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Thread: Scratch, Car, Melt & Security- How do the early Gabriel solo albums hold up?

  1. #1
    Member StevegSr's Avatar
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    Car, Scracth, Melt & Security- How do the early Gabriel solo albums hold up?

    I've always enjoyed listening to Peter Gabriel stand on his own two feet, after leaving Genesis, and evolve from a semi Genesis influence to prog music with his own personal stamp and style upon it. I don't feel that every song of on said albums worked but what does work did so magnificently. More than 30 years later, how do you view Peter's first four solo albums?
    Last edited by StevegSr; 02-01-2016 at 04:51 PM.
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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I think PG4 is an absolute masterpiece, and PG3 comes close. PG1 has some amazing tracks too, "Down The Dolce Vita" is one of my favourite tracks he's ever done.... "Here Comes The Flood", "Moribund The Burgermeister", "Humdrum"... very good album and he still sounds like he did on The Lamb. I do like PG2, especially for "White Shadow", "On The Air" and "A Wonderful Day...", but it is probably my least favourite of these four, despite being the most unique sounding in his catalogue. Really interesting period in his career IMO. He used to open his live shows around that time with "Me And My Teddy Bear"!
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    PG1; rather like changing the radio station every few minutes. Not a particularly cohesive listen, with a few real misfires (the overblown intro to 'Down The Dolce Vita' and the too cute 'Excuse Me') . However 'Moribund The Burgermeister', 'Solsbury Hill', 'Modern Love' and 'Here Comes The Flood' endure for me.

    PG2; one step forward, one step back- kind of a 'holding pattern' album with not much growth. This one with Robert Fripp has a more cohesive overall sound, but the material is even more hit and miss...nearly half of it is just plain average IMHO. Tracks I like, 'On The Air', 'DIY', 'Exposure', 'Mother Of Violence' and 'White Shadow'.

    PG3; his best to date and for me still his best album. I can only imagine how radically different this album sounded upon release. I think 'Intruder' and 'No Self Control' have some of Phil Collins' best ever work, whilst 'I Don't Remember' and 'Games Without Frontiers' saw him beginning to join the dots between the leftfield and the commercially accessible.

    PG4; yet another really inventive production. Much the same standard as its predecessor, albeit I have always struggled with 'The Family And The Fishing Net'- it's a bit jumbled and vague to me. However, 'San Jacinto' and 'The Rhythm Of The Heat' are some of his greatest achievements.

  4. #4
    PG 4 is his most cohesive!

    His catalogue is way overdue the 'Deluxe' treatment!

  5. #5
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Really liked 2 and 3 in particular. That said, most of this stuff has a certain detached quality to it that does not make me want to listen to it that often.

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    I still rate 3 as his best ever.

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    Member proggy_jazzer's Avatar
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    Love 1 through 4, and see them each as an essential piece of the puzzle in building up to the greatness of both So and Us.
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    I like the first one the best---still hearing some Genesis influence although the production isn't very Genesis like. I still listen to this the most. 2,3, and 4 are very good but a little too neurotic for my general daily listening lol. Of course So is the most cohesive easy to listen to album.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by StevegSr View Post
    I've always enjoyed listening to Peter Gabriel stand on his own to feet, after leaving Genesis and evolve from a semi Genesis influence to prog music with his own personal stamp and style upon it. I don't feel that every song of on said albums worked but what do work did so magnificently. More than 30 years later, how do view Peter's first four solo albums?
    For me; PG3 (or "Melt") is my favorite of his early albums. "Security", PG2 ("Scratch") & PG1 ("Car") all have their moments that make them essential.

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    PG4 is my fav album from PG. I agree with JJ88 that Family and the Fishing Net doesn't quite work but it has some of the strongest work of his career. I get more mileage out of PG2 then most as it doesn't get too much respect, even by PG. PG3 is a great album too. Maybe his most balanced but that is where PG1 is a bit lacking. It is all over the place. So real good songs that for me shouldn't be next to each other. A great artist, I'm still along for the ride.

  11. #11
    I love 1, 3 and 4 and about half of 2. I think 3 is his masterpiece. I think I view So a lot higher than a lot of people here. If you get rid of Sledgehammer and Big Time it's a really solid album, and not as commercial as some make it out to be. The fact that two of my favorite female artists appear on the album doesn't hurt my feelings at all.
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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ProgArtist View Post
    I love 1, 3 and 4 and about half of 2. I think 3 is his masterpiece. I think I view So a lot higher than a lot of people here. If you get rid of Sledgehammer and Big Time it's a really solid album, and not as commercial as some make it out to be. The fact that two of my favorite female artists appear on the album doesn't hurt my feelings at all.
    So has two of my favourite PG tracks, "Red Rain" and "Mercy Street". I rank it quite high in his catalogue. Not above PG3 or PG4, but up there somewhere.
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  13. #13
    2 is the only one I actually play much, but I'll put on 3 or Security on if the '80s are calling.

  14. #14
    I actually prefer PG's Car to much of his early Genesis output, and I'd rather listen to Solsbury Hill or Here Comes the Flood as opposed to some of the overblown crap on SEbtP or The Lamb. PG's Melt is certainly one of the best albums of the 80s.
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    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    I have the most difficult time appreciating 4, but I love the first three or four tunes on 3. After that ...

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    most of this stuff has a certain detached quality to it that does not make me want to listen to it that often.
    I feel detached trying to enjoy these records. I plucked them out of the B&N bargain bin a couple of years ago. I suppose the production was cutting edge at the time, but it feels like too much of a blast from the past when I put them on the stereo. I can't really get into it.

  17. #17
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    I haven't heard most of these in a really long time. However, his first album is my favorite by him and one of my favorite albums period. I really like eclectic stuff(for the most part)and I like how he spreads himself thin(so to speak)and covers a lot of ground from prog to semi-punk to hard rock to barbershop quartet to blues to orchestral/symphonic. Number three doesn't really hold up to repeated listens imo. Number two I didn't care for but haven't heard it in a long time. I think Security is my favorite after Car.
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 01-30-2016 at 07:38 PM.

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    From 1-4......I just don't care...play any of them and I'm good.
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  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by The Dark Elf View Post
    Melt is certainly one of the best albums of the 80s.
    Word

  20. #20
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rufus View Post
    His catalogue is way overdue for the 'Steven Wilson' treatment!
    Fixed.

    And for the record, I rank them III, IV,... (bit of a gap)... I, II
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

  21. #21
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    4 is by far his best IMO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by StevegSr View Post
    I've always enjoyed listening to Peter Gabriel stand on his own two feet, after leaving Genesis, and evolve from a semi Genesis influence to prog music with his own personal stamp and style upon it. I don't feel that every song of on said albums worked but what does work did so magnificently. More than 30 years later, how do you view Peter's first four solo albums?
    "Car" sounds fresh even today to these ears. His best album is his debut one imo.

  23. #23
    I have 2 versions of 4, the English and the German.
    There once was a Dutch radio-show on progressive rock, which made an edited version of Wallflower, combining the English and the German version of the song, which worked great.

  24. #24
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    3 and 4 are his masterpieces. 2 is quite good and first one has few brilliant songs (Solsbury Hill and Here Comes athe Flood) but overall is a bit of a mess.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kcrimso View Post
    (...) and first one has few brilliant songs (Solsbury Hill and Here Comes athe Flood) but overall is a bit of a mess.
    Are you forgot the beauties like Down the Dolce Vita, Humdrum, Waiting for the Big One, or you just don't like them?

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