SO

I've always been incredibly fond of Peter Gabriel. In fact, long before I understood what all the hype was about surrounding his work in Genesis, I considered myself a huge fan of his solo output. To this day, I still think the stuff he has done since departing from Genesis is a hundred times more creative. This album proves that once again. Everything about it is so emotionally-charged and experimental from beginning to end. Rarely does it stumble, and often does it lift the listener's spirit and carry it to exotic emotional places through all the creative works that can be heard within So.

I think my favorite tracks are ''Red Rain'', ''Don't Give Up'' (a wonderful ballad featuring an awesome, deep bass intro from Tony Levin and a hauntingly beautiful chorus vocal by Kate Bush), ''That Voice Again'', ''In Your Eyes'' (it's got a dynamite chorus!), ''We Do What We're Told'' and the absolutely phenomenal ''This Is the Picture''. The last song mentioned apparently isn't on all of the editions of this album, but it is by far in my top five favorite Gabriel songs ever, on any record. Really amazing.

The rest of the songs are very good as well, with a couple that are just so-so in my book, but the overall experience of this album is comparable to ''Security'', which I personally think is my very favorite by the man. Both that album and this one strike chords with me so close to my heart and musical spirit, that they just feel very in line with what I am naturally drawn to. This album never needed to grow on me, nor did it seem tedious to listen to at any point. I instantly loved it, and whenever an album can do that to me, I know it's worth giving very high marks.

I think if you want to get into Gabriel and are looking for a good album to start with, So is an excellent choice. It features everything that makes his music great, and the variety of moods and musical styles also adds worth to this one. Not as eclectic as OVO, and certainly not as 'out there' as Passion, but this album is able to capture your imagination with its originality and heart without stepping so far out of the Pop boundary that it loses its accessibility. It's the best of all the musical worlds Peter Gabriel has had his toe in over the years, and a truly excellent addition to any collection.

Very happy listening.