SO

Credit Mssrs. Gabriel, Lanois and company with continuing to push boundaries--both in terms of the incorporation of the latest in sound/music technologies as well as the burgeoning field of video presentation. While So presents a lot of pop-intended music, the progressive rock tendencies and experimentalism remain a prime motivator for Peter's vision and end goals; there are "proggy" songs here, as well as the more blatantly pop stuff. To bring in not one, but two, of music's most innovative and adventurous female artists for duets here (though "This Is The Picture" existed on Laurie Anderson's 1984 Mister Heartbreak under the title of "Excellent Birds") is not small feat and the results are timeless. My favorites, of course, are the proggiest songs: "We Do What We're Told" and "Red Rain" but I have to admit that I've always been a huge fan of "Sledgehammer"--despite the "stolen" riff from Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" on which the whole Fairlight horn bursts are based. But, borrowing from one of homo sapiens' greatest musical achievements can't be disparaged against too ardently.

Overall, this is a great sounding, well-engineered and -produced album deserving of all its accolades and awards that is more like a 3.5 star prog album.