Customer Reviews

New Blood (Special Edition) (2CD)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's some 18 months since the release of Scratch My Back and I find myself listening to it less and less, save for "Flume" and "Listening Wind" on occasion. However, this one I think I'll be listening to a lot. Brilliantly revisiting some songs, it occasionally transcends the originals. Thanks to the official Peter Gabriel website and NME we've had the opportunity to listen to the whole album for the week preceding its official release, and that's basically all I've been listening to for the past eight days, now the album having been finally released.

The album opens with "The Rhythm of the Heat", a fitting opening to an album that visits Gabriel's older songs with delight. The song works superbly, and oozes dark grandeur, much like the amazing "Intruder". This music has drama and theatre, but it's far from being theatrically corny. Indeed, this is no Symphonicities, instead displaying the darkness, playfulness and idiosyncratic wittiness of Gabriel's music, especially apparent on the first four self-titled albums.

While the opener ends with a huge orchestral finale, "Downside-Up" is subdued, beautifully arranged by Metcalfe. The opening could be from an aria. Indeed, the song opens so beautifully, perfection to a T, that the verse doesn't quite manage to keep the song alive, fizzling out a bit. The chorus, however, works great, and although I understand perfectly the kind of counterpoint they were going after between the verse and chorus, it doesn't work for me. The ending is quite abrupt even if we're not comparing it to the original on OVO. I can't quite get the direction the song is going, never finding where it's supposed to have its center, that great moment that makes the song as a whole.

The third song is "San Jacinto", a song much like "The Rhythm of the Heat" and "Red Rain" that in itself already has a sense of musical drama most fitting for orchestral arrangement. Indeed, it's playfully brilliant all along, and this is one of the best examples of the interplay between the vocals and the orchestra, since they're in constant conversation. Perhaps the only thing I'm finding hard to grow accustomed to is the decision to first to lead the orchestra to a huge crescendo leading up to the chorus of "San Jacinto", then swerving to an unexpected diminuendo. This does leave room for another slow crescendo, making the ending stand out more, but dramatically it's not to my liking. The song ends superbly, however, taking its time to calm down.

At best Metcalfe captures not only the soul of the original recording but also plays with things only hinted at previously. "Intruder" is such an occasion. It's as creepy as the original, as witty, but there's something more, intangible almost: I can picture Gabriel singing this on the stage stark raving mad, cherishing every breath of it. Definitely a compliment, note! A ballsy arrangement that only swells up toward the ending that could've been a disaster. Instead, it's inviting, exuberant, airy. Amazing!

It would be hard to up the ante if it weren't for the best song Gabriel has ever written to follow, that being "Wallflower". I've been cherishing this song for many years, having been quite taken aback by the lack of attention given to this earlier. You can imagine my reaction upon realizing that he was performing this live and recording it for the album. And what an arrangement! This not only outdoes the studio version, this outdoes everything he has ever recorded. This is what I will always remember him by: the pinnacle of his whole career, right here.

"In Your Eyes" starts energetically. The introduction is fine, but perhaps it's my prejudice, but this song feels a bit redundant. Perhaps it's the central position it enjoys in any Gabriel setlist, the iconic song that it is, perhaps it's the obviousness of it being on the album, I don't really think it fits here that well. There are other superbly energetic songs they could've picked that would've had the moxie in them, "Kiss of Life" being one, but I suppose anything else would've been too opaque. Interestingly, "Red Rain", which is just as essential and iconic, works brilliantly. I think it might have something to do with the leisurely ambience that doesn't translate well to forward-moving orchestration, or perhaps I'm growing out of the song.

We continue on the hit album So, the next song being "Mercy Street". It starts ominously, verified in the first "Lets take the boat out", finding its counterpoint in the beautiful brass-laden chorus. The first verse is sung in an ebbing rubato by Gabriel, something repeated by the signature flute, both decisions I disliked, but Gabriel sings the second verse more to the beat, which I liked more. The flute melody, however, is deliberately stripped down from ornamentation, and doesn't do it for me. The choruses are absolutely brilliant, yet as with "Downside-Up", I thought the song ended way too soon, considering it felt like it was gaining momentum and taking its time to get the atmosphere right.

On its own it might sound a bit off, but when immediately followed by "Red Rain", it actually works as a nice prelude to it. This song is one of the best on the album: boisterous, the chorus is absolutely brilliant, the strings swelling like a pregnant river, the brass like the crescent. One of the highlights of the album, yet the bridge part hasn't quite grown on me as of yet. The ending is, however, more than fulfilling, Metcalfe exploring the whole palette of symphonic expression here without lapsing into corniness.

By now it's becoming increasingly difficult to sustain a sense of freshness in the songs. I admit that one downside of "Scratch My Back" was that the songs started sounding too similar. I think that "Darkness" suffers from this a bit, but might work better when listened to in isolation from the other songs. The chorus is among the most beautiful pieces, both musically and lyrically, Gabriel has ever written. I guess his channeling of Tom Waits in the verses will be the most debatable thing about this song, as well as the subtle lyrical changes made in the verse.

"Don't Give Up" is another safe bet, just as "In Your Eyes" is. I admit I've never been a huge fan of this song. Again, positioned towards the end as it is, it really doesn't do speak to me, sounding a bit too sappy. The piano in the verse after the first chorus is the best thing about this arrangement, and Peter's "Got to walk out of here" is one of his finest moments on the album. I don't, however, care too much for Brun's singing.

In fact, I think "Don't Give Up" and "Digging in the Dirt" share the same difficulties. They suffer from the "Symphonicity" problem, as the arrangements don't swerve as unexpectedly as to somehow differentiate them strongly enough from the originals. Sure, the first choruses of "Digging In The Dirt" have been reworked a bit, but the ending of "Don't Give Up" and a large part of "Digging In The Dirt" and the so-called bonus track "Solsbury Hill" are prime examples of uninteresting work, perhaps "In Your Names": they sound exactly how we've been accustomed to be hearing them, only played by a symphonic orchestra. The brass, however, works brilliantly on "Dirt".

I would've been content had they finished the album with "The Nest That Sailed The Sky" and "A Quiet Moment". Whoever thought of "The Nest" to be included here had a stroke of genius. It's one of the highlights of "OVO" as it is, literally making the album (with "Low Light" and "Downside-Up") for me. The inclusion of "A Quiet Moment", a recording of ambient sounds on Solsbury Hill, would've been completely justified even without having "Solsbury Hill" as a bonus track. The album would've ended in transcendent peace, quietude and awe. Instead, it now ends in what sounds like an afterthought.

The bonus disk that comes with the Special Edition includes instrumental versions of all the songs as well as an orchestrated version of "Blood of Eden", sung by Peter and Melanie Gabriel. The instrumentals are very nice, allowing us fans to redefine what karaoke is all about. As for the version of "Blood of Eden", I'm surprised they left it out, since it would've certainly made a better impression on the album rather than "Solsbury Hill".

What's the verdict, then? It's a superbly produced album, better than Scratch My Back, full of amazing songs, yet some songs leave me lacking. "Wallflower", for me, is the apex of Gabriel's whole career, and it's actually most of the first half of the album where the songs and arrangements shine, fizzling out a bit after "Red Rain". Yet in all fairness, "The Nest That Sailed the Sky" is pure bliss. The artwork is superb, aligning well with the style of the previous album.

It can't be easy to be Peter Gabriel. You put out two discs back to back both with lush, brilliantly arranged orchestral songs (one of covers and the other originals) and what you get is a bunch of flack from ungratefuls who want to see another SO. Ugh. Seriously. What else do you want? In this he basically gave us a greatest hits re imagined and infused with passion to spare. New emotions from old songs swoon and emerge again in vibrant vivid color. And his voice is AMAZING still - identical from work he recorded in the late seventies/early eighties. How does he do it? He stays true to his muse. He never compromises. He'll release another studio album when he's good and ready and when he does it will no doubt be a deliberate, thoughtful, and sincerely powerful work - just look at his track record.

OK. I admit, maybe he should stop having his daughter sing on his stuff - seriously her voice even on these limited tracks couldn't carry a paperclip. But his misplaced family loyalty aside, PG is a genius, respected in not just the music industry, but Hollywood, and by musicians across the world. No mission of his can be fruitless. He grows, learns and conjours ghosts others only dream of. And in NEW BLOOD he's given us a brilliant disc - from the theatrical Intruder to the heartbreaking Wallflower or the classic In Your Eyes. I saw him do these songs live at the Hollywood Bowl and they were every bit as magical. I will not forget that show til the say I die.

For those who don't appreciate this or Scratch My Back, I believe the future will prove you wrong. Because if anyone knows how to make powerful recordings that stand the test of time, it's Peter.

Try sitting through the first two tracks without being moved to tears (you would need to be inhuman). The compositions are beautifully arranged and Gabriel's voice has never been stronger. Some folks are accustomed to hearing these songs a certain way, so they expect to hear them in that original form- remove the conditioning and you'll find New Blood to be a brand new experience. In an Age of Lady Goo-goo and lack of emotional substance being branded into us, it's refreshing to know that some of the greats are still out there... making music their way.

Just listened to New Blood for the first time from start to finish and it is excellent! The arrangements with orchestra are very atmospheric and almost film score like at times. I've always been a big Peter Gabriel fan and also a big fan of film scores by composers like John Williams, Danny Elfman, Bernard Hermann, Hans Zimmer, Philip Glass, etc. This album is the best of both worlds.

Some of the highlights for me are "Rhythm of the Heat", "San Jacinto", "Wallflower", "In Your Eyes", "Red Rain", "The Nest That Sailed The Sky" and "Solsbury Hill".

I've seen some reviews that aren't fond of "Solsbury Hill" but when I listen to the album straight through it really compliments the whole work and gives a dynamic ending to an excellent album!!! For me the last lines he is singing "I'm coming home....back home" make me think of the long and inspiring career he has had since that was his first really big hit as a solo artist and it deals with going for your dreams and following your heart no matter what the rest of the world may say.

I definitely recommend this to any Peter Gabriel fan and/or enthusiast of film score/ambient music.

[...]

There is no more hardcore fan of Peter Gabriel than I. I wept when he left Genesis, exaulted when his solo material equalled and exceeded that of his former band, and listened in amazement as his pallette grew and bloomed. However, the achievements put to digits on "New Blood" show a depth and breadth to Peter Gabriel as an artist unparalleled by anything he has ever done before - even though this material is all reworking of old pieces.

Reworking is too simple a word. Reinvention? Resuscitation? Reanimation, perhaps, because these pieces live and breathe as they never have before. For those who express disappointment that this isn't another world/funk/rock work, move along...buy Brittany Spears' newest release, pop another bottle of Jagermeister, and keep your minds closed. This is ART in it's finest sense. For those who cherish new experiences and intellectual stimulation in addition to shaking their asses, THIS is the work to buy...to listen to again and again...and to love.

In many cases musicians release live albums to buy time for a new studio release, to publicize their back catalogue or they've just run out of creative juice. In some rare instances a musician puts out a live album because they're reworking or refashioning well-known songs or trying to re-invent themselves musically. "New Blood" falls somewhere between the two with Peter Gabriel giving some of his lesser-known 80's era songs a fuller orchestral treatment, somewhat akin to what Sting did with 2010's Symphonicities. Gabriel's thought was to provide different insight into the songs than was the case with the originals. Fair enough.

"New Blood" skews heavily towards tracks from 1982's Peter Gabriel 4: Security and 1986's So largely eschewing hits (aside from "In Your Eyes," "Red Rain," and "Digging in the Dirt") in favor of deep cuts from two of his most commercially successful albums. Again, fair enough, as it's a different approach and not your usual "just the hits please" approach for live albums. The results are certainly different from the originals and it's subjective to say if they're improvements or not. Fans of the sparse brittle tension of Peter Gabriel 3: Melt and Peter Gabriel 4: Security will undoubtedly be discomfited by the lush fuller arrangements here. Formerly unsettling tracks like "Intruder" feel like they've lost a bit of their edge when compared to the originals and sometimes there is a tendency to ask "is this really necessary?" The latest trend in musicians of "a certain age" is to perform concerts that showcase a specific album or albums, and "New Blood" teeters dangerously close to doing that. Granted, it's not a precise recreation but a revamping, but the thought still registers in the back of the listeners' mind, especially when most of the material showcased here is 20+ years old. Considering his last studio release was 2003's Up all of the forgoing questions and doubts tend to crop up. That's not to say that "New Blood" isn't enjoyable. It is, but it's certainly not going to win new fans and seems geared more towards longtime followers. It's also answering a question nobody seems to be asking. As a huge fan of 80's era Peter Gabriel I've never wondered "I wonder what orchestral versions would sound like?" Rather than cheering Peter boldly moving forward "New Blood" is a look back for reasons never really fully fathomed.

Peter Gabriel has been known to expand his musical dexterity over the years, so this album isn't a great surprise. Well, maybe it is. He takes many of his most popular songs (San Jacinto, In Your Eyes, Red Rain, Don't Give Up) and mashes them up with some lesser known tunes and somehow manages to create what might be called an old fashion rock opera. Gabriel loses the guitars and drum kits and hires an orchestra conducted by Ben Foster. John Metcalfe steps in and orchestrates it all, and damn if it doesn't sound fresh and new. Gabriel handles all the vocals with backup help from daughter Melanie and others on various pieces. He had some issues adding "Solsbury Hill" (track 14) to the track list because he didn't think it added itself to orchestration. So included is 4:48 of dead air (track 13) before we get to track 14. Unlike other recent releases at least you can skip the track. This has always annoyed me when we get 4 or 5 minutes of nothing before getting to the "bonus track". This is one of the best albums I've heard all year.

I opted for the "Special Edition" 2 disc version. What a great second disc. Essentially this is a reprise of disc 1 without any vocals (except for the last track "Blood of Eden"). The genius is in the orchestration. When this disc is played in it's entirety it is like listening to a great symphony. Listen to this album on the best system you can find. You won't be disappointed. Beautifully done.

New Blood, the special edition, makes a unique addition to my Peter Gabriel/Genesis CD collection. While I already have most of the songs, the orchestration on these versions is beyond beautifully done. The vocals, which in many cases are improved as far as diction is concerned, compliment the orchestra, as expected. I don't miss the percussion or guitars.

This won't be a detailed review-- there are plenty of those going around. I just want to point out a few flaws for those who might not be aware.

Flaw #1 - the track labled "A Quiet Moment" is not a new song as I had expected, but rather a 5 minute ditty of water and birds softly chirping. A big let down if you weren't expecting it.

Flaw #2 - The Nest That Sailed the Sky is an instrumental song, which begs to question why'd they put it on the instrumental bonus disc? It sounds like exactly the same version too. That's a real head scratcher. So many good songs on Ovo, and they include an instrumental song? Twice?

Flaw #3 - Not really a "flaw" since it can be remedied, but not including Signal to Noise on the regular edition was pure blasphemy in my opinion. S2N is bloody amazing. Luckily it is availible as a bonus track elsewhere.

Flaw #3.5 - Not including Washing of the Water on the regular edition. Luckily it can be found on the digital Book of Love single here on Amazon.

Flaw #4 - The biggest flaw in my book: Very little drums anywhere. This flaw is most evident on the opening track The Rhythm of the Heat. You know the song and you expect it to kick in at the end, but it doesn't. The symphonic thing sounds nice, but it doesn't bring out the songs full potential. Several songs suffer from the minimal percussion. Thank the lord they included some drums on Signal to Noise.

Aside from these minor details, New Bloood is an excellent addition to the PG catalogue. I, personally, wish he'd stop with this symphonic stuff and get to work completeing I/O, but knowing Peter, that could be another decade in the making, so I guess I'd better count my blessings while I can.

Peter Gabriel has done it again. The original songs often gave me chills and these reworked songs do the same. If you are a PG fan don't miss this one. Now if he would release some new material I would be in heaven.