Peter Gabriel 3

Trite and dry. Bah humbug.

Not heard this before apart of course for the singles (I’d forgotten just how good ‘No Self Control’ was). Production is superb as you’d expect from Gabriel & the content is also very good indeed. 4 stars plus.

A great album. Worth games without frontiers and Biko alone

Melt. No, not you.

Peter Gabriel has always had an interesting discography, especially as he began his solo career. This album of his specifically is sonically interesting too. He gathered quite an array of personnel to help out (I thought I heard Kate Bush's voice! And recognize the drumming from Phil Collins in a few tracks?) In addition, the use of gated reverb and the drum machine/synthesizer are notable. Lyrics seem bizarre at the surface level, but there are some powerful messages here that only Peter Gabriel and a few others could pull off with an experimental approach.

Definitely the most ambitious effort I've heard from Gabriel thus far. An album so packed with ideas that you could release it today and everybody would be none the wiser as to its actual release date. The man starts dabbling with post punk and new wave, all whilst remaining steadfast in his art rock stylings to create something truly poignant and utterly timeless. I can see why Gabriel has the reputation he possesses now

Amzing

It’s worth the price of admission just for Games Without Frontiers, but the rest of the album is also gem. It takes a few listens to open up, but it’s so, so worth taking the time…. 4.5

1. 4 2. 4.5 3. 3.5 4. 5 5. 3.5 6. 3 1. 5 2. 5 3. 3.5 4. 4.5

This is just not my style of music and I feel like I have listened to a lot of albums on this list that sound the exact same? Games Without Frontiers is an all-timer though

Massive PG fan. This is definitely 5*

Discordant, boring and pretentious. Unimaginative and doesn't go anywhere. Really basic drum beats and unmemorable melodies. 2/5

This was great, and it's highlighted by Games Without Frontiers for me. Shoutout to The Americans. Sonically, very cool and impressive for 1980. I'm not sure how often I'd come back to this but I really did enjoy it.

Have always loved this album

I can't say I enjoyed this all that much Best Song: I Don't Remember Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2

Hadn’t heard this one for ages, great album

Simply not my style, I don’t particularly feel anything regarding it. I wish it leaned more towards rock. The second half overall is more enjoyable. Top track: I don’t remember.

5/10

An album written for the 80's including a track called "No Self Control" is pretty fitting. 5 keepers in 10 (50%) 50

This album left absolutely no impression. If this wasn't Peter Gabriel, this would have had no effect whatsoever. I honestly don't have anything positive to say, nor to do I remember anything about any of the songs, so I'm really left with no choice. 1.4/5 -> 1/5

My favourite Peter Gabriel album. This one is a turning point for him, where his sound palette shifts from the ornateness of his first two solo albums and Genesis works, into a more electronic, Post-Punk influenced sound (this is also the album where Kate Bush, who is featured here, was introduced to the electronic hardware that would later be used on her own work.) This is a paranoid and anxious listen (see the opener "Intruder"' and its snakelike vocals and at-the-time novel gated drum sound), but it is not afraid to let loose, with songs like "And Through the Wire" genuinely sounding closer to something off of Born In the USA. There's a lot of experimentation here, but Peter's sense of melody still pushes these tracks into the realms of accessibility. "I Don't Remember" and the legendary "Games Without Frontiers" have real strong grooves, while still finding room to throw in some crazy sounds. Also I won't neglect to mention the haunting "Biko", an ominous closer that kind of feels like it goes on forever, like in a good way. Love it

Kinda kooky and offbeat. Especially liked the earlier tracks and “and through the wire.”

Not as good as I thought it was going to be. I appreciate the subtleties and experimentation, but I almost wish this was more of a rock album and less of a pop album. Good in moments but lacked a true standout song or two to tie the album together. Top tracks: I Don't Remember, Not One of Us

3.5. Rounded down because no cymbals.

So self important. So important to me at 15.

I have this album and it has a couple of my favorite Gabriel songs on it, but there are also a lot of duds.

I'm sure I owned this at one point (about the same time that I was reading books about dragons). I can still kind of see the appeal, but it's way too heavy-handed. All-star cast, though--I want it to be noted that I recognized Phil Collins's drums on Intruder instantly.

Perfect

For some reason Peter Gabriel's music just doesn't hit the spot for me. It isn't bad, it isn't uninteresting, but I just have no desire to listen to it.

VERDICT: Visceral, impassioned, powerful and political art-pop that can stand alongside the best of Bowie and Talking Heads. BEFORE: I only really know his big singles. Look forward to digging in. AFTER: Way more experimental than I expected. Enjoyed it but needed a couple of listens to absorb it all properly. Surprised to see Phil Collins and Paul Weller involved. It's really great - not confined to genre, playful like the Talking Heads but less funky and more atmospheric, with a current of righteous anger through a lot of the songs. HIGHLIGHTS: The insistent drums and spidery discordance of Intruder. No Self Control's urgency and weird choruses. Family Snapshot is strikingly dramatic. And Through The Wire is visceral and just really catchy. Not One Of Us is heavily percussive and impassioned, with a slippery instrumental bridge that I really loved. Lead A Normal Life sounds like it could be one of Bowie's experimental tracks, almost ambient in places. Biko is a dark, powerful and sincere tribute to anti-apartheid activist to Steve Biko and a fitting closer. LOWLIGHTS: Start feels like something from another project. I didn't hate it as a kind of musical sorbet but it is a bit Red Shoe Diaries. VERDICT: This is a great album. Really interesting. 5 stars.

I'm not loving this? Almost industrial sounding. I'm really not sure about this/ Right now a solid 2?

This is kind of a mid level album if we are being honest. I like Peter Gabriel. I always thought he was the most creative member of Genesis and not a douche bag like Phil Collins. This album contains two really fine tracks - Games Without Frontiers and Biko. The rest of the record is rather unremarkable to be fair. If this was truly a cultural classic that is timeless you’d be able to instantly recall a couple of more songs from this record but you can’t. Why? Because Peter was a genius naming every single record Peter Gabriel. You probably don’t remember that there was a track on this record called “I Don’t Remember” - do you? The best unknown track is And Do You Remember with Paul Weller, then still in The Jam, playing guitar. I bought this record when it came out because it was right in the middle of that first post-punk explosion and the emphasis on rhythm and the Siouxsie and The Banshees sounds were pretty unique for the time. It was one foot in post-punk and one foot in prog but no so proggy that it sounded like Genesis or Yes. That would have killed this record. As a college dj I’d play tracks from this quite regularly as it fit in with Gang of Four, Talking Heads and similar rhythm first bands. Not a perfect record and a couple of tracks probably should have been left off (Start and Family Snapshot in my opinion), but at times enjoyable enough that if you saw this in the Used bin at the local record shop you’d pay $5 and give it a spin. 3/5

This album was okay; I enjoyed the instrumentals, but the lyrics didn't quite do it for me. 3/5.

Classic Gabriel. Some good songs along with a couple of amazing ones

1980 performance rock, rhythm first approach No self control I don't remember *Biko

i had a good time

It's OK I guess. I love "Games Without Frontiers" because it reminds me of a cassette in my Dad's old Ford Orion, but............. is it really any different to anything else that Eno / Gabriel etc were pumping out around this time?

It’s decent but I liked his first album better.

Wonderful from start to finish. During the pandemic, I went through a "Peter Gabriel phase". I listened, in order, to everything from the first Genesis album through Up (soundtracks not included). This was my favorite of those early, solo years. I know So and 'Car' are on here, I just hope 'Scratch and 'Security' are too

This is pretty cool. I liked the changing styles throughout, there's not really two songs here that sound the same. I Don't Remember, Games Without Frontiers and the Springsteen-esque Family Snapshot are the standouts. 3.5/5.

Not my favorite Peter Gabriel but I love him nonetheless

Wow! What a great album. I'm a Peter Gabriel fan anyway, but this album contains some real gems, including my favourite Peter Gabriel track (can you guess? Answer 👇...). Very eclectic, and range of instruments - you can see how he ended up in world music in more recent times in some of the choices in this album. But then throws in a very 80s Sax interlude in the middle, leading into one of the best tracks, "I Don't Remember". Along the way, we have the amazing imagery in "Family Snapshot". Anyway, the album closes with my all-time PG favourite, "Biko". If you don't know why, listen again and read the lyrics. Also, remember that it was almost 10 years before I could listen to this song without fear of arrest in South Africa... Obviously a 5 stars for me, and I'll fight you if you disagree...

Prior to listening I though this would be either really weird or great. I'm pleased to say afterwards it was interestingly weird enough... I especially liked the phase music inspired backings and the interplay between drums and keys. No self control was a highlight for me. I know it is self indulgence in the finest traditions of prog, but I liked it. A 3.5/4

Exceptional album.

Definitely worth a listen.

Intruder 3.3 No Self Control 3.4 Start 3.1 I Don't Remember 3.3 Family Snapshot 3.2 And Through the Wire 3.4 Games Without Frontiers 3.3 Not One of Us 3.4 Lead a Normal Life 3 Biko 3.2 Score: 3.26

The combination of “Peter Gabriel toots” and general Genesis ambivalence pepped me for an onerous listen. I enjoyed the album though. I was ready for it to be over when it got there, but probably one of the better Peter Gabriel spins I’ve listened to.

My father in-law is a Genesis/Gabriel die-hard and would quite literally murder me if he somehow found this review. But this album is just a bit shit, isn’t it? And it’s probably one of the better Gabriel experiences I’ve had too.

Peter Gabriel would be so good if only he’d shut the hell up. Musically a lot of this album is absolutely incredible, but he pretty much ruins it with his insufferably earnest vocals.

A little meh, a little weird.

I feel like the mix here missed the mark, it sounded super garbled and incomprehensible 2/5

One of my favourite PG albums that isn’t So.

This generator gave me "So" by Peter Gabriel before so straight off the bat this album was a stark contrast. Both albums I was really torn on 4 or 5. I may give a 5 just because I gave So a 4. This one has a darker atmosphere and is more alternative than plainly rock, with alot of interesting musical choices like the glockenspeil in "lead a normal life" but these choices kept the album fresh and enticing.

Not bad and it could grow on me with more time

A very interesting album, there is a lot of stuff to unpack here.

I didn't think that I had ever listened to a whole Peter Gabriel album. But more of these tracks are well know to me than I originally thought. "I Don't Remember" being a favourite. "Biko" another stand out, for the track and the message. Found myself toe tapping along to one of the unknown tracks to me, so have to say I enjoyed it. "I Don't Remember" being the album version so an extended ending. "Family Snapshot" also notable for me. That's four tracks from the album that I quite like. Quite a bit of variety amongst these tracks. Have to give the album a 5, which surprised me as the first two tracks not as notable for me, was thinking a 3 initially despite "Solsbury Hill" from Peter Gabriel being one of my favourite songs. After listening to the whole album, and then searching his back catalogue, I think I have definitely listened to his greatest hits album more than once.

so awful

It wasn't Pink Floyd bad

Have to admire this. There's so much going on musically, from post punk discomfort, new wave, afropop (in Biko), and a whole range of rock from prog opera to art rock and cheesier 80s mainstream, but it never sounds anything other than cohesive. Lyrically interesting along the way, too. I was expecting it to be four stars for most of the listen, but by the end of it all - experimental and accessible, disturbing and joyous - I'm sold on the idea that it's actually a truly great album, and one of the most significant of it's time. Big win for the list.

It took a second listen for me to hear the merits of this music that my pre-existing Peter Gabriel bias had drowned out the first time. Growing up in the eighties meant a lot of ambient Peter Gabriel exposure. I appreciated some of it; I thought the Sledgehammer music video was the best thing on TV when I was five years old. But none of his music followed me out of the eighties, so it always felt stuck there. The music on this album is so varied while remaining a cohesive experience. There are eighties earmarks for sure, but it sounds surprisingly unbound by time. What a trip. I've seen the light.

I don't get it.

Peter Gabriel was at peek creativity on his first 4 solo albums. And you get bonus Kate Bush on this one.

Solid Gabriel!

Another strong Peter Gabriel record. Favourite tracks: Intruder (creepy feeln'), Start, I Don't Remember, And Through The Wire, Games Without Frontiers (Kate Bush = automatically awesome), Not One Of Us, Lead A Normal Life, Biko.

I don’t really see what’s so special about this. It’s not bad but it didn’t wow me

Not great, not terrible...

One of those that you can hear it’s influences and can also hear how it may be somewhat influential to people, but I just didn’t like it.

Just okay

Would not buy

Three is about right

Review - two Peter Gabriel's in short succession. Not as good as So, but an interesting album. Some fun synth parts, weird bass lines, and he's a good singer. Worth hearing. Score - 6.5/10 Need to listen? YES

Хороший альбом, стронг 80ті в звуці та настрої. Мені імпонують альбоми, яким вдається бути арті і одночасно мати цю поп-орієнтованість. Тут це дуже непогано вдається. Найбільше сподобалися No Self Control та And Through the Wire.

Люблю сольне Гебріела, цей альбом слухав останній раз не так давно, коли читав (що іронічно) автобіографію Філа Коллінза. Він тут грав на барабанах у пісні intruder, фірмове інтро альбому. Загалом це класичний сольний Пітер Гебріел, арт-рок і нью-вейв переплітаються з поп-музикою і прогом, політичні тексти і оце все. Тверда четвірка від мене, бо на 5 з його сольної творчості я оцінюю тільки so.

This takes me back to when I was a kid and my older brother was playing this endlessly! It's such a great album that to this day is sonically different than any other artist's work. For example, I recently saw a Genesis documentary where Phil Collins mentioned that Gabriel wanted him on this album, as long as he didn't use any cymbals. I was listening for it, and I don't think I heard any cymbal crashes on the entire album. On a final note, I always get emotional whenever I hear that sombre drumbeat that begins Biko. It takes me right back to seeing Peter Gabriel live with the whole crowd chanting the "Uh-Uh-Ohhh" part at the end. The hairs on the back of my neck stood when I heard this song. Gabriel delivered such a powerful message and included all of us, united in protest. Liked Songs Added: I Don't Remember Games Without Frontiers Not One Of Us Lead A Normal Life Biko

Better than I expected.

Great album. Gabriel is fantastically talented.

Teška dosada od albuma. Ne kužim čemu ovoliko glupih albuma na projektu uz toliko dobrih koji postoje. 1/5, 1/10

I'm just not a big Peter Gabriel fan but this is very well produced, falls off at the second half though

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Intruder, I Don't Remember This is my second Peter Gabriel album in 4 days, so that's a thing. The creep-factor is all the way at 10 with Intruder from the creaking and groaning intro, to unsettling lyrics, to the xylophone, which I could imagine was played on literal bones. Something about the black and white album cover image, combined with the striped shirt reminds of those grisly Holocaust photos from WWII, but I could not find any indication this was the intent. I still loathe most of the 80s, but this was okay.

Better then the last PG

Great drum sound. Quite dark and odd in places but still really melodic.

First listen. I like this album. The lack of cymbals and hi hats leave room for the rest of music to breathe.

This is a good album. Listening to it felt energetic and mostly fun, especially in the first half. It starts strong and has a light, engaging quality that makes it easy to stay with. Toward the end it becomes more repetitive and loses some of the earlier spark, which made the final stretch feel a bit boring. The songs have a clear sense of movement and personality. Gabriel’s voice sits well in the material, and the overall mood stays interesting for most of the record. Even when it gets more repetitive later on, the earlier tracks carry enough energy to make the album worthwhile. The production by Steve Lillywhite is clean and well handled. Everything sounds clear and well balanced, with enough space for the instruments and vocals. It has a sharp, modern feel for its time without becoming cold or overworked. Peter Gabriel 3 is a solid and mostly enjoyable record. Strong start, good energy, and well produced, even if it loses a little steam by the end.

Wow! I’ve stolen this unused account it’s mine now!!! What a thrill. I love Peter Gabriel though 5/5

You can't really go wrong with Peter Gabriel. Music that really transports you somewhere else. I don't know how he comes up with the sounds he does. Would love to come back to this one while listening to all of his self titled works in order. Fav Tracks: "Start", "Games Without Frontiers" and "Not One Of Us".

Ei oikein tartu mitään tästä.

Wanted to like this but it didn’t leave much of an impression

Albums like this remind me some great music was created in the 1980s and the list just skews heavily to the shit ones. 4/5. Thinking I should have rated 'So' higher now.

Completely ok. I can see why people like it. I think it's decent.

I dunno, I guess this is an album. Nothing really entertaining. Not bad but also not good. Just a big 'ol meh of an album. Feel like some adult contemporary crap, music for folks who don't have taste.

I’m so confused why we HAD to listen to this.

Kept me interested and invested the whole way through with more instruments being used than I could count. There aren’t really any huge hits on this album but there’s so many catchy sections that I enjoyed listening to.

I like Peter Gabriel. This album sounded like him. Not much to say past that.

What a pleasant album to begin the week. I liked every track on "Self-Titled", including the non-singles. "Biko" was the song that stood out the most. You see, I had watched "Cry Freedom" when I was in school, so I know about Biko's story. I hope to get something like this album. 4 stars for "Self-Titled".

Peter Gabriel is brilliant. ★★★★

Heard it before. I adore Peter so naturally I love this album too. I Don't Remember is one of the best songs ever. I also love how he turned the outro of Not One Of Us into Birdy's Flight from the soundtrack to Birdy later on, it really does make you feel like you're flying. Overall, this album is absolutely fantastic (and I haven't even mentioned the Kate Bush feature on Games Without Frontiers yet!) 5/5

Some weird dissonant noise mixed in with some beautiful melodies. Kind of confusing at first, probably needs a more focused relisten.

idk how its possible to sound 80 when you're 30 but... ok

Wasn’t expecting too much, 80s synth pop prog? Post-prog or art pop. The prat in the flower suit from Genesis. Yeah know the singles and they are admittedly good, but still costume man. But actually really liked this. Always interesting, accessible, and thought provoking songwriting. Definitely will be revisiting 4 Star

vibes