PETER GABRIEL 3 [AKA: MELT]

Delving further into the experimental and esoteric side of his music, Peter Gabriel delivers one of his most accomplished and influential works with his third self-titled solo album, universally known as 'Melt' or '3'. With a new producer on board and an all-star cast of guest musicians, this record explores some new wave dynamics and offers a reflective and exhilarating art rock sound that is not only unmistakable, but also rather progressive in nature. The ban on the use of cymbals, the obsession over the "discovery" of the right rhythm, and the novel use of various studio techniques for modifying and rendering sound are among the characteristics of one of rock's most innovative early 80s albums, a tremendous experiment replete with cinematic soundscapes and that eerie ambience that Gabriel had been exploring over the course of his solo career.

The multi-faceted nature of 'Peter Gabriel 3' (both lyrically and musically) definitely places its creator among rock music's most successful innovators and visionaries, and while Gabriel himself had more popular works released afterwards, many would rightly argue that none of them ever surpassed the quality of 'Melt'. The album opener 'Intruder' has an almost unsettling Crimson-esque industrial edge, achieved through the use of the gated reverb on Phil Collins' drums and the excellent synth effects. 'No Self Control' sees a more diverse palette of instruments use, which brings an element of eclecticism to the record, while the groovy, progressive rhythms of 'I Don't Remember' manage to emphasize Gabriel's vocals. Robert Fripp's all-encompassing guitar playing suits neatly the new wave experiment that is album largely is, even if the exotic post-punk aesthetic is all over tracks like 'And Through the Wire' and 'Not One of Us', together with the eerie feel of the latter. On 'Games Without Frontiers', Gabriel brings the art rock pedigree through the peculiar mix of synths, percussion, and vocals, which together with the unconventional arrangements render this track and 'Biko' some of progressive pop's most experimental early 80s songs. There is also 'Lead a Normal Life', one of the most ominous and avant-garde pop pieces of the entire PG catalog - and even if some might not treat this record as "the perfect pop album", its significance, edge and vision remain unstirred to this day.

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