PETER GABRIEL 1 [AKA: CAR]

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.