Peter Gabriel 3

WOW. I was so completely floored by this album, I don't know where to start. I listened through twice before I looked up on the Wikipedia and discovered all about its cultural significance, the first prominent use of gated reverb, all the connections with Phil Collins' drum sounds, the Fairlight, Kate Bush's contributions... etc. All wonderful errata to know. We have seen the best and the worst of the 80's, and I now can declare my allegiance solidly to the vision that these artists (with Steve Lillywhite producing) are pushing for. But none of that preamble really captures how it felt to hear this album for the first time. Which was a moment of real WOW. It floored me, from the first song almost all the way through. It's a complex, challenging, bold listen from a disturbed mind. Peter Gabriel never sounds more strident and more deranged, his soundscapes never more expansive and challenging. There are enough hooks, soaring melodies, rhythms to keep the ship on course, but as a listener you're just thrown into this chaotic world of staggeringly bold, almost atonal ideas. Little did I know that the album that the gated snare would come from contains multitudes... a real mission statement of sound. No wonder copycats abound. No wonder it took people a decade to work through this. If I had been learning guitar, drums, production when this album came out, I would have been obsessed. Just the guitar work alone by Robert Fripp is so challenging and groundbreaking. The strange Fairlight patches..!! It all sounds so singular. This is an album where it feels like all these strange new ideas really crystalize into a Sound. And it's a genuinely disturbing one! Bowie, of course, is the standard by which all art rock must be held up to, and there are some strong shades of Bowie in this album. But where I feel like Bowie in this period (the Berlin Trilogy etc.) feels weirdly aloof or absent from his albums, or doesn't commit all the way to the sound he is going for, this album delivers. It is full 100% balls-to-the-wall commitment to the insanity of the sound and the concept. I think it's the best Peter Gabriel album we've had, and it's maybe one of the best first listens I've had to an album in a long time. I'm so glad I'm doing this list. 10/10, 5/5.

Peter Fuckin Gabriel, man 10/10

Rock Recipes, Installment One: “The Peter Gabriel Melt” Ingredients: -One part Berlin-Era Bowie (in a pinch, a healthy portion of Eno will suffice) -One part self-importance -One cup whole milk, slightly soured -The juice of one lemon, squeezed -Two Tablespoons of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians (season to taste) Instructions: -Place ingredients in a large mixing bowl. -Hold mixing bowl at crotch level and stir vigorously for 46 minutes, then serve.

Peter "Goblin Summoner" Gabriel coming in with another album, and it's probably my favorite of his. I love this silly guy. He seems very capable of casting evil spells and debuffs, but he uses his powers for good. I can definitely imagine Peter Gabriel sitting on a comically oversized boulder with dancing gnomes circling him like he's their nourishing mother (the nourishment being sweet tunes). I really enjoyed it. It's a 5/5.

Too experimental and shit for my taste

Yes, first time listening to this Peter Gabriel album, and I think this is the best output from anyone related to Genesis I have heard and I’ll include the Genesis albums in that. Maybe because I’m more a post punk and new wave fan, but this is right up my street. Going to give this the full 5 stars.

As a fan of 70s Genesis I've always been of the opinion that Hackett and Gabriel were the ones who made the band work, not Collins. Never dived deep into any of their solo work (or later day Genesis), but I've heard some stuff here and there. After listening to this, I can finally confirm my theory. I have now heard 2 Steve Hackett albums, 1 Peter Gabriel album and 1 Phil Collins album, as well as most of the 70s Genesis work and several singles by all 4 artists mentioned. Collins' Face Value is easily the worst album of the bunch and the only one I don't really like. No surprises there. What did surprise me is this third self titled album (known as Melt) by the former Genesis frontman. It's absolutely fantastic and doesn't lean into the outdated 80s pop production like Sledgehammer. It's artsy, has forward-thinking production and has laid the groundwork for a lot of 80s pop music. Gabriel is joined by a host of incredible musicians: his ex-bandmate Collins drums on several tracks, Kate Bush provides the backing vocals on No Self Control and Games Without Frontiers, Robert Fripp and Tony Levin of King Crimson play on a few tracks, as do Dave Gregory (of XTC), Paul Weller (of The Jam) and a bunch of others. It's all kept under control by Gabriel and the producer Steve Lillywhite. The result is some of the best art pop/rock of the time, several strong singles and an album I wish I'd heard before. There are 5 other Peter Gabriel albums I'd like to hear now.

I wanted to like this more than I actually did (having been intrigued by the cover image since being briefly *extremely* into the Sledgehammer video when I was 10). It sounds great, and half of the songs are excellent, but the remainder are completely unmemorable. Much has been written about the drum sound developed herein; it's alright, but people - you're talking about the bedrock of Phil Collins' solo career (and, later, Metallica's hard rockin'), not the polio vaccine ffs

And, with the sound of the gate, everything changed. The third installment of the Peter Gabriel tetralogy sees him further opening himself up to themes and scenarios only he could conjure up. The bleakness that surrounds this album could only be matched by the famous album cover, amongst the best that Hipgnosis have ever done and the sheer innovation throughout (the gated drums, the youthful production and the acknowledgement of Steve Biko and the predicaments that led to his death in apartheid South Africa and thus leading to everybody else's awareness of it) ensured that Peter Gabriel would always remain ahead of the curve for some time to come. Don't let the scary seeming vibes of this throw you off, it's best you'd immerse yourself in it.

Did anyone else grow up hearing Games Without Frontiers on classic rock radio and think Kate was singing \"She's so popular?\" What can I say, our education system in the States is severely lacking in the foreign language department. Anyway, is this Gabriel's best album? Maybe? I think that argument could be made. I'm not gonna try but this is as good as anything he's done. P.S. he's close to releasing an album, his first album of new and original material in more than 20 years, if he tours, walk don't run to get tickets, I saw him live about 30 years ago, it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Intruder is the birth of the "gated reverb" drum sound that was ubiquitous in the 80s. Kate Bush's backing vocals on "No Self Control" are brilliant. Best songs "I Don't Remember", "Games Without Frontiers", but the whole album is great (the next one, aka "Security" is even better IMO).

These songs contain powerfully articulated messages about everything from mental health to apartheid. Peter Gabriel is also enough of a musician to wrap these songs in music that serves the message. Dark and easy to listen to.

Unorthodox but not totally uninviting.

No more Peter Gabriel. This is a protest vote

Peter Gabriel (3: Melt) _‘Hans plays with Lotte, Lotte plays with Jane Jane plays with Willy, Willy is happy again’_ Don’t be blue, Peter If you were to trace my enjoyment of this album it would look like an inverted bell curve. On the first listen I really liked it, on the 2nd listen I wasn’t as keen, but on the 3rd and 4th listens I really enjoyed it again. It’s hard not to read about the production and sound of this and its introduction of the gated reverb drum sound, but it does sound excellent (despite there being a liberal sprinkling of Chapman Stick across it), and it does sound ahead of its time. Intruder starts things off in a suitably dissonant and unsettling way, the vaguely discordant synth noises and sinister vocal and lyric is great. No Self Control has a feel of Remain in Light by Talking Heads, which came out later the same year Start feels like a slightly unnecessary cheesy sax interlude but it does fade nicely into the excellent I Don’t Remember, which combines more Talking Heads vibes with a bit of Genesis, and has a nice nagging catchiness. Family Snapshot adds more unsettledness to what starts as a relatively standard piano ballad, before a bit of pleading bombast gives it an almost Meatloaf feel And Through the Wire is possibly the most straight ahead rock song on the album (with some nice Jam guitar from Weller), and it’s a great one before the excellent and catchy Games Without Frontiers. Not One of Us returns to the Talking Heads feel, although it moves into some more proggy territory, before an excellently hypnotic outro. Lead a Normal Life may not be the strongest track, but I really like it’s insistent nature and that it is almost a palette cleanser between Not One of Us and the absolutely fantastic Biko. The Xhosa recordings, Gabriels emotive vocals and lyrics and the bagpipes all combine, a brilliant and moving song. Overall I really really liked this and its creeping, odd, Eno & Talking Heads, New Wave, World, singular and idiosyncratic nature. I assumed it did have some Eno involvement from its feel, I was surprised it didn't although there is obviously a crossover with Robert Fripp. It’s definitely a grower, with lots of weird, unsettling details, deliberate artiness and a real density and intensity to it. It’s on the border of 4 and 5, I think I’ll tip to 5 as it’s increasingly the sort of thing I find myself liking more and more. 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 Playlist submission: Biko

An incredible, creeping, unmatched album of sounds that can concretely be described as "music". Peter Gabriel's solo efforts have always been somewhat haunted by his Genisis work, but Melt feels like the first that is distinctly, undoubtedly, Peter Gabriel. Melt is concerned less with complex and fruitful songwriting, and moreso focused on texture, mood, creating imagery of scenes from Gabriel's mind. I feel like a voyeur when I listen to this album, peaking into Peter Gabriel's psyche and understanding his conceptualizations of sound. Throughout Melt, there seems to be no lapse in quality, as every song conjures Gabriel's best in every way. I adore Melt. Also worth noting that there isn't a single cymbal throughout the album.

Best solo album from any member of Genesis.

Stupendous. 5 stars.

Enjoyable album, a mix of unorthodox and some pop elements

suprisingly good artsy pog pop, didnt expect much when I started listening but the songs are consistently good. Enjoyable, 4 stars

I like this album while not enjoying much of it. Its opener is hostile, and most of the rest comes across as well-constructed notes to a therapist - us, presumably. However, No Self Control is post-punk big hair rock, which is magical, and Games Without Frontiers and Biko are lovely. Both made a huge impression on me when I was small, and I’m grateful to have been brought back to them.

Good, but also unsettling at times

Gabriel is an exceptional vocalist and more often than not quite experimental in his choice of instrumentation and arrangement, as with his 3rd solo album. Biko is one of my favorite (and, as it seems, quite underrated) tracks. For the rest: for me, not one track disappointed.

Third time’s a charm

Pure love for the first 3 solo Gabriel lps

Mit yndlingsalbum med Peter Gabriel! Super glad for den er på listen, da hans hits er på de andre albums. Ligger i et perfekt smørhul mellem David Bowies Berlin albums og Paul Simons Graceland, personnel-listen er virkelig blæret og det kan høres! Lidt skuffet over at han ikke hev Kate Bush ind for at genindspille backing vocals til Spiel ohne Grenzen på tysk i stedet for fransk, men det bliver det ikke et mindre 5/5 album af

When it comes to me and Peter Gabriel, I find that SO looms large over everything. Well, probably more just "Sledgehammer" than anything else, but you get what I mean: if there's any way I understand Peter Gabriel, it's as a pop artist. In that sense, well, I kind of figured I'd gotten everything I'd wanted out of him. I recall looking at the albums he released before SO, all eponymously titled, and thinking to myself, "This probably wouldn't be for me. This all seems, like... Way more experimental and serious than I'd be into. I doubt there'd be any hooks like there are on SO (aka 'Sledgehammer')!" So until the randomizer had this album pop up, I just never bothered looking into them. I know what they say about assumptions and judging books, but look at these covers. I didn't exactly have a reason to think I'd be proven wrong. And certainly not as badly as I was. 'Coz if there's anything that surprised me about GABRIEL 3, it's how much SO I ended up hearing in it. With the melodies and the hooks, it's like... Clearly this isn't a different album than SO. It's a way more challenging album than SO, as a matter of fact. If I'd heard any of this when I was younger, though, besides maybe "Intruder", I would've been down as hell for this. Like, when it comes to this album being all "experimental post-punk and serious" like I was worried it'd be, "Intruder" is probably as bad as it gets. Y'know, it's the most "scaring the hoes" cut on here: weeding out the people who "just wouldn't get it." It reminds me a lot of the opening track on Tom Waits's SWORDFISHTROMBONES, actually — and just like that, the songs past it are relatively toned down. This isn't to put down "Intruder", by the way; it still has a great hook with that one "AAAAAAA" part and the riff around it. I wanna point to "Family Snapshot" particularly as the song where it all clicked into place for me. There's piano stuff on there that's just beautiful. Damn pretty, at least. My initial assumptions about this album would've never expected that, and I could not be happier to hear that they'd been wrong. In fact, I feel kind of sorry that I doubted Peter Gabriel at all. I mean, if there's any lesson I should've taken from my group getting one of the Genesis albums with him on it, SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND, is that this guy can write an amazing melody. I never got the impression that any of this material was compromised because of the melodies and hooks, though. Y'know, nothing's simplified or watered down just to accommodate them. It's still aiming to be all artsy and post-punk and not exactly for everyone. It just clearly doesn't wanna be **just** that, is all I'm thinking here. I mean, again, the fact that I can only claim one song on the album as "scaring the hoes" music means a lot. Honestly, it kind of makes me wonder about the people who called this album "too experimental." They must have some weak stomachs if **this** is what did them in. Mark this down as another album that feels like it should be kicking me in the ass to check out the rest of their discography. Whether or not I do will remain to be seen, but at the very least, I have way more respect for Peter Gabriel than I used to. That's not to say I didn't before now — just that, yeah, he really is just that good, in and outside of the one song I chose to define him with before now. Bless. And now, I find it only fitting to do as this album did and also present everything I just said in German — Google Translate'd, of course: Wenn ich den Musiker Peter Gabriel so verstehe, überragt sein Album „SO“ alles andere. Genauer gesagt, es geht eigentlich nur um seinen Song „Sledgehammer“, aber Sie verstehen schon: Wenn ich Peter Gabriel überhaupt verstehe, dann als Popkünstler. In diesem Sinne—

That’s an easy 5. It might be a little higher. Certainly a much different vibe from “So”, but I love the approach this album takes – extended looks into the melted minds of people, whether it’s intruders, assassins, racists & stalkers, or mental health crises ala the desperate need for attention, panicked amnesia, & schizophrenics with an impulse. For 1980, this feels decently ahead of the curve as far as using sound design & production to get these themes across, and the excellent lyrics & vocal performances on a lot of these tracks only help to enhance it. In a weird way, I think this might be a more complete album than “So”, which I already considered one of the finest albums of the 1980s. Yes, it’s less commercially-driven, & the tracks are a little stripped back to tell more personalized stories, but the theming of this album feels more consistent, even with the variety of topics that are tackled. It feels a lot more deep and thoughtful, and I think I prefer that to some of the poppier stuff on “So”. It also helps that there’s not really that much filler to let the instrumentals have their shine like there was on “So” – when a track is done, this album lets it fade out, and then smashes right into the next one, to allow for just enough breathing room to self-reflect, but not too much as to feel sort of boring. That pacing issue might’ve been “So”’s only perceived flaw, but like I said on that review, it might’ve just been a quirk for radio play. I don’t wanna write too much more about this album, since I think listening to it is more rewarding than reading about it, so here’s some quick rapidfire praise: Kate Bush’s vocals were great on a few tracks, Phil Collins’ drum work is impeccable as always, the guitar melodies felt really ethereal and complex at times, & when Peter Gabriel finds a cinematic mood, he nails it with a noir feel that lays the groundwork for some of the other big “cinematic” tracks of the 80s, ala Smooth Criminal. “Biko” is a fabulous closer, by the way. It’s a testament to Peter Gabriel’s fluidity as an artist that he can pump out insanely good prog rock with Genesis, an all-time pop album with “So”, & something as moody & unique as this. It’s an excellent album, and while it requires a bit more attention than “So” did, I think it’s an incredibly rewarding album, made all the better for it. Not a single skip here for me, and a very easy 5. Probably a bit higher, honestly – I really, really enjoyed this.

The album is a perfect mix of sophisticated melody, pop, rock, and brooding ambience. Layers reveal upon every listen. There's not a dud here. To paraphrase Brian Pern, this is someone that could not only get laid - but discuss applied mathematics with his fans. Looking forward to listening to more Gabriel in earnest.

Bill Wingman wrote a book about Catwoman. I opened the store on a day it was closed, then hire a bunch of hot black girls that I'm charming constantly to sell my own personal stuff. Even though he thinks it's a bad idea my best friend since 5th grade is there helping. I send the girls home. I notice a man slip a Playstation 4 game in the mail slot. Casey calls it quits while I'm trying to figure out how to play this double layer Tool album that I think he brought. I walk outside and I meet this older woman in sandles. She tells me what agency she's from but I don't remember. She's polite but seems to be fishing for something and hints I've done something wrong. The next day or later the managers get involved but they don't know it was me. Then over and over in my head I hear Bill Wingman wrote a book on Catwoman

Oh yeah! First time with this one and it’s fantastic. Wonderfully produced, great musical performances, and innovative expansive sounds that elevate the experience. It’s truly different and I want more of it. Don’t sleep on Peter Gabriel’s solo career.

One of the first albums i bought! Peter Gabriel's Melt (3) is an amazing album. Backed by his buddies, including Phil Collins and Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel has created an album of so many moods. From the truly scary Intruder ( gotta love that whistle at the end) to the yearning of Family Snapshot and rounding off the album with the anthemic Biko, this album never fails I still have the vinyl and listen to it regularly!

This is Peter Gabriel at his best, particularly rhythmically, and the entire album has a somewhat darker atmosphere compared to some of his other work. Absolute classic and one of my favourite albums of all time.

This is an amazing album beginning to end.

This is my favourite Gabriel album (although I may have said that about So.) The first listen through is electric.

Proggy as fuckkkk baybayyyy, brilliant stuff, more like this please

What a genius!

Experimental, affecting, accessible, political and filled with bangers all at the same time! Gabriel is a genius and this is among his best

A journey

Great!

Unnnffffffffffffffff

An experimental, fascinating album. Sounds really raw and loved it.

PEAK

I really like Peter Gabriel. I never really listened to this one aside from Games Without Frontiers. I feel like this is a solid 4/5 for sure. Really dig I Don’t Remember. Tony Levin on the Stick. No Self Control also is a hell of a tune. Gonna bump this one up to 9/10

Classic PG album to which I listened endlessly in the 80s. I am not sure to what extent I would appreciate it now if this was a new album for me, but obviously going for 5 stars here.

Probably Gabriel’s best, this is just very impressive and covers so much ground. It’s dark and atmospheric in places but groovy and full of massive hooks in others, and it all flows together remarkably well for such a diverse project. Games Without Frontiers is an odd choice for the lead single and is probably my least favourite on the album, but it’s still a great ride from start to finish

This was very good to revisit. The last time I heard this album was a few years ago and I was surprised by how much I remembered. Also, a reminder of the interesting intersection between progressive rock, glam, and post punk. Melt covers a lot of strange ground and manages to feel very consistent with much "Lamb" weirdness.

From the opening drum hit, I knew I would hate this album. That I would disregard it as 80s trash. Then, by the end of the first song, I was intrigued. After the second, I was hooked. Such an amazing album that finally made me excited again for this challenge. This is why I do it, to find these albums that I would’ve disregarded that then become instant favorites. It’s the best album of the challenge so far, and the first one that is threatening a perfect 10/10. It’s likely closer to a 9, but I’m so excited I’m gonna give it my first 5 stars.

the turning point where he stops being the guy from genesis and starts making Peter Gabriel music

HOGYAN indult a Genesisből ez az arc, hát ez tök izgalmas!!!

Heard this before but I must've been only half paying attention, because this is fantastic. Art-pop/rock that keeps your attention while still being interesting and unusual.

Brilliant start to finish. Nothing more needs be said. 5

It’s very interesting album. From review on RYM I found out that you should listen this album from song “Start”. Who knows who it might help.

An ambitious record all these years later

This slaps. "In the Air Tonight" wishes it was as creepy as "Intruder". "Games Without Frontiers" = love hearing the British children's names of the '80s.

What an album. So odd and sinister sounding at times, yet flows neatly into catchy rock tracks. Love the lyrics/storytelling too, couple of weaker tracks but the overall product just can't be lower than a 5

One of my favourite albums of all time. I’d say of the Quadrilogy of Peter Gabriel Albums (Car, Scratch, Melt and Security), this is the top dog.

immediately one of the best sonic experiences i've had in quite some time...never heard Gabriel before and regret pinning him as like a really boring mainstream pop guy this is not that hufauhe

Wow. The first song sounds like a mellow Neubauten tune! A few pieces that are Genesissy, but by and far are progressing nicely into what will be a huge solo career. A nice balance of his weirdness and experimental nature with his pop music chops, and the early forays into "world music" are awesome. A really really nice album.

Fantastic, creative album with great songwriting.

One hell of an album. Full of weird sounds and a lot of anger. Contains one of the greatest songs ever written.

Gabriel is a genius! I love much of his music.

I'm a superman of Gabriel's early work and consider the first 4 self-titled albums untouchable. This is the best of the 4 too. It's experimental (for the time) but still weaves traditional melodies and pop sensibilities throughout so it's never in danger of losing the listener. There is an immense power in this album, even at its most introspective (Lead a Normal Life) moments. Every song feels meticulous in its creation. Nuanced sound textures and synth in the background seem to float in and out and at just the right moments to create real emotional responses. Biko is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I love Peter Gabriel's music and this one is really good.

Another favorite. Probably my favorite Peter Gabriel album. "Biko", "Games Without Frontiers", "Intruder", "I Don't Remember"... all killer songs. Actually, I love them all... I probably played this album too many times as a kid. Great production, percussion, musicians. This an easy 5 for me.

From the first discordant notes to the anthemic end this album grabbed me and didn’t let go.

A beast of an album. Such personality and atmosphere. Dude had a vision and executed it to perfection. It's amazing how something as simple as "no cymbals" can affect the overall aesthetic. This is a harrowing, paranoid, and claustrophobic listening experience and I'm not always in the mood for it, but when I am it's amazing. Stellar performances from everyone involved. And some nice innovations to boot, like the gated reverb drums that came to dominate the '80s.

I know this album as "Ein Deutsches Album" and was given the cassette tape to listen to in 1984 by my German host sister. I played it endlessly the summer of 84 and had no idea it was also in English. Though "Spiel Ohne Grenzen" / "Games Without Frontiers" did sound familiar. Amazingly all the lyrics came back to me in German and upon this listen some of the German lyrics in my head didn't click with Gabriel's English. I got lost on Peter Gabriel's website reading about his thoughts on performing English in countries where English is not the native language. He really worked to ensure the musicality of a language came through even if the words had to change meaning a bit. Go read for yourself: https://petergabriel.com/release/ein-deutsches-album/ I already loved Peter Gabriel and this album but now knowing his approach to music and language and art---it's 5+!

I want to be an MMA fighter for just one day so I can use Intruder as my entrance music.

This album is damn close to artistic perfection. I wouldn't call myself a Peter Gabriel diehard (it's between this and his debut for my overwhelming PG favourite and beyond that I range from enjoyable to ehh) but this is so good in every way and all encapsulated within a perfect 46 minute runtime. The songwriting is great - nothing close to a dud and a few all-time tracks. Even for those of us who don't pay much attention to lyrics, they jump out in each song without ever outweighing the music. PG has the very rare voice that I not only tolerate but actually *enjoy* listening to - love how he strains himself, it's sort of his classic "sound" going back to his Genesis days. I do love when an album has proper flow and this fits the bill with the dramatic beginning and end cuts - starting with a creepy AF track in "Intruder" which yeah new gated reverb snare sound courtesy of the - yes - underrated Phil Collins and producer Hugh Padgham - and closing with the haunting "Biko" - everything in-between is a little scary, a little more challenging, and always interesting. A++ musicianship across the album. Could mark highlights - probably the hits, but the lesser-known tracks are just as crucial. Nothing I can even try to nitpick here - a rare perfect score here for me... 10/10 5 stars.

I think it is the little things he does that make me really like his music when I normally do not like music like this.

Peter Gabriel is a very original creative artist. Maybe an acquired taste but i have always liked him, going back to the days when he was the lead singer with Genesis. Very good listen.

This list has really opened me to prog rock and I used to see Peter Gabriel's time with Genesis as the answer to a trivia question. Prog rock Genesis is so contrasty to Peter Gabriel Genesis so it's no surprise to see the themes of prog still present on what is pop rock for Peter Gabriel on this third eponymous album. Edgy enough to be edgy and cast iron frying pan to the side of the head with the awakening of his political advocacy through Biko. As a side note, I saw Peter Gabriel live for the first time in 2023 and his performance of Biko live is one of the best live experiences I've ever had. 5/5

Boy does this album sound like the start of the 80's. I hear new wave, I hear gothic rock, and in No Self Control I'm pretty sure I hear the apple ring tone. I need to read up on it, but I would guess this is the inspiration for a lot of music change that happened between the 70's and 80's. I had only previously heard Games without Frontiers. I think Intruder and I Don't Remember will make it into my regular rotation.

April 22, 2024 HL: “And Through the Wire”, “Games Without Frontiers”, “Lead A Normal Life”, “Biko”, “Family Snapshot”, “I Don’t Remember” Have heard maybe 3 songs from this album before. I don’t know why I find early new wave/electronica so fascinating! There’s a restless energy it often possesses- OMD, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream- that strange Byrne/Eno collab- that’s infectious, even if not all of it lands. “Melt” lies at those crossroads, but at the same time the songs are bristly and direct, unlike the spacey abstractions in the previous examples. In Gabriel’s hands, political fury becomes theatre (“Games”, “Biko”, “Not One of Us”), and the music alternates between abrasive and beautiful, sometimes both, to elevate the message of each song. That first droning note cutting through the spiritual intro to “Biko”- chills! One of the best albums I've listened to this month

Brilliant album and surprisingly a fairly clear NIN influence.

'She's so funky, yeah!'

no, peter gabriel 5

i couldnt listen to this for so long but i loved it once i finaly did

The bar was high. The bar was met. 9/10

Das berühmte Peter Gabriel Album 3 mit dem schmelzenden Cover. Es ist einfach ein Meisterwerk. Unglaublich. Spannende Arrangements. Vom ersten Töne bis zum letzten nur fasziniert.

His greatest work! I found this album in junior high and have loved it ever since!

The man’s a legend

a great album from a great songwriter. i'm not at all surprised peter gabriel worked with the likes of phil collins... both are just incredibly talented men who have made countless amazing tracks. this album in particular has a sound all its own, gated drums, soft keys and... xylophones?

Why don't I listen to more Peter Gabriel? So good.

Good album

After the first two of Peter Gabriel's albums, which has some good and great stuff in it, we come to the beginning of PG's run of top-notch albums. Ones with not a single flub in it (yes, even "Start"). There are at least 5 albums in the run, I wasn't overly impressed with "Ovo." It's a bold idea to not have any cymbals at all in the album, but they're not missed. The drumming by Marotta and Collins are exceptional. The otherworldliness basswise by Levin fits so many of the songs, like "Not One Of Us" and "I Don't Remember". Many people think "Family Snapshot" is about Lee Harvey Oswald, when it is in fact based on the diaries written by Arthur Bremer, the man who shot presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972. Weird fact: it happened in the town I live in, one of the bits of history here. "Intruder" I first heard on "Plays Live," so hearing the studio version is even creepier. I enjoy this album a lot, and it is such a quantum leap from his other work. I go back and forth on it being a 4 and a 5, but with "Biko" on there it pushes it in to the 5 category. The thing about it being here is that is the album relistenable? Do I listen to it and want to play it again? I don't know if I do right away, but there are definite tracks I love to go back to. Classic album for me.

Such a great album. This album is where PG finally met the promise of his first two solo albums. Those albums are both good, but they are very uneven while this album is pretty much brilliant start to finish. The album after this (Security) is absolutely brilliant in its own right and it bridges the gap between Gabriel the art rocker and Gabriel the 80s megastar (with So, which is also on the 1001), so I'd call this one the pinnacle of Gabriel the art rocker - not that he ever stops being an art rocker, he's just more accessible after this. So many great moments, although some of the lyrics make me want to ask, "Pete, are you ok??" (e.g., Intruder, No Self Control, and Family Snapshot - all of those songs are brilliant takes on paranoia). If anyone ever asks you, "hey, what's a Chapman Stick sound like?" (hey, it could happen) then point them to I Don't Remember. Super cool song built entirely on the Stick - Tony Levin is awesome. And, of course, there's also Games Without Frontiers, with Kate Bush incomprehensibly singing Jeux sans frontieres ("Games without Frontiers" in French). Great song, with a serious message. Not One of Us is also a good rocker (love the line "How can we be in, if there is no outside?"). Finally, Biko is absolutely iconic (and tragic). Peter Gabriel often ends his concerts on this song (at least the main set, that is) and it's spine tingling to sing along with the whole audience as the band walks off one by one. This is pretty much a perfect album to me, made more so by the latest remastered version which seriously improved the sound quality. Easy 5.

He went so good out of Genesis

Yo this was so cool

Man Peter Gabriel is such a weirdo in a positive way. Most people hear Genesis and think of Phil Collins but this dude was leading some real out there prog rock and dressing like a giant sunflower doing it. This album is experimental feeling and doesn't land everywhere but it's a great addition to this list. Games Without Frontiers just sneaking in as a radio friendly song feels so strange, especially with what it's singing about. I find Family Snapshot a great example of what I like about this album. The vocals are so earnest, instrumentals are fairly complex and variable throughout the song, lyrics are strong. It's not a constructed song to follow a structure and does something unique. Great album. The mixing and engineering alone are better than most artists ever reach. Also, sick cover.

Choices are made and I like them. He uses some of the 80s sound that I tend not to care for and makes them bearable. Even the saxophone. The tracks have girth to them. These arrangements are so good. The lyrics are interesting. The vocal stylings hold my attention. I was going to list some tracks but I honestly find every track interesting. I like this more every listen.

PG the 🐐

This is definitely a product of its time, but not in a bad way. Peter Gabriel may be the crème de la crème of 80s music. Truly a great album that I was not familiar with prior to listening.

This is a great record. I enjoyed every listen, even from the first time I heard it.

One of my favourite artists, Gabriel's third album may be one of his strongest. He took his prog-rock background and added multiple influences, new wave and african rhythms most notably. Very innovative production for the time. Drums are compressed and tight, which would be the trend for the following decade. His political songs are my two favourite tracks (Games Without Frontiers & Biko) 4.5/5

I think it's official that I am more of a Peter Gabriel fan than I even thought I was. I really, really enjoyed this album and found it made a good connection between the 70s and 80s versions of his work. I had not heard these songs before (except for the "She's so popular" song, as I thought of it in the 80s, which of course, it never was).

I immediately recognized a few tracks and I knew I love them, but the rest were unfamiliar. Okay, that was all lovable!

I didn't know this album apart from the tracks that appear on his greatest hits album (I Don't Remember, Games without Frontiers, and Biko). I love all three and this album gets high marks just for those. I'm not sure the rest of the album added much to my already significant appreciation for Gabriel but neither did it detract.

One of my close friends in high school and college was a huge Peter Gabriel fan, so I heard a lot of his works during those years. I remember this album and it wasn’t my favorite back then. I’m curious to revisit it today… As expected, I was missing out back then. This is a terrific album! Memories of these songs came flooding back but they all sounded so much better. Such a very impressive album - I love it!