Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Love Peter Gabriel. Couple of tracks not great so just shy of a 5
I’m torn between 4 and 5. I’ve never heard any of these songs but man are they catchy. The mixing and instrumentals are powerful. The vocals are equally booming, with dynamic presentation.
Genesis was a lot better with this guy in it in my opinion and this album reinforces that for me. He is clearly a great artist and unique in the way he writes and structures songs which is prevalent in both this and the early genesis albums, which felt very artsy in comparison with the later more in your face sound with Phil Collins. This album is definitely experimental to an extent with some strange and unpredictable sounds and blends of genres, his influences feel diverse with the best examples and my favourite songs being the change from No self control, which was a diverse one in itself with the quiet mandolin section into a rocky section with distorted guitar and some Bowie-like vocals (these changes fit the title I guess). Then I don’t remember, a more catchy one and Biko, a slow and moving end which was a great way to finish and send a message. I feel like with more lessons I will appreciate the other songs even more but this is based off one listen. Favourites: the three I mentioned. Overall, 7/10.
Pretty cool.
I really enjoyed the very unique soundscapes provided by this album, especially since I kind of expected this to be not that good, it surpassed my expectations and was actually a nice listen 7.5/10
Really enjoyed the last few tracks on this one
I only really know Sledgehammer. I like this better. “Games without frontiers” is on here. Is it weird that I’m not a fan of the “hits”? Other than “Salisbury Hill”, what gets radio play is not my cup of tea. I’m downright surprised how much I like this album so far. “Biko” is my favorite song on this album.
brilliant
Super découverte ! Tellement varié dans les influences et les styles que c'est dur à noter mais j'ai vraiment aimé l'énergie ; notamment sensible au rôle des percus / xylophone et à la manière de chanter + paroles. De manière générale les rythmes, tonalités et sonorités sont ultra stimulantes avec une vibe très agréable en même temps. J'ai adoré Intruder, Games Without Frontiers, et I Don't Remember
Wow very cool album. Some songs remind me of Brian Ferry. Gabriel's writing is good as always, especially the song about killing JFK. Peter Gabriels discography has more gems than I previously thought. As usual, alot of African influence. As well as some great experimental aspects . Great stuff.
It's no "So" but few albums are. Biko is a haunting closer. Gets an extra star for that.
A bit experimental, several good songs but not ss good as his So album. 3.7 stars
Before listening I had I only known Games Without Frontiers (and had no idea til now Kate Bush was the backing vocalist on it). I quite liked the ominous feel it had
Great album. I was only familiar with Games Without Frontiers, but there are a lot of good songs on here.
É um álbum muito coeso. Gostei da experiência. Celest x Versekeys Ultra-Sense Planet.
Thank you Peter Gabriel and also Kate Bush and Phil Collins - I LOVE this album.
cool
Im so glad I gave this more than one listen. The first run through didn't completely catch my attention but the next listen hooked me. It's got the prog element of Genesis but with some pop sentiments all while being artsy in the best way. Through the wire is an absolute banger.
What a pleasant surprise. I knew some Peter Gabriel songs before this but had never listened to a full album of his before. I added most of these songs to my Liked Songs.
Given the general vibe and a few very strong tunes, this is probably my favorite Peter Gabriel record I’ve heard so far.
Infinitely more enjoyable than So. This feels like a mix of the instrumentals of Bruce Springsteen alongside 80's Genesis production. Pretty enjoyable. I haven't been the biggest fan of Peter Gabriel if I'm honest, Sledgehammer was the only song I actually enjoyed by him. But this album redeems it. I quite enjoyed this one frankly. For a 45 minute album it sure felt quicker. I really enjoyed some of the islander collective singing in this thing too. Fav: And Through The Wire
Great album. Doesn't do it for me like "So" does, but this one is a bit more artistic and less typical 80s pop sounds. Very cool from front to back. Some songs that would end up forgettable but sandwiched between some really great ones. Not flawless, but definitely void of any major flaws.
Favorite Track: Games Without Frontiers
"one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians".
Being a massive fan of Genesis and liking "So", this has been on my list for years but for some reason I've just never got around to listening to it. I really like it, reminds me a bit of The Dreaming by Kate Bush. Wacky, dark at times pop music. The opening tracks get you straight in, thundering drums, dissonant chords but a real sense of melody. Excellent song writing. Good stuff throughout.
Second part is a bit worse but great record overall.
Peter Gabriel delivers again the best art rock/pop out there, with some nice guests like the unique Robert Fripp! Catchy, eclectic and artsy as I love it.
A lot more of the quintessential Peter Gabriel sound comes through on most of this album. A couple of kinda oddball, experimental type tracks here, but it doesn't hinder the experience.
I have No Self Control. Just Start with this album and you may have the same issue.
As a child raised on Genesis something in my dna activated like I'm some sort of prog rock sleeper cell.
I could—and should—really spend some time with this album. It features songs of a genuinely high quality: like the best parts of the Peter Gabriel album I know best, So, *without* the super-annoying “Sledgehammer.” Heh. “Games Without Frontiers” is exquisite. And “No Self Control” isn’t far behind.
Solid music. I’d listen again.
A thoroughly enjoyable album that I would like to listen to again.
I liked this album, despite some of the songs being a bit slow
Big Peter Gabriel fan and while a couple of these cuts are amongst my favorites, this is not my favorite album. In my collection and a wonderful listen
8/10
Un autre album pop sombre et torturé dans la même semaine que Blackstar de Bowie. Voyons, ça va bien, générateur? Tu nous as finalement rejoins dans le fond du gouffre? Comment est la vue? Ouain, sinon pour l'album, du lourd une fois de plus provenant de Peter, définitivement à réécouter par temps sombre dans les ruelles
A decent listen. Loved it.
I like the 'no cymbals' rule. Engaging, thoughtful, listenable in spite of being Peter Gabriel. The singles were the best thing about the album, though, which slightly disappointed. Low 4 star.
Not bad. Pretty competent overall and a decent listen throughout.
I was lucky enough to see Mr. Gabriel a couple years back on his last tour and he ended the set with Biko. It was amazing.
3.5 / 5
Melt will be my second Peter Gabriel album to listen to, and the only album of his on this list that I haven't listened to before. Looking at the track listing, I think the only song I know is "Biko," but I honestly can't remember the last time I heard it. However, I really like listening to Peter Gabriel, and even though I'm not sure what to expect from this album, I have high hopes that I'm going to enjoy it. I love and appreciate Peter Gabriel as an artist, and I really wanted to fall in love with this album, and while I think it was really good, it’s just not a five-star album for me. The most impressive thing about this album to me was the moods and emotions it was able to convey on each song. I know Peter Gabriel has said that he doesn’t think of this album as a concept album, but lyrically, that’s what I felt like was going on for most of these songs. Musically, I loved the depth of sound that Peter Gabriel was able to create. Every album of his that I’ve listened to is just full of rich and beautiful sounds. He has such a distinctly unique style when it comes to arranging his music and crafting these sounds that completely pull you in. I loved seeing how many wonderful artists played on this album, from Phil Collins to Kate Bush, this album is brimming with additional talent. There weren’t any particular songs that jumped out to me as exceptional on this album, but each song managed to bring something unique to the table. And I think that’s why this album is only four stars for me; it’s really good, but there’s nothing that really pulls me back into it, or stays with me after I’m done listening to it. Any time I think about So, I want to fire it up, even if I don’t have enough time to make it all the way through. Melt was a really good album though, and I appreciate getting to experience another period of Peter Gabriel’s career that I’d never gotten to experience before.
Not the worst of Peter Gabriel, and I enjoyed this 100x more than any Genesis albums I can think of. It's definitely experimental in parts (from a little to very, very), but he still managed to get a banger of a single in there. He's thankfully not using experimentation to make up for lack of songwriting or musical ability (looking at you, some albums on this list), and that shines through. I can't give it five stars, personally, but I can give it a strong four.
Classic Peter Gabriel - can't argue with this.
I thought Games Without Frontiers came out later in the 80s, I'll have to check out his other earlier albums.
Favorites: Start I Don't Remember (about not cooperating) Family Snapshot (about an assassination) And Through The Wire Games Without Frontiers The writing style and lyrics are illustrative and paint a creepy character acting throughout the album. The tone, in contrast, is very disco/beat-strong and the guitars are heady. Most songs have lines that are very repetitive, but funnily enough they're pretty catchy because of that.
Very influenced by Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. Experimental and ambitious. Most of it works. I think So is a tad better but this was a solid listen.
I remember when I first listened to this album. A bit experimental at the beginning, sounded interesting. At the height of "Family Snapshot" it became really interesting. The rest with Biko as the ending gave a hint of what would happen with Peter Gabriel in the future. Biko made me feel that this was the man for "The Earth's Original People"
I have never listened to Peter Gabriel and apparently I had no idea what I was missing.
Lots of reverb on the drums, must be an 80s album
If this didn't end on biko it might be a 5, grew on me a ton, uncertain about some of the keyboard percussion but some strong hits here, low 4
really good
Kate Bush singing ‘jeux sans frontières’ is so good. Some of the songs are a bit long.
Absolutely loved Family Snapshot and Games Without Frontiers. A few songs felt weirdly, like, normal for what I expect from Peter Gabriel. But all around, a solid album.
Only really knew 'Games Without Frontiers', but turns out the whole thing is great!
Kinda apocaliptic at times, interesting and original
i'm pretty new to peter gabriel outside of the big hits they play on the radio all the time, and i enjoyed his solo debut earlier on in this project, so i was excited to get to listen to this one. this album feels a little more subdued than his first, but a little more pop oriented. don't get me wrong, it's not sledgehammer-era peter gabriel, but there is some (admittedly great) hooky stuff on here like kate bush's contribution on 'games without frontiers' and i really enjoyed the album closer 'biko' as well, a song that feels specifically cemented to a point and time in history, but the message is still very relevant today. all that said, i just wish it had a little more oomph for me. it's a nice album and i could see myself falling in love with it upon multiple listens, but as it stands right now, i feel like it doesn't quite reach that upper echelon.
I'm not always sure what to think about Peter Gabriel's music. Although this album gets experimental in places, I enjoyed listening to it very much. I am definitely going to revisit his music. Also, more cowbell!
7/10 I can only imagine that Peter Gabriel lives life in some sort of permanent fever dream. Somehow, this album threads the line between brilliant insanity and daft inanity, sometimes even within the same track. It’s creepy and weird, yet it somehow occasionally breaks out into some decent late 70’s / early 80s rock. But, as with much of the album, I can’t quite work it out. Does it need that grounding, or if it would be better if he further indulged the weirdness? As I listened through a third time, some of this started to click a lot more with me. Perhaps the abundance of cutting-edge (at the time) production techniques makes the impact lessened to modern ears. I can imagine this sounded even more crazy to people without the experience of the following 45 years of music production that I’m listening to it through. The songwriting is interesting. Sometimes ideas linger, but equally, if not more often, things jump from place to place (and then sometimes back again), which only goes to further enhance the fever dream aspect of the album. Looking at the artwork, I can only assume this was what he was going for, and in that case, he definitely pulled it off. Intruder - This is a creepy way to open an album. It’s tonally quite jarring, and I can’t quite work out if I like it or not. The close-mic ASMR mouth-noise is quite off-putting, but that’s kind of the point. I’d say it really succeeds in what it’s trying to do, but what it’s trying to do is not really something for a casual listener. I think I might be falling down on the side of this being brilliant. No Self Control - There’s a lot of this that I like, but it feels a but lacking in direction. Not in a ‘too many ideas’ way, but more generally disorganised. It almost breaks into a really good song early on and then again in the last minute, but it never quite gets there and there’s a lack of organisation in the middle that distracts. Start - This is a nice enough little interlude. Very 80’s sax, but it was 1980, so… I Don’t Remember - This is better, there’s more coherence here. It’s got a good driving beat, and it sort of falls somewhere between Bowie and Talking Heads in terms of sound for me. There’s still quite a lot going on in various places so it can sound a bit overwhelming, but I think that’s just part of the vibe of the album in general, so it works. Family Snapshot - An interesting build through the first half and then it kicks in. There’s quite a Jaco Pastorius tone to the bass, which is cool. Not his standard of playing, but not many can do that. There’s a clear narrative through the song that’s good. I wish it had a bit more of the pace, driven stuff, but it;’s still a decent track. And Through The Wire - There’s a bit more of a traditional structure to this, and it perhaps suffers a little for it by being a bit too reliant on the main hook. That being said, it’s a good hook. Overall it’s a tad on the cheesy side for me, but it’s not a bad one by any stretch. Games Without Frontiers - This starts off strongly. There’s a whisper of the tone of Intruder mixed with a more Genesis sound. The lyrics are almost distractingly stupid in the verses. It kind of struggles a bit in the transitions between sections to my ears and it’s a bit of a wandering track, but some of the elements within are really good. Not One Of Us - Another decent track. Again, I really like some of the elements, but it just doesn’t fully connect with me as a whole for some reason. It’s very staccato in places and feels like it could do with a little bit of smoothing dynamically. I do like the way it builds towards the end. Lead A Normal Life - This is quite subtle, which is great when put in comparison to the bombast of some of the other tracks. There’s still that disturbing undertone of edge that creeps in here and there, but it kind of drifts along in a pleasing way. Bit of an odd comparison, but it reminds me a little of Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 2 with the quite pretty tone edged with threat. Biko - This is really good. It’s brooding, but has a nice rolling thrust to it too. Hard to be criticise a song that’s so strongly ani-apartheid South Africa (although it does go on quite a bit). It’s quite a grounding finish to the album, which has been a bit nutty in places, so it feels a tiny bit out of place tonally, perhaps, but it’s still a worthy inclusion.
This was a nice album. Easy to listen to songs that don’t get in the way.
I like all the Peter Gabriel "untitled" albums but this one is definitely the best. As a cohesive piece of work, each song works quite well with the next. Themes of paranoia, anti-war, poverty, peace are brought forward to the forefront of the psych that fit perfectly with the "melting" album cover. Musically, brooding synths are intertwined with dark marching gated drums & distorted guitars.
I enjoyed this, but the self-importance and pomposity was grating at times.
Peter Gabriel at its peter gabrielest
Some great songs and some weird stuff mixed in
Great album. Peter Gabriel has always done interesting stuff. Games without Frontiers being the standout. Although not on this album he’s done arguably the best duet ever with Kate Bush.
You know, with this being my second Peter Gabriel album and with me having liked my first album of his, So, I did have positive expectations going into his self-titled third album, also called Melt. However, what I was not expecting was to get an album that I might actually like more than So. Honestly, Peter Gabriel 3 might just be that. Granted, it's been a while since my last listen of So, but I know what I liked about both albums and I think this album appeals to me more. Of course, there are things about both albums that I really like. They both have good songs, they both have cool world-music influences, they both have Kate Bush. You get the idea. However, Peter Gabriel 3 is a noticeably darker album than So, with it having less upbeat instrumentation and more overt political themes. I... actually really like that. This album personally appeals to me more. So is certainly the catchier album, and I do find "Sledgehammer" to be better than any of the songs on Melt. However, an album being catchier doesn't necessarily make it better and "Games Without Frontiers" gets pretty close to "Sledgehammer" levels of quality. There's other things that make Melt stand out to me as well. The album's generally more experimental, which is done tastefully here. Robert Fripp plays guitar on a few songs. That might be the reason I like it more than So. It also has Phil Collins on a few songs. It's cool that Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins did some things together after Genesis. Overall, Peter Gabriel's third album is great. He's definitely a man that's deserved his musical success. Strong 4/5.
Oh god. Do I have to admit that I liked a Peter Gabriel album? How was this so cool? What happened to the dude? This is the earliest of his work I've heard, maybe the late 80s just wasn't my time for music?
Drugs in music. Interesting combo
Wow. We only knew "Games Without Frontiers", but it was way weirder and sparser than our memories of it. This was a super cool album!
Peter Gabriel anxious and mad vibe. Not So. I enjoyed it anyway.
Hadn't listened to PG except for radio hits like Shock the monkey. These were very good as well
Álbum muito interessante, com duas canções fantásticas.
“Too Artsy.” Way better than I thought .
Has a bit of an edge to it, quite interesting and really enjoy a lot of the songs.
81% Best: Intruder; I Don't Remember; Games Without Frontiers; Biko Must-Hear? Maybe
Excellent album!
The saxophone song Start is so moody, really cool. Peter Gabriel always has the best drums, 80’s baby!
It's a vibe
It sounds so obvious now but this is where the gated reverb sound of the 80s Phil Collins (who drummed on this albums first two tracks ("Intruder" and "No Self Control") sans cymbals) and Kate Bush (also appeared on this album, and on "No Self Control" too) sprung from... So you could say it's influential. Still, Gabriel has always been the experimental type.
Thoughts before listening: I recently bought this on vinyl on a whim and find it to be....okay? There are some really good songs on this album, but also some that grate on a me a bit. Its definitely a darker album than I was expecting. Review: I think this is a trend with a lot of Peter Gabriel albums where the hits really work for me, but the deep cuts don't...at least on first listen. On this album, the hits are "I Don't Remember" and"Games Without Frontiers" which are amazing 80s rock songs. However, I tend to get lost in the darkness that permeates the rest of these tracks, despite recognizing that its well performed and produced. I will say that on today's listen, my overall enjoyment picks up in the middle of the album and its better overall than I had originally remembered. There are still some overly dense songs that are tough for me to get through (especially at the beginning and end of the album), but I really like the high points. This is a 4-star album.
I didn't really like the album the first time i listened to it, quite experimental and unique. Then i listened to it a second time and it fell into place quite well and I enjoyed it a lot.
First Peter Gabriel album. I like it. It is good. It can stay.
Cool cool 4/5
Enjoyable all the way around.
First of all, this is an excellent album. That being said... we once again run into the problem of potential oversaturation of Peter Gabriel albums on this list. I would think that "So" would be the most essential of his catalog. I wouldn't argue with including ONE of his earlier solo works. His first after leaving Genesis (the one known as "Car") would be the most obvious choice as is has "Solisbury Hill" on it. The risk of an Elvis Costello-level flood of Peter Gabriel albums is just too great.
NEW WAVE SUPREMACY!
This album rules. I've liked the song Intruder ever since I heard Primus' version on Miscellaneous Debris, but I think I like the original even better. Biko was a bit forgettable and reminds me of some of his more ho-hum stuff from the 90's, but I really like the rest of the album. After reading that Gabriel banned the use of cymbals on the recording to challenge his session drummers, I had to listen again from the beginning. 4.25/5
Blind Album, know the artist. Wow I was shocked by this album for sure with average expectations. It blew me away. I loved the dark grittiness but it flowed so well and kept me hooked throughout. Still had some filler tracks but I still enjoyed the majority of it. I LOVED the first half of this album. It was a jam for sure. I Don't Remember was my favorite track and will probably make a personal playlist of mine.
Always a pleasure to listen to Peter Gabriel. Another good album. 4 stars is fair enough.
I really don't have much to say. Just some pretty good tunes by the former Genesis frontman. Solid 4 Stars.
Okay. Classics are strong.
An amazing artist, and a very good album
Its growing on me - very 80's. Extra point for living locally.
Haunting art rock to establish the prowess of a legendary solo artist.
Sapevo che non poteva deludermi dopo So
I definitely dig this more than the debut. The more new wave influences work much better for him. 3.5/5
This album really makes me wonder why the debut album was very mid would even be included on this list when an album like this is on here as well. This was a very enjoyable album, catchy, easy to listen to!
I tried listening to this when I was much younger and was out off by how impenetrable I found it then, I only really remember liking Intruder and I Don't Remember (which is actually a banger, ironically I had forgotten that). I like it a lot more now, the resemblance to Berlin era Bowie endeared it to me a lot I like the range of the album. There's a huge gulf between the sinister paranoia of Intruder to the groovy I Don't Remember, as well as the Afrobeat style of tracks like No Self Control. The whole thing has a lot of atmosphere, it feels quite eery throughout I had forgotten Robert Fripp played guitar on this until I Don't Remember when it immediately came to mind, it sounds exactly like his playing on Scary Monsters & Super Creeps. I had no idea Tony Levin was playing Chapman Stick on I Don't Remember either, little wonder why the bassline is so memorable There's a couple songs I'm not that keen on (mostly Family Snapshot) which is keeping me from giving a 5 but still a very good album overall Highlights: I Don't Remember, Intruder, Not One Of Us
First time listening to this album, was only familiar with his later hit songs. Was mostly enjoyable, interesting rhythms and sounds.
Prog
3.75
This is pretty good, Biko and Games Without Frontiers absolute classics. trivia facts: both Paul Weller and Kate Bush appear on this album.
I'm sure I apply a Sunday morning boost to albums when I have the time to sit and do nothing but listen to them on headphones while having a lovely lie-in. I also have a lot of time and respect for Peter Gabriel, so this one is onto a winner already. He's got just the right level of experimentation for my taste, it's unusual and interesting without being overly strange for the sake of it. The songwriting is also on point when you're able to listen to it properly; Gabriel is poetic in his storytelling about violence, isolation, mental struggles and apartheid, and the instrumental arrangements are often fascinating. I will be coming back to this for further listens and I'm always interested to hear more of Gabriel's work. He reminds me a lot of Bowie in his eccentric genius and artistic bravery.
Original, creative, unlike a vast number if albums on the list. I wouldn't buy it or even listen again but he deserves st least a 4
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It’s incredibly entertaining and groovy. Yet again, another album I had never listened to before! Almost five stars, first few songs lowered one star, because there is no option to lower only half a star.
I own this LP and once upon a time listend to it a lot. It's a bit more complicated pop record with a sinister undertow. And a handful of songs that I really like. I know this album was experimental for it's time, especially in sound, but that has not bearing in my scoring. I like Mr. Gabriel, especially pre-90's music, while "Us" is not a bad album either.
With *So*, *3* (aka *Melt*) is probably the other mandatory Peter Gabriel album to own if you can enjoy art-pop with unabashedly commercial ambitions -- here the best of both worlds, really. It took Gabriel a little bit of time to reach this balance, and he would lose it again in the future. Debut album *Car*, with its remnants of prog influences not totally digested, aged quite poorly (apart from hit single "Solsbury Hill" and maybe closer "Here Comes The Floor") ; there are very few highlights in the quite inert, often cheesy or ineffectively shrill transitory LP *Scratch* ; and if *Security*, sandwiched between *Melt* and *So* starts off great, it still harbors a second side that returns to the somewhat tepid territories of *Car* and *Scratch*. No, *Melt* is the true keeper here -- maybe even more interesting than *So*, because of its darker moods. "Intruder", ominous, unpredictable and unnerving, is a perfect opener to set up those dark tones. The sound of that hypnotic drum pattern also does wonder. It's interesting that Gabriel asked his drummers in the studio (including former bandmate and new Genesis singer Phil Collins) not to use any cymbals, leading producer to patent the infamous "gated" sound for percussion (which will lead us to the most horrible musical moments of the eighties). That "gated" sound is fortunately not "over the top" yet, and is even quite effective to dynamize the songs -- it's a lesson that Phil Collins himself put to good use in his own hit song "In The Air Tonight", once again a composition where said sound is pertinent at least. But I digress here... To return to *Melt*, second song "No Self Control" uses marimbas to great effects, indeed recalling Bowie's experiments for his Berlin trilogy. Proper third cut "I Don't Remember" (after interlude "Start") is a catchy single with post-punk and new wave overtones foretelling Gabriel's future charts hits. Robert Fripp's relatively dissonant guitar solo is also another nod to Bowie, as well as to the contemporary iteration of his own act King Crimson. The two songs that follow, the great "Family Snapshot" and the admittedly less stellar but still pretty good "And Through The Wire" see Gabriel investing Bruce Springsteen's turf, suite surprisingly (with yet again some abrasive punk overtones, courtesy of Paul Weller's guitar). "Games Without Frontier" is yet another memorable hit, this one with highly topical lyrics about the scourge that war is. The ironically naive vocal hook performed by Kate Bush adds a layer of sarcasm to the song that is very welcome here. The overlong and grating *Not One Of Us* aged badly, however (you can't hit the mark every time I guess). "Lead A Normal Life" is another OK interlude, and we're already at the end of the LP, with the undeniably iconic and, again, highly topical "Biko", which not only sees Gabriel singing from the right side of history, but also offers a hell of a tribute song, epic yet also dignified, to the titular figure who bravely fought Apartheid in South Africa. That mix of long saturated guitar chords, bagpipes in the background, and elated vocals (both in the lead and in the background) is perfect for a protest song such as this one. So yeah, minus one dud and two interludes, those are either nice tracks or absolutely essential ones (four or five for the latter by my count). Hence why I think there is room left for this record in my own list of 1001 albums you must listen to before you die. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past editions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions. Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: half, approximately Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter
Peter fucking Gabriel. This would be his best album. His true breakout album. What a legend!
love peter gabriel, love genesis. this is just killer, experimental fun. crazy that he can make songs about these dark topics so catchy
If you're willing to go along with the journey Mr. Gabriel wants to take you on, you'll probably enjoy what he has to offer. I was continuously hesitant to go there, but continuously surprised in each track.
Sometimes it's hard for something so influential to be impactful if you come to it late. This isn't one of those records.
This album by Peter Gabriel sounds way ahead of it's time. It dabbles in art rock, experimental, and post punk which definitely captured my attention. I can imagine hearing these songs live in the early 80s was pretty wild.
4 - Haunting. Note cultural significance
i had heard this once before and didn’t think much of it, not sure what the hell was wrong w me then. phenomenal album.
This and 4 are his peak. So much so that the live album just after is my favourite Peter Gabriel record even if it does miss all the signature production sounds.
I like it better than I expected. I don't like all songs, but there's a couple of great ones on this album. Favorite song: no self control.
Very good album
Otra portada genial , otra vez Hipgnosis, para un disco igualmente maravilloso. La producción de Lillywhite tuvo una profunda y evidente influencia posterior. Infinidad de bandas y canciones tomaron sus efectos de batería. Phill Collins, Kate Bush, Paul Weller, Robert Fripp, Rhodes... la lista de aportaciones es importante. El cierre con Biko, glorioso. Los 80 no podían empezar mejor... y aun quedarían So y otros buenos discos más. Pero antes el batacazo de la gira WOMAD y su 4 entrega.
After the first two tracks this album has the feel of a concept album of an unstable man, hell, maybe it was. Peter Gabriel isn’t shy on Melt, letting his weird ambitions shine thru and it works wonders for him. Post punk, artsy, Phil Collins on drums and Kate Bush even shows up for a couple tracks. I could have sworn Brian Eno was floating around in the background letting off some weird yelps but I suppose that was wishful thinking. This is an interesting extremely cool album. 4 stars
A really good listen. Several of the tracks I was able to hear his development as a songwriter. There were some real standouts. I really like Peter Gabriel. This was a good addition to the list.
Peak Peter Gabriel. Dour Eno-esque electronica before he embraced annoying 80s sounds.
This one started weird and overall I didn't like the start but was excited to see a different Peter Gabriel from our previous album. But then it got into it and was so 80's but so different that I couldn't help but enjoy it. Something about it is super dark and edgy, but also has that 80;s bop to it that makes it seem light hearted and easy to get into. I Don't Remember and Not One of Us were my favorites. I really enjoyed how he meshed different sounds and genres to make something unique and yet fit so well in the time.
Jeux sans frontières? Is he not singing "She's so popluar"? Damn. My life has been a lie. I like this album. I like it more with each listen. I think it's creative & edgy. Intruder is creepy, dark, and wild. Love the beat and how herky jerky the melody is. I especially liked I Don't Remember & Games Without Frontiers. But I don't dislike any of the songs. It's a pretty solid album for me.
Peter is always interesting even if some of his experiments don’t hit hard enough. This album starts off sluggish with “Intruder” and the unnecessary “Start”, but then those songs morph into some really great 80’s bangers like “No Self Control”, “I Don’t Remember” and “Not One Of Us”. “Family Snapshot” sounds like the full version of a random dramatic sitcom theme song from a 1980 parallel universe. “Biko” seems like an attempt at making his magnum opus. That would actually be “In Your Eyes”, but this epic, brooding song is admirable and still an A for effort. Onward from there it’s all art rock, Peter style. Good and weird, but not best of on any list. I truly respect Peter for always reaching for something bigger than can be put into words. He is a true artist.
I really liked this. There’s something beautifully raw in the first half or so of the album and what seems like a lot of complicated emotions in a complicated relationship. Enjoyed the politically themed songs too, and the song compositions were all cool and unique. Favorites were Family Snapshot, And Through the Wire, and Games Without Frontiers.
not my favourite music but excellent story telling/ abililty to create a tone with music
This is the best Peter Gabriel on the list until now and I was lucky to get his albums almost in order since it's easy to spot his evolution as a solo artist. I'll not become a fan because of this album, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it more when I get some of its songs within my recommendations.
expected less, but i that‘s why i am playing this game. great album for a lazy sunday…
I thought it was going to be weirder, but it was alright. I'm not all that familiar with Peter Gabriel beyond his couple of hits and one Genesis album. It was interesting. I will give it another spin (or click).
i have a lot of peter gabriel haters in my life for whatever reason and i’d just like to say from the bottom of my heart FUCK those people this is great
Relistened to this on seperate days. Improves on subsequent listen. Really glad I gave it another shot. Intruder - 4/5 Ditto No Self Control - 4/5 I Don't Remember - 4/5 Family Snapshot - 2/5 And Through the Wire - 3/5 Games Without Frontiers - 4/5 Not one of us - 3/5 Biko - 4/5
Solid album. A few really strong big hits.
Peter does rock hard I guess! I had low expectations and this exceeded them by far.
Interesting 80's sound effects, haunting Peter Gabriel lyrics. AN excellent introduction to his work.
hadn't listened to this back to front but i was very familiar with biko and games without frontiers beforehand very solid album, maybe not my favourite out of his self titled trilogy though always love that gated reverb drum sound best song: biko worst song: n/a
Ik vind dit een stuk interessanter dan het eerdere Peter Gabriel album waar we ons door hebben moeten worstelen. Interessante muzikale stukken(Games without frontiers met zn synths op het einde???) En de zang is voor mn gevoel beter dan ik op het eerdere album heb gehoord! De baslijnen zijn moddervet, de zang is sterk en instrumentaal vind ik het gewoon echt een prettig album om te luisteren. Het druipt echt van de jaren 80 vibes en ik kan dat best wel hebben even. Het doet sterk denken aan eerder Genesis werk, maar klinkt fris door de innovatie met de synths en elektronica die ook gebruikt wordt. Leuk en vermakelijk album dat precies lang genoeg duurt! FAVO: I Don't remember, And through the wire, Games without frontiers, Not one of us, Biko
This was really cool. The decision not to use cymbals is really interesting and inspired a lot of creativity in composition and recording. I really enjoyed this, though it dragged a little at the end.
This was a really fun album! I love the unique instruments and off beats of a lot of the music. The social, geopolitical lyrics were also really cool. "Biko" gave me chills. This kind of feels like British David Byrne, but with an emphasis on geopolitical, environmental and social issues. He’s like if Sting would have been in Talking Heads instead of The Police. Really smart and varied album. I listened to it twice back to back because I enjoyed it so much.
Great Gabriel
Still some glorious moments
Peter Gabriel is an artist I was interested in exploring his discography. He always sounded like a unique artist and I liked the songs I heard from him previously (Solsbury Hill, Sledgehammer, nothing surprising). This was a very unique album to get through, and I mean that in a good way. It’s an arty take on 80’s pop music with many catchy tracks, most tackling political themes in creative ways. Family Snapshot was my personal favorite. I love how the song for its majority increases slightly in intensity, but suddenly softens near the ends. It was probably one of the bigger emotional whiplashes I heard in a song. Considering its background of being based on the memoir of a would-be political assassin who admitted he was looking for attention, it was perhaps the most intense track on the album. That doesn’t subtract from the other hits on the album that hit that activist itch, such as Biko and Games Without Frontiers. Peter Gabriel 3 is a well put together experiment of an album; not too abstract to drive away, but not too safe for commercial appeal. I hope if any of the other Peter Gabriels make this list, they sound at least as good as this. Favorite track: Family Snapshot Other hits: I Don’t Remember, Lead A Normal Life, Biko, Games Without Frontiers, Intruder
I am a bit torn about this album. I have strong memories about it. I remember my dad putting on the CD and listening to Games without frontiers/Biko very loudly. I loved it, still do. Most other songs from the album were a bit of a let down to be honest.
Gabriel has a great, distinctive voice and it works well on this album. Definitely a solo and not a group album as there is no "feel" for the whole and it seems at times it is oberly production-driven. I knew there was something missing and it wasn't until I read-up a little that I realised it was the "design decision" by Gabriel to ban the use of cymbals! A blanket ban on anything is counter-productive and I think you find that here, where some of the tracks could benefit. Overall an interesting and absorbing album with my favourite tracks being 'Family Photograph', 'Games without Frontiers' (a classic of all time), 'Not One of Us' and 'Biko'.
First half was a bit of a slow burn for me but from "And Through the Wire" I really quite liked every song. 3.9/5 3.9/5
Peter Gabriel is one of those artists who turned out to be so much different than what I thought he was growing up. I just thought that he made fun pop music with cool videos. His work runs much deeper than that, which is on full display here. This isn't his funnest album, since it's very serious overall, but the music and vocals are excellent. Phil Collins always gets a great sound out of his drums, and it really fits the mood of the album 4/5
This is a very smoothly produced rock/pop album from Peter Gabriel and a stellar cast of musician side-kicks. It's not my kind of thing - in 1980 I was listening to a range of post-punk and alternative music albums. The album is really smoothly and well produced. Too much so for my tastes. Top tracks for me are Games Without Frontiers and Biko.
Very good album. Was familiar with a few of the songs which were all great (especially Biko - that's an all-timer) but the rest was nearly as good. Didn't realize this was the first use of "gated reverb" so it's historical as well.
Every now and again, you see some art or listen to an artist and suddenly see 'genius'. I always knew Peter Gabriel was really good, but he wasn't someone I would particularly follow or seek to listen to. This album made me hear his genius. Maybe not Bowie level genius, or Jackson, or Hendrix level but certainly up there amongst the most gifted.
Better than I expected and the appearances by Phil Collins and Kate Bush were appreciated. Possible highlights: Intruder, No Self Control, I Don't Remember, Games, Not One of Us.
Great mid-album threefer with And Through The Wire, Games Without Frontiers, and Not One Of Us. But it’s the politics of Family Snapshot, Games Without Frontiers, and Biko that get PG3 on the 1001 list. Well, that and it’s just a good, innovative album. Not listening again, but it’s still a solid (4.0*s)
La producción de los 80 no ha envejecido de lo más bien para mi gusto, pero el resto del disco está muy, muy bien.
Ok
Strong PG album. His voice is cold but the production/rhythms make this very relistenable.
Having never listened to Peter Gabriel, I've definitely become a fan. Unique sounds, great singing. The differentiation between each track yet having a fully cohesive album makes this a pleasure to listen to. It's fun, interesting, and textured.
4.25
4/5
Really good album. Not my favorite by any means, but I definitely enjoyed it and will be listening to it again. This album reminded me of an artist that I haven’t paid attention to for a while. I forget about him often, but some reason, I’m just glad to live in a world where he exists. He was always a little outside of the rest of the music world and wasn’t afraid to make stuff that wasn’t quite the norm. Yet it was still great.
I never realised before starting this review journey how much I’d enjoy Peter Gabriel’s music. I find that I much prefer his era of Genesis, and his solo albums are also really fun. As soon as this album finished today, I immediately went back to press play to hear it again. The album felt short, but it is 46 minutes which is very much within the usual timeframe of an album. I guess that just goes to show how much I enjoyed it. It’s more easy listening than some of his proggier stuff, but that’s nice sometimes.
While I fully know what Peter Gabriel created with Genesis, somehow I didn't realize how experimental his solo material could be. I suppose I'm so used to his big hits that I don't think how creative he was with his non-singles. I loved it! The unnerving start to the album ("Intruder"); the playful xylophone (?) used often; the pleasant, almost instrumental "Lead A Normal Life"; the beat in "Games Without Frontiers"; the occasional saxophone; the bop that is "I Don't Remember"; all of it was wonderful. As a lovely bonus, Phil Collins is on the drums for a few songs and Kate Bush provided some backing vocals! How delightful.
Damn, this album sucked me right in. I am moderately familiar with Peter Gabriel, including a song or two on this album, but I really didn't know he did anything like this. The art-rock and post-punk vibes present here were immediately reminiscent of Bowie, but with a very obvious Peter Gabriel twist. And this is my own opinion, but this album absolutely reads like proto-industrial; it has all the makings and sounds of that genre. This album came in at around a 3.5 for me, so rounding it up due to the uniqueness of it all!
'When Peter Gabriel gets it right, he really gets it right. For example 'The lamb...' is Genesis' masterwork. He has an amazing ability to put pictures and complex emotions into song. On this album, he covers war, political assassination and imprisonment. Not just as protest songs, but as miniture sociological and psychological studies 'Family snapshot' deserves an Oscar - an amazing film-in-music. 'Biko' is another masterpiece. 'Games without frontiers' is wonderfully evocative. Admittedly there are a couple of duff tracks (Not one of us, Lead a normal life, etc) overall this is great and worthy of 4.5 stars.
Nice to hear, did he do it alone?
Definitely a strong 4. New to me, apart from Games Without Frontiers and Biko, both of which I already really liked. I love Peter Gabriel's creativity and willingness to go into darker places in such a thoughtful way (this is so much more me than shouty rap). I bet he'd write great novels.
Super interesting percussion on the first couple of tracks. No Self Control is a big track, difficult to describe. The synths do a lot of work. I Don't Remember has really cool bass and it builds to a melodic chorus. Family Snapshot is a power ballad with pounding drums in the second half. Games Without Frontiers is more understated but the vocals, percussion and synths continue to be excellent. Lead a Normal Life is built around quiet keyboard melodies. Biko is stranger with tribal sounding drums and bagpipes. This stuff feels ahead of its time. I just can't decide if I really like it or not. It makes me want to listen again though.
Experimental Peter Gabriel is a guarantee of fun. Very good album, great voice, legend.
its a thump but its a dream but its a madness
4/5
Nifty industrial experimental pop, with some exotic touches and fantastic vocals. Great stuff.
I didn't expect to like this but was pleasantly surprised. Of its time, but interesting and enjoyable nonetheless.with some great tracks
I don't know why I'm always surprised that I enjoy Peter Gabriel's albums more than I expect to!
Actually starts at "Start". Two tracks as foreplay. Overall very good.
01) Intruder - 8,5 02) No Self Control - 8,5 03) Start - 7,5 04) I Don't Remember - 9,0 05) Family Snapshot - 8,0 06) And Through the Wire - 8,0 07) Games Without Frontiers - 10,0 08) Not One of Us - 7,5 09) Lead a Normal Life - 8,0 10) Biko - 9,5 TOTAL: 8,45 (85/100)
This is definitely an acquired taste, and it's the type of art that is harder to appreciate. It's possible that this sounds really bad and is actually bad music. However, I think the production actually sounds really good, in its own weird way, that is. It's not too weird for me, and the underlying artistry shines through. It's experimental music that should exist, in my opinion.
Listened to it and nothing stuck out. Listened to again and started to like some parts of it. Having a very hard time reviewing it. There are cool parts like "Intruder", "I don't remember" and "Games without frontiers" and every time i listen to it I find new interesting bits (must've listened to it 4 times by now). It's different and varied which makes it a fun listen. Maybe this album is more than the sum of it parts. Still not sure if it will stand the test of time but I keep coming back to it. Giving it a weak 4 for now.
Fkn gott stöff. Vottur að post-pönki.
Although I love Phil Collins, it was Peter the creative experimental force in Genesis. Once I listened to this album back in the day, I understood why he left in persuit of making different new original music and not go the safe way of commercial pop rocl like Genesis did and later Phil Collins. I think Phil is a better songwriter and he relies on his lyrics but Peter is more about the sound and music so his arrangements are more unique and difficult. He didnt follow the commercial success formula and went for the musician title. Well earned Overall a great album very conceptual and experimental yet you can still feel the genesis and Phil Collins influence linger in the music.
Now we're talking! I love PG, and his third album spawned classic tracks that have been on the radio and in movies for 40 years. "Games Without Frontiers" is catchy, makes you think as you listen to the words, and is the cornerstone of his greatest hits. I literally know every word. The urgency, vocal gymnastics and hook of "I Don't Remember" is an instant earworm. "Biko", the final track on the album, is a moving tribute that sparked actual change in Apartheid South Africa, it stands as a incredible protest song that encapsulates a troubled time in recent history. "Intruder" is creepy and has you looking over your shoulder, both "And Through The Wire" and "Family Snapshot" are textbook Gabriel and super catchy. Solid album, amazing songs, cutting edge production for the time, worthy of the Top 1001.
Far better than anything Genesis did. Well crafted and mature album. Excellent musicianship and compelling songwriting.
Tense drama and raw percussion gives way to lyrical creativity and finally to an easy finish.
Pretty cool. A little grating at times, but overall a worthy listen.
Games Without Frontiers is one of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs, and I knew Intruder, No Self Control and Biko, but I’ve never listened to this whole album before today. Family Snapshot was a standout favorite, and you can hear the evolution from Solsbury Hill and the seeds of later, more contemplative Gabriel in songs like Red Rain and Don’t Give Up. Unsurprisingly, I’m a big fan. Early post-Genesis Peter Gabriel still has more progressive/art rock sound and sensibilities. I’m a huge Robert Fripp fan (yay, King Crimson!!) and also with Steve Lillywhite producing and Kate Bush’s backing vocals. Oh, Phil Collins is here too, but playing drums like he should. 4.5⭐️
Listened to this while playing Roll Player solo. I won with my best score yet! This album was unexpectedly great. I loved the general sound of the album. Great use of instrumentation...totally enjoyed the album sequencing. Biko is such a wonderful outro.
3-4
Guess I'm a Peter Gabriel fan
this is the only peter gabriel album ive heard in the past and i think its really solid. i really dig the atmosphere and whatnot but i wish he pushed things to be a bit more experimental. theres a lot of memorable stuff on here even without that though. strong 7/10
Certainly wouldn't have been my first choice for a Peter Gabriel album (that title belongs to So, which BETTER be on here), but I really enjoyed this nonetheless. Peter Gabriel is awesome, his music always reminds me of dad (who loved to play his songs for us and show us music videos when we were kids). "Games Without Frontiers" is the one song on here I knew, but a lot of other cuts that I'll be keeping too. Hell yeah, here's to hoping we get So as well. Favorite tracks: Games Without Frontiers, No Self Control, I Don't Remember, And Through the Wire, Biko. Album art: AHHH HE'S MELTING! Not a bad shot, not super interesting either but it'll do. 4/5
I was very impressed with this album. While I haven't listened to a lot of Peter Gabriel prior to So, I was surprised by this album. It didn't sound like 1980. It is moody and assertive, and the percussion and bass drive it all. I will definitely put this in rotation!
Decent
Gotta love Peter Gabriel / Genesis for having one of the more unique sounds of their era. Much more influential than most people realize.
Turns out Sledgehammer is not the only Peter Gabriel song I knew….actually pretty good album, interesting mix of styles and different sounds
There were some cracking new discoveries for me on here (No Self Control, I Don’t Remember) alongside stuff I was already familiar with (Games Without Frontiers). In truth, while I want to love it all, there were also a few tracks that don’t really float my boat. But because this a guy who’s usually trying to do interesting things, musically and lyrically, I’m inclined to overlook the weaker moments somewhat. 3.5
Need to give more listens to fully digest, but there are amazing sounds on this one.
intruder - 5.5/10 just an interlude no self control - 8/10 catchy af start - 7/10 amazing sax love it i don't remember - 8/10 FIRE SONG OMG family snapshot - 7.5/10 nice and balladic and through the wire - 8/10 nice sequel to fs goes hard games without frontiers - 8/10 feels smooth in a way i like not one of us - 7.5/10 also goes hard lead a normal life - 6/10 nice but idk wtf u call that intrsutrment in it the xylophone sounding shit its not my fav biko - 8.5/10 incredible song
Этот альбом мне понравился сильно больше So. Тот случай, когда 80с клише звучат к отчего-то к месту (можно ли назвать звук клишированным, если альбом вышел собственно в 80-ом году?). Песни отличные. Лучшая песня - I Don’t Remember.
I did not think I would like this album but I really did. It got 2-3 plays back to back. I have never been a Genisis fan but maybe I need to give them a go. Favourite song: Family Snap Least favourite: Lead a normal life. Album artwork: Love the cover
7.5/10
LP
An good album, Games Without Frontiers was my favorite.
I liked it a lot! Great sound design considering it came out in 1980. The production is great as well. And the structure of the songs is more complex than anything at that time I think. Overall, a great experience.
Extremely good overall, if not quite great. And some cuts are a bit dated sounding as tech-driven innovation and big dramatic statements in music often do. With an artist this original and so passionately committed to boundary-pushing, there will naturally be some unevenness. "Games without Frontiers" endures as unsurpassed and unique coolness. "Not One of Us" and Through the Wire," "Biko" and "No Self Control" are also strong. Best to think of PG as a one-man of Eno-Bowie skills.
Difficult to review for me. Genious album, but many difrferent directions. Saddle up to ride n all directions - Peter Gabriel - stile (I think)
I'm not sure the measured influence of this album, as far as I can't recall it mentioned in conversation, but given the timing of it, elicits a lot of what came in pop music afterwards. I Don't Remember and Family Snapshot really call this out, whereas the earlier tracks kind of go the more industrial route, almost like Killing Joke at the time. Never thought I'd compare Killing Joke to Peter Gabriel, but I'm not upset. The whole album flows well and doesn't take too much off the gas unless it needs to. Not One of Us is a great standout track towards the end. I'll be damned if Phil Collins didn't take a bit of Biko into making In the Air Tonight. Also a great subject to write about. Closing an album in 1980 with an anti-apartheid song is what's up.
This was terrific! Super modern, as mentioned in the chat, I thought some of the industrial sounds as well as the ambient tracks were super reminiscent of NIN/Trent Reznor … just chock full of great textures!
Love Petey. Great weird songs that I feel like I can really sink into. Excellent textures and rhythms.
Extremely epic and badass album. Anytime kate bush is on an album… i love it!
I haven't listened to this in forever--and it's better now than when it first delighted me. Kind of odd, no? Some rock, some experimental. His voice, drums, melted guitars, that cover says it all: half recognizable, half distorted. Nothing predictable about it.
Ook 1980, maar al een stuk interessanter dan twee platen geleden. Niet doorrammen en maar wat aanklooien, maar bedachtzaam een goede plaat in elkaar knutselen, ook al spookt er af en toe nog een jengeltje doorheen. Ik heb ook de Duitse versie geluisterd ('Ein Deutsches Album'), ook best aardig gedaan.
I liked this, better the a Bowie album (so far!) There is lots to it: nice instrumentals, decent lyrics, some good beats to dance to. A nicely complete album. I’m only giving it a 4 because non of the songs quite stuck out enough for me to save to a play list
Myślałem, że 3/5, ale niektóre piosenki naprawdę dobre i zasługują na 4. Co do tekstów się nie wypowiadam, bo nie sprawdzam.
Really enjoyed this album and only recognized one of the songs
For Biko
A very strong album. I need more listens
This was a treat. 4/5
Really liked this. Never listened to Peter Gabriel before and had no idea what to expect. Very pleasantly surprised and will listen to more. The kind of album that with more listens could potentially become a 5.
I like Peter Gabriel, I like this album. Would listen to again.
Fun listen, having only heard games without frontiers before I really enjoyed the rest of this.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I really dont care for Genesis at all, but this was pretty different from that, in a good way.
Seems mentally unwell and a bit unsettling but bangs
An underrated and forgotten release in Gabriel's catalog. Just as prog as his other releases, this one differs as it is dark, foreboding, and atmospheric based on contemporary post-punk releases, which you can hear in the hollow drum machine, punk-like vocals (but still mostly pop), and sporadic and concerning instruments that come in and out almost out of desperation or temperament. In some cases, it reminds me of fellow art pop artist Kate Bush, while other times, the instrumentals give off vibes of Siouxsie or The Cure. Yet songs like "And Through the Wire" show he hasn't completely re-invented himself, with his signature pop style, without being inconsistent with the rest of the record. It has its hits, most notably the outstanding infectious "Games Without Frontier". It features the epic anti-apartheid theme "Biko" which unfortunately has lost its emotional impact through the decades, but is still a powerful ending. I also enjoyed the fitting ambient interludes "Start" and "Lead A Normal Life" (although the latter should be shortened). Only song I didn't like was "Family Snapshot" which felt like a budget Bruce Springsteen and had a screwed up sound mixing at the end. I did enjoy all the other tracks, just some more than others. "Games Without Frontier" shows this record could have been even more impressive, but it's an outstanding record that gives Gabriel fans something they wouldn't see elsewhere in his catalog.
Interesting
super dark and disturbing album. Can really see the groundwork for dark wave, new wave, goth, etc. Loved Phil Collins on the drums for "intruder" and you can sort of hear him playing around with drum sounds that would later lead to "In the Air Tonight". I had a lot of fun with this album and hadn't listened to it prior. Especially loved the end track, Biko.
Peter Gabriel was amazing and his music holds up. Games without Frontiers is an example of 40 + years of relevance. Genesis was one of my favorites.
Exceptionally prog, with some odd drumming (explained on Wikipedia) and complex lyrics - about many different topics. I like it, but I think I prefer his earlier work
Fantastic album. The era of awesome drums.
I was very surprised by this. It is rock with creativity and emotion, and it worked well!
Jaha! Två album i rad. Gillar den här skivan mer. Lite råare och punkigare. Family Snapshot, Games Without Frontiers och Biko är ju klassiker men gillar de andra låtarna mycket också. Får en 4a.
The album cover guy looks like the actor who plays Neville longbottom… anyways this guy knows how to make music, I don’t think this album is my fav thing ever and I don’t know that I’d relisten to a ton of this but I think it’s done well and sounds good, solid 8/10
2024-04-11...
Durchmischtes Hörerlebnis mit guten Ausreisser
he knows rhythm is what makes music go
This may be where Peter Gabriel truly became Peter Gabriel the solo artist but the only song I know is Games Without Frontiers - a classic. The sound of the opening track Intruder is off-putting but the lyrics are thought-provoking, which of course they would be for Gabriel. I'm not sure I can take that for a whole album. Luckily I didn't have to. The rest of the album has some strange, unique musical stylings but it's much more melodic - and the lyrics continue to make you think. Some highlights were No Self Control (the marimba kicks ass), Family Snapshot (love the tempo changes), And Through the Wire (edgy, rocking), and Biko (we know where Gabriel went on future albums with African-inspired music but the political commentary make this that much better). This album definitely gets better and better on every listen. I'd say it's more or less a 3.5, but I think I'd probably creep up with a few more listens so I'll give it the bump to a 4.
Overall, this is excellent. Still really fresh and relevant. His sound is really unique and balanced. Almost economical. Nobody else could pull this off.
Peter Gabriel is one of the great singing voices of the 70's and 80's. Between his work with Genesis and his solo work, he has a truly impressive catalog. This is the 3rd of 4 albums he released after leaving Genesis, all titled "Peter Gabriel". The marketing folk must've really hated him. This is the most successful of those 4 albums, topping out at #1 in the UK and #22 un the US. "Games without Frontiers" is outstanding (if only reasonably successful) hit, and "Biko" and "No Self Control". made some splash if few ripples. Overall, this is a very solid album, though several steps behind his 1986 masterpiece "So". The sound is great, though obviously 1980. I thing Gabriel was still developing his style as a solo artist, his voice apart from Genesis. Quite a lot of these 1st 4 albums can be defined as quirky, almost trying not to be successful. Which is not meant as a negative, this is original, and interesting, and occasionally compelling. I remember the big songs from this album, the ones that ended up on "Plays Live". But I had not heard the entire album until today. I enjoyed it though, and will put it in the play-again pile. 4/5
Progresivo, interesante y rockero.
Wow, stunning album. For something made 45 years prior, the sounds and styles still hold up really well. Very pleased by the different takes on the 80s pop aesthetic, possibly pioneering a genre? Really enjoyed this listen.
Pretty classic Peter Gabriel. Voice is pretty unique. 4.5
Yes, I heatd as teenager from my sister
This record is great. It is what I think art rock/experimental music should be. Only thing keeping it from a 5 is the lack of certified bangers that you can always listen to.
After I listened to this album, one word came to mind: thoughtful.
Solid album! Not my favourite of his but definitely in my tops!
Album 337 of 1001 Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 3 Rating : 4 / 5 Good album. Probably one of his best. A lot going on and worth another listen.
An unexpected aspect of Peter Gabriel. Worth discovering
8/10 - 4/5 Much creepier and artier than I expected. Love the prog elements that made their way in. Really solid theme and cohesive sound throughout.
The 80’s used to do me dirty. I used to really dislike 80’s music for a handful of superficial reasons. But this project has helped to rectify that. I’m not completely sold, but I’ve found an in and sometimes that’s all I need. This is the best of the 80’s albums I’ve heard thus far, and I had low expectations. I expected commercial rock, some superficial and overdone. But this was the work of an artist. The creativity of sound here. The use of different sounds, engineered and otherwise, is phenomenal. Sometimes it hits and sometimes it doesn’t, but he’s trying to be creative, to be different, to be interesting. And overall it works and I’m really pleased to have heard this. 4 stars. Standout tracks: Intruder, No Self Control, Start, I Don’t Remember, Not One of Us
I absolutely love Peter Gabriel’s voice. Such a rich tone. I find his music needs listening to properly (although he has had a few radio friendly pop tunes) and I had to give this a second listen under my headphones when I had time to myself. As background music it feels a bit odd in places. Now that I’ve given it my undivided attention, it is another fantastic piece of art. I can really sense his obsession with the arrangements, so much goes into the use of percussion and the overall composition. Never been this far back in his catalogue and glad that I now have
'Games Without Frontiers' is an absolute banger of a song. It used to scare me as a young child. What was it about 1980, which produced many iconic songs which the ambiguous or just plain odd lyrics left an impression on me? One thing I remember about this album was that PG banned cymbals, I do think sometimes they can be overused by many bands, but no cymbals definitely creates an intruiging muted atmospheric sound. I was never a fan of 'Biko', which Simple Minds went on to wind up the nation with a cover, I hate the Lion King and it always reminds me of that. Fascinating experimental post punk which is a million times better than anything his previous band ever managed in their over long career. Another 4.
more pop stars should do songs about assassinations
The opening song on this album, "Intruder", is like a template for Trent Reznor. It's also amazing how different his sound can be from song-to-song; track 5, "Family Snapshot", is such an emotionally-driven yacht rock song.
Ej det var faktisk bedre end forventet. Det skal jeg dykke ned i igen senere. 👌
Det absolut mest overraskende lyt ind til videre. Jeg havde forventet noget 80er pop hen af Sledgehammer, men det jeg fik lænte sig mere op af Joy Division. Lyden er beskidt, atmosfærisk og unik.
Surprisingly dark, I only knew PG from his hits and they aren’t like this.
Innovative, unique, and makes me want to listen to more Peter Gabriel. Not often you hear an effectively used Marimba but it absolutely works. Could see changing this to a 5 in my head on subsequent listens.
Love Peter Gabriel, love this album!
1. 4.7 2. 4.6 3. 4.4 4. 3 5. 3.5 6. 4 7. 4.4 8. 3.2 9. 3 10. 4.3
Peter Gabriel is amazing. So inventive, so creative, so expressive, so intelligent. I love his music…..except Biko. It might be an important political expression, but it’s a dull song - especially to end the album. It’s the only thing keeping this from a five-star rating. But, wow, there’re some great songs on here!
3.75/5
A Great album from Gabriel. For me it is one of the High peaks in his discography
Certainly an intriguing album that I would like to spend some more time with. Lead A Normal Life is so chilling. Games Without Frontiers is a classic. No Self Control is my fave today.
Moody! Got a kind of dystopian vibe to about half the album that I dig. Also, this is a fun exploration of sounds. "No Self Control" is heavy on the xylaphones, and sounds like it could have come out this year. "Start" lets rip with the wailing saxophones and suddenly we're firmly in the 80s. 😆 Fave track - "Games Without Frontiers" - that's some sinister shiz
Quirky and funky. I haven't listened to much of Peter Gabriel's solo work, and this record makes me want to hear more. It's weird as hell, but kind of fun!
Some very interesting songs
Another Great Gabriel. This one is known as "Melt" because of the melting face on the cover. 5/5: Games Without Frontiers, Biko, I Don't Remember, Intruder, And Through the Wire, No Self Control, 4/5: Start, Family Snapshot, Not One of Us, Rating: 4.5/5
Good stuff! Beautiful arrangements and great singing
After listening to a few of his albums now, I've come to the conclusion that I really like Peter Gabriel. His music is more then I expected and has such a unique point of view. Quite enjoyable, will listen to more
One of my favorite artists. Easily one of his best albums.
Relly good. Who knew!
Weird vibes and cool music. I liked it a lot.
Never heard this album before, though I’m familiar with the hits. Overall, this is excellent. Still really fresh and relevant. His sound is really unique and balanced. Almost economical. Nobody else could pull this off.
easy to tell this one is from the 80s. I thought it was kinda experimental in its rhythms and instruments.
This is chaotic, unorthodox, art rock as expected by Gabriel but kind of steering away from the commercial singles he's capable of producing. As with another recent album (Tori Amos) I would be inclined to rate this lower based on personal taste (I didn't like the album very much) but I am going to acknowledge the history here and the giant steps taken that defined a decade in music.
I had heard the name Peter Gabriel floating around through exploring music before but had no idea of his background or music, a quick google search lead me to the band Genesis which, being someone from the UK who grew up in the 2000’s, meant my only knowledge of the band was through the classic Top Gear which made me slightly apprehensive. I didn’t know what to expect from this album but the intro definitely settled me in for an experience I wasn’t necessarily expecting. The opener “Intruder” was quite an eye opening introduction as it gave me many similarities to the band Swans, in which I grew to be a fan of last year. This flipped my initial perspective upside down and I can confidently say it only got better from there. I have to praise the variety of instruments on this album such as the brass instruments on what I believe to be an interlude “Start”, some keyboard on “Family Snapshot” and what I can only imagine is a xylophone on the first 2 songs. All of these are great and yet there is still such a strong 80’s sound on a handful of songs such as “I Don’t Remember” which is such a groovy guitar tune I can’t say anything bad about it, similarly with the song “And Through The Wire” which is also great. I would give this album a 5 if it wasn’t for the last 2 songs, not that they’re bad at all but they’re mostly instrumental driven and both instrumentals just don’t do a lot for me they seem a bit bland, I do enjoy the vocals at the end of the last track however, but it’s not enough considering these take up over 10 minutes of run time on the album. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable listening experience and I hope to hear some more Peter Gabriel either in his solo work or through Genesis.
One thing I’ve always respected about Peter Gabriel has been his willingness to experiment and his seeming lack of concern about doing what will sell. The results aren’t always accessible, but they’re at least always interesting. This album is a perfect example of that approach.
Difficult to rate. Not sure I’ll ever listen again but I appreciate how weird and dark it got. I like his singing and the production.
really fun pop album with a lot of variation - emotional shifts throughout each individual songs. Peter Gabriel is a brilliant musician.
Intruder- 8/10 No Self Control- 7/10 Start- 8/10 I Don't Remember- 10/10 Family Snapshot- 8/10 And Through the Wire- 10/10 Games Without Frontiers- 9/10 Not One of Us- 7/10 Lead a Normal Life- 5/10 Biko- 6/10 78/100
Surprisingly good
One of his best albums to date.
He's so interesting. Never boring. Standouts: Biko, Games Without Frontiers, I Don't Remember, Others: Intruder, No Self Control, Family Snapshot, And Through the Wire, Not One of Us 4/5
Fantastic! Have rediscovered Peter Gabriel.
Bold and expansive, this starts out hard and stays pretty hard throughout. It's something I'm glad I've listened to, although not something I would necessarily want to listen to again.
First album of what I would class world music. Every nice with the brilliant Biko.
Deezer refers to this album as \"Peter Gabriel 3: Melt.\". Good enough progressive Rock.
Never heard of this before but I really enjoyed it. Experimental rock is usually either a big hit or a big miss with me and this was a hit
This was a good album and introduced me to some new tunes. My favourite track off this album was the first one Intruder
Wow. You can see how Nine Inch Nails were influenced here. For two tracks it's really out there. Sadly a saxophone comes in after that, because it's the 80s. It's a bloody good album though. Odd, and pleasantly uncomfortable.
Jeg liker visst Peter Gabriel. Who knew? Hadde jeg hørt på dette mens jeg var stein hadde det nok utløst et MASSIVT panikkanfall. 10/10
Unexpectedly alternative. A bit of a revelation. I like it. Sounds a little like Bowie - Scary Monsters type of thing.
Great album. I hadn’t listened to a lot of his stuff but it rocks.
11/9/23. Only have listened to a little Peter Gabriel. I can’t pinpoint any examples, but it sounded like a lot of artists I like have taken influences from this album, a lot of familiar song structures and ideas I hear today!
I liked it, no self control, I don’t remember, through the wire, and games without frontiers were my favorites
I’ve now heard all three of his solo albums on the list (haven’t gotten So, but I’ve heard it). Surprisingly, I think this is my favorite. The songs on So felt prolonged and slow, with that 80’s production I’m not a fan of, and Car didn’t grab my attention. With this album, though, I enjoyed the songs on it, including ‘No Self Control’, ‘And Through The Wire’, and ‘Games Without Frontiers’. I also like the weirdness through the whole album. Just good.
Maybe my favorite Gabriel solo album. It hits the exact right mix of his ear for poppy catchiness with his experimentation. So many fantastic sounds on this album.
Some still sound innovative which is quite an achievement. Don't really vibe with many songs though
una bonita fusión que usa percusión tipo marimba, medio tropical para ir desde lo lirico hasta lo meramente instrumental. buen album.
Of the genesis alumni, Gabriel was always the most interesting. Nothing against Phil Collins, mike Rutherford Tony Banks or Steve Hackett, but their work, while often superb is much more… predictable shall we say. In Banks' case, I may be being a bit harsh but still… Even though he’s very capable of playing it, would Phil have given us a hit single in 7/8? Gabriel did with the unspeakably great Solsbury Hill. This is not Gabriel's most interesting album, but it’s not a bad one at all. Jeux sans frontieres is pretty incredible. And of course he was exploring what is now condescendingly called world music years before Paul Simon blessed us with Graceland. Gabriel’s lineup, which includes Phil, but not Mike or Steve, has some incredible players, and the songs fit them. I tend to prefer the later Gabriel stuff, but this is a good throat clearer. I’m sick of whinging about Dimerys choices, so I’ll give this 3.8 rounded to 4.
Got the CD, bought in Sneek long long ago. It was cheap(er) cause it did not have the leaflet but I was able to get a photocopy in the copyshop nextdoor.
Great
Baita som, consistente, curti
Gabriel going crazy on the mic.