I/O

Peter Gabriel is back with a bang. It took him a while to release new music, but it was worth the wait. It is important though to give it a few listens first before judging. Of course we've all had the opportunity to listen to the separate songs because of the drip release of a new song with every full moon. But to hear the whole album in its full glory in one sit is not the same. I own the two cd- and blu-ray edition which gives me a third mix, the Inside Dolby Atmos mix. The other two mixes, the bright and the dark side mix, are also on the blu-ray and you can skip from one mix to the other without the songs starting anew, so that gives me a good comparison. But whichever mix you choose, the album keeps impressing me more with every time I play it. I think with this album Peter Gabriel has come to full fruition and delivered his best work so far. Every song is accompanied by a work of art, which is also visible on the blu-ray if you keep your TV switched on. The use of art per song is not new to PG, he did it with Us and Up too. It gives the album this extra dimension and turns it into a complete work of art instead of any regular album. Definitely five stars.

After more than 20 years since the last studio album of new material, the long-awaited 10th solo album from legendary vocalist Peter Gabriel finally materialized this year and with a new song released on each full moon throughout the year, the album was slowly pieced together, with the full album finally released in December 2023. And Wow, was it ever worth the wait! An absolutely brilliant album from start to finish, 12 great songs, so moving and powerful, with such depth and sophistication, and showing a nice variety of styles. The songs and production are exceptional throughout, from the emotive and contemplative lyrics to the lush meticulously and intricately crafted soundscapes and instrumentation that are so fascinating and compelling on repeated listens, and just work so well. Also, with the two different mixes presented (bright side and dark side), there are so many little nuances and subtleties to explore and enjoy in each song. A masterclass in music construction and production, and such a rewarding emotional journey, from somber contemplation to outright joy. And Gabriel's vocals are superb, like he has not lost anything at all over the years. He delivers both with the more bouncy, upbeat songs like Road to Joy, Olive Tree, Panopticom, and the title track, and on the slower, more personal, contemplative songs, as well as those in between. I quite expected to prefer the more upbeat songs, but it is actually the more somber, contemplative songs that have become my favorites (Playing For Time, So Much, Love Can Heal), as they just are so thoughtful, beautiful, and emotional. But then, all the songs are great, there are no weak tracks. A glorious album. I do believe that this is his masterpiece, and quite possibly his very best (which is saying a lot as he has multiple standout albums in his catalog). This, for me, was without question, the best album of 2023 (with nothing else even coming close - the only album I awarded a full 5 stars to).

This dude obviously knows he has time on his side: 20 years! Can you imagine a 17-year old taking 20 years to puy out an album?! In a solo career dating back to 1976, this is only Peter's eighth studio album of solo material--and four of those came in the first six years, so four albums of original new music over the past 40 years!

1. "Panopticom" (5:17) sounds like someone else's anthemic song--especially the chorus. Nice to hear Tony Levin's big bass sound on a PG song again. The layers of subtleties are PG-worthy but, 20 years worth? (8.75/10)

2. "The Court" (4:21) a song that is quite reminiscent of many of PG's most classic (and top-selling) albums. The strings-heavy chorus motif is rather fresh for PG. Having really lost any lust and/or enthusiasm for Peter Gabriel music since Passion, I can't say that I am a fan. (8.75/10)

3. "Playing for Time" (6:19) a cross between RANDY NEWMAN and PAUL SIMON. I don't know if Maestro Tony Levin ever played with Randy Newman, but I know he played & toured with Paul Simon (as well as Richard Thompson, Tom Waits, Jules Shear, and Warren Zevon). I love the presence and arrangement of the (New Blood) Orchestra. Though this is far from any kind of prog that I would credit as such, it is a nice song. (8.75/10)

4. "i/o" (3:53) more RANDY NEWMAN-like music and singing (with a slight nod to TOM WAITS). Interesting piano style for PG. (I'm guessing it's Tim Cawley). Again, builds like one of his classic crowd-pleaser hits. (8.66667/10)

5. "Four Kinds of Horses" (6:48) harkening back to the soundscapes of old PG. Unfortunately, there is something in the chorus that again sounds like it comes from an old classic (even one of his own [or Don Henley on THE EAGLES' "Hotel California": "You just can't kill the Beast"). Matter of fact, with repeated listens there is no doubt that this song uses the Hotel California chord progression. (13.25/15)

6. "Road to Joy" (5:22) sounds like a modernized revisitation to/melding of "The Tower that Ate People" and the theme from WAll-E. Great Tony Levin work. One of the more proggy, classic PG songs on this album. Another top three song. (8.875/10)

7. "So Much" (4:52) now this piano and bass-founded song is much more like PG piano, but another testimonial to the fact that PG's voice has changed and all those years of singing covers (on his Scratch My Back albums) (including one of Randy Newman's) (8.75/10)

8. "Olive Tree" (6:02) horns used in the Phil Collins accent way. Classic PG. (8.75/10)

9. "Love Can Heal" (6:03) sounds so much like STEVE HOGARTH that I thought for sure it had to be him! The music has a very ethereal otherworldly feel despite its use of a variation of the tuned-percussion-based music of his old masterpiece "San Jacinto" from 1982's "Security" (also used in his Birdy soundtrack music). The constant presence and use of Linnea Olsson's cello as the only other instrument other than Peter's voice in the foreground is brilliant. The spectre-like background vocals (courtesy of Peter's daughter Melanie) are also quite effective. Great song-crafting. A top three song. (9/10)

10. "This Is Home" (5:05) old-style "radio oriented" pop music. (8.6666667/10)

11. "And Still" (7:45) another gorgeous composition showing a side of PG that is new and like a freshly opened bottle of aged red wine. Another top three song. (13.375/15)

12. "Live and Let Live" (6:47) sounds like a Robbie Robertson song (very much like the song that PG performed with the late BAND member on Robbie's 1987 self-titled solo album, "Fallen Angel"). Nice touch with all of the unusual world instruments and Soweto Gospel Choir. (13.25/15)

Total Time 68:34

Note: All editions of the album include both the Bright-Side and the Dark-Side mixes, and the Blu-ray includes the In-Side mixes as well.

The songs are nice but, unfortunately, they are completely recognizable as Peter Gabriel songs as there are so many techniques and sounds that M. Gabriel has used before--but more, there is great evidence here that M. Gabriel has been lured back to the "great" songwriting styles and forms of some of the great masters of our pop-rock heritage--especially the artists of the 1970s and 1980s. In terms of the progginess of this album's music, well, M. Gabriel has definitely fallen (despite his amazing attention to detail in the sound engineering room) far from those roots and days. The choice between Dark-Side, Bright-Side, and In-Side Dolby Atmos mixes are really difficult to judge for several reasons:1) the amount of time one would have to invest into this album in order to differentiate between the three; 2) the absence of hi-fidelity external sound system in my life, and; 3) the lack of progginess necessary to keep me engaged and coming back.

B/four stars; an album of finely-crafted Peter Gabriel songs that easily stand up to any studio album PG has ever done, it's just not proggy enough to warrant too much excitement for prog lovers who are looking for progressive rock music (as I do).

A late-career gem is what 'i/o' could and should rightfully be referred to as. More than twenty years in the making, the new Peter Gabriel album and the follow-up to 2002's 'Up' is finally out, having seen a new single being released once every full moon, since the beginning of the year. I am not a particular fan of having half of the album out before its official release date, but here eleven out of the twelve songs had been out before December 1, leaving the listener with just one new song to hear on release day. Thankfully, I did not follow the gradual "leaking" of the album throughout the year.

Musically, this is by all means a very Peter Gabriel-ish album, beautifully honed, carefully considered, brilliantly well played and unquestionably excellently composed. As one reviewer mentions how it "ebbs and flows beautifully" I could entirely agree. Sonically, it is definitely the continuation of 'Up', as one could mistake it for it but revisited 20 years later. That's a compliment! It is diverse, subtle, elegant, humorous, introspective, progressive, rich, mysterious - everything one could expect and want from a Peter Gabriel record! It has to be quite unnecessary to point out to some particular highlights, as every single track is in a way a highlight of its own, needless to say that each one of them comes together with a "personal" artwork, all of which are quite excellent, further giving indications that Gabriel's art goes far beyond the musical canvas, simulating what the Arts & Crafts movement used to refer to as a Gesamtkunstwerk.

An excellent release, one of the best of 2023 - it sounds fresh and modern, while bringing nothing new to Gabriel's musical table, intending this as a reference to his ever-expanding musical universe, not sticking to a particular genre or label, always allowing experimentation and innovation to penetrate his work entirely, depicting a lovely musical landscape, where you are taken on a journey.

Column on the bright face for info: "Panopticom" direct attack, its festive rock to make you pale, well given the list of guests it's almost normal; the direct panopticon to remind us that we have surpassed Big Brother's negative predictions? Good mention to drums, bass and keyboard; so Peter always sings with a very beautiful voice, one that rises high in the musical spheres; so yes, is it still prog, the question leads to my answer: but it's simply Peter GABRIEL, unclassifiable; a warm, world, invigorating, melodic and catchy, progressive sound. "The Court" and the enjoyable regressive side of its musical imprint, not carbon; pads, tribal rhythm, fresh chorus to break up this rhythm; a verse with classic sound, listen carefully in Atmos for those who have it, yes this horn which really rises above your head, no you are not dreaming, Brian's piano surrounds the guy well, in short melodic, choppy and progressive in the soul of this piece until the airy finale. "Playing for Time" intimate atmosphere, counter jazz, a piano, Peter and a horn, I suddenly think of 'Here Comes The Flood' I can't help it; the violins enhance the souvenir side, yes Peter does not invent anything more than what he has already done very well; he extends his musical experience with this warm, languorous ballad, be careful not to play too much, the spleen will ooze from your speakers; well the chorus doesn't come in the end, a new title with a slow and long crescend which sends us to paradise and makes those who have attended his concerts revise, a unique experience. "i/o" for the eponymous radio edit, between 'Wallflower' and 'In Your Eyes', a title which is worth for its catchy chorus and its multitude of musicians, a real sound slap. "Four Kinds of Horses" follows, darkly, on a boosted 'San Jacinto', reworked after almost 40 years; a tune where snippets of notes take me back to FLEETWOOD MAC, ROXY MUSIC, TOTO not the EAGLES 'of course'; an invasive sound again, it hits hard in the speakers and it's nice to have it in this overrated world, this deep sound which protects you from the surrounding world; a crescendo, choirs, a rich orchestration which fills every cm³ of ambient air; much more prog this track with this break and this surge of violins; the instrumental latency resembles a mantra in formation, we move, we listen, we scrutinize, we remain silent. "Road to Joy" begins with invasive, metronomic keyboards; bam the rhythm starts, well that reminds me, good the Gabrielesque sound where you imagine him engaging in a dance step like on one of the many tracks of 'So' with Brian who uses his samples and ukulele; the basic verse with a violent bass that punctuates your sway, watch out for the femoral necks; it rises, it swells, it deflates.

"So Much" piano and voice for a moving, solemn title, ah his voice holds up well and takes us back to his escapades of the 80's, 70's, astonishing; a gospel choir or almost, a slow intimate melody, he whispers. "Olive Tree" ah you would think? from the album? bam trapped a dark air which denotes; well the chorus with brass refers well to its radio edit period which disturbed so many prog people wanting prog and the recognition of prog without the media; 4 minutes of military drums and synth sounds that drown, tangle, a GABRIEL-style musical break before the return of the brassy chorus; hold Phil in his chair must like this title I think. "Love Can Heal" yes 'San Jacinto' comes back to me I can't help it; Peter suspects it, so Linnea's cello is there to soothe my brain, not sure with her fingers and her voice; resume your neutrality Alain to write seriously; captivating and contemplative title, latency of flowing prog blood; just immense in bright, even more in dark. "This Is Home" with a commanding bass, a tune once again extending into his expanded discography; a tune perfectly combining his child's voice with the world, progressive orchestration; piece that takes me back to my memories by adding a little current touch; very good sound with violins in the distance which warm up and round out the sounds, the trademark tribal percussion and an air reminiscent of the 80s. "And Still" on a spleen, monolithic and metronomic crescendic variation, bass and violin before another break more melancholic; the latent air which scratches a few notes of the repetitive ambiences of Philip GLASS for a recurring air, a contemplative moment; there is no prog strictly speaking, just sounds that are similar to it, creating a unique, sensual and melodic climate. "Live and Let Live" no, it's not WINGS but a title of hope about our life to be savored until the end; the finale gives way to Manu's clear drums, then neo-classical sounds are added, yes from a distance we could think of the tune of 'Biko' but with more cheerfulness; the backing vocals of the Soweto gospel choir only reinforce this moment. For the dark-side those who will see a stronger, emotional, dark mix will perhaps be right, they will have 25" more duration with the last title and its stretching choruses; otherwise I'll let you listen to the difference yourselves.

I'm surprised by the current success of this album on progarchives (4.24 after 74 ratings), as after listening to it three times I find it a collection of mostly forgettable songs that would work well as background music of a shoes shop but surely not as an album wrapping what should be the result of 20 years of song-making written during the maturity years by a revered artist.

Admittedly I'm not a fan of the modern Peter Gabriel, whose records I've found mostly disappointing ever since "Us", but I am particularly unexcited by this kind of plain songwriting, that to me seems to lack any light of actual inspiration (except for the intense "playing for time", that resonates with the best character of Gabriel's voice) and is mostly supported by the obviously excellent production (although over time I grew restless towards Tony Levin's recognizable style and I find records where he plays somewhat annoying).

I also don't understand the point of providing two mixes, dubbed "light" and "dark". To me that just doubled the pain of listening to a disappointing record twice, once through what sounds like a weird-feeling, glum and dry filter.

Just my two cents, of course, and I might as well have missed something essential. I was tempted to give it another listen to make a song-by-song analysis but ended up deciding that life is too short and the musical landscape too vast to try and validate a record that didn't convince me after multiple listens, despite the respect (and love) I have for the musician.

One of the major players in the music world starting out as the charismatic theatrical singer in Genesis in the 1970s and one of the most innovative art pop artists that took him all the way through the 1990s, PETER GABRIEL has had a very fruitful career with a series of classic albums and a propensity for non-existent or woefully inadequate album titles. Debuting in 1977 with his first eponymously titled album (followed by three more), GABRIEL could do no wrong with one magical mix of industrial prog pop hit after another including a propensity for some interesting soundtrack music.

Peaking in 2002 with "Up," his last album of all original material, GABRIEL pretty much sat the next two decades out with a series of weak half-assed orchestral and substandard cover albums that were as ennui inducing as his 80s output was captivating. Having gotten too comfy in his fame and fortune, GABRIEL like way too many rock stars fell out of touch with the music scene and in the process no longer found a connection to an ever changing musical world. It's hard to believe that GABRIEL and other artists of his era are now in their 70s but many are still going in 2023 finding not only GABRIEL releasing his first album in 12 years but a year the Rolling Stones are enduring yet another tour!

It took 20 long years in the making but finally in 2023 GABRIEL has released "i/o," a sprawling double album that demands an ever shortened attention span to endure basically two versions of the same album. Strike one for yours truly. I hate albums that do this. Release it as two albums for [%*!#]'s sake. Not to mention each version is 68 minutes long. OMG! GABRIEL is so out of touch with the 2020s! But it gets worse. Not only do both versions of the same album not really differ significantly from one another but neither do the tracks making this one of the most monotonous and uninspired albums of GABRIEL's career. Only the snooze fest combo bombs of "Scratch My Back" and "New Blood" make this seem like a masterpiece in comparison.

I slogged through this monotonous "comeback" album twice and can't believe how unbelievable dull it is. Sure GABRIEL has held up well as a singer and the material is a throwback to some of his 80s styles however it's all set to sap mode highlighting GABRIEL's abilities to craft easy listening ballads with only moments of deviation. Gone is the industrial grime that contrasted so perfectly with the intelligently designed melodies and grooves. Gone are the compelling themes that evoked myriad emotional responses. What we have here is what sounds like a bunch of leftover tracks from the "So" era minus the upbeat tracks like "Sledgehammer" or "Big Time." Yeah there are some okay-ish tunes but too few and far between for a master of the trade like PETER GABRIEL.

Twenty years in the making? Really? That only adds insult to injury. If this is the best ole PETEY can conjure up in two decades i'd say it's a fair bet that his best days are SO UP. No NEW BLOOD here but mere SNOWFLAKE music that makes some of US want to take a snoozer. This is not music that will SHOCK THE MONKEY nor will make me wanna be your SLEDGEHAMMER. He's lost it. BIG TIME. Like his PASSION has lost all its STEAM on SOLSBURY HILL. Basically this album plays it waaaaay too safe and fails to impress me on any level really. Not totally unlistenable but for a figure of GABRIEL's stature, a huge disappointment. Oh MORIBUND THE BURGERMEISTER you've gone DOWN THE DOLCE VITA to the SLOWBURN to DIGGING IN THE DIRT and despite all that no treasures to be found. Yawn.

2.5 rounded down, average at best

Having read some of the 2star reviews, I had to give my own opinion regarding the last (really probably the last album) album from Peter Gabriel. I'm a big Gabriel fan. Always have been, since the time I listened Solsbury Hill when I was eleven and my father was driving us our of the city, Gabriel has been in my mind. By then I didn't even know who he was, I just loved the music. i/o is a return to the more festive side of his music, back to sounds that echo his most popular and probably important album, So. It's no wonder that here at ProgArchives, that particular album has such bad reviews, it's full of Classic Prog Canon fans that cannot forgive musicians shift and evolve (think of last SW album). This short seeing way is what sometimes makes me question the genre itself and my own past as a strict and hermetic listener. Peter Gabriel has just delivered a testament for the future, probably a last effort in making music. The sound despite the fact of having notable links with older music from him, seems actually tremendously actual, the lyrics are probably at his peak, Gabriel has really a lot to say! I'm just grateful for the chance of hearing new material, that is not repetitive like much of the music nowadays DreamTheater, TFK, Neal Morse and others are making, engaging in formulas that make more of the same. I do not see this here. My only doubt is the fact of needing two mixes, I think one was enough and the second could be understood as a plus for people wanting to invest in it. While hearing it I couldn't but help to think that this is a goodbye, a farewell. I enjoyed it from the very beginning to the last song.

Peter Gabriel is one of the most representative legends of progressive rock, both for his contribution in Genesis and in his later successful solo career; his music, always avant-garde, with a constant willingness to experiment with textures and styles that transcend the rock spectrum, has been an indelible personal stamp. But after 2002's "Up", there was a long creative silence in which he devoted himself to recreating his music on tour, reissues, and adapting covers by other artists. Two interminable decades later, almost a lifetime, he returns to complete a work whose first sketches were conceived in 1995: "i/o".

Accompanied by his faithful squires of years, guitarist David Rhodes, the extraordinary Tony Levin on bass and percussionist Manú Katche, and a battalion of guest musicians including Brian Eno, Gabriel's deep, raspy voice sounds fresh and up to the task, and he borrows from himself similar formulas with which mainly "So" (1986), "Us" (1992) and to a lesser extent the aforementioned "Up", placed him at the top of the general consideration, and makes use of them and their inertia to complete a mix of pieces that could easily be part of those albums. For example, the heartfelt and emotional "Playing for Time" with its reminiscences of "Here Comes the Flood" (piano version 1990), the depth of the lilting "Four Kinds of Horses" (one of the best pieces on the album, if not the best), the funky "Road to Joy" and its airs of "Kiss that Frog", and the melancholy of the whispering "So Much" in the best style of "Father, Son" from the experimental OVO (2000). Everything is in its place, just as the Brit demanded, obsessive about details. But the moment for these songs was that one, and not this one. No more, no less. Despite the impeccable production work, the light of creativity appears dim on the album and fails to illuminate it as it should, and that is something that is missed, in my opinion.

"i/o" is certainly a good work, as true as it is that after so many years and Gabriel being who he is, a little more creative brilliance was to be expected.

3/3.5 stars

Having been a PG fan for decades, I have to say this album infuriates me. Not because of the music, which is excellent, but because of the formatting. Many people have criticized progressive rock as being pretentious - the songs are too long or too complicated. That has never been a problem with me. I prefer my music intelligent. On i/o, PG has achieved a new level of pretention in giving us two different mixes plus a Blue Ray Audio file that will not play on older systems such as mine. Having two different mixes signifies either that the artist is not sure what he wants his album to sound like or that he is trying to cover all bases for commercial reasons. The artistic reasons given I declare spurious. PG has always included visuals with his music, first with his costuming and performances in early Genesis and beyond, then creating interesting videos. His live shows remain legendary. The Blue Ray included in this package is his way of including visual artists with his music production. All good and fine, no problem. But to put it on a such a format that is incompatible with older systems is too much for me. I understand this format sounds better than older formats, which should be expected. If only I could experience it without buying a new system. Innovation is a good thing, but not in itself, which is what is going on here. Having listened to both mixes I can honestly say I prefer the Dark Side mix to the Bright Side mix and would have preferred the artist had the integrity to release an album worthy of his legacy, a single album. I now have three versions of the same album, an absurdity in itself, one I prefer over the other, and a third I cannot listen to. This nonsense I do not need. Even if I could play the Blue Ray, I would probably only do it once. If I want to watch music I will watch a live performance because, you know, music. I have long disliked having multiple mixes of the same song on a single CD, or even worse, a live version of a song I had just listened to. No, not happy with this album. I repeat that the music is excellent even if it constantly reminds me of music he has released in the past. The album is a culmination of all he has done before. But I won't recommend it because of the pretentions involved. I realize I am likely in the minority on this issue, but that has never bothered me. I will maintain my position even if I am the only one to do so. I hope that Mr. Gabriel will put out another album soon, and not makes us wait twenty years for new music, one that is an album, and not an exercise in pretention.