j o n b

Peter Gabriel is not a man to rush things. It's been a decade since the release of Us, which consolidated his status as late 80s/early 90s world music figurehead and music video trailblazer. Given the huge amount time between Us and the similarly monosyllabic Up, what direction would the former Genesis frontman take? Would he try and recapture the popular success of the yore, or would he blaze a new path in his work? Thankfully, the he chose the latter, and the result is one of the more intriguing, if not completely successful, releases of 2002. Up is shamelessly noncommerical work. Even the nominal single, "The Barry Williams Show" (which grabbed Gabriel a Grammy nomination), is not exactly Top 40 material. Both the music and lyrical themes are fairly bleak — definitely not an "up" recording. That is made perfectly clear from the opening track, "Darkness", which alternates between delicate vocal and piano parts and blasting, grating, bursts of techno-like noise. Other tracks maintain that same feeling, but do so by utilizing different styles and a constantly shifting group of musicians. "Growing Up" seems (to me, at least) to incorporate some dance music elements, but isn't overwhelmed by them. "No Way Out" combines a slow groove with terrific double bass work to build towards Gabriel's soaring vocals in the chorus (which, gods help me, really reminds me of part of "Uncertain Weather" from the last Genesis album). "Signal to Noise" uses pounding drumming and lush orchestration to slowly build to a climax. As mentioned, "The Barry Williams Show" is the nominal single on the album (although "More Than This" sounds like the more obvious choice to me). It's takes on an obvious target, the Jerry Springer style trash TV show, but does it from the host's point of view. That turning around of things allows the finger of blame for such stuff to be pointed squarely at the public, whose constant viewing makes it economically viable. My favorite track on the album is "Sky Blue", a slow and deliberate song with tasty guitar work from David Rhodes and excellent use of the mournful gospel vocals of The Blind Boys of Alabama. While there are a lot of high points on Up, it can be a little daunting to digest in one chunk. It's fairly dark explorations of the deep recesses of the psyche (both musically and lyrically) can wear you down after a while. If you're already down, however, it is an effective companion. My other criticism is that, as with all of Gabriel's studio work I've heard, it sounds a bit mechanistic and cold. I prefer the live performances and would be interested in hearing or seeing shows from the current tour. Was ten years worth the wait for a new Gabriel album? Many have said this is his best since either the third or fourth eponymous albums back in the 1980s. I'm not sure if I can concur just yet, but one thing is certain: prog fans who gave up on Gabriel during his pop success of the 80s and 90s should give Up a chance. They might be pleasantly surprised. review by Jon Byrne — 1-12-03 —

c o n r a d

Listening to the new Peter Gabriel album is somewhat akin to getting the latest update on his psychotherapy. Songs like "Darkness", with its psychological imagery (And the monster I was so afraid of / lies curled up on the floor / is curled up on the floor / just like a baby boy / I cry until I laugh), and the overall melancholy nature of the music, are probably all that I have drawn this impression from. At any rate, this is still a very inward looking album lyrically. Musically this is a bit of an amalgam of what has gone before. "Growing Up" displays signs of the danceable tracks on Us, "Signal to Noise" is his World Music number thanks to the vocals of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and a lot of the other tracks hark back to his earlier albums. The result is oddly reassuring. While not as shallow and overtly pop as Us and So, it is also not quite as inaccessible as some of his earlier albums. In short, if you like Peter Gabriel you will probably like this. The track that stands out, like a sore thumb or glittering gem depending on your perspective, is "The Barry Williams Show". As has been said, this song is a parody of shock talk show hosts. There is a section that lists a string of mock episode titles (My S/M lover hurt me / My girl became a man / I love my daughter's rapist / My life's gone down the pan) which those with a dark sense of humour will find amusing. This is really one of those songs whose success depends on whether it strikes you as overbearing preaching or as a deftly aimed shot at today's lowlives. In the end, Up is a near miss at being a great album. Peter Gabriel has taken some of the best elements of his previous albums and formed them into a cohesive whole. It has some high points, particularly "Sky Blue" and "Signal to Noise", but these points are too few and not quite high enough to make this the Peter Gabriel solo masterpiece he has so far failed to deliver, in spite of coming close a few times. This is a must get for fans, and a nice addition to the CD collection for those who are interested in Peter Gabriel. review by Conrad Leviston — 2-3-03 —

j o e

Perhaps anticipating the decreased likelihood of maintaining his viability as a pop superstar after a ten-year absence in an ephemeral market, Peter Gabriel has taken the wiser move of shoving the industry out of his way and for the most part ignoring its demands. In the process, his music has regained the edginess that characterized his earliest solo releases, which hard-core fans are sure to eat up. While the appropriately titled "Darkness" is so not-subtle in its dynamic manipulations, it is nonetheless the foremost example of this return to a place buried from light. Most of the tracks are quite strong, particularly the moody "My Head Sounds Like That" and "Signal to Noise," featuring fierce vocals from the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. For this release, the emphasis is less on ambitious world music experiments with forty different musicians per track, and more on contemplative songs with fifteen different musicians per track. Following suit lyrically, Gabriel's words on this one are as compelling as ever, a cloud of angst (in the best sense of the word) not felt for a long time in his solo work. If you want songs that tap into a collective consciousness of melancholy, doubt, and fear, then you've come to the right place. If you want "Kiss That Frog," "Steam," or "Big Time," er... try again next decade. Up does have a couple of valleys. As the first pick for a single, "The Barry Williams Show" has a considerable disadvantage: it's a dull, labored song with dull, labored content. This just in, in cased you didn't know: Jerry Springer shows are depressing. For Sting or Don Henley, the Indignantly Righteous Artist track is de rigeur, but Gabriel's too good to waste his time shredding these paper tigers. Another tune that didn't do anything for me was "I Grieve," which at times veers strangely close to Seal's "A Prayer for the Dying" ("Life carries on..."). Wish it was as good. While we're at it, even some of the better tracks, such as "Sky Blue" and "Signal to Noise" are reminiscent to songs that have come before, such as "Mercy Street" and "Rhythm of the Heat," respectively. Perhaps since the time of his mega-hit So, critics have commented on Gabriel's most recent albums as sounding a bit sterile or weighted down, perhaps as a combination of the extended song lengths and pristine production value. I'd surmise they would say much the same with Up in that regard. Still, Up is definitely a substantive release worthy of hearing, and for long-waiting Gabriel fans it more than bears the standard expected. review by Joe McGlinchey — 1-27-03 —