SECRET WORLD LIVE

I've already done a review about the album Secret World, and I gave Peter only four stars, rating that I believe is too high for the CD, but there's no 3.5 stars which would be the exact rating for an album full of good music but that doesn't offer something really new, especially when we can't see the show.

But the case of he DVD is absolutely different, because we must judge not only the music (which excellent in most of the tracks), but also the show and the skills of Peter Gabriel to deal with the audience.

I'll start with the act, the beginning with the telephone booth and all the band rising from the floor is simply spectacular, especially because the dynamics of the song Come Talk to Me is ideal for the show, Paula Cole's voice even when not perfect is good enough for the purpose of the concert and the chemistry between Peter and Paula works perfectly. A delightful track with a spectacular show, surely one of the best of the DVD.

Another highlight is in Gabriel's hymn, which can't be other than Solsbury Hill, the syncopated movements of Peter, Tony Levin and David Rhodes and the great violin by Shankar, give the visual and musical aid that the track needs, much better than the bicycle ride that Gabriel used in Growing Up.

Of course I couldn't forget la piece de resistance (Secret World) this atmospheric track that has a clear Genesis influence is incredible, Peter does a fair job at the keyboards and the joke with bag is the perfect first ending for a concert.

Even Gabriel's weakest songs like Sledgehammer and Don't Give Up seem fresh in this DVD. The first one for the almost Olympic run that Peter did with no effort (when he had 50 pounds less) and the reaction of the crowd, something that in this case that I don't understand, really people seem to love this track.

But Don't give Up is a special case, I can't resist this song even with the great Kate Bush or even with Sinead O'Connor in the Amnesty International concert, but there's something special in Paula Cole's voice that makes this version less dangerous for the diabetes patients and more human, even when she fails the high notes sounds great.

About Peter's skills with the audience there's not much to talk, everybody knows he always had a special connection with the crowd, even when he was the frontman of a band like Genesis that almost nobody liked he was loved by the fans, but with the years this has improved, he doesn't need costumes or weird stories, just his personality.

If the CD deserved 3.5 stars, the DVD deserves IMHO 10 stars, so I'll give the highest rating possible in Prog Archives, 5 very solid stars and consider the DVD among my 2 or 3 all time favorites.

If you like Peter Gabriel's music and show, buy the CD, I promise you won't regret.