The BIG TIME Peter Gabriel "So" Poll

I suspect the HI DERE factor.

Mercy Street

http://www.joeclipart.com/blog/images/2007/04/20070402lloyd-final.jpg

yeah gotta go with mercy street

sort of forgot how good this album is. guess i'll go with the kate bush weepie, but "red rain" is a close second.

I could go for almost any of these but right now I'm voting for "That Voice Again."

I love the keyboard sound on this album. This is the peak of the Fairlight and Prophet 5 era.

this and the contemporaneous kate bush albums. (kate's always my first reference point for fairlight.)

It was a close fight, but...

http://www.multinet.no/~jonarne/Hjemmesia/Favorittartister/peter_gabriel/peter_gabriel_sledgehammer.jpg

was thinking "Sledgehammer" but "Mercy Street" is the one I listen to the most so I go with it

Basically this album is perfect.

I'm generally a fan of Gabriel's more nuanced, slow-burning songs, but in this case "Sledgehammer" is undeniably topz.

funny to see this poll coinciding with all the lanois hate going on in the producer thread

Lanois got it right on this album! But Gabriel's a solid producer in his own right.

all the lanois hate going on in the producer thread

Glad I didn't visit that thread. It would just make me sad.

this is maybe lanois' best production job. it's certainly before he went insane with the reverb

I kept hearing "That Voice Again" in my head last night/this morning. Such a nice 80's sound. I'm amazed how much long this album's appeal has endured. It's pretty impossible to get tired of "Red Rain", for me. Sometimes you really just don't have a clue what's going to turn out to be special and last until enough years go by.

Sometimes you can hear an album once and know instantly it's going to be one of the greatest things you've ever heard, which was exactly my reaction upon hearing the first few notes of "Red Rain" back in 1986.

^^ this

Obvious classic from day one. With an extra helping of WTF/awesome for sneaking Laurie Anderson into the in-car cassette players of an entire generation of American jocks and cheerleaders.

(that, and the video for "Beautiful Red Dress")

Yeah, "Mercy Street" with "Red Rain" a close second. This album never gets old.

Did this album top the PG album poll? If not, it should have. So is the perfect compromise b/w art and commerce.

"Sledgehammer" is kind of an unimpeachable pop song My wife and I heard it last night on XM and were commenting on the sly nod to the horn arrangement from "Superstition."

"Mercy Street". But haven't we done this at least once already?

Sometimes you can hear an album once and know instantly it's going to be one of the greatest things you've ever heard, which was exactly my reaction upon hearing the first few notes of "Red Rain" back in 1986.

I had the same reaction, but for me it was live (part of the 1986 Amnesty Int'l tour), about two months before the record was out, and he dedicated it to all death row prisoners.

Excellent, excellent version from Amnesty International.

Not that I am going to spark a lot of opposition towards one of my favourite artists of all time, but exactly why is Peter Gabriel's social conscience so much more credible than Bono's or Sting's to most ILM'ers?

That's a fantastic question, Geir.

Because Peter Gabriel has never been omnipresent the same way Sting and Bono have, plus he likes to wear surrealist funny outfits.

His hair was much better too.

Because Peter Gabriel has never been omnipresent the same way Sting and Bono have

But isn't this simply because U2 and Sting/Police are/were much more popular than Peter Gabriel/Genesis have ever managed to become?

their music is worse

I was an American jock when this came out and it did indeed sneak Laurie Anderson into my in-car cassette player. Had never heard of her before. Actually, it's funny, I absolutely loved this album right when it hit, I guess I was 16, and I feel like I learned a lot from it. I didn't know who Anne Sexton was but I found out. Never had heard of Stanley Milgram. Didn't know from Senegalese vocalists, no idea what these new synthesizers where, knew just a bit about Kate Bush but all of a sudden wanted to know a whole lot more. Just working to figure out what was going on was tremendous fun. An almost perfect album (never warmed to "Big Time" but it's OK). Can't decide on a track yet.

his political songs are also better. less obvious, more potent. "biko" has real anguish in it, which "russians," say, does not.

their music is worse

Truth bomb alert!

I remember heading to Rasputin's on Telegraph with my friend Lance to buy this the day it came out. "Sledgehammer" was so far afield from "Shock The Monkey" that our hopes were a little low, but... still had to hear it... got to the store right as a record was ending. the sound of the needle drop on the new record was so loud, it was clear the volume had been cranked up intrusively high for the new record, about 80 people in the room and it wasn't going to be background music and I sort of knew that meant it had to be the new Gabriel -- we were sort of waiting for the giveaway confirmation and then the Rhodes came in over the drum fills and Lance & I kinda nodded to each other

their music is worse

More like Peter Gabriel's music is better ;)

Had never heard of her before. Actually, it's funny, I absolutely loved this album right when it hit, I guess I was 16, and I feel like I learned a lot from it. I didn't know who Anne Sexton was but I found out. Never had heard of Stanley Milgram. Didn't know from Senegalese vocalists, no idea what these new synthesizers where, knew just a bit about Kate Bush but all of a sudden wanted to know a whole lot more

Mark, this was my experience too. I got the album somewhat later (1990), and it was the perfect gateway to a lot of weird, wonderful sounds.

Those of you around at the time: was there a sense of "betrayal" that Gabriel had suddenly gunned for the charts? I'm sure no one thought Gabriel would record a Number One hit in the "Games Without Frontiers" era.

"Games Without Frontiers" may not have been a (US) number one, but it was a UK number 4 like "Sledgehammer".

Well I'm a bit envious of the nice memory Milton shared as for some reason I don't remember a whole lot about what my first experiences were with this record, though I know I'd heard Shock The Monkey before, at least. I knew a real Gabriel fanatic at the time, though (going back to Genesis and all) and he didn't seem to hold any of it against him.

The "Shock The Monkey" video scared the fuck outta me in second grade.

"Sledgehammer" came out a month before the album. I only knew one other hard core fan, and we were both pretty horrified. his smile in the video was just so ludicrous and we wanted to read it as a pisstake so badly (a few months later the video for "Big Time", same smile). the cover of the album also uncharacteristically safe. so the month before the album came out was a little rough, and it was a relief to find he'd pulled it off -- not very weird, but still epic, and still kind of haunted. and the b-sides were reassuring.

anyone watching MTV 1982-1986 on a weekend after midnight, or watching USA's "Night Flights" (i.e. most US suburban teenagers) knew the "Shock The Monkey" video & he was already playing small stadiums. his next album was guaranteed to have a huge amount of attention. it was just a shock to see him come out smiling for it.

No sense of betrayal whatsoever. Partially because dude had so earned it, partially because I'd somehow already managed to turn half my class on circa Plays Live (note: my school was very small), but mostly because the album was really as weird and awesome as any other, barring two monster singles that didn't really sound like anything else (yet) and did sound a lot like Peter Gabriel.

Mostly I just feel betrayed that he's only put out one album a decade since then!

(Though betrayed would maybe be the wrong word for what happens when artists on the edge of pop blow up. I remember kind of letting go of U2 circa The Joshua Tree, and REM circa Out of Time, but I didn't feel as though they'd done my corny indie ass wrong or anything.

I'm playing the album now, and I'm trying to hear Daniel Lanois-esque tics, and can hear little to none. Did Gabriel tame him?

As far as the B-sides go, "Don't Break This Rhythm" almost deserves inclusion on the album.

I would vote the hell out of "In Your Eyes" if the extended version with the extra verse ("Accepting all I've done and said...") and the long, Youssou N'dourrific fade out were on the album.

(That said, I voted for...um..."In Your Eyes." But I would have clicked that little circle harder for the other version.)

In a different mood, it coulda been "Red Rain," "Sledgehammer" or "Mercy Street." I'll shut up now before I badmouth "That Voice Again" or "Don't Give Up."

the extended version with the extra verse ("Accepting all I've done and said...")

The extended version is indeed ultimate win. I still remember the whole damn thing!

& the 10 minute live version that _starts_ with the extra verse, only released on a radio compilation, though the video played on MTV for a while around '92

http://991.com/Buy/ProductInformation.aspx?StockNumber=7155

More like Peter Gabriel's music is better ;)
-- Geir Hongro, Thursday, 14 August 2008 23:23 (Yesterday)

A small victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFQdoLRtENo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgY3jsphHM4&feature=related

http://thegabrielroom.free.fr/memoFilmPov.htm

"We Do What We're Told" sounds perfect on a late Saturday afternoon.

"We Do What We're Told" = ideal pseudo-hangover soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V69XZGiN7g

I got a second-hand copy of "Sledgehammer" remix 12" a while ago, never played it as

1) my turntable died
2) the idea of Sledgehammer (remix) should be awesome, but it could be disastrous...

Anyone?

Looking up on Wiki, apparently it's his only number 1 hit in the USA, and it knocked Genesis off the top with their only number 1 hit "Invisible Touch".

So, ner.

I remember hearing that "Sledgehammer" 12" on my town's indie radio station (KFAI) -- what I remember liking is how it brought to the front that final hammer-worksong sound that ends the regular version.

Pretty Trevor Horn-y.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YZK-6T9Is

It's like flange-hammer, that sound.

Thank you, Garu-G.

let's take the boat out wait until darkness
let's take the boat out wait until darkness
comes

such a gorgeous song

even that bluegrass-y cover is tolerable

For me, this album (and Gabriel in general) introduced me to the idea that I could really love "arty" pop music that was about doing interesting things with sound and writing about heady ideas. Using "heady" in a relative sense here since I was a 16-year-old jock who knew nothing about the world when I was listening to So, but I like that albums like this, accessible and ambitious records that can serve as gateways to new ways of thinking about music.

I've always thought it's the most boring song on the album, because it has a rather traditional soft rock sound, and not any of those cool synth sounds and other tricks the rest of the songs use

Didn't see this back when, but, really.... OTM in a way.

Now I don't consider "Red Rain" to be a boring song. In fact it is a great song. But it would have been better with a more interesting arrangement, like, for instance, "Mercy Street" has.

one doubt
one voice
one war
one truth
one dream

amazing track

let's take the boat out wait until darkness
let's take the boat out wait until darkness
comes

you've GOTTA see this (if its availabale 'in your area') cause this is honestly fucking brilliant

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01dprvb/hd/Classic_Albums_Peter_Gabriels_So/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zf9QLoWMQA

who the hell are the 8 people who voted "Don't Give Up" - I had my 'pod on shuffle and that song came up and I felt like giving up...my life!

You worry too much. It's gonna be all right.

any doubt i had that frogbs actively tries to get banned from ilx went out the window when he dissed kate bush

Trying to work an eight plus Kate joke in here, but morning caffeine isn't working yet.

ho the hell are the 8 people who voted "Don't Give Up" - I had my 'pod on shuffle and that song came up and I felt like giving up...my life!

got to walk outta here

The Documentary's Big Reveal: Gabriel wrote "Don't Give Up" with Dolly Parton as duet partner. He went so far as to contact her management.

woah

It took a couple of seconds of imaginative replaying but I think the duet would still work! I'd love to have heard Dolly atop those synths.

oh man: Larry Klein discussing his bass part in "Mercy Street."

He also alludes to how his ex-wife Joni Mitchell befriended Gabriel (he sang on Chalk Mark on a Rainstorm's "My Secret Place").

the whole thing's worth it for the bit where Daniel Lanois explains how he got Gabriel to write lyrics when they were pushed for time. i'm sure these are familiar/ well known stories for Gabriel fans tho maybe? any way i had no idea! DL is clearly not a man you mess with.

i'm not familiar, no.

ugh i wish i could watch this

it's on YouTube!

The Laurie Anderson version of Excellent Birds just confirms what I love about the version on So: such an awesome bass workout. Bill Laswell sitting in for Tony Levin, I think, and so many great robo-funk fills.

Nope -- Laswell's on both, playing very simply; Levin overdubs the fancy pants playing you like so much on So.

BTW, there's a South Bank show from 1982 that's kind of like the making of Peter Gabriel 4 - it's on youtube as well (in four parts) & it's quite interesting too, imho.

god "Mercy Street" kills me

it's incredible

The demo version of "Red Rain" at the 2:20 mark is like a Pet Shop Boys track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yudjbg8p9hI

hi dere

'That Voice Again'

I like this record, but am less likely to listen to it than the four self-titled records.

Do I play Sledgehammer at this DJ night in a pub I'm playing on Saturday? Y/N?

Y!

Now that I'm in my mid forties "don't give up" makes me cry almost every time I listen to it

The affective shift when he goes "got to waaaalk out of here" is just...

However, I might have voted mercy st for its soundscape

As a kid I used to mishear "Big Time" as "Pig Time" when it played on the radio - still do, actually

Lately I have been mishearing

And I will pray to a big gunt
As I kneel in the big church

Throw this one on, dog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj1JZhk2K34

I've used Sledgehammer in a few DJ sets never had a bad reaction it's just great also it starts off with kind of a good drop

Hi, Kevin!

https://bozelkablog.blogspot.com/2024/02/peter-gabriel-is-okay-and-thats-bad.html

Onion headline: "Why Aren't These Peter Gabriel Albums Any Good? Asks Area Man That Doesn't Like Peter Gabriel"

Was gonna suggest this go into the "... and here's why" thread