Peter Gabriel's Musical Legacy
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Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=79415
Printed Date: July 31 2025 at 15:59
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Topic: Peter Gabriel's Musical Legacy
Posted By: DaniMoon
Subject: Peter Gabriel's Musical Legacy
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 22:07
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Peter Gabriel is now a 60-year-old musician whose albums have not only defined his life, but ours as well. When Mr. Gabriel leaves this world (hopefully not for another 60 years) which album(s) below will you consider to be his legacy, and why? 1. Car 2. Scratch 3. Melt 4. Security 5. Plays Live 6. Birdy 7. So 8. Passion 9. Shaking the Tree 10. Us 11. Secret World Live 12. Ovo 13. Up 14. Long Walk Home 15. Hit 16. Scratch My Back |
Replies:
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 22:25
Not including Genesis? 
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Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 22:35
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The lamb and Foxtrot and Selling England.....and and and....solo not close enough maybe IV ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 22:53
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So, easily. I find myself wanting to go back to that more often than anything Genesis did. A brilliant, literate pop record with a whirlwind of experiences, viewpoints, and emotions. But I guess a lot of Genesis's stuff is influential, so whatever. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 22:58
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^ There was no band like them ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 23:14
Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 23:27
That is a easy way to answer the question. A+
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Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 01 2011 at 23:43
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More than a genius, one of a kind really, the Beatle that lived |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 00:29
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Good comments! When I created this topic, I should have added some Genesis albums -- after all, when we think of Peter Gabriel, we think of Genesis. I think Gabriel's legacy will definitely include the Genesis era. Even after Gabriel's solo success with hits like Shock the Monkey, Sledgehammer, Steam, Biko, In Your Eyes, etc., I think he will be forever remembered for the Genesis classics. As Gabriel mellows, so does his music. The new stuff on 'Scratch My Back' sounds lovely but there are no drums or guitars.  It'd be awesome if he went back to his prog rock roots in his next album. |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 00:44
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I have to agree with Stonebeard on the unforgettable album "SO" because it contains so many different stories and styles -- Motown, world music, rock, and the sweet duet with Kate Bush. 'Red Rain' was inspired by Gabriel's recurring dream about swimming in a sea of red water. 'In Your Eyes' was the song blasting out of the famous boombox in the movie "Say Anything."
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Posted By: Mushroom Sword
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 01:07
*Cough* *Cough Cough* Marillion *Cough* ------------- 
"I gazed into the eyes of the madman and I saw, and I saw,and I saw myself. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 03:36
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Yeah, I have to agree that his tenure in Genesis will be remembered more than his solo stuff, at least in a long term view. Not to discredit his solo career (I love Melt) but they don't touch the creativity and success of the genesis. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 07:31
Yeah, This pretty much says it right!
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Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 10:16
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@ Mushroom Sword LOL *cough* Marillion  "Misplaced Childhood" is one of my favorite concept albums. love it love it love it! Cheers ;)
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Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 17:51
But I like OVO! ------------- http://theprogressiveweb.blogspot.de" rel="nofollow - Visit me in Second Life to talk about music. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 19:11
^ The Nest That sailed The Sky!! ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: July 02 2011 at 19:49
You really think so? Maybe by the few odd prog fans and a few Genesis fans that went back to listen to his work with the band but quite honestly after So came out and how popular he became I think there are legions of his fans who never even heard his albums with Genesis. ------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 08:53
So, IMO, would have persuaded a lot of those new fans to explore the Genesis legacy, in much the same way as Duke did. Gabriel is a genius. II aside, his albums have been of an exceptionally high standard, truly progressive. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 09:33
I tend to agree with Garion's view. I often wonder about folks here on this forum, living in their little progressive bubble and not looking at a larger musical perspective. Gabriel certainly achieved greater success and acclaim after leaving Genesis, and I believe that music listeners in general are far more acquainted with his solo works. The album So went 5x platinum in the U.S. and 3x platinum in the UK, outselling all of the original Genesis albums (up to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway) combined. Yes, all six albums combined. And if commercial sales is not your preferred indicator for success, one only has to look at the innovative music videos Gabriel released in the 80s for the MTV generation (arguably some of the best videos ever produced for the time).
In addition to commercial success, as a solo artist Gabriel garnered critical acclaim, particularly for So, his debut release (Car), and his superb third album (Melt) which, in my estimation, is one of the ten best releases of the 80s. Not to mention his great soundtracks, particularly Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ, and even his song from the Pixar animated Wall-E received an Oscar nomination.
Therefore, I think Gabriel's legacy lies outside of Genesis, and for individual effort I would point to the albums So or Melt as indicative of an excellent career. . ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 11:25
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PG's solo work will be defined by So, sadly (and Passion will get a footnote as expressing his interest in world music. ) History can be cruel. ------------- 
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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 18:25
| Plays Live should be a real Legacy, More songs+ Peter performing live, on stage, it's where he's did his best, Gabriel seems to be one of the few who turned Pop Music more theatrical |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 20:00
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@ jean-marie Agreed, Plays Live contains more songs and confirms Gabriel's artistic genius. I read somewhere that Phil Collins didn't like Gabriel's theatrics on stage.
 I enjoy watching the old Genesis videos on YouTube, especially Gabriel's outrageous costumes! YouTube has the early 1970s Genesis concerts of Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, Supper's Ready, Musical Box, and more. They're amazing to watch. |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: July 03 2011 at 21:55
God how these things get blown out of proportion and simplified. I spent yesterday running through all the interviews on the 70-75 and 76-82 remaster box sets and what Phil had to say about Peter's theatrics and costumes was it was great until during the Lamb tour it became a detriment. Specifically he called the Lambia and Slipperman costumes detrimental to the music that Peter could not get the microphone set to his mouth or was so out of breath he could not sing. Those were his objections. . -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 03:45
| I saw Peter tour in France at the time and i had great time |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 11:02
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You're fortunate to have seen Peter Gabriel perform live back then. What a thrill that must have been! Peter's getting good reviews for his 2011 New Blood concerts. Although the music is much more mellow, his voice still shines.
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 14:26
That's absolutely spot on. It was the theatrics getting in the way of the music, not the theatrics per se that Collins, and the rest actually, objected to. Gabriel also acknowledges the problem in his interviews, although he generally put a lot of it down to the fact that he had had to grow up following the difficult birth of his first child, whilst the rest were still a bunch of spotty faced kids (I ad lib a bit, but you get the picture). ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 15:23
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^ They all admit they were very callous to Peter and his family during that period of time. Something they would have never been today. Just youth and and lack of compassion. Peter agreed with Phil costumes during the Lamb tour did interfere and that was one reason he recorded the vocals on the Box set liver version of the Lamb. He also admitted he never ran any of the costumes by the rest of them he just went out and did them because if he held it up for debate he would have lost every time. More on topic Peter said something else very interesting that he spent 12 years removing the ex-genesis label that he wasn't really ready to put it back on. They all related to the arguments that went on with Tony, Pete and Mike. Phil and Steve both were a bit bewildered by the relationships between them. Peter said listening to the remixes that he would remember arguments of why something was placed or sounded the way it did and I thought he was saying this took away his enjoyment of the music. Kinda sad but I guess when you are that close to it it must be hard to separate yourself. -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: RogueHorseman
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 15:53
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I think 3 and 4 are probably Gabriel's best and most complete works, start to finish. However, Up, to me, is the album which best represents him. While most artists start to repeat themselves or struggle to keep the creative juices flowing as they age, Gabriel released his most detailed and developed album in his 50s. Up is dark, subtle, and features some of the best musical and lyrical themes of his career. |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 20:16
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@Garion81 I'm loving your fascinating tidbits about Genesis, thanks for sharing and keeping the facts straight.  @RogueHorseman Good point on Gabriel's UP album. The lyrics overall are brilliant, thoughtful. They seem to reflect his past, present and future. The Drop for instance is about death, the last great mystery. He's waiting to parachute out of a plane (symbolic), he's watching the people who have died before him disappearing through the clouds. Is there an afterlife, will we see our family and friends again, or will we just vanish into nothingness. Gabriel should win songwriter of the century award.  |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: July 04 2011 at 21:46
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Thank you Danimoon Although I am just reflecting what they say. I would suggest anyone who likes Genesis to watch those interviews on the box sets. I really feel this was their book for lack of better words to close the door on all of this. Somethings said maybe rashly in earlier days are washed over by an extreme respect for the music and each other. -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: hobocamp
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 21:33
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Up. The album that inspired me to look back to his contributions in Genesis. Glad I did. ------------- three dot, a trinity, a way to map the universe, three dot four dot, is what will make a square, a bed to build on, it's all there, four dot |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 00:07
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The UP album ~ a summation of life. One dot, that's on or off, defines what is and what is not, one dot.
Two dot, a pair of eyes, a voice, a touch, complete surprise, two dot.  |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 08:43
| No one talks about US ? great album though, just look at the sleeve cover, you know what it's about before having a listening |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 09:14
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Supper's Ready, Moonlit Knight, The Lamb, Solsbury Hill, 3+4, So, Passion+US, Up Each of those reflects a different section of his history and he'll be remembered for all of them to some degree.
But the So album is a cultural icon for my generation. So many aspects of that album are tied with who we were. The videos, Say Anything, the sheer beauty of it.
Those a decade older than me will have to comment how pervasive the prog-era Genesis was on culture. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 11:17
As for live performances, anyone who was there will tell you tours backing his first two albums were the most special. By the time of Plays Live, Gabriel had evolved into a silly, prancing twit who should have just stood still and sung the oldies. I did like his singing of a Randy Newman song in that pig movie as well as his performance of Imagine at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 12:08
| Was at the plays live tour in Paris at the time and enjoyed it very much, later got the two dvd Growing up live and Secret World live , Great artist.......Gabriel is realy special and i love the way he got old |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 12:13
| Forgot to tell i saw Peter on stage just after he released his first album at the fete de l'humanite (late seventies) Phil was there too with Brand x |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 15:40
| PG - remarkable man. trendsetter in many ways. |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: July 09 2011 at 17:11
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Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 09 2011 at 18:00
Let's stray from the topic for a moment and put the pig's eye to the test. I'll start . .  My top 5 progressive bands: 1. Genesis 70's era 2. Pink Floyd 3. King Crimson 4. Marillion 5. Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 10 2011 at 10:27
| Fish or Hogart era? prefer the last one |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 11:13
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I'm more familiar with Marillion's Fish era albums, but Hogarth's songs are growing on me.
I prefer the 70's prog bands but I'm discovering many new bands on this site. Btw I love this site! I recently heard Glass Hammer, Flower Kings, Pendragon, Echolyn, Tristan Park, and my favorite this week is -- Porcupine Tree. PT is pure awesomeness with Time Flies, Lazarus, I Drive the Hearse, etc etc etc. |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 12:54
You're obviously the man. I ever get on over to France, I want to party with you.
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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 18:39
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Posted By: Graeme B
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 15:19
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As I started to read this thread iTunes randomly skipped to the live version of Dancing With the Moonlit Knight (from the Archive box set). "Can you tell me where my country lies?" The way he sings that line sends shivers down my spine, every time. Then listen to the remaster of Trespass, and appreciate just how good a singer Peter was even then. He is untouchable, and if I have a hero in music it's him, unquestionably. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 15:50
You'll fit right in here.
Look up the documentary of the making of Security if you're a big fan. I almost wept as it was liking watch the birth video of old friends. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 16:09
| Which dvd do you prefer Growing up or Secret world? |
Posted By: Graeme B
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 16:18
The South Bank Show one? I remember watching it when it first was on TV. Can't find it online but I'd love to see it again, that's a great album, one of the albums of my life. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 16:23
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74075&KW=peter+gabriel" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74075&KW=peter+gabriel
I actually haven't seen all of Growing Up. I've just caught bits of youtube. I had a VHS copy of Secret World. I always really liked Paula Cole on that. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Graeme B
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 16:26
This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated
with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party
notifications of copyright infringement from claimants including:
 Oh and Growing Up. Best. Gig. Ever. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 16:43
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I'm sorry that stinks...why would they be all possessive of a 30 year old documentary?
------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 20:10
-------------
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Posted By: Minizephyr
Date Posted: July 31 2011 at 08:02
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All, OVO, included (why don't you like OVO, by the way?!?! I think it's awesome!!!) ------------- http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1466419 Music by Robert Burns |
Posted By: Ady Random
Date Posted: July 31 2011 at 08:18
| for me i adore his first album.....to go from the first brilliant quirky track through great stuff like solsbury hill to the rock of modern love....then BAM its a barber shop thing going on.....you then get the beauty of humdrum then goes into the last 3 songs which are beautys. |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: August 06 2011 at 23:39
@Ady Random - I think many fans would agree with you on "Car" because it was Peter's first studio album after leaving Genesis. The songs are fabulous - Gabriel classics
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Posted By: Ayudhya
Date Posted: August 07 2011 at 02:34
Posted By: Ayudhya
Date Posted: August 07 2011 at 02:46
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Dammit, did it again ! First of all, what comes across mostly with PG is a decent human being with a lot of charisma and a willingness to experiment. What's also been good for his career is that he moved with the times, a bit like Bowie in some respects. He left Genesis at the right time because it was going to get harder for the band to retain originality in its current format. They went on to produce 2 more very symphonic type albums before relenting and becoming a pop band with prog and MOR edges. PG was never going to go in that direction. Car is his Sargeant Pepper album, i.e. one where he trully wanted to lay down his marker and give free reign to his creativity. But it's a very typical of the late 70's too with pomp rock edges that sat well with some of the US music of the time. Scratch is actually my favourite - and no one else's - certainly not PG's I'd imagine. However, it's understated approach really hides so many hidden depths. I think there also traces of the New Wave style, particularly in the short sharp nature of the tracks. Of course, it's a duet with Robert Fripp in all but name which may explain why I like it so much. Melt is just a zeitgeist album every sense and seems to provide a link between the prog era and some of the more thoughful electronic music of the early 80's. Beautifully arranged and full of fierce emotions. Of course it blew me away when I first listened to it, but it's so part of its time that I don't think it's aged so well. Mask - sorry, but this is a disappointing album, where he plays on the electronic drums far too much to evoke the African influence. He evokes it so much better on So, but the mellow PG just doesn't do it for me. I did see PG once in concert, in Glasgow in 1987, with Youssou N'Dor as the support. Must have been the coldest June day ever in my home city, but it was a wonderful experience. Like I say, a nice human being, and it really came across.
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Posted By: Crumbler
Date Posted: August 07 2011 at 18:37
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As for PG's musical legacy, what acts acknowledge a debt to PG-era Genesis and to him as a solo artist? I know that Phish was VERY influenced by Genesis. Trey Anastasio inducted them into them into the RRHOF, and Phish performed "Watcher of the Skies" that night. (As an aside, the myth is that Phish is basically a Grateful Dead knock-off band. There is a cultural similarity, and although they were influenced by the GD, they were much more influenced by PG-era Genesis and Zappa). PG is a mystic and a mensch. He seems to be living in two different panes at the same time: the material and the spiritual. |
Posted By: DaniMoon
Date Posted: August 08 2011 at 17:49
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Excellent comments from Ayudhya and Crumbler. Kudos |
Posted By: Rando
Date Posted: August 20 2011 at 21:38
Gabriel will always be The Watcher Of The Skies!
 ------------- - Music is Life, that's why our hearts have beats - |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 00:09
Nope, he'll always be the angel standing in the sun on Supper's Ready  Iván -------------
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