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Track Listings
Editorial Reviews
Big Blue Ball is the long-awaited, much-anticipated collection of stand-out tracks culled from the all-star, pan-global collaborations that took place over three years of Peter Gabriel s legendary Recording Week gatherings at his state-of-the-art Real World Studios in the English countryside.
Produced by Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger (of World Party, Waterboys) and Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, OMD), it s a nonstop stream of poignant, sterling performances by a truly stellar lineup of artists-- including Gabriel, Wallinger, Sinead O Connor, Natacha Atlas, Iarla O Lionaird and James McNally (both of Afro Celt Sound System), Papa Wemba, Joseph Arthur, Tanzania s late music legend Hukwe Zawose, Hungary s Marta Sebestyen, Tim Finn, Cameroonian starFrancis Bebey, Vernon Reid, Justin Adams, Jah Wobble, Billy Cobham, Rupert Hine, gospel group the Holmes Brothers, flamenco guitarist Juan Canizares, Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, and many more...in all totaling 75 artists from over 20 countries.
It s like a wall of sound coming at you, listening to the planet from outer space, says Karl Wallinger of the final mix. It s a real world-view of music, a snapshot of the music-making continents at that time. It s a more apt time to release it now than ever before. I think it s actually gathered weight with time, because it s people from all over the world playing together, just getting on together. There s an iconic aspect about that which is probably more important now. Things have become more partisan. It s a timely reminder of how you can cooperate.
Big Blue Ball s songs were created and recorded between 1991 and 1995, but the album has been an active work-in-progress at Real World ever since, a labor of love with ace producer Stephen Hague working closely with Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger. Holding the disparate elements in place is the powerful backbone of big drum tracks underpinning many of the songs. Wallinger says, Everyone was in orbit around this groove, and there is a universal language of dance, of dance grooves. That groove is the one bit that s non-denominational on the album.
Says Peter Gabriel, It s a fine wine ready to be drunk. It was the most fun music making I ve ever had. I d love to do it again.
Produced by Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger (of World Party, Waterboys) and Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, OMD), it s a nonstop stream of poignant, sterling performances by a truly stellar lineup of artists-- including Gabriel, Wallinger, Sinead O Connor, Natacha Atlas, Iarla O Lionaird and James McNally (both of Afro Celt Sound System), Papa Wemba, Joseph Arthur, Tanzania s late music legend Hukwe Zawose, Hungary s Marta Sebestyen, Tim Finn, Cameroonian starFrancis Bebey, Vernon Reid, Justin Adams, Jah Wobble, Billy Cobham, Rupert Hine, gospel group the Holmes Brothers, flamenco guitarist Juan Canizares, Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, and many more...in all totaling 75 artists from over 20 countries.
It s like a wall of sound coming at you, listening to the planet from outer space, says Karl Wallinger of the final mix. It s a real world-view of music, a snapshot of the music-making continents at that time. It s a more apt time to release it now than ever before. I think it s actually gathered weight with time, because it s people from all over the world playing together, just getting on together. There s an iconic aspect about that which is probably more important now. Things have become more partisan. It s a timely reminder of how you can cooperate.
Big Blue Ball s songs were created and recorded between 1991 and 1995, but the album has been an active work-in-progress at Real World ever since, a labor of love with ace producer Stephen Hague working closely with Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger. Holding the disparate elements in place is the powerful backbone of big drum tracks underpinning many of the songs. Wallinger says, Everyone was in orbit around this groove, and there is a universal language of dance, of dance grooves. That groove is the one bit that s non-denominational on the album.
Says Peter Gabriel, It s a fine wine ready to be drunk. It was the most fun music making I ve ever had. I d love to do it again.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peter Gabriel & Friends Have A Big Blue Ball,
By
This review is from: Big Blue Ball (Audio CD)
This outstanding album, 2008's "Big Blue Ball," is a Peter Gabriel album that's not really a "Peter Gabriel" album. A big 17 years in the making(!), it's a collaboration between Gabriel and a mass group of various singers and musicians from all over the world, including Karl Wallinger (of World Party and The Waterboys), Sinead O'Connor, Deep Forest, Natacha Atlas, Vernon Reid, Marta Sebestyen, Joseph Arthur, and many, many more. You've heard of The Alan Parsons Project? Well, consider "Big Blue Ball" an album by The Peter Gabriel Project, aka Peter Gabriel & a whole bunch of friends. So what took so long? Well, Gabriel & company recorded this album oh-so-casually, getting together for the odd occasional group recording sessions that started way back in 1991, slowwwwly putting the album together piece by meticulous-piece over the next decade-and-a-half, inbetween Gabriel's other various projects going on at the same time ("OVO," "Up," "The Long Walk Home" movie soundtrack, etc.). But now, as Gabriel himself says, "Big Blue Ball" is a fine wine ready to be drunk at last, and thank God for that---this music is *wonderful*! "Big Blue Ball" is passionate, atmospheric & powerful, with all the singers & musicians working together like a magnificent musical family. The songs are cohesive and flow together beautifully. My favorite tracks include Gabriel's trio of featured songs, the emotion-packed "Whole Thing," the funky "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" (which you may already know from Gabriel's best-of compilation, "Hit"), and his rockin' collaboration with Joseph Arthur, "Exit Through You." Arthur also shines brightly on the absolutely dreamy "altus silva." Sinead O'Connor makes her contribution count on the haunting "Everything Comes From You," Natacha Atlas and Marta Sebestyen also give great vocal performances on "Habibe" and "Rivers," respectively, and Wallinger concludes things on a high note with the very lovely title track. But really, the whole "Big Blue Ball" album from beginning to end is just marvelous. If you love Peter Gabriel's music and/or world music in general, then you're gonna love "Big Blue Ball." Trust me!
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The rumors were true,
By
This review is from: Big Blue Ball (Audio CD)
Too bad the grousing vinyl folks are included here to weigh down the rating of this wondrous album. I had read years ago about these magical sessions and had wondered for years about the possibility of hearing them. I am not only not dissapointed by undue expectation (as I was by Gabriel's last solo effort), but thrilled to glimpse a part of this legendary time of community at Real World. The joy and spontaneity of these performances shine through, the quality of the recording (I would assume all analog, thus accounting for the fullness evident), and the originality inherent in the world-fusion aspect, make this a one of a kind must-have.
Peter Gabriel's contributions are obvious in the overall style of production and it's great to hear his voice on a couple of songs, but the real magic here is the merging of this diverse group of stellar musicians, creating what they so brilliantly do - together.
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW! What A Terrific Album!,
By
This review is from: Big Blue Ball (Audio CD)
I was totally not expecting this to be such a great album. As a Peter Gabriel fan I was not very excited for this because I knew it was not a real "Gabriel album" as well as having bought and listened to music by musicians from other countries and not being very impressed. I sampled the songs and was still not very interested and didn't think it would be all that good but I still went and bought it the day it came out and man was that a great idea.
If you're a Gabriel fan or fan of "world music" as well liking a bit of spirituality in your music then this is an album for you. Just one listen and I knew this one was special. Now I haven't listened to it many times so I can't figure how to explain it, you just have to listen. The music just flows, the beats are heavy, the sound quality is crisp, and the sincerity of the vocalists adds to the depth of this collection of timeless music.It's terrific just go buy it.
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