Peter Gabriel 3

Nice

The album makes a great first impression and just goes from there. It's drenched in the sounds which would become integral to the '80s as a whole, but it doesn't suffer from the same issues as other music from the decade. The quirks of recording and the synths just serve to give it personality, rather than date it.

I absolutely love Peter Gabriel and this is one of his best. I think So rightfully gets the attention it deserves, but this to me is as good as he gets. I tried listening to this album with fresh ears and wondered how I would feel if this was the first time I had ever heard PG. Would I like this album if I had never seen the music video for Sledgehammer? Hard to say. Weird sax. Tribal drums. Seemingly arcane lyrics. But it turns out, all the things I love about him.

10/10

Post Genesis Peter Gabriel is so good and almost timeless

Album 33/1001 Wow, this actually blew me away. A flawless work of art from the OG Progfather, PG. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Favourite song: I Don't Remember 🤔

P3

This guy melts my heart.

This was my first time listening to this album, though I’ve known about it for a while. The only other solo Peter Gabriel album I’ve heard is “So”, which was decent, but I really enjoyed this one, and of the two, this is definitely my favorite so far. Right off the bat, I was impressed by the musicians who contributed, especially Kate Bush, Phil Collins, and Robert Fripp, who stand out among the lineup. Equally important were Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham, whose production and sound engineering really brought this album to life. I’m not too familiar with them, but I know they worked on a lot of art pop and art rock albums in the 80s, and it feels like this album’s production set a benchmark for the innovative, sophisticated sound that became a hallmark of that era. From the opening track, you notice a crystal clear, layered effect that creates a three dimensional soundscape. Unlike the often muddy production of 70s rock, this album stacks multiple tracks with distinct effects, volumes, and densities, giving the music pristine depth and clarity. On the flip side, some might argue this polished approach strips away the natural, live feel of a band’s performance, replacing it with something that can sound a bit manufactured. Still, I think every style has its time and place, and album was incredibly forward thinking, helping define the standards for 80s art rock.

Exceptional, experimental 80s rock with some phenomenal production. I very quickly knew this album stood above most of the rest and the rest of the album only confirmed that.

Have the vinyl. Classic!

It's a masterpiece. Loved it. All the tracks are just great songwriting, production, lyrics and are really evocative. Truly a pioneer.

No cymbals. You either notice it within the first few songs or you never notice it, but there are no cymbals. This was completely intentional. That describes the whole album, it feels very intentional despite how crazy and artsy the whole thing is. It's impressive how many influences and weird experiments he can throw into one album and have it come out great. The innovation of the album brings out a lot of really cool aspects in it and generally a lot more emotion compared to the other stuff I've heard from him, especially on songs like Intruder or And Through the Wire. This was also the first album to use gated reverb, so that's a plus. The best part of the album, however, is that it didn't make Kate Bush sound boring. I will forever despise So for not being able to do the same.

ha scho gern peter gabriel, aber sas hani nonie glost. intruder super athmosphäre mit de gated drums und de ruhige stimm wooow. und dass d drums so abgschnitte sind schafft mega platz. super geil. No self control super cools xylophon. uiii de refrain mit giti und riese trommle. hets kei cymbals?? het de phil collins bi in the air tonight bitz bi dem abgluegt? i dont remember huuere sehr rockig und sehr prominente tüüfe tüfe bass. aha zum teil isch de phil collins am schlagzüg. family snapshot suuuper cool cheesy 80er. aber denn doch mega tüfi irgendwie. de fretless bass isch super gabriel für mich irgendwie. ooookay through the wire au seeehr cool. und kei cymbals uf dem album confirmed dur wikipedia. not one of us slappt au heert. de bridge teil mit phasey synth isch fucking cool. yööööööösss lead a normal life isch irgendwie nume en halbe song. biko - protestsong für en ermordete anti apartheid aktivist. fangt schomol mit südafrikanischem gsang aah. bin sehr knapp bimne füfi afoch usem grund dasi nüt nüt negativs chan sege und eigentli jede song spannend gfunde han

Best Peter Gabriel album

Peter Gabriel's third self-titled album, also known as "Melt", is a landmark in his career and a highly innovative work. The album is characterized by its dark, haunting, and progressive sound, with strong themes of guilt, paranoia, and psychological unease running throughout the lyrics. The production is particularly notable for its ground breaking use of gated reverb on drums, a technique pioneered by engineer Hugh Padgham and producer Steve Lillywhite. This gives the album a unique, percussive quality that is both powerful and atmospheric. Gabriel's vocal performances are superb, conveying a range of emotions from chilling vulnerability to dramatic intensity. Songs like "Intruder," "Games Without Frontiers," and "Biko" are iconic and showcase the album's lyrical depth and musical complexity. Despite its challenging themes and unconventional song structures, Melt is often considered one of Gabriel's most accessible works, drawing listeners in with its compelling storytelling. It stands as a near-perfect album that, at the time, pushed the boundaries of rock music, influencing countless artists. Five stars. Would I listen again? Yes. Would I buy this album? I did. Side one 1- "Intruder"- Menacing both musically and vocally. The sense of dread and unease is palpable. - 5 2- "No Self Control"- A manic and tense song. The percussion is splendid. Backing vocals from Kate Bush. - 5 3- "Start"- An instrumental interlude. - 4 4- "I Don't Remember"- A song about memory loss and identity. It features an urgent guitar riff from Paul Weller, and a driving rhythm. Great vocals. - 5 5- "Family Snapshot"- dramatic, dark and theatrical narrative that showcases Gabriel's storytelling ability.- 5 6- "And Through the Wire"- Wonderful vocal. - 5 Side two 1- "Games Without Frontiers"- Probably the most famous song on the album. A playful synth melody, iconic French backing vocals from Kate Bush, and wonderful lyrics superbly describe the absurdity of geopolitical conflicts. - 5 2- "Not One of Us"- Unsettling. This song tackles themes of prejudice and xenophobia. Excellent chorus. It has a new-wave feel to it. We're still dealing with these issues 45 years later. - 5 3- "Lead a Normal Life"- Both quiet and beautiful . It compliments the following album closer wonderfully. - 5 4- "Biko"- Bold. Opens with a sense of dread. Solemn defiance against apartheid. Haunting. A great vocal. - 5 Total - 49 Average - 4.9 82/1001

Another great album by this man. This challenge has led me to him. It's otherworldly. It's great. It's earthly and creepy at times. Stand out songs: Intruder ,And through the wire

This album is truly one of the best ever made. The first 4 tracks proove this, but literally every song is excellent and unique.

Peter Gabriel is so badass.

Okay, luckily I now know who Peter Gabriel is after my dumb revelation while listening to "So". 3 (unofficially referred to as Melt) was great and my first impressions were that this interesting and experimental album really sets a signature tone for the beginning of the 80's, and that I have not been disappointed by anything he has created so far. Phenomenal, I would listen to this front to back any time.

Another classic album from Peter Gabriel - this one features the anti-war single "Games Without Frontiers" with all of the lyrical puns you would expect from Gabriel, plust the immensely powerful anti-apartheid "Biko". The other tracks on the album are good as well.

This one was pretty good, I liked it for being enough for being artsy and prog. 3 is fair, wouldn’t put it on too much but wouldn’t mind if I heard it.

This record still feels uncomfortable and current 45 years later. An art-rock paranoia album that never loses its humanity, manifested by Peter Gabriel's creative attention to the human condition and savant-like sensitivity to social and political undercurrents. It's still my second or third favorite of his. Not because he could do no wrong as an artist — there are a few misses here — rather, it's that he was brave in his choices and did so much right along the way.

A pure gem, a wonderful listening - Games without frontiers and Biko, on their own, are amazing! But the rest of the songs doesn't get behind. I loved it, one of my favs

Sick. Another great vinyl

Like sort of cool. Activist

Jake was right holy percussion

152/1089 - I liked this a lot. First track sounds like a cartoon villain is selling drugs to kids. It's interesting that there are no cymbals at all and it hits the threshold I like of experimental and accessible. I don't think he knew how much the gated reverb snare would damage the 80s but it was used very tastefully here.

Great album, one of my all time favourites with Peter Gabriel's unique voice, great bass lines and conceptually great songs...

Peter Gabriel's solo stuff is something I didn't appreciate enough. Like the others albums it walks a finer line between prog, art rock, pop and some world influences like his old band Genesis did. All songs are great in their own right. Compared to the first solo album, it's also a more cohesive effort. Love it!

É simplesmente genial. Se eu já tava amando tudo até ali, essa última música fez o negócio ir para um outro patamar. Eu estou digitando eufórica

Peter Gabriel had left Genesis to try something new, and results had been mixed. Generally positive, but mixed. So it was time to try something else, and an accident that created Gated Reverb helped spark a masterpiece. Not that it was all about the reverb, or even mostly about it. It was that Peter and his friends took some risks that really paid off. For being sonically experimental, it's also surprisingly accessible, and I don't think we'd have had Remain in Light or other works without it. Kate Bush's backing vocals fit the mood well too. And what a MOOD. It touches on anxiety-inducing topics without getting too heavy, and the lyrics are emotive. I can get why people put So, or Peter Gabriel 4 as their favourite. But for me, it's this. Tangent: The line 'I don't know how to stop' from No Self Control is both apt (he's still going) and ironic (because of the huge gaps lately between releases). I like that. Favourite Song: Biko Least Favourite: Not One of Us Strong Bad Demerit Score: 0 (I don't count wordless backing vocals, unless they're la's, na's, hey's or do's)

Excellent album. Great production and guest musicians. The "world music" influence is clear. I think this album shows that he's more than just an "art rocker". Biko is one of the greatest protest songs I think!

I never heard most of these tracks before and was highly impressed. While not my personal preference sonically I think I have to go with a 5. The production feels painstaking and the subject matter is varied and ambitious. "Games Without Frontiers" (which sounds like it influenced The Clash's "Straight To Hell") and "Family Snapshot" were both chilling.

interesting! more than I thought

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

It's people who do music with such intention and purpose like this that make me feel like making my own

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!

As a rock music artist, Peter Gabriel is one of the true master craftsmen. This album demonstrates the range of his creativity. The compositions and arrangements are so diverse while retaining a clearly recognizable sound that is all his own. A warning to those unfamiliar with this album, the lyrics can be a bit disturbing, as he delves in to the darker side of the human condition. Despite that, I could listen to this album again and again.

After listening to this album, I graded too high on a couple others this week. This is a true 5 …. My favorite, Peter Gabriel album, and with the exception of Lead a Normal Life, there is not a song on this album that I don’t love (including the instrumental) ! Peter Gabriel does more with his vocals than any singer I can think of in terms of fluctuations in tone, pitch and vocalizations I could go through each song, but each has unique aspects either in the music, the vocals, or the lyrics, which are completely enthralling to me. This album and its songs don’t seem to pander to simplicity and popish stylings like some of his later songs which made it big on the charts seemed too do. Love this album and listened to it in its entirety 4 or 5 times this weekend ….

So I was a big Genesis fan growing up – both the Peter era, as well as the Phil era after Gabriel left in 1975.. I remember those first 3 solo albums, as we referred to them as “Car”, “Scratch”, and “Melt” – and all contained morsels of goodness, but “Melt” was the album that really established Peter as a solo artist… This album is loaded from top-to-bottom, and is truly exceptional… I remember when this came out, I read that Phil Collins – who played drums on the album, shared that Gabriel told him that there was only one condition he had to agree to in order to play on the album, and that was that he could not use any cymbals… Absolutely brilliant move – as that forced Phil to be more inventive with his playing on that album, which really contributed to the experimental vibe that definitely came through on “Melt” … In 1983 I bought Peter's "Plays Live” album, which contains 6 of the tracks from “Melt” – along with some of the top songs from “Car” and “Scratch”, and I absolutely wore that vinyl out – literally… All of the "Melt" tracks translate exceptionally well in the live environment – especially “Biko” which closes the album, can’t recommend that live album enough! On “Melt” the best tracks IMO were “Games Without Frontiers”, “Biko”, “No Self Control”, and “I Don’t Remember” – as each was stunningly well-done… “Intruder”, “Family Snapshot”, and “Not One Of Us” are also top-shelf – just a notch below my top group… “Start” is just an instrumental, but works nicely as a lead-in to “I Don’t Remember”, and “And Through The Wire” & “Lead A Normal Life” are also solid tracks as well… Wasn’t quite sure if I was going to give this a 4.50, 4.75 or to make it a 5.00, but I think based on the strength of the tracks up-and-down this album – plus then factoring in the creativity and ingenuity that this album displayed in 1980 – especially being so different from his old-school Genesis work – well, that definitely kicked it up to a 5.00 for me no doubt…

вау

балдеш алкоальбом: ну вот напиточек с таблеточкой. А что за таблеточка я не скажу

This took me 2 listens, 1st on my car speakers 2nd with headphones. I am so glad I gave it another listen, as this album is so cool. I had never listened to Peter Gabriel and had no idea about his sound, and I actually kind of hated it on 1st listen, but with a little more attention, this judt sounds so good. My favorites here are No Self Control and Games Without Frontiers.

I am blown away by this, though So is a fave of mine so I might have known. There is something about PG that appeals to me, possibly his unhinged side. Have listened to it 4 times now and it just keeps getting better. It makes me feel some kind of way lol

Yes! Thank you. More like this.

I came across this album a few years ago and loved it. It is so weird, it doesn’t hold back at all and utilises loads of strange sounds and techniques. The songs are still accessible and catchy at times. I’m always happy to hear our Kate pop up.

•Owned •After taking a few years to process his departure from Genesis, 3 (or Melt) is a breakthrough in PG’s career, with the artist focusing on themes that he would carry long after: war, tribalism, human rights. PG also plays with unpopular concepts, peaking into the minds of a home invader (“Intruder”) and an assassin (“Family Snapshot”—100 listens later and I’m still unsure if we’re meant to sympathize with him or not); only to conclude with a prayer for Steve Biko. A pivotal moment in a career of influence, Melt also introduced the gated reverb that would dominate the decade. •4.5/5

*****

Just wow. What an incredible album. Steve Lillywhite produces a masterpiece. Gabriel is such a great songwriter and his voice is so powerful.

Mmmm Peter Gabriel. The perfect mix is experimental and pop music.

Brilliant.

Peter Gabriel is quite a revelation. Felt something move inside me.

This was a weird little record, which I really enjoyed. Probably would need a few listens to fully get into, but first impression was intriguing. And anything Kate Bush shows up on is worth re-listening to. Reading the book entry/wikipedia page on this also is well worth doing - loads of cool little details that make it more interesting still.

I like his singing. He’s a really good songwriter this album definitely gets darker and weirder musically and lyrically. The instrumental is really interesting (Crazy fripp guitar sounds, synths, really beautiful fretless lines, huge sounding Phil collins drums) really cool how “And through the Wire” follows “Family Snapshot” 5

I listened to Peter Gabriel some when I was a kid but never took him seriously. This album seriously rocks though. The dude is underrated.

First rate lyrics. First rate storytelling. First rate vocals. First rate musicality. First rate production. This album melts my face off: how about yours? Just six years before his third solo album, Peter Gabriel had recorded his bloated and brilliant swan song with Genesis, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. And six years after it, he’d be seeing chart success like never before with the smash hits of “Sledgehammer”, “Don’t Give Up”, “In Your Eyes”… all from the magificent “So”. “Peter Gabriel III” (actually just titled “Peter Gabriel” - all of his first four albums were) comes right in the middle, as he experimented wildly with sound, songwriting, and truly found his niche as a solo artist. As a fan of almost everything the man has ever touched, I wouldn’t hesitate to call this his greatest work. The lyrical content of the album reveals a motley crew of outsiders and misfits, some harmless and some very harmful indeed. Gabriel inhabits them all with aplomb: on many tracks, it’s the same mesmerising pantomime of his Genesis years, but without all the baggage and eye-rolling connotations of “prog rock”. Instead, here he is embracing cutting edge post-punk and new wave trends which have not aged anywhere near as badly. Production is absolutely nailed by Steve Lillywhite, an up-and-coming 25-year-old producer who’d already produced the debuts of Siouxsie and the Banshees, XTC and the Psychedelic Furs. The guest cast is phenomenal, too: Phil Collins is the first person we hear on the album, with the gated drum sound that influenced “In the Air Tonight” and pretty much the entire 1980’s. Paul Weller contributes razor-sharp guitar to “And Through the Wire”. Kate Bush appears on backing vocals twice, picking up inspiration along the way for her own masterpiece “The Dreaming”. And the songs! Some of the genre’s finest. “Intruder” is a bold and sinister opening from the perspective of someone breaking into a home: has a xylophone ever been used in such an artsy, sinister way since? “No Self Control” and “I Don’t Remember” crackle with paranoia and urgency, perfectly matched by the twisted soundscapes running through them. “Family Snapshot”, still my favourite song Gabriel has ever made, delves into the psyche of an assassin, wielding a heartbreaking flashback at the end as though it’s a novel rather than four minute song. “Games Without Frontiers” is a hit single of the most unexpected kind: a Lord of the Flies-style analogy of war, with French Kate Bush. And whistling. And an “Adolf” name drop. Glorious. Then there’s the bracingly catchy rock of “And Through the Wire”, the tongue-in-cheek, insular racist’s anthem “Not One Of Us”, and the inspiring majesty of “Biko”, which ends the whole set on an incredibly powerful note. Telling the story of Steve Biko, an activist killed under South Africa’s apartheid regime, it’s an undeniably moving track with the goosebumps-inducing final verse: “You can blow out a candle, but you can’t blow out a fire; once the flames begin to catch, the wind will blow it higher”. When I saw Peter Gabriel live, many years after he’d written these songs, he ended his whole set with “Biko”. After the last chorus had faded, he turned to the audience and said “what happens next, as always, is up to you.” And then he was gone, as the pounding drums continued through the darkness. A class act all the way.

Such a good album just not a weak song in the bunch and Biko, Games Without Frontiers and I Don't Remember are stone cold classics with And Through The Wire not far behind. Just nothing negative to say about this album. Peter Gabriel's best and an easy 5 star reccomendation

I was actually quite impressed with this, a low 5 But I just really dug the art rock elements for some reason.

All time favorite

Outstanding album. Biko is a big highlight and awesome closer. On par with So, but incredibly different 5

This is a favorite album of mine. I never liked, either the overly-prog Peter Gabriel era or the cheesy pop monster Phil Collins era. I don't mind Gabriel's later pop albums, but they are not nearly as interesting as this. This is a strange album for a man who clearly didn't mind popular appeal. I really like the claustrophobic and weird production choices (no cymbals!) with interesting and tight players (Collins on drums, Fripp, Tony Levin, Kate Bush!) which all complement the paranoid and anxious songs. If anything, it feels like close relation to Bowie's Scary Monsters album, which came out around the same time. It's a mood that appeals to me. But I understand that it isn't to everyone's taste, but I really dig it.

Just an awesome album, takes big balls to start your album with a song from the pov of a stalker.

Eccentric and dark, but also heartfelt. Intelligent, richly layered compositions and top notch musicianship. Check out the deep bench of musical talent backing Gabriel up - Fripp, Collins, Weller, Bush. Not a bad track to be found. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Games Without Frontiers, I Don't Remember, No Self Control, Not One of Us, And Through the Wire, Intruder, Biko, Lead a Normal Life, Family Snapshot, Start

LOVE IT

Va ser el seu cènit. En els seus primers dos discos primava l’experimentació i després de ‘Melt’, sobretot amb ‘So’, van primar les melodies i la comercialitat. Aquí va ser on la barreja de tots dos mons va trobar el seu punt d’ebullició perfecte. Una obra mestra per començar la década màgica

This was an incredible listen. Vaguely unconventional without being uninviting or remotely uninteresting. I was surprised that I recognized at least three songs here, thinking I only knew "Games Without Frontiers". This is right up my alley and I can see myself revisiting it many times in the coming years. I almost never grant an album 5 stars on my first listen, but I'm gonna do it here. Very, very cool.

damn

vraiment très bon. J'adore peter gabriel et Biko ma jeter par terre. Je connaissais déja beaucoup de chnason de l'album. 5

Beyond Sledgehammer & In Your Eyes I'm not too familiar with Peter Gabriel's music - so I expected him to sound like Peter Frampton only because the was also named Peter. I'm glad to be wrong. The percussions here are insane, as is the dark atmosphere coupled with his commanding vocals. Very innovative and ambitious, but still listenable! Those dudes from Genesis made some great solo stuff, huh. Standout tracks are And Through the Wire, Intruder, and I Don't Remember.

Reading that this album is nicknamed "Melt" brings back memories. I bought it on a visit to TO to see Heatwave in August '80 and left it (and a few less-memorable LPs) on my rear dash for the day! The vinyl looked just like Peter's face when I got back. This a newer and darker sound that reflects what was coming out of the UK at that time and it was smart to get Steve Lillywhite, one of the big "new wave" producers, on the controls. There are some great tracks, and while it's less eclectic than his first album, he still creates different soundscapes and brings in some interesting supporting players (Robert Fripp/Phil Collins/Kate Bush). It's a more political album with "Biko" and "Games without Frontiers", which is his best single, IMO. He starts to sound a bit predictable with "And Through the Wire" and "Not one of Us" but they're still exponentially better than the embarrassing stuff his x-bandmates wee putting out at that time. Not my favourite Peter Gabriel album, but still a 5.

After a few weeks of very mediocre to poor offerings it was refreshing to finally receive an album that you really need to listen to before you die. With an all-star ensemble and production by the legendary Steve Lillywhite, how could you go wrong? I'm a big fan of prog rock pioneers Genesis, but admittedly prog is rather old fashioned and Gabriel has pushed the envelope with this post-punk, art-rock masterpiece that sounds nothing at all like his old band. Most notable is the dark, heavily percussive sound with no cymbals and the innovative use of the fairlight synthesizer. This album isn't perfect, but its close enough.

This album was absolutely phenomenal. While it sounds of its time, this album has so many contemporary sounds that would be right at home on a contemporary record. The lyrics are political and socially conscious, and the music itself defies genre and fuses prog with post-punk, art rock, and ambient music.

This is my fave Peter Gabriel album.

Peter Gabriel does a fabulous job of walking the line between pop music and art rock experimentation. The fact that the ubiquitous gated reverb sound of the 80s was first minted here is a perfect illustration of that. I love that his label dropped him because they thought this was uncommercial, but then he went elsewhere and it went on to be the most successful album of his career up to that point. Shows you the general record buying public collectively have better taste and judgement than your average label execs. Couldn't ask for a better fuck you than that.

Didn't think I liked Peter Gabriel but the longer I listened the more this seemed to click. Every song worked for me

I've been listening to this album on repeat for months & it's become one of my favorites. I got into a discussion with friends about Games Without Frontiers and pointing out that the female voice is singing in French, but the misheard lyrics sounds like, "she's so popular." I'm sure others mishear that, too. It's a solid tune & his most popular of the tracks on this album. Intruder is eerie & dark (I bet Nine Inch Nails could cover this beautifully) & And Through The Wire is an upbeat favorite. I appreciate Biko after learning about its message, and I hear that's how he's closing out his set on his current tour. Peter Gabriel was never a pop sensation, but he's incredibly talented & underrated. The way he crafts a tune is like no other. 5 stars.

Little rough sounding but love the songs.

I was 47 years old before I realized that the drums don't play any cymbals or high hats. No metal played in the "normal" fashion. "Melt" is Gabriel's second-best solo work. So is #1.

What a fantastic album. Peter Gabriel really is an incredible artist and it seems like he never fails to miss on an album. Listening through again, three of the first four songs are great (Intruder, No Self Control, and I Don't Remember). Also honorary mention, but this album sets up a great queue from Spotify at the end of it. Keep in mind when I need to mindlessly listen to classic rock during the work day. 5 stars I presume.

I’d never listened to Peter Gabriel before, I always assumed he’d be quite bland / pompus for some reason. But this is everything but bland / pompus. Experimental pop on pills, really well put together and treads that line perfectly between being quite weird and unique without going too far. Some songs sound like huge film soundtracks, but innovstive enough to remain mint. It has all the good bits of prog rock without the faff. Highlights: Intruder, I Dont Remember, Through the Wire, Game Without Frontiers, Nob on a bus, Biko. Actually apart from that 80s sax track, the whole album is great. A 4.5 but I’ll round up

Amazing

I love Peter Gabriel and everything he does, so I’m completely unsurprised that I loved this, too.

5/5. Possibly a personal bias but I love Peter Gabriel already and this post-punk and industrial rock album is such a good combination. Each song is dripping with anger and fear, where it just ends up with the listener feeling the same way but also sad. Somehow it works and you feel uncomfortable but in a good way? Hard to describe but so good. Plus a great closer, powerful and political.

This was such a great album! It was balanced and full of life and I would definitely listen again.

I just love the dark dystopian mode of the album. The recording and production is just amazing, the album has a stark feel but at the same time a very rich instrumental texture.

Hot day after Labor Day - listened on drive to otter ponds with pooch

I love when I get an album that I've owned on vinyl for 40+ years. An amazingly creative, eclectic, and interesting album. I think this is the album where everyone realized that Peter Gabriel as a solo artist was going to be a force to be reckoned with. My favorite PG album is actually his follow up to this, Security, but this is a close second. Every track stands on its own, yet the whole thing is cohesive. I love the way he was getting creative with percussion, and Robert Fripp's understated guitar playing also stands out to me. Not perfect, but still amazing, even after all these years. 5 stars.

Possibly the greatest post-Genesis album by any member.

This is the moment that Gabriel took control of his solo career and forged the path forward. It is the first accomplished album he produced after leaving Genesis. It is a landmark album in its style and impact on music for the next decade. He would only reach higher with subsequent projects both in ambition and popularity. I'm not quite sure that I agree with the general consensus that it is his masterpiece. I would probably give that to Us. However, it is brilliant and perfect, especially given its difficult subject matter.

cool

Sublime

4.5

Immediately listening to this blew my mind. The musicianship here is next level, as those such as Robert Fripp, Kate Bush, and Phil Collins, who employed a newly seeded style of drumming, reverb gated. There are also no bad songs on here, as such examples include the creepy opener, “Intruder”, 3 highlights of PG’s socio-political commentary, “Biko”, “Games Without Frontiers”, and “Family Snapshot”, and many more. Honestly, one of the greatest I've ever listened to yet.

Though this doesn't shy away from being challenging at times, the album fits well from start to finish. Biko, And Through the Wire and Games Without Frontiers stand out, but i also find the biting energy of things like Intruder as also well done. It's a great album.

Since starting this, I have discovered that I love Peter Gabriel and I hate Prog. 4 stars because Games Without Frontiers is just not good.

Obviously great, but I'm pretty basic. I just want to hear Sledgehammer.

Actually pretty darn good, a bit quirky but good overall

Very nice music, very very nice - well balanced, harmonized, coherent.

It's a grower this!

Pretty good

I like this album, love the track I don't remember.

Not the best in the Gabriel canon but still pretty damn great

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/peter-gabriel/peter-gabriel/ Starts with two amazingly brooding tracks and turns into a more new wavy album after that, but not less cool. Should listen to little old Peter more, because the two albums so far I dig!

not easy, worth it, big player

I love Intruder, the track that basically invented the 80s gated reverb drum sound. It's got it's own Wiki article and I've just been boning up on the funeral pings of the live room va effects processor method of achieving the sound. Rest of the album is pretty good too. I enjoyed it so much, I went back and listened to it again in German.

Neat album! Biko goes hard.

mi piace troppo quest’album, games without frontiers un pezzone. Canta trattenendo molto, lo fa in modo sarcastico

I found this to be much better than Car, the first Peter Gabriel album I heard, due to how eclectic it /isn't./ I thought that album didn't have a strong enough sonic foundation, and it zig-zagged all over the place. This has a musical palette that it sticks with through pretty much the entire record, and I thought it was great! It's catchy, it's fun and exciting...very straightforward. Not every song sticks with me, and I'm not a huge fan of when lyrics are extremely unsubtle (like Games Without Frontiers, or Biko to a lesser extent) but there are a lot of songs that I can happily take home with me from this record!

çok ama çok beğendim. hiç duymadığım biriydi. özellikle albümün 2 iki şarkısı all time fav'larımdan birine dönmüş olabilir. bu tarz 1970-80ler alt rock'a bayılıyorum

Great early Peter Gabriel album. I feel like it is actually maybe a good point that he hadn't really sunk into a signature sound by this point. The album has good variance and, while it isn't perfect, it has about five really strong tracks on it. Games Without Frontiers is always a treat.

Gabriel has always been ahead of his time and willing to try new things. In this one he explored percussion in a very non traditional way, while still remaining melodic and accessible. The songs are haunting and will stick with you.

good album. not his best, but some definite highs - "biko" is a powerful album closer and i've seen him close with it live as well. "i don't remember" and "family snapshot" are highlights as well. i even have the german version of this album. some big players on the album too. fripp, kate bush, phil collins, dave gregory, paul weller.

Excellent musically, superb songs that still sound fresh

interesting album showing unique range of Mr Gabriel.

Hell yeah, another Peter Gabriel! This one is crazy af and is definitely an entire album highlighting the crazy, deranged, and evil parts of the human race. Maybe it's a call to the era it was produced, maybe it's commentary on humanity at a larger scale, maybe it's Peter Gabriel just doing Peter Gabriel shit. I loved it, it's so fuckin weird and eerie. Here's a fun though experiment: This album is about Dante's layers of Hell represented in Peter Gabriel's style. Purgatory/Limbo - "I Don't Remember" and "Lead a Normal Life" the exploration of feelings of disconnection, disassociation, and amnesia Lust - "Intruder" from the eyes of a hidden serial stalker watching his victim in her home. Gluttony - "No Self Control" and losing your sense of personal agency Anger & Violence - "Family Snapshot" which is inspired by the diaries of Bremer and the events of the JFK assassination. Heresy - "Games Without Frontiers" is several notable international names all leading different cultures against one another. Greed & Fraud - "Through the Wire" about a partnership based on deception, complication, and forced separation Treachery - "Not One of Us" being about racism and extreme xenophobia and "Biko" about Steve Biko who was murdered for being an activist. I love this album but everyone I know probably wouldn't. For me personally it's a 9/10

Definitely enjoyed this one more than Peter Gabriel 1. Much more consistent, and has a few more memorable tracks. I'm not inspired to seek out more by him, but it's solid and I'm glad I've heard it.

My second Peter Gabriel album in a week, and while I enjoyed the experimental approach and whimsical nature of his solo debut, I found this one far superior. I wasn't that familiar with Gabriel before and only recognized Games Without Frontiers from its airplay (never knew it was Kate Bush on the background and always thought it was just Gabriel in falsetto, saying "She's so funky now," which admittedly makes no sense). I enjoyed And Through the Wire, and I heard Talking Heads influences in I Don't Remember and Not One of Us. Is it possible for an artist to come across as unhinged and yet have an album that's cohesive? That's what I got from this one. The early 80s political messages of Games Without Frontiers and Biko were expertly delivered.

Ah là je reconnais le Gabriel de Lamb! Intruder (et d'autres) sonne vraiment industriel c'est le fun. Effectivement probablement à cause du manque de cymbales. Je reste encore un peu amer de la prépondérance Gabriel mais de l'absence de Collins.

Meilleur que l’autre! Moins pop, plus « fucké ». Mais bon je pense que je ne serai jamais un PG guy!

Enjoyed this a lot. Lots of different sounds, genres, instruments. Very pleasant listening

Had to Google him tbh, didn't realise he was in Genesis. Fun to see how much his music changed from Genesis through to this album. The album gave me Bowie vibes but I can see from every other global review that lots of people felt that way. I'm either generic or totally validated. Liked it and had time today so I listened to the German language version he created too would recommend it.

I thought that this is such an interesting album. Peter Gabriel really experimented with alternative motifs and song structure while still being catchy. When I was listening to it there were several times I thought to myself how creative you must be to craft a song some random sounds.

7.5/10

I dig Peter Gabriel. This album is no exception. Feels a bit darker than some of his other material. This is the second album of his on the list. I'm not sure if both warrant inclusion. Is one doing something dramatically different than the other? A good listen I'd happily run through again.

Dark and metallic and very, very Peter Gabriel. A fantastic array of musicians doing a bunch of thoughtful, moody songs that shouldn't have had any commercial appeal, but did (especially "Games Without Frontiers"). And I'll always remember seeing Gabriel perform "Biko" live - it's one of the most powerful musical experiences I've had. Not his best work, but damn good.

Fantastic record! Copy/paste to read more: https://tinyurl.com/2hhy4rm8

Hmm, a solo Peter Gabriel album... This would not be my first pick for inclusion, but it's here, and I will listen. The album itself is slightly arty pop-rock with strong songcraft and lyrics. This album is cited as the first album to use gated reverb on the drums(the big 80s snare), and the effect works very well here. Usually, gated reverb ages like milk, but here it aged pretty well. Aside from that, the lyrics are good and delivered very well here. Gabriel doesn't sound nearly as much like a folk singer as he does on his Genesis records, instead being a strong rock singer. This is an incredibly compelling early-80s rock album whose influence continued to be heard in the decade's definitive sound and production styles, for better or worse.

Funky and experimental, but in a way that actually works for me. I’m a fan!

Was good. 3.6

listened to again good stuff

cute

Cracking album. Really enjoyed the whole thing, and has one of my favourite Peter Gabriel tracks on it (Games Without Frontiers). I am a Gabriel fan though, and have listened to him since the 80’s so this is right up my street.

I really like this but I don't love it. I did wonder whether there was some kind of Sliding Doors moment in my teens where Peter Gabriel's early solo albums could have taken the spot that Brian Eno's have for me. I don't think so though. There's a seriousness to some of the Gabriel stuff that would probably have stopped that - I'm a very shallow person 🙂

Not my favourite of his albums from that period but so close. I'm not sure why I'm holding off on giving it a five but there you go.

It's ok, not great

Peter Gabriel is at his best when he's being weird. Highlights: "Games Without Frontiers," "Intruder," "No Self Control." That's Kate Bush doing wordless backing vocals on "No Self Control" ("Don't Give Up" on So taught me to be on the alert for her). Kate Bush is also at her best when she's being weird (which seems to be always).

Didn’t “wow” me like it did others, but it definitely has its moments. More cohesive than his earlier solo album on this list, and gets stronger as it goes on. The ending pushes the rating up - “Biko” is a strong track.

8.5 / 10

Day 23 Peter Gabriel (1980) by Peter Gabriel Okay, this was fun and exciting. I’ve never really listened to Peter Gabriel’s solo stuff before, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. The first thing I noticed was the drums. It’s so obvious how much this record influenced the sound of the 80s. No cymbals, just that gated drum sound, and it still sounds fresh today. You can really hear the connection to Phil Collins and that whole era of production. It’s also quite experimental. There are some catchy melodies, but overall it’s tense, dark, and at times a bit eerie. It keeps you on edge in a good way. I really enjoyed this. I could definitely see myself coming back to it, and honestly it might grow into a 5 with more listens, but for now it’s a solid 4. Wine pairing? Something dark, bold, and a bit unusual. Maybe a Syrah or a natural wine with some funk to it. Food pairing? Something rich and slightly intense. Maybe slow-cooked lamb, or something with deep, earthy flavours like mushrooms or a dark sauce. Vinyl? Yeah, I’m buying this. Favourite song? “I Don’t Remember”. First listen? Yes. Overall 4 out of 5.

Probably my favorite of the early Gabriels, even if it doesn't have my favorite song (Here Comes the Flood). Consistently good, musically inventive, lyrically a little embarrassing (Family Snapshot). You can hear him permanently switch musical gears over the 7 1/2 minutes of Biko.

Enjoyed listening to this one. Games Without Frontiers the standout track.

Nice

(5/7) some good stuff, some too experimental

Ether than coalplays

po pior que gostei bem diferentinho, no geral tava experimentando bem até onde dava pra ser comercial, como o amigo disse

ou, esse eh bem bacana até experimental na medida em que pode ser tocado numa rádio tranquilamente, mas ainda com uns elementos bem malucos. achei divertidim!!

I usually like albums tagged as art rock, but this one felt too much like the 80s in its sound design for me to really get into it. That said, I still think it's a good album.

very artsy album with some great production. i havent listened to alot of peter gabriel the little amount of stuff i have heard sounds really good. really like the dark atmosphere here will listen again 8/10 Favourite: Intruder Least Favourite: Lead a Normal Life

Good job, Peter. 4

Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album

Ver good bery nice

This album was an overall good experience but without any standout tunes.

Good stuff man

Sophisticated

Not as interesting as Peter Gabriel 1 but a great listen nonetheless.

A fun album with a pretty creative sound that maintains catchiness really well. It gets simpler towards the end, but other than that, a great album.

“I have this theory that artists given absolute freedom die a horrible death. When you tell them what they can’t do, they get creative and say ‘Oh yes I can’.” That’s the reasoning Peter Gabriel gave as to why he banned his drummers from using cymbals on this album. And it worked. The recording sessions for Melt were full of innovation and experimentation. Recording the drums through the reverse talkback feature of the console, building songs around repeating marimba patterns or rhythm first from drum machine loops, pioneering use of gated reverb… There are too many innovative methods to list, but what Gabriel and his producers brought into the studio resulted in some really interesting stuff. This is the second Peter Gabriel album that’s come up in the list for me, and it’s made it clear that I’m a fan. There’s a lot of overlap with other artists that I love. He shares the same creative process as Brian Eno for example. Robert Fripp and Kate Bush have both made contributions to his records too. He's right in that realm of music that I love. But it’s the blend of the weird and the experimental with grounded melodies that makes these songs so enjoyable. They’re as interesting as they are easy to listen to. Opening song “Intruder” is the best example of this, and my favourite song on the album. The way it builds from that pounding drum pattern, jangly chords and scraping noises into something theatrical, cinematic and seriously catchy, with those off-kilter piano and guitar stabs and the fragmented background choir... is frankly amazing. It’s an album that benefits from a creative process built on limitations. Or, as Peter Gabriel himself put it: “It's like being right-handed and having to learn to write with your left. It’s a great challenge, and musicians should do it more often.”

When am I going to learn... I always expect to hate his albums, but Peter Gabriel makes bangers. If he had any clue on how to name an album, then we'd really be cooking...

4 - This was excellent, experimental and progressive - not sure if it will make it on my regular rotation, but really glad to have been exposed to this.

Excelente!

My favorite of the self-titled solo albums. Took a couple of songs to get into, I blame the overuse of the marimba. Once we get into "I Don't Remember" this album is excellent all the way through.

Peter Gabriel seems like a fun dude. The songs have so much life

Not a bad album. Some good tracks. I would listen to it again for sure. Would likely not buy it personally, but I certainly enjoyed listening to it. Really enjoyed Biko, and recognising that Peter Gabriel was raising awareness to apartheid in South Africa. Standout track is probably Games without Frontiers or Family Snapshot. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is tantalising close to being a five star album, but every time I was starting to feel in synch with the music, it would veer off into pop-territory. The two hit singles stand far above the rest, particularly "It's a Knockout", which was one of the first singles I taped off the radio when I was little. Four stars.

Starts out with the interesting, but creepy, Intruder. No Self Control was fairly nice. I Don't Remember was really fun. Family Snapshot had some totally epic sounding music in the background. And Through The Wire was nice to just rock out to. Games Without Frontiers was pretty fun, as was Not One Of Us. The last couple tracks were ok, the album kind of wore out its welcome by then. All in all a fun album. Best song: I Don't Remember

Solid album, I really liked the opening track!

There's something beautifully unhinged about this record. It's like Gabriel decided to pour out his feelings about the state of the world and his relationships, then said "let's add some horns and synths." The result? A disjointed album that's worth your time. It's not perfect, but the emotional honesty is there. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - I Don't Remember - Family Snapshot - Games Without Frontiers - Biko

Mi è piaciuto tutto, poi ci sta games without frontiers che conoscevo ma non sapevo fosse in quest’album

This didn't move me as much as some of the early Genesis classics on here or his first album (or So which I have a hunch will show up here), and not something I'd probably go back to, but for as much as Peter Gabriel shows up here, my respect for his music grows. Biko and Games Without Frontiers (which I recall showing up in a pretty epic The Americans montage) are classics. The rest is mostly pretty interesting.

Between the Genesis albums and the Peter Gabriel solo ones, this project loves it some Peter Gabriel. I tend to prefer the less proggy solo material, and Melt is solid from start to finish. "And Through the Wire" and "Biko" were favorites for me, and I didn't realize I knew "Games Without Frontiers." You can hear the beginnings of So on this album too. Good stuff.

I think I always vaguely knew that Peter Gabriel was the more interesting of the former Genesis members to go solo, but this one actually really surprised me! Like, I was expecting something kinda cheesy like So, but instead he's just straight-up doing post-punk here! Not sure that I particularly care about any of the songs honestly, but it all sounds really cool.

Woah! Two Peter Gabriel albums in a row? That's pretty cool. My expectations were more in line with this one, and so it felt less unexpected how experimental it was. However, it didn't have any super standout tracks like the original Peter Gabriel did, despite feeling more cohesive overall. On the other hand, it shows some of the start of his venture into World music, which eventually resulted in his Real World record label which has produced some of my favorite music, so that was pretty cool. Favorite Track: Biko

Can’t have listened to this for 40 years. Nice to Go back. Biko is brilliant. Rest pretty good

This is #day573 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second Peter Gabriel record on this list, which, ironically, is his third one. As Wikipedia puts it, this is where Gabriel embraced post-punk and new wave with an art rock sensibility. That’s precisely what I love about the '80s: Japan, Associates, Talk Talk, and others. Back when music meant breaking ground. Listen to "Intrude." You can hear a road leading toward Bowie's "Let's Dance," right? My second favorite is "I Don't Remember," and I also love that sax interlude of "Start." Edgy, art-rocky, yet still very much in the realm of the '80s. I wouldn't mind revisiting it in the future. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day574.

Solid album from a very creative artist.

Peter Gabriel 3 (or Melt as it is sometimes referred to due to the album art) is a really interesting album. This album seems to take a very experimental approach to it's sound kinda in the same vein as Peter Gabriel's old band Genesis. In fact, the song "Intruder" was one of the first songs to utilize the gated reverb sound made to make the drums sound more impactful while still maintaining the original mix. I did enjoy a lot of the things that this album tried. It definitely doesn't feel as accessible as So does but this album still managed to provide a pretty enjoyable experience in the same way that album managed to do. Best Song: Not One Of Us Worst Song: Start

Disturbing, intriguing and worth a m other listen.

Good Rock, good voice.

really cool album

Nice songs, very different sound. I liked the xilofón

Never cared for Peter Gabriel, but I am approaching this list with an open minded and what do you know, I quite liked this album. Great music and production, liked the first half of the album more.

Very good.

I liked this more than I expected to, mostly because it was weirder than I expected? I was bracing for a lot of flowery British pop but there's some nice like almost glam rock in here.

Experimental interesante Phil Collins como collab hits hard Hace protesta de forma muy original Mi favorita fue Family Snapshot

Listened twice, first time accidentally in German. It was fantastic both times. Disclaimer: I don’t speak German. The fullness of every song floored me. The entire album forces attention.

4 enjoyed this

His voice isn't really anything special. But the rest of the music is really top notch. Honestly, just the variety of instruments being played (well) makes this a pretty good album. Peter does really like his cowbell. The ending of "Intruders" alone puts it in Favorite Song contention. Oh, and the instrumentation on "Lead a Normal Life" is really great, too! I don't think I actually really have an actual favorite song on this album. It's all really quite good. The album does have some pretty clear David Bowie influence, but I think it's pretty different enough, and also pretty experimental on its own. Favorite Song(s): Intruders, Lead a Normal Life

First impressions: this album is good but not QUITE a classic. I did discover a “new” song I didn’t know before in “And through the wire.” “Biko” is a solid album ender.

Another really interesting Peter Gabriel album. I like that he takes chances, but I also like that most of those risks work. Some of this is boring, but there's enough variety and unexpected moments that I can forgive some tedium. 4.0/5.0: Great

not as good as peter gabriel 1 but theres some good songs on here. the songs are a little long but for the most part they are interesting enough to warrant the runtime

I think Gabriel has better albums, but compared to the rest of this week’s albums this was a welcome reprieve. For that it gets a bump.

I am pleased that it was enjoyable from beginning to end

This was a lot better than I thought it would be. The first song was wack so I was bracing myself for the rest of the album to be the same but it was actually quite good. Really liked the different styles and feels to the different songs and even the weird ones were still pretty listenable. Pleasant surprise.

Quite good

A really solid album by Peter Gabriel.

Yeah this one was cool. A little unusual but pleasant to the ear.

Never heard any of Gabriel's albums before, I did watch a documentary of an overview of his career and thought I should give the first couple records a listen, but I just never did. Melt (the unofficial name of this album) has this spectacular solemn vibe to it. It's one of those releases where the music totally reflects the album cover. This one is apparently where the former lead singer of Genesis started incorporating post-punk into his albums, and even having world elements on some. I've always really liked Peter Gabriels's experimental mentality, I am definitely should give his other stuff a good listen . Highlight Song/s: "Intruders" and "Games Without Borders"

3.7

I could already tell pretty soon into this record that I was going to enjoy it. I've never listened to it before. Records with these sonics would have turned me off 20 years ago simply because they were over-used and ubiquitous at that point. Where I am now on my musical journey, this comes through as quite refreshing.

Original and cool without being pretentious.

All albums should have a version translated into German. Can’t fault this for the use of the gated drum sound if this is the genesis of it. I think this is handily my favorite Peter Gabriel solo album. Album cover is really cool too. Favorite songs were No Self Control, I Don’t Remember, And Through The Wire, and Biko.

Too clever a musician; and I almost overlooked this album. On the second listen I really noticed the subtleties. And then I was ready to listen again.

Good stuff. Great singer, good variety in the music.

Listening to this today for the first time in 20-some years. The songs "Biko" and "Games Without Frontiers" are so strong and memorable that this is an important album just based on their inclusion, and the rest of it is pretty good too, with lots of interesting people like Robert Fripp contributing to the rest of the tracks. 4/5

Brilliant third album. Possibly his best. Classic.

Very Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine vibe- so I LOVED this album. I would be shocked if Trent Reznor was not inspired by this album with his sound for NIN.

Very cool album cover. It's a good album but doesn't really stand out much for me.

Kinda fire! Sounds like the 80s, but not too much 80s, you know? A bit artsy and experimental, I dig it. Stand-outs - Intruder - No Self Control - Games Without Frontiers

Been wanting to listen to this one for awhile and it did not disappoint. Gonna need to give this a few more listens before it really sinks in but I can at least say that this is definitely my favorite Peter Gabriel album so far. Favorite track: No Self Control

I've never listened to this album (75). Loved that little King Crimson spice!

Great artists. Great songs. Music still sounds great today.

Needed to listen to this twice and loved it all both times.

The first times listening to this album despite knowing a few of the songs from singles / compilations. The sound hasn't aged and is very experimental but doesn't alienate the listener with too much austerity or coldness, with Gabriel sticking close enough to melody and emotional hooks to keep us warm. I loved Games Without Frontiers as a kid but now really appreciate Biko & I Don't Remember as well. It reveals that Gabriel is worth visiting for the album cuts beyond So / Up and collections (I'm a child of the 80s).

I guess I see it - it's weird but in a good way. Not quite a 5 star album in my opinion but 4 seems unfair too.. wish I could do 4.5

So, as of right now, before I hit play, my only Knowledge of Peter Gabriel comes from Mic the Snare's Kate Bush Deep Dive Video (Great video, you should check it out). I'm hopeful just from that that I will like this... let's go WAIT OMFG THERE'S A FEATURE, NO TWO FEATURES!!!! I don't have the brain power to analyze my thoughts right now, I'm just gonna write thoughts Track by Track. This is the last album I have to do to catch up! 1. Intruder - It sounds cool sonically, but I won't be coming back to this for the same reason I don't listen to Billie Eilish's "The Diner". 2. No Self Control - Oh, this is really pretty. I really like the sound of this, but I probably won't come back to it cause of the lyrics once again lol, It could make me spiral. I'm lyrically confused by this album so far. Kate Bush slay tho. 3. Start - really really pretty 4. I Don't Remember - that chorus is peak, this sound really cool. I like it. I really can't help but feel like I'm missing important context for this album tho 5. Family Snapshot - Oh My God. Am I gonna be on a watchlist if I like and playlist this song? This genuinely has no right to be so pretty and cinematic sounding. 6. And Through The Wire - You know what, hell yeah. I really really like this one. 7. Games Without Frontiers - I love kate bush. "If looks can kill, they probably will" is a, excuse the pun, killer line. I think I need repeat listens to really get this one. This one is cool, but not an instant fave. 8. Not One of Us - ooooh, that guitar. This sounds cool, I love how the end builds. Thankfully the genius annotation on this song has provided me some overall context for the album. 9. Lead a Normal Life - Oh, I'm sad now. <3 10. Biko - Genuine respect for this song. Sometimes you just hear something that hits you in your core, this is one of those times. oooh, this is tricky to rate. I honestly think I would get more out of it on repeat listens. I think I'll put this at 4, just for vibes. it's like a 3.75/5 or 7.5/10 right now to me. I doubt it will ever become a top top fave of mine, but i can see going back to it every now and then It's also 4am now, this is my final album and I'm caught up!!!

I’m really being treated well at the moment! Another artist where I’m aware of the hits but this is the first album I’ve listened to. What struck me first, particularly on the opener is how Gabriel almost certainly influenced Trent Reznor for early NIN and reading up on that, Reznor has indeed cited him as an influence. You can hear it in the use of production as the music, the percussion, the texture, even vocally. I’d say there’s some Bowie influence too which is something both he and Reznor would share. As a result, I’ve got on really well with this! The other thing I noted in _No Self Control_ was Gabriel’s influence on the early Nokia ringtone in that rhythmic staccato synth phrase (on xylophone?). This seems like an album that will be easy to pickup on vinyl and so I’ll be keeping my eye out!

i really enjoyed this, feels very ahead of its time for 1980, good experimentation with different instruments and sounds, i prefer this a lot more than So

good!

Very good. Peter Gabriel is emerging as one of the winners from this list, slept on him a little bit. I think I've only heard one song from this and there are really no misses. Feels like a potential 5 but going 4.

Incredible voice. Album starts off quite creepy but interesting song into No Self Control which was a highlight for me. Great electronic sound, fantastic drums. Great album, really enjoyable.

Ah, this is the edgy, inventive post-Genesis Peter Gabriel that I've heard about. Much more interesting than his later albums like So and Us. I don't like everything on this album, but he's creating new textures and not trying to polish everything into radio-friendly formats, and I love that kind of creative energy. Also, "Biko" is a forgotten classic and a story we need to remember.

Peter Gabriel defined the production sounds used on his recordings. While dated his style is so signature it is still good to hear. HIs live performances were theatrical and really entertaining.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5