MFSL version of PG1 The three live tracks are from The Bristol Recorder vol. 2, which featured tracks from artists around Bath, Bristol, etc.
PG II Getting PG's albums in order, in the mid/late '80s, this was the 2nd that I got. In the time between the first one and this one, though, I had had become familiar with a few of the songs from PGIII and Security, so I was aware that, as early as 1980, he didn't go back to making progressive rock. But, with Robert Fripp listed as producer, I thought that maybe there was a chance that he revisited some prog before doing the stripped-down PGIII thing. I was pretty bummed with the album at first. Whereas the first album might have been all over the place in terms of sound and style, at least there was something for everyone. The second album had a very distinct sound and style and I didn't much like any of it at first. Then a few of the songs started to click and I figured that, even if I'd never really like the album, it had a few reasons for me to play it. Several years later, I began to regard it as one of PG's best, and now it is my favorite PG album. Of all the songs, only Animal Magic comes off as a misfire. Granted, this is from someone who does not think that PG has a five-star solo album, but I do think this album - this weird contribution to arty new wave - was as good an album as PG ever did.
I was never much of a fan of PG's second album, outside of a few songs. It's not a bad album, just not one that appeals to me a lot. It didn't help that I got it at the same time I got his third and fourth albums, which are way better (and two of his three best, IMO, along with Up).
Mother Of Violence Written with his wife Jill, this song, to me, is devastatingly beautiful. We start off with some buzzing flies and move into a really nice acoustic guitar that introduces a piano which holds fort over the rest of the song, with the guitar working as a bed for the piano to sit on top of. There are actually quite a few nice little bits and pieces sitting in the mix, for example a little slide/pedal steel guitar sitting in there also, but the piano is the main force musically in this song. Lyrically this song is also magnificent. We have a song about fear and its consequences. I can't help feeling that Gabriel was making an early socio-political statement as it was around this time that media really started to use fear as a public manipulator. Now it sometimes feels like it is their only tool of communication. We have very subtle references to how fear moves around our streets "Walking the street with her naked feet, So full of rhythm but I can't find the beat, Snapping her heels clicking her toes, Everybody knows just where she goes" Fear certainly is the Mother of Violence, and we see that manifest everyday in our crazy mixed up world. Gabriel gives us a very delicate vocal and it is very affecting, for me at least. The piano has a hybrid melancholy dance feel to it and almost works as a counter to the lyrics. Yet this delicate, fragile, almost hurt vocal sitting on top, really speaks to me. This is really a sadly, often, overlooked masterpiece in the Gabriel catalog, perhaps due to the somewhat indifferent way this album was received.
Easy Reference Guide The Gap Years 75-76 https://connyolivetti.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/gaabriel-prog.pdf thanks @fRa Before The Flood Peter Gabriel Album by Album Peter Gabriel/Car 1977 - Peter Gabriel Album by Album Peter Gabriel 1 - Car » Real World Galleries - thanks @Jeff Kent track 1 Moribund The Burgermeister Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 2 Solsbury Hill Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 3 Modern Love Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 4 Excuse Me Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 5 Humdrum Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 6 Slow Burn Peter Gabriel Album by Album alt. version Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 7 Waiting For The Big one Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 8 Down The Dolce Vita Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 9 Here Comes The Flood Peter Gabriel Album by Album from Exposure album Peter Gabriel Album by Album from Shaking The Tree album Peter Gabriel Album by Album live Growing up tour Peter Gabriel Album by Album Peter Gabriel Album by Album interview Montreal 1978 Peter Gabriel Album by Album Scratches 1978 - Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 1 On The Air Peter Gabriel Album by Album live 77 Peter Gabriel Album by Album live 09 Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 2 DIY Peter Gabriel Album by Album track 3 Mother Of Violence Peter Gabriel Album by Album I Don't Remember 12" Peter Gabriel Album by Album
It's spooky how a song from so long ago can still speak in the world of today. "Fear, she's the mother of violence..." With Gabriel's involvement in amnesty efforts and human rights campaigns, I have no doubt that this is indeed a social statement on how a corrupt government can destroy a civilization; a subject he first touched upon in "The Knife" from his Genesis days. This is a brilliant song, haunting melody and those striking lyrics. Indeed, an overlooked gem in Gabriel's catalog.
While I find this album to be his weakest (or tied with the debut for that honor), I also feel "Mother of Violence" is among his best individual songs. That beautiful piano, combined with his delicate vocal and prescient lyrics, is extremely evocative.
A Wonderful Day In A One Way World Here we have an unusual semi reggae type song that is really quite a good pop song. This track is rhythmically interesting and lyrically is quite intriguing. It is a semi comedy and really well written. I very much like this song, but it did take me a couple of listens.
DIY ... I heard the Plays Live version first and prefer that to the studio version. A great song, with a proggy 5/4 rhythm with a kinda Bowie scale and lots of bassy goodness. --Geoff
DIY - amazing stick performance by Tony and use of piano for bass effects by Peter. Also a great cold-start song for compilations.
White Shadow We start with that popular keyboard sound Gabriel used on this album. This track has an almost Genesis feel and if memory serves me well, this is probably the last time we hear that on a Gabriel album. After the initial keyboard section we get somewhat of a fanfare from the structure of the riff that comes in that the guitar and keys plays. Gabriel starts singing and there are little somewhat Arabic licks played in the background. Lyrically this track seems to almost be speaking of an end to commercialism .... "Hanging on the green backed words "In God we trust"" ..."No one knew if the spirit died All wrapped to go like Kentucky Fried" ... "And she comes out like a white shadow" ... if in fact she is "commercialism" not sure, it's just the first thing that came to mind reading through this, but Gabriel has been incredibly cryptic throughout his career. I love the feel of the chorus in this song. It has some a mellow yet emphatic sound and feel. There is a sorrow in here, but it doesn't overwhelm the song. Gabriel lays down a very good vocal and I think this is up with the most effective songs on this album. I never used to have much time for this album, but thankfully this process of getting more deeply into it has helped raise my opinion of in considerably. I still don't personally find it to be his best, but side one of the original album, may be his best side of music. We get a nice lead break, which I think is Fripp, also. Another great song.
I'm not as fond of White Shadow as the other material on side 1. My copy also suffered from a bad case of inner groove distortion, so it wasn't until I purchased PG2 on CD that I got to hear this song without a ton of noise. It made it better, especially that great solo near the end, but it's my least favorite song on this side of the record.
Depends if your remix of DIY is the long (promo only) version or the faded-out-earlier commercial single version...