Settle comfortably down, because once again it’s time for another musical respite from the usual nonsense that goes on in these parts.
Yesterday was the birthday of one of my musical heroes.
Born on 13th February 1950, Peter Brian Gabriel has enriched, and brought goodness to my life.
The first Genesis album I bought was Nursery Cryme which, although it wasn’t a great album, promised such a good future for English Progish Rockish.
I ummed and ahhed about buying the follow-up album, Foxtrot, but knew, within 60 seconds of the needle touching the vinyl, that it was something very special.
Listening to Foxtrot was like the aural equivalent of studying the way that river water is never the same twice.
Foxtrot was followed by another stunning album that, despite charting a steady course through the sea of Prog, still managed to keep mainstream Rock, enough for single releases: Selling England By The Pound.
Possibly the greatest Prog Rock concept album ever to be released followed Selling England By The Pound.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
Peter Gabriel left Genesis after that album, and went on to carve his name across my musical soul with the albums:
- Peter Gabriel (Car)
- Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
- Peter Gabriel (Melt)
- Peter Gabriel (Security)
- So
- Us
- Up
- Scratch My Back
- New Blood
- And I’ll Scratch Yours
All quite brilliant.
So Happy Birthday, Peter.
And thanks for this:
I only own one Peter Gabriel album.
I THINK it’s called So.
Haven’t seen it for ages.
It’s the one with Sledgehammer on it?
So. Side 1, Track 2, Sledgehammer, 5m12s.
My intro to PG was So, with the super catchy Big Time. A friend implored me to explore his earlier works. (Car) is one of my favourite albums by anyone. Solsbury Hill is a masterpiece. Excuse Me is quirkily fun. Humdrum is… Anything but that. Every time I listen to that album I like it more than I remembered.
Agree so much.
Goodness me. I lost track of him after Us. Now listening to Up. First track was a bit odd, but the second is magic. I shall keep exploring.
He’s a talented writer, singer, musician. I also have a lot of time for his WOMAD festival. He bought SSL (http://www2.solidstatelogic.com/) in 2005. That was a very shrewd business move. Respect to the guy.