STILL GROWING UP - LIVE AND UNWRAPPED

When you hear the name Peter Gabriel what do most people think of? The man in the flower mask, old Henry, the man in the zorb ball or the man who's found a way of walking "downside up" on stage? these things (and much more) Peter Gabriel is... he's a different artist from album to album, song to song even. a very hard man to pin down. Still Growing Up is basically the man stripped down to his bare essentials. A voice, a keyboard and a few session musicians to back him up, and for me it says more about this songwriter than Secret World, POV and Growing Up put together.

The Last time we saw "Come Talk To Me" performed for instance, Peter Gabriel was hanging out of a phone box that just came out of the ground...whereas on Still Growing Up he is pinned behind his keyboard, performing his song, with the very person it's written about (who gets a very hard time) providing solid backing vocals. To me this is so much more meaningful.

Peter Gabriel in this show has an air of a wise sage and not the embarrassing uncle dancing at your wedding vibe that he had on Secret World. an altogether cooler, wiser songwriter.

track by track -

The Feeling Begins ---------------------- A solo Daduk performance here, much in the vein of the version from "passion" without the percussive backing. the key is C so the drone leads perfectly into the next song...

Red Rain ----------- A version in the vein of the Secret World show. very strong vocal performance from PG. Tony Levin plays around with the bass part in the chorus here.

Secret World --------------- By far the best version of this song available. a tasteful, clipped version of the song with a more mature outlook as to when to use the high register. more tight and together than the version on the first Growing UP dvd.

White Ashes --------------- A recent rework of the OVO song adding vocals and lyrics. Reminds be a bit of some of Nine Inch Nail's softer work. very moody. and the best thing about it is the "Gabrielese" vocal solo at the end. any questions about the quality of Gabriel's voice are answered in the last note alone which he holds perfectly with such power like a true pro.

Games Without Frontiers ------------------------------ Gabriel rides a Segue for this song. a slightly tongue in cheek version which has been modernised a bit using electronic percussion and Tony Levin plays a lot of the bass line on his synth. It's also in a lower key than the original.

Burn You Up --------------- A Great new orphan track from Mr Gabriel. Far superior to the version available on the Hit CD with great vocal adlibs during the chorus.

The Tower that Ate People --------------------------------- Slightly less inspiring than the album version. that is until the "man feed machine. machine feed man" which is always impressive. This song doesn't work very well with this particular band.

San Jacinto -------------- My favourite version of this song. very much slower and more determined than the original. very much in the vein of the Secret World version only without the pointless theatrics. it is a much stronger performance as Gabriel concentrates on the Vocals (which are quite challenging)

Digging in the Dirt ----------------------- A great version of this Live favourite.

Solsbury Hill -------------- Similar to the Growing UP DVD version only without the Bike. Tony Levin's bass playing in this is fantastic.

Sledgehammer ------------------ meh...

Come Talk To Me --------------------- A fantastic version of a fantastic song

Biko ----- Gabriel works the audience so well in this very powerful version of the song

This is for fans of Peter Gabriel's music who can take or leave the theatrics.

Filmed on a sort of second version of the tour that the original Growing Up Live DVD was recorded, Still Growing Up presents us with a similar experience. Oddly enough, this DVD could be considered a compilation to Growing Up, in the sense that it is "All the rest". Most of the songs here were ones that weren't originally part of the Growing Up tour. In fact, the only songs that appear on both DVDs are Red Rain, Solsbury Hill, and Sledgehammer, which are concert classics, and naturally appear on most Peter Gabriel live outputs. All other tracks are not on the other DVD, so, for a devoted Peter Gabriel fan, it would pay to own both. However, the main concept that sets Growing Up apart from Still Growing Up is that the former was an absolutely massive production, over merely two nights, and the latter is a collection of all the concerts taking place in smaller venues, all with minimal production, and a smaller amount of stage theatrics. However, what Peter considers a smaller venue still looks like Woodstock to the rest of us.

As the packaging notes would suggest, this DVD is stripped of most of the flashy, dramatic production that mesmerized audiences in Growing Up, and focuses primarily on the music. A noble notion, many of us will agree, and perhaps this is the best way to go. However, Peter and his band are so magnificent at playing, that it doesn't matter if they focus purely on the music. If you were to shut your eyes, and hit play on your DVD player, the performance of Growing Up would not at all be inferior to Still Growing Up. With that in mind, it doesn't matter that the production is less theatrical (though the light show is amazing, and plenty of other theatrical tricks are used), and the only differences between the two is the setlist and the visuals - not the quality of the performance itself. Well, there is a third difference, but it may not bother many people. Since this is a DVD spanning a large tour, the video footage often cuts between different performances throughout songs, and because of that, it isn't a very coherent piece of work. Since Growing Up was filmed over two nights, it felt very whole, however this sometimes feels disjointed.

Musically, it is very strong, with all the effects and sounds that completed the studio version of the tracks. The playing of all the musicians is stellar, and thankfully, the Gabe has not at all lost his voice over the years. The set list is, again, impressive. It ranges from Peter's debut solo album, and even includes a new song, entitled White Ashes. This new song is incredibly compelling, and extremely atmospheric, with some really wonderful singing from Peter's daughter, Melanie. Peter's other daughter: Anna (Melanie's twin) took the director's and producer's seats for this DVD, and does a wonderful job at both. Special features on this DVD are very interesting, but in no way must-see. On disc two is a second version of the same footage on disc one, with some alternate video (studio, backstage, interviews, et cetera) popping up at unexpected moments. In this area, Peter shares his thoughts and feelings on the tour, on specific songs, and on specific members of his band.

The only advantage Still Growing Up has over its counterpart, Growing Up, is the fact that some of the performances are much more powerful and moving here. I don't me mean musically, they play like virtuosos. What I mean is that they are very personal, organic, and honest in their playing. Beginning with San Jacinto, a real sincerity shows in the performance. Come Talk to Me, too, with its strong father-daughter theme as Peter literally sings it to Melanie on stage, and, of course, the goose-bump delivering Biko. This is undoubtedly one of his most chilling and most powerful performances of it ever. In the end, if anyone were given the choice between this DVD and its counterpart, undoubtedly the first is the better DVD. However, this one is still an excellent purchase, and a serious Peter Gabriel fan might be happiest with both.

Phew! Another DVD by Peter Gabriel with similar title that made me confused because I thought that I had seen the DVD already and it just had different cover than the "Growing Up" live. I finally realized that it's different set of DVD. Releasing another concert DVD just two years after the terrific "Growing Up Live", may seem too soon. Peter Gabriel himself reckoned that the Still Growing Up Tour was basically the same thing as the Growing Up Tour. "Still Growing Up" showcases Peter Gabriel and his band who played a few gigs in smaller or different venues, as well as a few festivals. They played a scaled down version of the show, putting emphasis on the music. It contains two discs with the first disc sees Gabriel collaborating with the world's leading concert film maker Hamish Hamilton. Because Gabriel wanted to avoid something that was featured in Growing Up live being played again here in this DVD, therefore there is no single track appears here at the concert is taken from Gabriel latest album UP.But you can find it at disc two on the extras taken from Big Room studio footage of the band performing some songs from UP album.

The concert starts wonderfully with a creation of show ambience through the solo work of doudouk by Levon Minassian performing "The Feeling Begins" (4:42). His work backed with long sustain soft keyboard work has created a great live ambience which I have never seen before in any of Peter Gabriel's live concerts or the concert of other artists. This is brilliant. Instead of starting something in a big way with noisy music, Peter Gabriel tried to manage with silence instead of with a full blasts-off of the music. On the Growing Up Live Peter started the show with silence through his piano solo accompanying Here Comes The Flood. This kind of silence opening proves to be very exciting as the live vibes build up gradually until they reach its peak.

As in his previous concerts Peter Gabriel also uses stuffs to grab attention from the crowd. During the performance of "Games Without Frontiers" he and Melanie Gabriel use two-wheeled scooter as attention getter. Quite honest with you, I actually do not like this song but with this kind of attention getter it makes me attracted to enjoy the song. What makes me amazed also is the fact that he can keep distance, emotionally, with his daughter during the performance. The stage act of these father and daughter does not seem like they have emotional attachment as father and daughter.

"San Jacinto" is a brilliant song in which Gabriel performed it perfectly. They key strength of this song is on its ability to deliver wonderful music loop / programming with powerful vocal of Peter Gabriel. As this is one of my favorite songs from Peter Gabriel music, I enjoy every detail of the sounds produced and to me they sound terrific! The lyrics of the song is truly powerful. Someone has put on the net that this song helped him emerge from a religious death experience and know that he was not crazy. In addition to this, I personally love seeing Peter sings with his charismatic stage act. It is very obvious that he has a very strong bond with the song that he is singing.

What makes the DVD valuable is Disc Two because it contains Peter Gabriel comments on songs being performed here at disc one. For those of you who claim yourself as Peter Gabriel freaks, you would enjoy the Big Room studio footage when the band performed "Darkness". It's really cool, I would say. I do appreciate more this song after watching this DVD. The other songs include: "No Way Out" (Big Room Rehearsal 2002) (7:31), "Growing Up" (Big Room Rehearsal 2002) (7:23), "Downside Up" (on Later... with Jools Holland, 2000) (6:14), "Father, Son" (on Later... with Jools Holland) (4.:16).

Overall, this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. If you are Peter Gabriel fans, it's a must to have this DVD in your collection. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Seemingly ageless

Peter Gabriel amazed me the night I saw the live "UP" show and blew me away with one of his best albums. He seems to be one of the most fruitful periods of his career with a live show that is stunning. He seems able to write great material again after the rather disappointing "Us." This DVD is a real treat. The show itself is fantastic with the usual little tricks and gadgets that Peter likes to play with. The lighting was great and the camera work steady and clear with no effects in the way. The sound was monster on this disc from the low end of Levin's bass to the brightest cymbal crashes, you hear EVERY thing. The vocals are particularly mixed with great clarity and warmth.

This set list had some really nice moments. After a crowd-pleasing openers in "Red Rain" and "Secret World" came a track called "White Ashes" from the OVO album. This is a song I had not heard before and it was noteworthy. Initially it burbles away with electronica like a Bjork track before a whispered male/female chorus that was great. Then it crescendos into an incredibly passionate and dramatic vocal ending that was a real high point in Peter's singing. "Burn You Up" and "The Tower that Ate People" were two more I hadn't heard that made the disc really worth seeing. "Games Without Frontiers" is not typically a song I enjoy but the energetic reworking with the stage bit they do is great. "Digging in the Dirt" got a very heavy updating with loud, crunchy guitars and a more ballsy approach. "Solsbury Hill" was optimistic and fresh as usual with Levin and Rhodes skipping around with Peter. And while Melanie is certainly no Kate Bush or Paula Cole as Peter's backing, she did a stand-up job on "Come Talk To Me." Peter's voice and enduring stage presence have not diminished over time, if anything they have strengthened with his stronger recent material and his understanding of presentation. For that reason this DVD is another recommended view for any Gabriel fan. The only caveat is that it doesn't contain songs from the great "UP" album so make sure to check out that DVD first. This one should be considered a follow-up purchase to the first Growing Up DVD.