SCRATCH MY BACK

I've been observing the reaction to this recent output by Peter Gabriel, and I've noticed that it has polarized the critics and fans alike. It seems to be one of those "love it or you hate it" works by old Peter. But when you actually sit back and listen, this is a very in depth piece that simply requires multiple listens to fully get into the sync and mood that Gabriel puts forth. Maybe most people were expecting this to be a PG 'rock' take on the covers. But what follows instead is entirely made up of string and piano arrangements, all led on by a 60 year old voice that has aged like a fine wine.

That said, many of the songs are arranged in varying degrees of intensity, with The Talking Head's 'Listening Wind' probably being the most prolific and spine tingling rendition on the whole record. Other tracks continue in similar melodic progression as Gabriel's 'San Jacinto', where they start off with sparse piano and vocals, before picking up halfway through in a climactic crescendo of fantastically orchestrated strings. Indeed, it doesn't seem unlikely that 'Scratch My Back' would fit as the soundtrack for a motion picture.

'Street Spirit' is an example of a track almost entirely dominated by subtle piano, while 'The Book of Love' provides some variation with the inclusion of Melanie Gabriel's backing vocals. That said, there really isn't going to be a whole lot of surprises here that will be able to persuade more impatient listeners to sit still.

Unless you're a major Peter Gabriel fan, or appreciative of ambient and classical work, then this album may not hold all that well with some.