collins songs (You Can't Hurry Love, A Groovy Kind of Love, Separate Lives) being "covers" is so annoying to me. A perfectly good and capable songwriter not only overshadowed by these songs but he starts developing the "boring balladeer" reputation bc of them. Adding his names to them helped killing any respect for it for a long time.
Like, I honestly don't understand what the fuck Phil was doing after 1986, when he purposefully wrote No Jacket Required (1985) as a dance-pop/rock project so they would stop pigeonholding him into the balladeer category!
you often share your thoughts about Phil and his career here, but do you have anything interesting to say about Peter?
NOTE: I was interrupted 3 times while I was writing this, I was so pissed.
I think Peter solo carreer is very impressive, and I find it "objevtively" great, I'm just unable to be obssessive about it. It's something I cannot force after all. Interestingly, when I tried to get seriously into Genesis, I didn't really like Peter's voice on those early albums, but I quickly warmed up to his older, solo voice. Now I almost always love his early voice too, but it was a journey...
I think he deserves the accolades he gets, I think he had some boundary pushing, restlessly artist-y work and I agree with a lot of people who think he had the best solo carrer out of the group: I think that's "objevtively" true; but because Phil, Mike and Tony were actually part of a band while they were doing their solo stuff (and I almost always put Genesis albums over their solo stuff), I think this particular accolade it not that impressive or fair. Especially when they are using it with a Phil haterist bent.
Anyway. Enough of the prologue, Let Me Round Up my opinions about him chronologically. Warning: it's long and rambly.
OFF: I think Peter insisting on calling his first four albums "Peter Gabriel" was lowkey pretentious in an annoying way, but I love how fans and journalist just went and named them. I think it's always fun when fans collectively name something, and even the artist themselves starts to call it like that!
PETER GABRIEL I.: CAR (1977)
This is not an album I particularly like, I just cannot get into it for some reason. Solsbury Hill always irritated me and it's a great example why I try to not judge an artist by their biggest hit (same with the Beatles and Here Comes the Sun). Nothing personal, I just hate these type of songs...
I love Here Comes The Flood, but I can see why Peter ended up thinking it's overproduced (and prefering this version); I think the original version is very much its time - big, overdramatic 70s production with a killers guitar solo. Also, I think the melody is reminescent of Genesis.
I will def try to listen to this album again a later date, but I just don't vibe with it.
PETER GABRIEL II. SCRATCH (1978)
I think this album is not particularly popular, but I like it a lot! For a time, this was my favourite Peter album! I have to say it sounds probably puts it too much together with the punksih crowd and David Bowie. It's not a forward looking album in that sense, not like Melt. But I enjoy it.
I think Robert Fripp made a great job, his guitar playing is fire. King Crimson is not my favourite band by any means - they remain too unmelodic for my taste, which makes me bored - but I always like Fripp's work on other albums. He shines on Bowie's albums very much.
Mother of Violence, White Shadow and Home Sweet Home are my outstanding favourites. I really lovwe the affected, vulnerable vocal performance and melodies on Mother of Violence and Home Sweet Home. I love White Shadow, it also reminds me of some of my favourite poems (not for particular reason, simply because of the word white. Anyway. It has an alright/good translation. Peter should have made the song about this poem instead!)
PETER GABRIEL III. MELT (1980)
And here it is: the game changer for Peter AND co.
I think this album really showed the growing interest in ""african"" inspired ie. basically just rhythmic music, with loud and prominent drums. (I would not say it's started the trend in the West; even Lindsey Buckingham's Tusk predates this, and post-punk band like Siouxsie and the Banshees etc. arguable use the same elements.)
Now, why this album is important? Well, first of all, Phil Collins is here, that autimatically makes it important... Jokes aside, the invention of gated drumsound makes it a pretty important album. Also, Peter embracing post-punk and new wave and infusing it with art rock sensibilities.
This album is the proof why I despise the Peter vs. Phil conflict - which is nothing but a fan and journo invented nonsense; Phil is the only Genesis/ex-Genesis member who worked on Peter's albums! Who performed live with him (outside of the '82 Genesis reunion)! What are these people talk about!
I have to say I'm not excatly impressed by Peter not giving Phil a proper writing credit (but at least it given us this quote: Phil: I was just trying to write the best songs I could, but Peter got all the credibility… and I got the money!) All of this is detailed - along with the invention of gated reverb - in this excellent write-up. I think everything from this guy is well written; I also like the write-up for the solo albums by somebody else - even if I disagree with the ranking itself, of course.
Despite its iconic status, I only really like half of the album and don't care about the rest. I understand why lot of fan consider this their fave Peter album, but I don't feel the same. I like Intruder and Family Snapshot, and I really love No Self Control, I Don't Remember and Games Without Frontiers and I don't even remember the rest. My unpopular opinion is that I think Biko is too long, and I also don't care about it.
PETER GABRIEL IV. SECURITY (1982)
I love how Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush both released albums in the same year full of their Fairlight mania. I think this is probably my favourite Peter album; I think it's both very ugly and beautiful. I love the deeply 80s sound it has and the creative use of once new technology. I love it when artists are actually creative with their sound (something that I deeply miss nowadays, especially by the boring and empty "80s inspired" music crowd, where they handpick the most unoffensive, """"well aged"""" parts - whatever that even means! Aside from let's make the same without creativity or risk or worth.)
I think I Have the Touch and Shock the Monkey are both very fun and I love using them for walking. I love singing that "I need contact, tack-tack-tack-a-tack-contact" part - also I love how the outro just brings in a new musical part (repeated with Sledgehammer later). Also: Tony Levin is awesome as always. San Jacinto is a melancholic and atmospheric song with a slow build up, where the more loudly sang I HOLD THE LINE always affects me deeply. The Family and the Fishing net is one of my favourite Peter song, it's so dark and ridicolous as it tolds the tale of matrimony in a deliciously creepy way.
All in all a lovely, rhytmic and fun album with lots of stupid noise.
Also, let me say, that Tony Levin is a God, an incredible bassist, easily in my top 10 bassist of all time.
SO (1986)
An iconic album (in one of the most iconic year for music!) to be sure and a success, but it's the point where I can see the elements which made Peter such a sprodiac music releaser not long after this.
It has a great sound and production (the elitists probably would say it has a sound that ""aged well""). It shows an obvoius perfectionism and meticolous approach to music making, which probably caused Peter to over think and overly perfect everything after this. For me, it's in a similiar space as Melt - I have some big favourites, but I only love half of the album...
Let's get it out of the way: Sledgehammer is a great, great song. SO groovy, so fun, so singable and danceable. I love when guitars sounds like these, I love funky bass lines. And just like with In the Air Tonight, I cannot be bored by this song; I can listen to it thousands of time. Another similiarity with ITAT, is that the authors tried to recrate its success and reuse elements of for other songs... And I can't believe I'm saying this but the studio version is perfect and it's better than the Price's Trust live version with my beloved guy Phil Collins... the original just swings so well!
I love Big Time (every time I listen to "my belly's getting bigger" I hear "my penis is getting bigger", and I assume it's intentional... more sex & penis jokes by Mr. Gabriel.) I also love Mercy's Street, We Do What We Are Told and This Is The Picture.
But I don't like That Voice Again, and while I like the verses, I find the chorus to Don't Give Up very irritating. I love Kate Bush, and was never so unhappy to hear her! The lines "Don't give up, cause you have friends" particularly disgust me...
Also. I hate In Your Eyes, I fucking hate it, it's such a boring and annoying and nothingburger song to me! I want it to die. I want it to be tortured and shoot it into fucking space.
PASSION (Music for the Last Temptation of Christ) (1989)
I honestly believe this album should be in the converstation for Peter's best album. I think too many people dismiss it, because it's also a soundtrack album, but I feel like that's just an excuse to pass over this. I think unlike with his other soundtrack & instrumental work, Peter made this one intentionally listenable as a studio album. I think this one is a fantastic, athmospheric album, with great musicians.
Before listening to it, I was afraid it would sound too "oldish" or like folk music but no; I think it's production and they way it's written create a great amalgation of modernish sheen on oldish music (so new age world beat/world music, as wikipedia calls it, fits very well). I also think it's great that Peter after all that "african" inspiration and "rhythm is the most important element of music, the starting point" exploration, he finally used actual "world music" musicians. (World music is such an idiotic name for a genre btw.) My only problem with it that it too long for a comfortable listen, and some part does not stand out to me.
But I love the album, especially Zaar and Different Drum. Also: I think this album is a good example of how similiar Phil and Peter and their music taste can be (despite how some people don't want to admit it). They after all both love rhythm & drums and their solo music prominently features it, their singing style is inspired by soul music, they "invented" gated drum sound "together", they both tried to recreate their most emblematic songs, they both used L. Shankar!
US (1992)
This is the point where Peter loses me, where I think his career fells off.
First, I personally has a great dislike for 90s pop and soft rock production and writing; I find the they had a very washed out sounds, with idioitc, chiming synthetizator sounds. Second, the songs written by these "aging" ~35-40 plus artist are usually overly long - in a way where they out stay their welcome and even the good parts become irritating. Older artist are usually less capable to ruthlessly cut down or cut out songs and because the 90s was also the start of the CD era, that also encouraged them to make bloated albums. I hate it.
Now, I find that this is the start of Peter (similiarly to Phil and Genesis!!!) - needlessly, mind you! - starts having these averegly 5-6 minutes long songs. Why, I am asking. None of them justify this lenght! Nothing here is The Cinema Show!
Third, this album also brings nothing new for Peter's discography, mostly just repeats prevous songs with sometimes worse results.
I can hear how Passion had affects on Peter's writing - and if i listen to it after Passion, I can hear the logical progression - but this makes the album even less interesting. Passion is a much more incredible record!
Blood of Eden and Fourteen Black Paintings, two soundscapey, haunting songs full athmosphere (that I actually like!) are this album's Biko, San Jacinto adn Mercy Street type of songs.
I enjoy Steam, Digging In The Dirt and Kiss That frog but man... why are all these songs are just less good versions of Sledgehammer?! It's also telling that 3 out of 5 songs that I like from this album are all a little bit resemble a great song from another album...
Secret World is like this album In Your Eyes and I hate it. It's also similiar to Phil's Both Sides* (the song) and I find all of these BORING AS HELL. I hate this beat and these boring ass melodies. At least it makes the Phil & Peter similiarities stronger.
*This came out sooner then Both Sides, but it does not make me like it.
Come Talk To Me bores me (the beat is so weak sounding I think?), it's an instant skip. And I don't even remember the rest of the album.
UP (2002)
This is an album that I still have to listen to properly... I tried several times but I always stopped because I was so bored.
The Only Peter Concert Film I Saw: Peter Gabriel Secret World Live (1994)
I don't think this concert film is good and it assures me that I only care about these songs studio versions. The reason? Peter's idiotic mania TO FULLY SING UP EVERYTHING AGAIN, making it not just 100% pointless to make it a "concert film" but it ends up making the whole thing looking robotic. It's also so shitty to listen to, because his voice is louder than anything else (even the poor background singers).
This is the SAME BULLSHIT that ruined the official Lamb live concert. Unbelievably pointless.
I/O (2023)
I think it's a great sounding album with some beautiful melodic moments. I really love the modern production elements. The mix is insane. It's my favourite work by Peter since Passion. I was deeply surprised by the fact that he brought up an album as good as this in so late in his career.
That being said, it was an album that I first thought I wouldn't like when I started to listen to the songs by themselves, following along with Peter releasing them in every full moon. But when I stopped and waited for the whole thing to be done, I enjoyed them so much more. This release strategy is stupid! But I really love the individual artworks...
I mean look how cute they are?!
The songs still suffer from the too long syndrome, but I think Panopticom, The Court, Four Kinds of Horses, Road to Joy, So Much and This is Home are all bangers, and I mostly like the others too.
Also. Does Olive Tree has some 80s Phil Collins vibe?? Anyone else??
O/I - Still In Progress
I have to say, I was first very excited about the new alsum, but it was very suddenly quelled. I love Put the Bucket Down, it sounds like some sort of Radiohead + Leonard Cohen fusion, but I was bored by the other songs and I haven't even heard the newest one. I'm waiting until the whole thing is out to form an actual opinion - I, after all, ended up liking I/O - but I think so far it suffers from the "let's make these songs needlessly long and boring!" syndrome that plagued Peter's work since Us.
The full moon drip-dropping song releasing strategy gotta be one of my least favourite releasing strategy.
Now that I learned to love Please Don't Touch (+ decided it's my favourite Steve album) and realised how it sounds like a warmer and darker autumn version of some of the Wind & wuthering stuff, I think W&W, Spot the Pigeon and Please Don't Touch songs make up is a very atmospheric listening. Like a proper, autumn vibey (double album) era.
On my double album:
I'm killing Your Own Special way bc I don't like it; it's overly long (why is it 6 minutes?!) and poor '77 Phil cannot sell it
I'm adding all of the Spot the Pigeon songs bc they are all great - tho I can give up Match of the Day if I have to
I'm getting rid of Hoping Love Will Last bc I don't like this one at all - I hate the way it sounds like it's oversinged, and I hate the way the singing does not match the sound or the vibe of the song or the rest of the album! This very on the nose soul is just jarring for me, when everything else is so '77 Genesis-esque/Hackett prog.
I really love Seven of Cups and wish it was on the original album, and def putting it on my dream double album
I'm also getting rid off Carry On Up The Vicarage bc it's not that funny or great and there is already way too much funny track here
Ideally, I also should get off some of the transitional stuff - Land of A Thousand Autumns, maybe Kim. Oh well!
At the end of the day I love both albums and I love the EP. I'm glad they all exist and I can just enjoy my extended W&W era. Also, both of the album cover is fantastic, although I has to give it to Kim Poor, PDT especially is such a wonderful art!!
I think I changed my mind about Steve solo albums. I've been enjoying several of them in the last few days (helped by the fact that I've been in a more guitar & rock oriented mood - which was not my mood for a long time + I wanted something in the vein of Genesis but not actually Gnesis). I will see how long this opinion of mine holds, bc I honestly cannot follow how my mind and taste changes anymore.
Currently I actually think his solo carrier is my second favourite Genesis solo carrier (after Phil, ofc.) Although Peter's is objectively the strongest.
