Peter Gabriel!

[Anthony Williams]

I've been listening to the music of Peter Gabriel tonight, and have decided that this is obviously worthy to start a thread on him.

His Hit/Miss collection is absolutely superb - there's something I like from every era of his, from Solsbury Hill of his first solo album, through to I Grieve from Up.

How many other PS members are fans of the Gabe? I know you're out there!

[Pip Madeley]

Never heard of him.

[Wayne]

I wish i hadn't.

[WhiteCrow]

Genesis turned rubbish when he left - giving Phil Collins the limelight he did not deserve!



"I hate Phil Collins"

[SiHart]

He's odd, but in a good way.

I suppose because I grew up listening to his music, he's someone I've always been aware of, but it's only really in the last few years that I've really explored his back catalogue, and it's full of strangeness and charm and full blown WTFness! 1 & 2 for example are very odd albums, not really sure what direction to go in, and while there are moments of greatness (especially Solsbury Hill, which remains my favourite of his songs) I don't think he really hit his solo stride until 1980s 3, where the classics really kick in. It's a great album. 4 then goes back to the experimental stuff and is really patchy...

But then something great happens and he produces So. What a brilliant classic album! Every song on it is a winner and while for a long time I couldn't stand it bacuse my Dad played it to death, I've really come to appreciate it now. His first collaborations with the world music scene really enrich its sound.
Then Us, which is probably my favourite of his albums comes along, and is another great album. Steam and The Blood of Eden are great songs.

And I have to admit I'm a bit hazy on his stuff after this and I haven't heard anything made after OVO, which was good, but really weird again. I've heard the stuff on Hit/Miss and liked a lot of it, but I've never got round to hearing Up or Grieve I'm afraid.

But yes I'm a fan and it was great to finally see him live on a rainy day in Hyde Park last June.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

I'm a fan of "The Gabe" too. Like Si, I find 1 & 2 hard to get in to (in fact 2 I've never got in to, and don't own), but 3 and 4 are wonderful, in a different way to 1986's "So" with it's 'super production'. Saw him live at Earls Court many years ago, and he was one of the best live performers I've ever seen, a brilliant show.

[Jon Masters]

A great singing voice and a definite muscial talent, but as others have said some of his stuff is very difficult to listen to, even though you know structurally and technically it is very clever.

His voice has definitely matured since the early Genesis days, and for me works best on slower numbers where he can show his full range and power. The Washing of the Water will always be one of my favourite tracks for just this reason.

Liked some of his later stuff, and particularly his drive towards greater appreciation of world music (making him the Anti-Paul Simon ), but miss some of the great hits of the past.