Help me dive into Peter Gabriel's solo career

I'm surprised a smart ass didn't respond "Start with Peter Gabriel, then move on to Peter Gabriel, and finally give Peter Gabriel a try."

PG is such a sellout for naming his albums from Security onward!

 

YMMV I guess. I prefer the exposure (deliberate) of Gabriel's voice on the chorus of the Fripp version. It was the first version I heard, mind - so to my brain it was the original and the bigness came as a shock. A completely great song either way.

 

"Security"? In Europe it was called "Peter Gabriel".

 

Glad to see some love for "Up". It's a really great record even if it's one of the biggest downers ever.

 

It's also pretty amazing in 5.1. Too bad it's the only one. I would kill for 3 and 4 in surround.

 

His first is one of the greatest debut records ever. And the second is another slam dunk. After that I thought he got too lost in trends (though he probably started some) and technology.

 

1 is overproduced
2 is under produced
3 has too many guest stars
4 is too dark
So is too eighties

 

I would suggest discovering them in chronological order. He definitely refined his approach over time, at least up until IV (Security).

 

I would recommend you start with the first four albums in the order as them were released. Then would go with his more commercial albums: SO and US. If you do not like his more experimental side, then go with SO and US (which are good for beginners)
Passion, OVO and UP are very good. I would really like UP. But if you're not familiar with the work of Peter alone you might find it a little hard to hear this material.

I'd say you're about to start a very interesting sonic adventure ... is one of the most interesting musical careers in contemporary music. Luck!

 

Therefore you love Us?

 

My cassette of this changed how I felt about music in 1980. It was a moment and I'm still amazed to this day.

 

Hmmm...not a fan, or do you really like the later stuff?

 

Another collaboration with a band from the Real World label -

 

This!

It's funny; some of my earliest musical memories are of seeing 'Sledgehammer' endlessly on MTV/VH1 when it came out. (when they were "proper" channels !) and then as I discovered prog in my late teens, and finally got into Genesis in my twenties, I came to love the Gabriel-era. Still is my favorite period. I could recall every Peter-era song/lyric/fact you name it but only now have I fully decided to really discover and learn his solo work. Discovering music that you missed out on in an earlier point in time is awesome!

 

Nice. Didn't know this song. Thanks.

 

The riches of music produced in the late '70s and early '80s in the UK is just mind-boggling at times, with a cohort of artists like Gabriel, Eno, Budd, Fripp, Bowie, Bush, Sylvian, et al. creating some of the best music ever made. I liken it to the San Francisco PERRO era of the early '70s.

 

III, IV (Security), So and Us are my personal favourites. If your into more experimental things start with the first 2, if you want something more accessible start with the last 2.

 

Certainly yes! It is very pleasant to rediscover the classics and also new music. And if it's Peter Gabriel: good choice for you. His work is fascinating. Of all the ex-Genesis, he is perhaps the most adventurous and experimental (with Steve Hackett, who is another very interesting to explore)

 

All the songs are great on the first four albums but the production doesn't do the material any favors. DYI would have been a #1 hit if anyone other than Robert Fripp had produced it.

 

Im curious which song and what effect? If I could only choose one album, III (Melt) might be my favorite.

 

"Normal Life" grabbed me first, then every song.

 

Peter Gabriel hasn't put out to many 5.1 but there is one that came out of nowhere and it's called Peter Gabriel Hit and it has all of his old hits and the 5.1 mix is pretty good...I'm really glad I found this because he is one of my all time favorites

 

This. the first one is pretty commercial and a bit overblown, but it's very accessible. Things get less commercial and more and more "interesting" as you move up. So certainly panders for middle ground, but the majority fo the album is just as experimental and world music ish as the ones before it.

 

Hi Andy -

Don't know if you have picked up anything else, but IMO nearly every one of PG's solo records has merit. My faves are (in rough order):

Security (perfect all around)
Melt (although I must admit the "Plays Live" versions of Biko and No Self Control are my go-to versions)
So (Commercial - period, sure, but so many great songs)(
Car (I see you already have this one! It's a favorite of mine too)
Us (Dark and beautiful - the Secret World Live versions of these are more lively and equally great)
Passion
Up (VERY dark but a wonderful record)
Scratch (For "White Shadow" alone, but this is not the only highlight)
OVO (guest artists all around, so it's hard to call it exclusively a PG album, but the tracks "Downside Up" and "The Tower That Ate People" are amazing and have been in PG's live shows for a while.

 

Anybody ever put together an odds & sods compilation for PG?