PETER GABRIEL (1 - "CAR")

Items ordered by ending time | Showing all 2 items

Visit eBay search:'prog rock' for items
Sell your PETER GABRIEL items on eBay !

Best selling order

Visit Amazon tag:'Progressive Rock' for more prog rock

This is the first album by Peter Gabriel. It is not extremely progressive. There are omnipresent aggressive rock guitars. "Moribund The Burgermeister" still has some "Lamb lies down on Broadway" influences, especially the miscellaneous original vocal expressions provided by Gabriel himself. The acoustic "Solsbury Hill" was a huge hit, which I personally find only good; it has a bit the style of Kansas' "Dust in the wind". "Modern Love" is a more ordinary and conventional almost hard rock track a la The Who, full of straightforward aggressive electric guitars and background organ. The intro of "Excuse me" has exuberant retro lead & backing vocals, a bit like the Van Halen's "Happy trails" track; the track itself, full of banjo and acoustic string instruments, has a slight Beatles-esque style. "Humdrum" is a really good track: it is very subtle, fluid and progressive: Larry Fast expands his keyboards in the end, forming an impressive floating texture. Speaking of keyboards, Larry Fast does not sound very much futuristic nor electronic, as he used to do on his Synergy's records: he is rather down to Earth here, often playing accessible piano parts a la Supertramp, like on "Slowburn", which by the way also contains an electric guitar solo a la Supertramp. There is even a bluesy song: "Waiting for the big one": cabaret piano and bluesy electric guitars are played through a slow rhythm; the end seems to contain Gospel chants. "Down the dolce vita" has some very good participating orchestral arrangements: there is an interesting use of simultaneous symphonic orchestra and rock/hard rock elements. The last track, "Here comes the flood", is an EXCELLENT song: it slowly starts with delicate & subtle acoustic guitars and piano textures; then Gabriel sings loudly, producing a moving slow rock ballad.

W hen the most theatrically inclined member of a theatrical band like GENESIS quits the company, you assume he has big plans in store. As it turned out, Peter GABRIEL toned things done considerably in an effort to find his own muse as well as his own musical identity. Just when it seems he has something up his sleeve on the opening "Moribund the Burgermeister", GABRIEL wears his heart on his sleeve with the next track, "Solsbury Hill", addressing the need to leave GENESIS. The rest of the record is a little choppy, as GABRIEL tries his hand at modern rock ("Modern Love"), lounge singing ("Waiting for the Big One") and barbershop ("Excuse Me"). The closing "Here Comes The Flood" taps into the quiet intensity that would become one of his hallmarks, though the song has since been re-recorded with better results.

Although it's arguably GABRIEL's most uneven record, it's important if only because he never made another quite like it. His second album borrowed parts of the first ("Modern Love", "Humdrum") and threw out the rest, resulting in a more consistent but also more guarded record. On this effort, you can hear GABRIEL finding his own voice, having a little fun, and not being afraid to make mistakes. Given the interest in his music relative to the number of albums he's recorded, a lot of folks will buy this record eventually. But don't make it your first choice expecting to hear any connection to GENESIS; better to spend your money on Steve HACKETT's "Voyage of the Acolyte" instead.

"I walked right out of the machinery"

After leaving Genesis, for his first solo album Gabriel played it pretty safe. While the music here is more commercial than that of (Gabriel era) Genesis, his distinctive vocal style means that the overall sound still has something of a Genesis feel to it.

"Solisbury hill" gave him an immediate hit single, and included a parting side swipe at his former band mates ("I was feeling part of the scenery, I walked right out of the machinery"). "Morbund the Burgermeister" makes for a powerful opener which would have sounded good on "The lamb..". "Modern Love", is an upbeat number, not the Bowie song of the same name, but in some ways similar. "Excuse me", is an amusing, old fashioned track, while "Here comes the flood" with its quiet verse, bombastic chorus structure makes for an excellent closer.

Needless to say, Gabriel's vocals dominate the album, with little in the way of instrumental work, and thus it is less prog orientated than the music he made while with Genesis. It is however a very accomplished first solo outing which does lean heavily on his experience with the band, recommended.

Hard on the heels of The Lamb, Gabriel broke the mould and released his first solo LP. What a cracking job he did too. Moribund the Burgermeister is a ' burbling' beauty. Solsbury Hill definitely one of the most complete songs he has ever written, the Alice Cooper like Modern Love.Further highlights on side 2 are Slowburn and the epic, Here Comes the Flood. It's great when you get a debut solo of this high calibre cos you know it can only get better.

One of Gabriel`s most accessible albums. "Moribund the Burgermeister" is the most close song to the old GENESIS, with theatrical vocals. "Solsbury Hill" is one of the best songs in this album. "Modern Love" is a "rocker". The humorous "Excuse Me" has Tony Levin playing a Tuba solo! "Humdrum" is the best song in this album, and is one of my favourite songs from Gabriel as soloist. Very good arrangements in this song, with maybe Fripp on classical guitar (!) and great keyboards. In this song, Gabriel sang with emotion. As a soloist, Gabriel started to be more himself almost all of the time, and not always acting as a character in a weird story, as he was in GENESIS. This is the reason why I prefer Gabriel as soloist than as a member of GENESIS: he sounds more "authentic" here. "Down the Dolce Vita" is "explosive", with an orchestral arrangement. "Here comes the Flood" has some flutes and recorders played by Gabriel, and he sounds "authentic" in this song too, singing with feeling.A very good album. "Slowburn" and "Waiting for the Big One" are good songs too, but they are less interesting for me than the rest of the songs of this album.

Gabriel's debut album after he left Genesis with a major shift in musical style from the band he was leaving. The album was made during the time when the world music industry was dominated by punk where bands like Camel, Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull et al were all marginalized by the three-chord rush and anti-establishment sneer of The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. Gabriel approached Robert Fripp (King Crimson) during his tentative steps out of musical retirement. Fripp played on the demos recording session for this album and was persuaded to join the subsequent tour band, which also included Tony Levin, albeit performing unseen.

Down The Dolce Vita has been my all-time favorite since I heard the song the first time when I was lent a cassette containing this track dated back in 1978. My second best include: Here Comes The Flood (which I also like the later acoustic version as well as Growing Up live version), Excuse Me (for me, it was my first introduction to humorous prog music), Solsbury Hill (has become a masterpiece in live version due to its energetic style), Humdrum (a nice mellow track).

An album that you must have it if you want to take steps in prog journey with Peter Gabriel's music direction. You would notice how his music has shifted significantly from this debut album to the groundbreaking UP album. Interesting. Recommended! (3.75 / 5). GW, Indonesia.

Peter GABRIEL's first solo album, better known as the "Car" album, was originally released in 1977. After an enormously successful stint with GENESIS, GABRIEL felt it was time to move on and explore all of his diverse musical taste rather than stay in the more strict musical confines of a group.

Featuring the guitar work of Robert Fripp, and the incomparable Tony Levin playing tuba and bass, his first solo outing features progressive-rock, pop, jazz, and flat out rockers. Peter also shows his adeptness on vocals, keyboard, flute and recorder.

This is the first in a series of comprehensive remastered efforts by Geffen Records (A subsidiary of the Universal Music Group) of GABRIEL's entire catalog. The artist was involved first hand with every step of the process.

"Solsbury Hill," now a FM radio staple, was Peter's first big hit on his maiden solo flight. The tightly woven melodic tune had everyone in the world humming, and it proved without a doubt that GABRIEL had what it took to be a huge success with or without GENESIS. The quirky "Excuse Me" would be one of the indelible stamps that would identify GABRIEL's many different sounds in years to come. Although the song was different than what people had become accustomed to hearing him sing, it was easy to get used to. Gabriel continued to be the consummate varied showman as he was with his former group by offering a marvelous cross-section of material for his faithful followers. "Modern Love" was a great rocker while "Here Comes The Flood" was an intense rocking prog-rock multi- instrumental affair with layer upon layer of stellar musicianship that anyone could enjoy and identify with. This was another show stopper that he would rely on for many years to stir the audience. Actually, every song on the album is outstanding.

This is awe-inspiring debut that would start a trend of excellence that continues to this day.

Peter Gabriel is my hero, for me he is the one who shaped Genesis, especailly live. Unfortunately I was at about 13-14 years old at the time Genesis performed legendary albums like "Foxtrot" and "The Lamb .. " so I have never seen the magical Genesis. When Peter Gabriel I was very curious to his music. This first solo-album is the last effort that contains progressive and bombastic pieces like "Moribund the burgermeister", "Waiting for the big one" and "Down the dolce vita". On later albums Peter shaped his own, very unique sound, from pure rock inspired (even punk elements) to the world music, he gradually went more and more away from the progrock scene. He stunned the world with his creative mind (the "Sledgehammer" video is still a visual masterpiece) and even sold millions of his solo- albums. But this first album is still my favorite one, mainly because most of the songs sound as a strong bridge between rock (great guitarplay from Hunter and Fripp), symphonic and pop, later that balance would be disturbed by an urge to protest against his former musical style (on II) and a wish to create emotional music (III and IV), inspired by the world music. I lost interest in Peter Gabriel from the succesfull album "So", this was too much poppy for me. So thumbs up for number one!

Transitional albums are fun. They usually feature some familiar elements combined with some fresh new elements as well. Although the Genesis influence isn't really present on Gabriel's solo debut "Moribund the burgemeister" would have fit in easily on "the Lamb lies down on Broadway". But "Moribund" also shows some elements that would become Gabriel's trademark in the decade to come. In the interesting percussion parts you can spot slices of African drums. The chorus is pretty majestic but the arrangements shows the signs of what there is yet to come over the next couple of years.

On the subsequent live tour Gabriel performed just one track from his former band which is odd for an artist who just has released one album on his own. It seems he already wanted to get rid of his past back then. On the lovely "Sollsbury hill he refers to his old band in the lyrics for example this : "I was feeling part of the scenery, I walked right out of the machinery". Bob Ezrin did the production for this album and it's impossible to lie about this. Wherever he goes his big sound comes along, just listen to The Wall, Alice Cooper or Kansas' late eighties album. Even compared to the sound of Genesis this sounds extremely bombastic or pompous. Songs like "Modern love" and Slow burn" could almost be called American heavy rock : heavy guitar chords, guitar solo's that sound like anthems, energetic vocals with Gabriels voice dubbed in the chorus, a rocking piano underneath. Only some details on the background are referring to the good old Genesis or progressive rock in general even though the line up features the likes of Robert Fripp and Larry Fast but a lot of guitar parts are played by Steve Hunter, a typical American rock musician. Though these songs have definitely strong melodies and are highly enjoyable Gabriel would never to be seen in this area again and that must have been the influence from Bob Ezrin who's impact on the album is more than just producing the record. He even brought in some musicians.

"Waiting for the big one" was another one off experiment. A blues song which refers to Randy Newman if it wasn't for the chorus, very strange to hear him in this area but no one could call this a bad song. In the end the chorus is sung by a choir and that makes an excellent introduction to the orchestral "Dolce vita" which is another American sounding melodic rock song. This is one of the only tracks to contain an excitable song structure. Mostly I'm fond of the idea to bring in orchestra's in rock music but these orchestral section are sounding so bombastic, it's getting close to annoying. Many people seem to prefer the piano version of "Here comes the flood" but I do like the original version more cause of the full blown sound and let's be honest the emotional guitar solo is splendid. Another version of this track ended up on a solo effort from Robert Fripp. The atmosphere on "In a hundrum" has some similarities but the accordeon adds a lighter touch. This is the only track to have an atmospheric dreamscape reminiscent to Genesis. On these songs Gabriel seems to turn himself into a talented song writer.

The music on this album is a lot more rock than progressive. Springsteen's Born to run meets Genesis ? Something like that ! This melodic stuff is accessible and does contain excellent musicianship at the same time as you can hear on the details which you can easily hear on the remastered edition. But no real instrumental excerpts can be spotted. You can't possibly call this an essential addition to any prog collection apart from the fact that Gabriel use to be the front man of one of the greatest progressive rock bands ever. As a rock album I would rate this album much higher, after all, I still consider this amongst my all time favourite Gabriel albums. The melodies and atmospheres that are present on this album are astonishing. 3,5 stars

Being a Genesis fans in the later 70's and being a Torontonian at the time , this album brings a lot of memories. It was recoded in Toronto and produced by "local boy" Bob Ezrin (ex-ali9ce Cooper and future Floyd's The Wall). I still remember friends stalking all possible studios in the city to spot The Gabe, even to undue hours of the nights. ;-)

when this album finally got released , it went under intense scrutiny from all of us Genesis addicts, deconstructing the song lyrics for hints. yes Solsburry Hill actually gave us the reasons for him leaving Genesis. But to have called this album prog rock (or art rock), was pushing it a bit. Moribund has cool prog tones , but this is the only track that could be classified as such IMHO. We could be talking of a sort of progressive pop, but anyway what an outstanding pop album it is. Certainly a wide spectrum of tunes are presented to us , from the blues Waiting For The Big One , to the poppiest Solbury Hill. Please not that there is a more definitive version of Here Comes The Flood on Fripp's Exposure solo album.

Outside Fripp, the cast of musicians also gained a lot of recognition from this album and became Gavriel's backing band for a while with Larry Fast and Tony Levin coming to the forefront. If memory serves me well , Wagner and Hunter were the two feuding guitarists in Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare film. Over all a good pop album but really not a prog one.

By the time I got into Genesis Peter Gabriel had already left. My mate said Gabriel was far better than Collins. I felt Collins was good and defended him. I bought this album out of interest because I obviously had started to discover Gabriels contribution to Genesis. 'Moribund the Burgermeister' was obviously not written for the Top Of The Pops fans and certainly would'nt be appearing on that show EVER. However,'Solsbury Hill' was a track which could appeal to all and is a timeless classic. This album has lots going for it. Excellent musicians,superb compositions and sheer and utter class. The final track 'Here comes the flood' is one of my favourite tracks (the acoustic version is even better). Oh,and some bloke called Robert Fripp plays on it.

Upon his exit from Genesis, Peter Gabriel became a recluse in the next few years only to come back with this album in 1977. He draws a number of guest musicians, including Robert Fripp and Tony Levin, on this album and also strays away from the symphonic sound that was identified with his past ventures with Genesis drastically. The sound on this album is a quirky mix of glam rock, barbershop quartet, bombastic classical, quasi-disco, and blues, but they are all mixed well together and there seems to be a cohesive flow within the album. While not terribly progressive, this album is a strong foundation for the mega career that would follow for Gabriel, and it would also provide one of his biggest hits (and one of his most personal songs) in Solsbury Hill, the "story" of why he left Genesis.

Moribund the Burgermeister opens quietly with some vocals from Gabriel but soon breaks out into a guitar driven rock anthem, with an interesting chord progression and a quirky chorus section in which Gabriel says, "I will find out. I will find out,". Solsbury Hill is a gentle acoustic tune with a great 7/4 motif and a very uplifting feeling throughout. The distorted choruses and the great hammering chords at the end really give this song that triumphant edge. No wonder it's one of his biggest hits. Modern Love is a poppier number but it still retains a rocky edge and it has a nice chorus/bridge. It's not the best song on the album but it's not a bad song at all. Excuse Me opens with a barbershop quartet and it really sounds cool. When Gabriel comes in with the main vocal, the piano in the background is really fun and quirky. It's a bit of an off the wall track, but I really enjoy it. Great guitar from Fripp on this track.

Humdrum continues the rocky edge of the album with solid guitar and bass work, as well as some great keyboard work from Larry Fast. Slowburn is a bit of a throwaway, and my least favorite song on this album. It doesn't really seem to go anywhere terribly fast and it seems more like filler than anything else. Waiting for the Big One is a bluesy number with some great soloing and a nice breakdown towards the end. This is also the longest song on the album, running at 7:14, and it doesn't really get boring at all. Down the Dolce Vida begins with a bombastic orchestra hammering out triumphant notes that break into a disco type chords and patterns, but the epic orchestral score is what really makes this song great. Here Comes the Flood ends the album with an epic chorus and some emotive vocals from Gabriel. This song is only improved on Robert Fripp's album Exposure, in which Gabriel sings this song solo while playing the piano, a beautiful piece on this album, though, and it really ends the album well.

In the end, Peter Gabriel's first solo album marked the beginning of a new era for the vocalist. His work would only improve, though, but this album acts as a high mark for his career and shows that he didn't need Genesis to make fun, engaging, and quirky music. Recommended to all, as it would make a very excellent addition to your collection. 4/5.

In spite of somewhat subdued production and poor sound, which may be attributed to a low-quality vinyl press of Yugoslavian release that I had listened, Gabriel's debut is an excellent work. It is filled with many varied-style songs. If uneven, the album contains many of his best moments in the entire post-GENESIS career. From the opening "Moribund" experimental, via chart-topper "Salisbury Hill", through the symphonic remnants of "Here Comes the Flood", Gabriel made a definitive "post-progressive rock" album, anticipating his later pop avant-garde works and even the world fusion trend of the 1980s. Listening to this music, it is obvious where the most of creative energy of the classic GENESIS albums lied, especially when compared to "And Then There Were Three", which appeared the following year.

The split between GENESIS and PETER GABRIEL was, in my opinion, a good thing. The first fruits were two excellent GENESIS albums, along with this slightly underwhelming PETER GABRIEL offering. Having called this album underwhelming, however, does not do justice to GABRIEL'S stellar career that followed.

I don't know what other fans of GENESIS expected from this album, but it certainly was not packed with multi-part, GENESIS-style songs. Instead GABRIEL crafted a solid if unspectacular art-rock album. All GABRIEL'S trademarks are here: moments of high emotion (Solsbury Hill, Here Comes The Flood), examples of his eccentric, hit-and-miss humour (Excuse Me) and quasi-operatic numbers (Down The Dolce Vita), along with a more troubling part of his songwriting, the underdeveloped song (Humdrum, Waiting For The Big One).

I find it interesting that GABRIEL prefers a stripped-down version of 'Here Comes The Flood' (as on the compilation 'Sixteen Golden Greats' to the bombastic version presented here. I'm of a different opinion. This version of 'Here Comes The Flood' isn't subtle, but it is powerful; and part of what made GENESIS essential listening was the lyrical and instrumental power of their work. Both versions have their charm, but this version is progressive.

Any potential purchaser of PETER GABRIEL'S albums must be aware they will be listening to something quite different to early GENESIS. If you are able to put GENESIS to one side - as GABRIEL himself did - you will have yourself an enjoyable and challenging album. But remember, GABRIEL'S best work was to come.

When this album came out, I wanted to BE Peter Gabriel. (Or Bowie, as he then was.) (Or Pete Townshend.) Wot! Leaving one of the world's leading prog bands because they were getting too commercial, or because PG felt the need to follow his muse... How noble! And then he came up with an album ALMOST as good as certain things he'd done with Genesis!

Back in '77, I played PG1 a lot; I thought it was a virtually immaculate collection. The opening number, "Moribund the Burgermeister", was plainly weird, but theatrical in the best possible way. Fortunately, it was followed immediately by "Solsbury Hill", the least annoying hit single Peter's ever had (pardon me, but I can't stand "Sledgehammer"), and by a great rocker, "Modern Love", with which I totally identified, as I was desperately looking for a girlfriend at the time. (Peter screams and shouts as if he's back in "Back in NYC" - a true delight!) Then you got some comic relief in the shape of "Excuse Me" (undoubtedly arranged with a little help from Tony Levin, Mr Barbershop himself!) and finally (to finish off the original A-side) the majestic beauty of "Humdrum". Friends of mine who hated prog used to say, 'But it sounds just like Genesis', and indeed, it's remarkable that on quite a few of his albums Peter would return to grand symphonic gestures in the style of "Firth of Fifth" or the "Supper's Ready" finale. ("San Jacinto" is another such piece.) Of course I loved him for it.

The B-side took a while to get going. "Slowburn" never meant much to me, but all the same, I found it remarkable that, via producer Bob Ezrin, Gabriel had caught hold of some of the same musicians who made Lou Reed's BERLIN and ROCK 'n' ROLL ANIMAL such a delight, notably guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. "Waiting for the Big One" was halfway convincing homage to the great Randy Newman, only it didn't sound amusing and went on for far too long. But then suddenly, with a thunderclap, you were hit by "Down the Dolce Vita". Like Neil Young before him, Gabriel had borrowed the entire London Symphony Orchestra, who must have been desperate for cash at the time. Specially arranged by Mike Gibbs (one of the great jazz-rock composers of the 1970s), the orchestra made you feel as if you were watching a pirate movie, although "Dolce Vita" rocked as well - I can't remember how many times I played air guitar to that one! After the storm had subsided, you were left with the pure, ethereal beauty of "Here Comes the Flood", one of the loveliest songs Peter has written. You must remember that there was no trace of a "piano-and-vocal-only" version at that time. My friends and I thought the orchestral version was just great. Even my fifty- eight year old dad was completely bowled over. Mr Gabriel touching the Sublime!

When it's time to leave, it's time to leave. Peter Gabriel left Genesis, and he left an awful lot of the things that we had grown so accustomed to from him behind with them. This is a new Peter Gabriel searching for his place in the musical world, and he visits some strange new locales on this quest. Peter has never shown off his vocal versitility like this.

4 stars: It's not quite a masterpiece, but it's a brilliant example of a talented individual dipping into various styles to see where he fits in.

Moribund the Burgermeister (very good) kicks off the trip. This tale of monster terrorizing a village, complete with all of the vocal theatrics that Gabriel throws in, is the closest that Gabriel gets to what he had been doing with Genesis. The music, on the other hand, doesn't really sound like something Genesis would do. Save that for the next song.

Solisbury Hill (excellent). What can I say about this brilliant song? This is a mellow acoustic number that wouldn't have sounded out of place if it had been released by Genesis, and it's definitely the high point of the album.

Modern Love (average). Ok, the first place we visit after leaving Genesis country is hard rock with this song, which features hard driving rock andvery choppy riffs, and has an early example of Gabriel's witty sexual double entendres, which were later to drive the song Sledgehammer.

Excuse Me (average). And next we stop by and hear a barbershop quartet! Once again, Peter's wit rescues this from what could have been a disaster.

Humdrum (excellent). A wonderfully grandiose yet meditative song that (taken together with the next one) kind of points in what direction Peter wants to go. From it's very simple intro to it's expansive ending, this is one great piece. I just wish I had a clue what the lyrics were about.

Slowburn (good). The same kind of sound that is featured in the last song, but here it is played more uptempo and lacks the majesty of the last track.

Waiting for the Big One (average). Peter sings the blues! Way back when I first heard this, I'd have rated this as good, but now I have actually heard a lot of blues and realizes that Peter doesn't have a blues bone in his body. Still, it's an interesting try.

Down the Dolce Vita (very good). Peter returns to prog land for a brief visit and we are all very glad to so see him, since he is bringing a musical gift like this one (complete with orchestra.)

Here Comes the Flood (very good). A sad, slow, well-crafted pop ballad ends Peter's magical musical journey.

Peter Gabriels first attempt at a solo album, and quite a good one! Here Peter Gabriel is trying to find his sound outside of Genesis, outside of hardcore prog music and a sound a bit more pleasing to the masses. He tries classic rock, some horns, ballads, and even jazz. But I find the progressive songs the best, that being the quirky opener, moribund the burgermeister, and the acoustic radio hit Solsbury hill, which, as commercially accepting it is, it's in 5/4 time!

This album also has to do with some closure from leaving the band that made him an international prog hero. Solsbury hill is all about him and Genesis, and how he felt he was being sucked into the "machine" of being a rockstar, and how the band was being led by outside people, more than the band itself. Another small thing the album gives us is Gabriels apparent fascination with everyday modern life, Humdrum, another day in a one way world (next album), and Lead a normal life (album after that), all show Peter Gabriels opinion towards normal citiszen life, and how he thinks life just goes on unless you brake through the barrier that is normality.

As far as the music goes, like I said, it's very diverse, there are some very amazing and wonderful songs here, and some that are not so good. My favirote songs are Moribund the burgermeister, Solsbury hill, Humdrum, here comes the flood, all of them show off Peter Gabriels songwriting skill as well as singing. Now the rest of the songs are good, but either sound like a wannabe classic rock song, or a weird swiss alps heel clicker. The albu is well recorded, probably due to his excellency Robert Fripp who helped produce this album. Though you can barely here much Fripp on this album, the lead guitarist, Steve Hunter, is excellent and his work on the jazzy tune, Waiting for the big one is excellent.

Gabriel would go out to produce a bad album, an amazingly beautiful album, then as history goes, shock his monkey with huge fame, and multiple grammies, emmies, or whatever other muzac awards there are. As for this album, a great start to one of my favirote songwriters epic journey in music.

4****

Two things come to mind when considering Gabriel's first solo effort. On one hand, given that he had a few years to create this album, one could say it's a rather disjointed mess. This is the best he could do? On the other hand, you can almost hear the huge sigh of relief burst out of Pete as he delights in the prospects of complete control of his artistic intentions. It sounds to me as if he just decided to ease into his new status quo by clearing some of the cobwebs from his attic. The results are mixed but the overall experience is interesting.

Highlights include "Moribund," a nice quirky number that rocks but seems half-baked. "Solsbury Hill" is one of Gabriel's finest tracks bar none, lyrically and musically. Dealing with his angst of divorce from the band the real story is the music here, the most delightfully catchy little number that justifiably was a huge hit. While you might be burned out on it from radio overkill it has to be acknowledged that it's a fine piece of songwriting. "Modern Love" is passable rocker that almost makes me think of what Joe Jackson would soon be doing with "Look Sharp." "Here Comes the Flood" is another classic Gabriel track deserving of its reputation. Really beautiful and a hint of what was coming from Pete in the future.

Some of the other tracks really stiff with moments of silliness (Excuse Me), unconvincing blues (Waiting for the Big One), mediocrity (Humdrum and Slowburn), and even a bit of a disco-sounding beat (Down the Dolce Vita.)

While there are some good moments here my belief is that Gabriel 1 is for fans and not something I could recommend to people. It's not awful but aside from the bright spots I can't quite get to 3 stars. About 2.4 stars.

A fun, classic bit of poppish art-rock from a terrific singer/songwriter who-- in my opinion-- records music here that is with very few exceptions better than anything from Genesis.

Gabriel's songs here are all catchy, filled with melodic hooks and thanks in part to his excellent backing band, contain many outstanding instrumental moments as well. Many different styles and moods are present, from straight-ahead pop sing-a-longs, lazy- tempo blues, and big, sweeping epics complete with symphonic flair. Gabriel delivers more memorable vocals here than on any of his Genesis albums and really seems to be more in his element.

A solid, fun listen which will connect to some more than others, but is deservedly respected as one of this great artist's gems.

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.

The solo album that Genesis fans were dying to hear. Did it reach the expectations? maybe, maybe not. This is a quite strong release. Luckily, it does not sound like a Genesis clone and shows elements that will appear in his future solo albums: he has not yet found his sound, so this album is quite diverse. On the other hand, this is far from a masterpiece and to the disappointment of prog diehards, it is not very progressive and does not have deep epics.

The opener reminds of Lamb Lies material, with theatrical music, different vocalizations (different characters) and humor. However, the album really smokes when Solsbury Hills starts. This commercial success has a natural sounding 7/4 theme and excellent vocal melodies. Modern Love is a standard hard rock number which doesn't leave a big impression. Excuse Me is amusing if you pay attention to the lyrics, but it is quite uncomfortable to listen to this silly barbershop quartet. The next two tracks are solid: Humdrum is a prog-related grandiose ballad with powerful vocals while Slowburn is a guitar-led rocker. Waiting for the Big One is a surprising tune, with a lounge-like blues tone, but so much more.

The last two tracks bring a great closure to the album. Down the Dolce Vita is a theatrical progressive rock song with bombastic choruses featuring an orchestra, some dramatic instrumental moments, and unusually upbeat verses. Here Comes the Flood is a ballad that alternates between laid back piano verses with big, symphonic, anthemic refrains. I think it is much better than the acoustic versions he does live nowadays.

After leaving Genesis in 1975, Peter Gabriel began his solo career with this eponymous debut in 1977. This was the first of what would be a series of untitled albums. Gabriel originally wanted his albums to be considered as consecutive issues (like a magazine), rather than as individual works. Although he did this for four straight albums, his fans still gave them names. Because the album cover featured a picture of a car, this album is often referred to as Car and sometimes just as Peter Gabriel I.

Gabriel brought a number of talented musicians to perform on his first solo effort. These included the famous bassist Tony Levin, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, guitarist Steve Hunter (known for his work with Lou Reed), popular session percussionist Jimmy Maelen, synthesizer expert Larry Fast, and guitarist Dick Wagner (known for his work with Alice Cooper).

With an experienced line-up, Gabriel put forward a very nice debut effort. But if you were expecting more of Genesis, you were definitely not going to get it on here or on any future solo releases. Instead, Gabriel crafted some really intelligent music more in the vein of pop/art rock. About the closest contemporary artist I could compare this with is David Bowie, although the two of them sound completely different. In many ways, Gabriel sort of moved Genesis in this direction on their Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album, which featured many more radio-friendly shorter pieces.

Gabriel still retained some progressive tendencies, and for the most part would on future releases. Songs like Waiting for the Big One, Here Comes the Flood, and Moribund the Burgermeister showcased some minor nods to Gabriel's Genesis era. His lone hit off this album, Solsbury Hill, became a popular fan favorite and is the one song most associated with Gabriel's name.

A very enjoyable album and an excellent contribution to artsy-style rock, but because it's more in the pop rock vein, three stars seems like an adequate rating for this.

Peter Gabriel´s first solo album after leaving Genesis in 1975 was released in 1977. Peter Gabriel will always stand as one of the greatest, most influential and innovative progressive singers in my book. His time with Genesis spawned some of the greatest prog rock albums ever and it was probably with terror that the fans learnt he had left the band after the tour for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Genesis would never be the same again. While Genesis soldiered on with drummer Phil Collins taking over the lead vocal duties it seemed that Peter Gabriel vanished. But in 1977 he emerged with his debut solo album.

The music is very different from the music Peter Gabriel did with Genesis as the symphonic prog rock style is only present in glimpses on this album. The songs on this album are generally shorter and more simple than what Genesis normally stood for. Some people embrassed Peter Gabriel´s new sound and found it new and exciting while others like myself don´t really see many positive things about this new direction Peter has chosen.

The songs are not that memorable even though they are simple and the only songs that stand out for me is Moribund The Burgermeister ( Clearly the best track here and the one that sounds most like Genesis in the Lamb Lies Down period), Solsbury Hill, Down The Dolce Vita and the sing along like Here Comes The Flood. The rest is forgettable and not very exciting.

So many great musicians have contributed to the album and names like Tony Levin ( King Crimson, Liqiud Tension Experiment) and Robert Fripp ( King Crimson) should evoke some interest in a prog fans mind. The problem is that this music is so simple and boring that even with great musicians like this it all hits the ground with a bang. Peter Gabriel sings with conviction in some songs while he sounds tired and indifferent in others.

The sound quality is typical late seventies on the way to the eighties. It´s a bit cold if you ask me.

The cover art is good. I´ve always liked the picture of the blue car with raindrops on the windshield.

This is a very disappointing solo album from Peter Gabriel. His approach to rock music is certainly different than the norm but that don´t neccessarely mean that his approach is good. Even with the aforementioned partially good songs I can´t defend giving the album more than 2 stars. A great disappointment.

Review 67 (really), Peter Gabriel (1), Peter Gabriel, 1976

StarStarStarStar

Peter Gabriel's solo career seems, from the range of stuff I've heard so far, to be the ultimate musical chameleon. Even the classic prog giants don't cover quite as much ground musically as I've heard from Gabriel, and I haven't actually heard all that much of him yet. This album, too, is musically very diverse, with subtle and obvious eclecticism pervading most of it. Despite the wide range of styles covered, I feel that Peter Gabriel (1 of 4) is a very successful album most of the time, and never slips so badly it causes a lot of annoyance. Down The Dolce Vita is, in my humble opinion, one of the finest pieces of (rock) music ever recorded, and the quality of the rest is hardly shabby either. Great stuff.

The highly eclectic Moribund The Burgermeister is a superb opener. Compelling quiet rhythm section work is supplemented with both Fripp guitar wailing and droning, water-drop effects and bursts of more standard strutting from guitar and synths. Gabriel's vocals acquit themselves brilliantly, with harmonies, the menacing 'I will find out' and some sarcastically used accents particularly standing out as both unusual and excellent. Lyrically, the song meddles in both entertaining and more serious ideas, without being too fixed to lose the mystery.

Solsbury Hill, probably Gabriel's second-most-known piece, is also fairly distinctive. Aside from the superb vocal (self-harmonising, if I'm not mistaken, with two different sounds that give a slight edge) and lyrical content, the upbeat banjo stands out. Tony Levin's jabbing and whumphing bass rhythm is quite compelling. As much as I feel the keyboard riff is a bit obnoxious, it does add some more options and layers to the music. However, the song really breaks out during the little mini-explosions on drums at the end of each verse and finally on the ending instrumental section, with a belting guitar and fun jabbering from Gabriel to boot.

The rocker, Modern Love, is a bit more conventional than the first two songs, but nonetheless very strong, with superb and fascinating swirly bass-work from Levin, the classic 70s high hammond chord, Andy 's drumming matches these with little crashes supplemented with tin-pot sounds and a solid beat. Gabriel is again a stand-out vocalist, albeit sounding virtually nothing like himself, much grainier than usual, and his innuendo-wrapped lyrics are at the same time amusing and quite compelling. The guitar chords are immaculate, even if a little upstaged by Levin.

The hilarious barber-shop quartet followed by unusual song that is Excuse Me also works in its own way, with a neat tuba provided by Levin, great vocals and fairly nice lyrics, solos and little melodies added by all things involved, including one particularly fine guitar burst and a weird little synth tone that sounds a bit piano-meets-tympani.

Humdrum is far more subdued, with a soulful vocal and sustained, soft piano contributing the opening verse, before a gorgeous recorder-guitar dominated break and a reiteration of the opening section with more contributions. A second, extremely pretty section features a gorgeous acoustic guitar part and lush keyboard parts. Not as memorable as the rest of the album, perhaps, but nonetheless I enjoy it every time

Slowburn is the second heavily rock-based piece of the album, and it too is very strong, with a completely different, but no less fascinating, bass part. Amusing 'aaa's punctuate some of the vocal sections, and the synths and programming are brilliant. The drumming and guitars are plain rock awesomeness, and the softer sections don't at all break the flow of the piece, but rather add slightly more emphasis to it. An odd soundscape thing with all sorts of synth ideas and glockenspiel leads down to the end.

Waiting For The Big One is a rather laid back song, with wonderful piano crawls, a light and cheery vocal, little guitar additions are the order of the day, and the rather larger guitar strut with large harmony feels a little out of place in the piece. Gabriel's vocal is, as always, tailored to the piece, with good range and sound, and a rather neat bluesy solo punctuates the middle.

The amazing Down The Dolce Vita is almost definitely one of my top twenty songs. Aside from the superb merge of the LSO with the rock band and utterly compelling rhythm guitar riff, Gabriel's vocal is again a stunner, with constant and effective flourishes, stark edges and amazing lyrics ("'So long', said four men to their families/be strong, 'til we get back home". Levin's bass jumps up at the high end, adding these little throbs of energy in between his more standard backing. The drums and percussion are forceful and have a great roll, and the orchestral jabs on the concluding verse. A final stark flute-based conclusion segues straight into Here Comes The Flood. This song alone would justify the album's price for me.

Here Comes The Flood is an amazingly emotional piece, with jaw-dropping vocals and lyrics ('stranded starfish have no place to hide') complimenting the soft piano, acoustics and backing organ, as well as the hollow percussion sound. The heavily harmonised chorus is effective and potent, as is the roaring guitar solo, and the piece gradually builds to its climax without losing any of its essence. The conclusion, I feel, is slightly too insubstantial, but that is the only gripe I have with the piece.

So, overall, a wonderfully diverse range of goodies here, and while it doesn't quite hit the masterpiece mark for me, it comes very close. Vital and enjoyable listening, and so far detached from Genesis that I don't think your opinion of one will have any bearing on your opinion of the other. Highly recommended. I look forward to hearing more of Gabriel's solo material soon.

Rating: Four Stars Favourite Track: Down The Dolce Vita

Edit: general harshlificasdhihing of ratings, again, (sorry to anyone who might be going through all my reviews to gather evidence to report me as a communist to the CIA...) and I felt there are some areas of reservation with this one that I didn't express in the review (most notably, the big chorus on Here Comes The Flood and a couple of the guitar tones), as well as it just not comparing as well to later Gabriel efforts. Some seminal stuff on here, but I think a three is more representative of its overall quality than a four.

Ah yes. Peter Gabriel fearlessly picks his favourite colours on the musical palette here on his first album without being a part of the Genesis behemoth, never thinking twice about the strange colouring on the resulting musical painting.

While reserved at first - not to say disappointed - the fact that Peter Gabriel 1, Car or whatever you want to call it totally lacks any coherence and direction makes it surprisingly refreshing and vibrant, given necessary time and patience. A wild collection of new ideas and influences in a post-Genesis freedom (or trauma) makes up the nine songs here. It's an album both impulsive and playing it safe, depending on your point of view. The sheer difference in style compared with much of Genesis is in itself enormously progressive, but when it comes to the expectations of a generalized prog fan, this is also a step back. In other words; it's a display of independence, but for me personally, slightly hit and miss.

All the different styles are neatly distributed over the album and the sometimes drastic changes are great for keeping you interested while waiting for your particular favourites. Unfortunately I think the album quality drops after the first three songs, all ranging from good to great. Moribund The Burgermeister's subdued percussion and spaced-out, alluring sounds next to the explosive bombast of the same song creates a nice dramatic effect, augmented by the ominous 'I will find out' and the playfully sinister effects. Subtle and soaring found in the same song and the streak of absurdist humour hits exactly right to fully perfect this opener.

But it was track number two that managed to reach out to most, Solsbury Hill being the hit of the album. And it is perfectly understandable. Even while remaining one of the more exposed songs in the Peter Gabriel discography it sounds just as good as ever. Light-hearted, clear melody that invites to both foot-stomping and smile, this is a song made to be enjoyed by most listeners, whatever their preferred genre might be. Moving from quite humble beginnings, with a simple repeating keyboard phrase and Gabriel's voice over the guitar textures, fragile percussion and a jumpy bass performance adds some depth and variation before the finale; fat guitar chords, vocal playfulness and a new, triumphant little phrase from the keys. All in all impossible to dislike, and strong in that it never ever feels repetitive despite the simple outline.

Modern Love is the first track of what I bulk together as the rock-pop section of the album. More a personal name-calling than any proper classification, it also includes Humdrum, Slowburn, Waiting For The Big One and Here Comes the Flood. Varying in quality, Modern Love is the clear favourite of these. Ballsy and in-your-face with a classic, infectious Hammond drive and powerful by-the-book rock guitar. Actually, it reminds me of Bruce Springsteen quite a bit. The grittier vocal performance is stellar and oozes emotion.

Humdrum has potential, but the soft piano and accompanying vocals fail to captivate me, and the odd break does nothing to help it. Producing something that sounds a bit like accordion, coupled with click-and-pop drumming, it just jars this piece. Redundant, and much of this song gives the same impressions. Joint outtakes, and even though I like the feeling of the last minutes, the synth sounds are laid on a little too thick. Slowburn, riddled with discreet delicacies such as trickling effects, nice piano work and fragile percussion, is another truly rocking piece, but compared to Modern Love it lacks some of the magic. A bit too clumsy when rocking, a bit too unoriginal when slowing down. Waiting For The Big One is a pointless, boring blues-rock thingy according to me (can and will be debated) and unfortunately Here Comes The Flood is dragged through the mud by the refrain. To think that subtlety and force can be used so good and so bad on the same record. Yes, to me the refrain is downright cheesy.

With only two songs left to cover, a trend might be visible here. There are the amazing songs, the good/fair ones, and there are the pointless ones. Excuse Me falls into the last category. No matter how funny it may be, it shows the backside of the absurd humour and freedom of this record. More a flamboyant personal excess than anything else, this curiosity features both a Barbershop quartet and a tuba.

Down The Dolce Vita. Wow. Back to category one - amazing. This one should have closed the album. After an orchestral explosion, one of the best introductions this piece could have been given, the pyrotechnics continue with an amazing rhythm work; slyly funky, extremely driven. It then continues down this path, seamlessly merging with orchestral breaks and a fabulous middle-section with strings and a dramatic vocal part from the band. Rising in energy, with marching drums and determined guitar trailblazing (all set to a background of charged and strangely suspended percussion) it gets back on track for the final return to the song's backbone. Glorious.

I'm going to award Peter Gabriel 1 three stars. And yet I have said and still can say a lot more about it. It's an album that stirs up emotions of all sorts, and one that still slightly eludes me even after too many listens. As such, it still comes recommended.

//LinusW

3.5 stars really!

Of all of the early Genesis lineup members, you would expect Peter Gabriel to have the most progressive solo career. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This contains experimental rock and pop rock, but without much of a prog relation. Nothing here has much technicality, or progressing solos like early Genesis had. That aside, all of the music is pretty good. Some of the stuff is very acquired taste, but nothing's horrible.

The first song MORIBUND THE BERGIMEISTER sounds something that could have been on The Lamb, and is a good song. SOLSBURY HILL is the big hit from this album, and got a ton of radio play. A good pop song, but nothing's that special about it. Everything else on the album basically goes at this speed. Not standout superb, but not bad. The best song on the album is probably the closer, HERE COMES THE FLOOD, which is a great song that I occasionally listen to on its own. Other highlights are WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE and DOWN THE DOLCE VITA.

Like I said, nothing's that technical, or progressive, but is just good pop rock music. It's actually tough to pinpoint at one specific genre because the music is varied. Some of the music is accessible pop, and some is acquired taste experimental rock. It's a good buy for any Peter Gabriel fan, but if you're expecting Foxtrot, you won't find it here. For starters with Peter Gabriel's music, I recommend going to his third album, which is more progressive, and is overall just better music.

So. this was Master Peter Gabriel's solo debut. A very good debut album this is, cleverly distanced from the Genesis trademark yet comprising a repertoire full of inventive art-rock resources in an ordained eclectic framework. To a degree, Gabriel uses some sonic sources that seem quite related to the aggressive, somber moods that plagued the most intense moments of the epic "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" - this album rocks, but all in all, it is not your standard rock'n'roll album. A host of the backing musicians came from Alice Cooper, and there is also Robert Fripp tempting his way back into the rock business, so they could really move comfortably in the artsy feel that Gabriel intended to approach from these earlier days. The opener 'Moribund the Burgermeister' pretty much perpetuates the dynamic theatrics of his good old Genesis days in its mischievous combination of psychedelic rock, surrealistic Cabaret and electronic adornments. It's been a long while since Gabriel blew this one off his live setlists, but it still remains a personal Gabriel fave of mine. 'Solsbury Hill' is, indeed, a classic that refuses to leave live setlists up to this day - this bucolic midtempo song happens to be closely connected to the acoustic side of Genesis, although it clearly bears a less melancholic mood, it is celebratory of the freedom found on the threshold of a new way of life. 'Modern Love' is a catchy rocker that sounds like Peter Green's FM-meets-Rolling Stones. Later on, other rockers such as 'Slowburn' and 'Down the Dolce Vita' will provide fluid combinations of power and sophistication: 'Slowburn' features what arguably is the best lead guitar solo in the album (played by guest Dick Wagner, another Alice Cooper alumnus), while 'Down the Dolce Vita' states an electrifying mixture of rock, funk and orchestral OST, plus a typically prog rock interlude. Brilliant! The Barbershop parody 'Excuse Me' brings clever musical humor in a proper dose, followed by the lovely semi- ballad 'Humdrum' that shows Gabriel's vulnerability in a delicate fashion (including brief French moods and Latin cadences). But the prize to the most vulnerable song in the album has to go the magnificent closer 'Here Comes the Flood', which flaunts its epic romanticism with polished majesty. This is another song that somehow has links to the Genesis trademark, and now that I think about it, a ballad like this was necessary in the first Genesis-trio albums so they could be more valuable as art works. Well, we won't skip 'Waiting for the Big One', a slow rocker set on a blues tempo that portrays a constrained bombast: the use of a choir for the last chorus is a weird, yet strangely effective idea. A very good debut album this is, let me say again, and as such it deserves to be marked as an excellent addition to any good art-rock collection.

Excellent, Exploratory Debut Screams Freedom

As most know, Peter Gabriel is perhaps my single favorite musician over time, and as I approached my 100th review here on ProgArchives, it seemed amiss that I had not completed my series of reviews of his solo work. I've been listening to his first four albums continuously in the car over the last days, and been greatly rewarded. I'd never quite listened to this work with an ear for criticism, and I've discovered some new detail in his work that I've missed even over 20 years of being a huge fan. I've also had to focus on weaker work that I'd glossed over. So here begins a bit of a detailed series of opinions from yet another PG nerd.

Peter Gabriel I (Car) was released in 1977, three years after Genesis' Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and two years after his public exit from the band. It shows the artist full of energy, celebrating his freedom, and exploring a wide range of possible sounds. Some are quite progressive and some standard, but all are full of energy, well played, and thoughtfully constructed.

1. Moribund The Burgermeister (4:18) - This track virtually takes off where Gabriel left off with the sound of the Lamb. Though distinct from the core Genesis sound, it is quirky, experimental, and definitely progressive. As was his habit in Genesis, he adopted different voices to sound various characters in a strange story song. Well executed, I can imagine fans licking their lips with glee when greeted with this when they first listened to the album

2. Solsbury Hill (4:21) - Along with Pink Floyd's "Money" and the Beatles' "All You Need is Love," perhaps the most famous rock song ever written in 7. Driven by a folky acoustic line, this song sounds almost nothing like anything else Gabriel ever did. At the same time, it may be the best crossover prog song ever written. Beautifully poetic lyrics talk about emancipation and freedom in a way that far transcends the artist's exit from the band. Despite the complex time signature, the song is danceable, positive, a true pop masterpiece. The song continues to highlight the live show over 20 years later.

3. Modern Love (3:38) - This song could have been named "Modern Rock" for it was a very straightforward venture into the current rock sound of the time. The chorus riff is not unlike the Baby's 70's hit "Back on My Feet Again." It's well written and Gabriel gives a good performance, but it's probably the most straightforward cut Gabriel had done on record since the first Genesis hippy pop album. Here it works as a single track on an eclectic album. Unfortunately it became the template for the entire second album, Peter Gabriel's worst.

4. Excuse Me (3:20) - Now this is a fun little romp where Gabriel explicitly just says "I want to be alone." Starting with barbershop choir vocals and then transforming into a Randy Newman-esque satire, the song is playful and entertaining. Gabriel comes off as gleeful rather than angry or defensive, which this song easily could have been.

5. Humdrum (3:26) - This is one of the first glimpses of the dark, immediate intensity that was to become a Gabriel trademark.

6. Slowburn (4:37) - A strange mishmash of styles that actually works, this song centers on the rock sound found on "Modern Love" but varies things a bit more. Along with track 8, this song is a little overwrought, sounding a bit like a big stage production number. Aggressive bursts of harmony "Yeaaaah," seem comical now, but this style of music was certainly in style at the time. Again, this song is a little more varied in style than "Modern Love" and probably a little more enjoyable

7. Waiting For The Big One (7:14) - This song is a straight blues number dealing with the classic blues topic of hoping to move up in life. Gabriel's voice is not made for blues, but for this one song he pulls it off well enough. More importantly, the band really performs the style quite well, nailing the behind-the-beat execution while retaining plenty of energy. I feel the song works in the context of this album, again as a single try at a genre.

8. Down The Dolce Vita (4:42) - Upping the dramatic ante from "Slowburn," this rocker starts with the London Symphony and drops into a disco beat. As awful as that premise sounds, the song is actually listenable. Peter is just having fun, and that allows him to sound playful rather than pretentious. Though not a track I'd choose to listen to, it holds its place on the album.

9. Here Comes The Flood (5:56) - This song was dressed up by producer Bob Ezrin, but had always been intended by PG to be a simple piano and voice song. A powerful lyric with great dynamics, the song was re-recorded many times and appeared on Robert Fripp's Exposure album and then on Gabriel's greatest hits album in 1990. I personally like both versions and the contrast in styles, but there is no doubt that the later version is better. The song is so strong it overcomes the production and is a great finish to a very strong debut album.

Overall, Gabriel and fans had to be quite happy with this debut. While certainly not holding on to pure symphonic prog as fellow Genesis member Steve Hackett did, there are plenty of progressive moments here. More importantly, this is simply a very solid collection of well- written, well-performed songs that showcase the artist well. Along with two PG classics are two very strong progressive tracks, two fun novelty pieces, and three quirky rockers. Not bad for an artist stretching out his wings, exploring a new wide open realm of musical possibility. The masterpiece albums are yet to come, but this is certainly an excellent addition to any prog fan's library.