PETER GABRIEL 1 [AKA: CAR]

Peter Gabriel´s first solo album is one of his most accessible work and showed that he could be very versatile, songwriting wise. With the solo exception of the opening track, Moribund The Burgermeister, which could be an outtake from The Lamb Lies..., the album is quite different from everything he has ever done with Genesis. Every track has a unique style and ambience. He dabbles with hard rock (Slowburn), blues (Waiting For the Big One), Symphonic Rock (Down The Dolce Vita), eletronic progressive (Humdrum) and so on. It even includes a doo wop/dixieland tune (Excuse Me) complete with Tony Levin playing a tuba solo! And it works! Well, with his talent and the talents of a bunch of the best studio musicians available, how could he go wrong?

Of course there are some of his swipes at his old colleagues in Genesis in the lyrics of the aforementioned Excuse Me and the beautiful Solbury Hill, one of the highlights of this album. This great song has one of the most interesting and effective riffs in prog history and very inspired lyrics about his leaving from Genesis. Here Comes The Flood is another classic that closes the album and promises greater things in the future, that would eventually happen.

All in all Peter Gabriel proves that the singer could easily have a life without his old band. Even with the help of some heavy weights like Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and synthesizer wizzard Larry Fast, Gabriel is the star of the record and dominates the show all the time. With a strong production and fine arrangements this is a testimony of his greatness and a must have for any prog fan.