Peter Gabriel Appreciation Thread

[Quadrochosis]

Seriously, if you just look at his studio albums you are going to find nothing but pure gold, spanning hundreds of genres ranging from noise to world to trip hop. His distinct voice mixed with his raspy lows and shrilling highs combined with his interesting choices of arrangements makes him completely unmatched in almost any area.

Another interesting aspect is the live show he performs. He uses props, costumes, etc. to really add a completely new level to the show. I saw him on the "Growing Up" tour and we got a whole slew of awesome skits, ranging from PG inside a zorb, to him and his daughter having segway races, to him getting buried in dirt and shit. So fuckin' cool.

I'm blasting his most recent studio release (of original material), Up and am completely blown away yet again.

In this topic we appreciate everything Peter Gabriel.

[KevShmev]

Up is one of the best albums ever; definitely his his best album.  Just about everything else is great, too, with other standouts being Security, Melt, So and Passion: Music for the Last Temptation of Christ.

Secret World Live is probably the best live concert video ever created.  I could watch the live versions of "Washing of the Water," "Across the River," "Don't Give Up" and "Secret World" over and over all day and never get tired of any of them.

The phrase "musical genius" gets overused at times, but Peter Gabriel is one who is absolutely deserving of that title.  

[Chino]

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Meh. His solo career had great moments, but they never hit me sooo hard.

Gabriel-era Genesis however... *drools*

[skydivingninja]

The phrase "musical genius" gets overused at times, but Peter Gabriel is one who is absolutely deserving of that title.  

Yes indeed.  Up, Us, 3, and Security are fantastic albums.  Especially 3 and Us, which seems to be underrated and overlooked by everyone.  Secret World Live is one of my favorite live albums ever.

[KevShmev]

I think we've discussed this before, but I was never wild about Us until I saw the bulk of the songs on the SWL DVD.  I don't know, the studio versions of most of their songs just seemed a bit unfinished and not quite polished enough.  Plus, that disc doesn't have the bite and sonic wonderfulness that his others do.  It doesn't sound bad; just not as good as the others.  Still a good disc.

[ZBomber]

Listening to Up last night was amazing! Definitely gonna have to check out more of his solo work.

[skydivingninja]

Up is such good night music.

[Quadrochosis]

Up is such good night music.

Yes, seriously. It's like all the emotions of night too. Fear, lust, sadness, depression, etc.

[Zydar]

I haven't heard that much from his solo work, but Solsbury Hill is a wonderful song.

[Dr. DTVT]

Most of whats been said are things I would say myself...SWL is out of this world awesome, Up is great, as are the rest of his catalog...so I'm going to say that I've always had a particular appriciation for his first album (Car).  Maybe its because the its the second PG album I bought, but I probably listen to Car as much as I do any other PG album not counting SWL.

[Quadrochosis]

Most of whats been said are things I would say myself...SWL is out of this world awesome, Up is great, as are the rest of his catalog...so I'm going to say that I've always had a particular appriciation for his first album (Car).  Maybe its because the its the second PG album I bought, but I probably listen to Car as much as I do any other PG album not counting SWL.

Quadrochosis likes this.

Glad to see so many fellow PG fans here!

[KevShmev]

Have you guys all noticed that the video shot of "Washing of the Water" was done in one continuous shot?  That is some damn fine directing, especially the way it circles around him as he plays the piano near the end of the song and then pans away and ends up in the same spot where the song began.

[Gorille85]

I like Peter Gabriel. I don't actually own any of his albums (this will change soon) but I've heard many songs by him and I liked what I've heard thus far.

[Quadrochosis]

I like Peter Gabriel. I don't actually own any of his albums (this will change soon) but I've heard many songs by him and I liked what I've heard thus far.

Definitely get Up. It's an album unlike any other.

[King Postwhore]

I appreciate the efort PG puts into his craft.  Who sounds like him?  Who's live stage compares to him?  He is in a league of his own.  More Than This is a song I could play 100 times in a row on a long trip.

[LudwigVan]

At the risk of sounding like a total fogey:  Peter Gabriel with Genesis is brilliant.  PG solo is....okay.   Not a huge fan of the African beats thing.

[Quadrochosis]

At the risk of sounding like a total fogey:  Peter Gabriel with Genesis is brilliant.  PG solo is....okay.   Not a huge fan of the African beats thing.

Perfectly understandable. While some may not like his use of percussion and his more modern approach to his sound, I totally think he utilizes it in an amazing and innovative way. In fact I think most of the time he uses modern technology better than many artists that solely use it.

[skydivingninja]

LudwigVan: You are a fogey.   

[Gorille85]

I like Peter Gabriel. I don't actually own any of his albums (this will change soon) but I've heard many songs by him and I liked what I've heard thus far.

Definitely get Up. It's an album unlike any other.

I don't know any of the songs in Up...

[carl320]

I have to admit as well that I don't know much of his solo work (I have his first album, which is great), but PG era Genesis is gold.

[LudwigVan]

LudwigVan: You are a fogey.   

Ahh, there's no denying the truth of it 

[Quadrochosis]

My first ever concert was a Peter Gabriel show in Wantagh, New York. It was on the "Growing Up" tour on June 24 of 2003.

He did all sorts of cool skits for each song, like a zorb, and segways and stuff. It was pretty freakin' cool and being 12 at the time, I can really say that I was impacted HUGE by it. I can probably trace my entire modern musical taste to that show. PG really saved my life when it comes to music, come to think of it..

[ytserush]

I love everything Peter Gabriel has ever written, except his work with Genesis.

I much prefer his solo work and post-Gabriel Genesis to the work when he was in Genesis.

Gabriel-Genesis has never done I thing for me. I've tried and I still listen to it, but not nearly as much as Gabriel's solo work and post-Gabriel-Genesis.

I think there was a lot of growth in both parties after the split.

[Dr. DTVT]

I don't know any of the songs in Up...

That is a great reason to get the album.  It's such a wonderful blend of elements he has previously done along with directions he never went before.

[KevShmev]

"Sky Blue"
"I Grieve"
"Signal to Noise"

These are three songs that people should still be listening to hundreds of years from now.

[Quadrochosis]

"Sky Blue"
"I Grieve"
"Signal to Noise"

These are three songs that people should still be listening to hundreds of years from now.

Those are actually my three favorite songs on the album,

Both "Sky Blue" and "I Grieve" have made it onto my 2010 playlist.

[jonny108]

Needed to resurrect this thread as I'm listening to Secret World live right now and it's just amazing.  One of the best live cd's ever.   Peter Gabriel has to be one of my all time favourite musicians ever.  I want I Grieve played at my funeral.

[Quadrochosis]

Such a great musciain.

[KevShmev]

A most worthy bump.

[skydivingninja]

Anyone catching the New Blood tour?  Hearing some of the orchestral arrangements of "San Jacinto" on youtube has convinced me that an album of orchestra PG songs is a fantastic idea, and a concert would be even better.  Better than Scratch My Back at least, which was just all right except for the Street Spirit cover (which was pretty bad).

[KevShmev]

I'd go if he came here, but I don't think he has EVER come to St. Louis as a solo artist.

[TimelessSymphony]

The only song from him i heard of is "I Grieve" and i have to say it's a pretty amazing song and his voice is amazing
edit: i found a vid on youtube of the song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH3aimBnK4A

[mizzl]

I really appreciate this man 

[jonny108]

UP is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard.  I love the Growing Up live too.  The Jesus Egg