Open Web Player
Oh, how tough the road to solo stardom can be. Ex-Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel's first whack at a solo album is most assuredly artsy, but as it turns out sometimes you need more. Another thing this album most assuredly is is front-loaded: opener "Moribund the Burgermeister" is as fine an art-rock song as any, with some funny "Boris the Spider"-esque vocals and a good tune to boot; its follow-up, the hit "Solsbury Hill" (which proved that the road to solo stardom isn't always THAT tough), is delightful; that is a lovely guitar part. Following that is a fun if somewhat indecipherable rocker "Modern Love" (no relation to D. Bowie's hit of the same name) and the equally fun barbershop spoof "Excuse Me", with some hilariously stupid-sounding vocals and a catchy bridge. After that is "Humdrum", which constantly changes its sound to exciting effect - and it's got another good tune!
After that, though, things begin to go downhill. Side two begins with "Slowburn" (once again, no relation to Bowie), a PRETTY GOOD song that I don't find terribly memorable. Mainly, I remember the production on the track, but more on that later. Next is "Waiting for the Big One", which is where Gabriel really loses me. This song is hardly even B-side quality: it has a nice SOUND - blues/lounge-jazzy, but that's it. The vocals are poor (not funny here), and there is NO real tune to be found in any of its seven-plus minute sprawl. I don't care enough to know what the "big one" is, but if it's a melody then I'm waiting for it too, man! No such luck, however. The one bright spot of side two comes next in "Down the Dolce Vita", which has a somewhat memorable tune and some funky guitar. It's still overlong, with too much bombast for me to handle in between the more upbeat sections, but said parts are quite good. The album's big finish comes with "Here Comes the Flood", a MASSIVE ballad that is densely layered with voices and things. Unfortunately, so much bombast can only be leavened with a great melody ("Bohemian Rhapsody"? "Purple Rain"?), and this song sadly doesn't have one. Therefore, it falls flat on its face. Rats.
Aside from the inconsistent song quality, the production hurts the album as well. There are so many sounds and so many effects (WAY too much echo and reverb, and it seems to be on everything) that the vocals often end up being drowned in the mix. This is why "Modern Love" is so lyrically incoherent; the first part of the chorus is "AHHH, THE PAIN!", and I couldn't even figure that out without looking it up. The overproduction really reduces my urge to ever listen to the record, though I do listen to "Moribund" and "Solsbury Hill" fairly frequently. Those are the two I'm the most fond of, and it's quite a fondness.
Overall, Peter Gabriel's first attempt at a solo album is fun to listen to despite its wimpy production, and though it is very inconsistent its best songs make it worthwhile.
Highlights: "Moribund the Burgermeister", "Solsbury Hill", "Humdrum"
Lowlight: "WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE"
Recommended if you like: David Bowie at his most experimental/humorous (Lodger, Scary Monsters), glam-era Brian Eno, mid-70s Queen (particularly "Slowburn"), diversity
Where to now?: I recommend the above artists' work if you haven't heard it but like this, as well as Gabriel's far-superior
third self-titled album
, easily a five-star album in my opinion.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from other countries
Robert Rocks
Fascinating solo debut from 1977
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2015
Peter N. Ingleby
The start of a brilliant solo career
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2013
