It wasn’t until I purchased Peter Gabriel’s “Up” that I truly began to appreciate his artistry. The LP was a mostly dark, brooding affair with hints of self reflection and cognizance. The combination of subject matter and sonic backdrops made me curious about his earlier work. While he’s known for his mid 80’s hit album “So”, prior LPs are just as moody, dark and play more with roles and concepts. After all, that is what led Gabriel to leave Genesis to pursue a solo career. “Melt” finds him collaborating with former band mate Phil Collins, a young Kate Bush and beginning to dabble in “World” music.Opener “Intruder” is a creepy obsessive tale of a stalker observing his prey. “No Self Control” has brazilian rhythms, kalimba, and Kate Bush chanting as Gabriel’s anxious character unravels. The brilliant marching tempo of “Games Without Frontiers” also features Kate Bush and to this day serves as a critique on war considering today's political climate. Depicting war as a children s' pissing contest where they are “whistling tunes" while "hiding in the dunes by the sea side” and “ hiding out in tree tops shouting out rude names”. Gabriel’s real bridge into world rhythms and as a human rights activist emerges on “Biko”. While the majority of the album appears to traverse the fearful realm of the inner-self Gabriel concludes with a biographical song that covers the suffering and martyrdom of people outside his immediate world. Steven Biko, an anti apartheid activist, was brutally beaten and died in police custody on Sept 11, 1977 while being transferred to a jail. This album closer would lead to the more world influenced “Security” and eventually his masterful “The Passion” and “Rabbit Proof Fence” soundtracks. While fair light synthesizers may be a thing of the past, it was used with ingenuity for the time and add some pretty intriguing texture to his sonic backdrops.
It wasn’t until I purchased Peter Gabriel’s “Up” that I truly began to appreciate his artistry. The LP was a mostly dark, brooding affair with hints of self reflection and cognizance. The combination of subject matter and sonic backdrops made me curious about his earlier work. While he’s known for his mid 80’s hit album “So”, prior LPs are just as moody, dark and play more with roles and concepts. After all, that is what led Gabriel to leave Genesis to pursue a solo career. “Melt” finds him collaborating with former band mate Phil Collins, a young Kate Bush and beginning to dabble in “World” music.
Opener “Intruder” is a creepy obsessive tale of a stalker observing his prey. “No Self Control” has brazilian rhythms, kalimba, and Kate Bush chanting as Gabriel’s anxious character unravels. The brilliant marching tempo of “Games Without Frontiers” also features Kate Bush and to this day serves as a critique on war considering today's political climate. Depicting war as a children s' pissing contest where they are “whistling tunes" while "hiding in the dunes by the sea side” and “ hiding out in tree tops shouting out rude names”. Gabriel’s real bridge into world rhythms and as a human rights activist emerges on “Biko”. While the majority of the album appears to traverse the fearful realm of the inner-self Gabriel concludes with a biographical song that covers the suffering and martyrdom of people outside his immediate world. Steven Biko, an anti apartheid activist, was brutally beaten and died in police custody on Sept 11, 1977 while being transferred to a jail. This album closer would lead to the more world influenced “Security” and eventually his masterful “The Passion” and “Rabbit Proof Fence” soundtracks. While fair light synthesizers may be a thing of the past, it was used with ingenuity for the time and add some pretty intriguing texture to his sonic backdrops.
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