So

Most of this album sounds less like Gabriel branching out into a solo career and more like Genesis with the rest of the band missing.

This was fun! The exact change of pace I was asking for, smoother, easier to listen to. Didn’t blow me away but I found it enjoyable.

The big songs are still relevant today. Such a mellow sound, even if it’s a more upbeat sound. Cool experimentation. A distinct sound. High 3

Solid 2.8

Solid.

80s synth has not aged well. Would have given this 4 stars in the 80s - "Sledgehammer", "Red Rain", "In your eyes" are all classics. The rest hasn't held up well.

Solid if unspectacular

Sledgehammer is a high point, there's a few other okay ones, nice to hear Kate Bush, otherwise it's a bit mid 80s over produced, innit

whoah genesis is cool

Enjoyed the uptempo songs so much more than the ballads. These 80's ballads just don't do anything for me, even when they're sung by Kate Bush. 3/5

Sledgehammer truly is a brilliant track. The bass, the percussion, the lead guitar, all entirely perfect for the track it is. 37 years on, it sounds fresh and exciting. Gabriel's voice is just wonderful. The production is through the roof. The rest of the album - yeah, not so good. Both Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel have incredible sounding voices, but weirdly they chose to waste their pipes on an incredibly pedestrian song - Don't Give Up . Bizarrely, it starts going somewhere after 5 minutes and 45 seconds of interminable pap before just straight out giving up on an incredibly lazy fade. The irony, when they'd spent half an eternity telling each other not to. There's interesting drumming on That Voice Again, but the track turns out to be Gabriel cosplaying as Sting. The Sting cosplay continues with Mercy Street, and again in totally unironic irony, there is no mercy to be shown in over six minutes of meandering doldrums that take forever to get anywhere. You keep listening hoping to find some of the Sledgehammer magic, but it just doesn't come. Big Time thankfully has a bit of punch to it, but doesn't get close to where it should be, and then goes straight back to meandering with We Do What We're Told. This Is The Picture underuses Laurie Anderson. Again, someone with a magnificent and distinctive voice, just left to wander aimlessly. The finishing track - In Your Eyes - is not strong enough to finish an album on. I can't help but conclude that Sledgehammer was such a massive hit - a song (and video) that changed music - that its host album was sellotaped onto the 1,001 out of courtesy. This should be a two-star album, but the heights of sledgehammer brings it reluctantly up to a three.

Malgré des promesses propagées par mon camarade d'écoute robpecunière, cet album ne dépassera jamais le stade de mauvaise imitation de Phil Collins.

Just ok

A few bangers and some filler

I was a little underwhelmed by this

Some enjoyable songs.

enjoyable. nice songs

Every Peter Gabriel song sounds the same to me.

This probably the only Peter Gabriel album that appeals to me with many of his best known tracks, Sledgehammer, Red Rain and In Your Eyes. The rest of the record unfortunately sounds dated and at times dull, so clearly I'm not a PG aficionado. In general, his music doesn't excite me, but I can hear it in small doses.

Niet van omver geblazen

Some nice touches. Like the song about the Excellent Birds. Can understand why this album lost out to Graceland by Paul Simon that year. Doesn't really stand out.

Pop ochentero sin muchos alardes. Canciones tranquilas y relajadas. Buena voz. Sintetizadores y algo de ritmos novedosos

Pretty good. Really just waited for “in your eyes” the whole time.

Zaskoczyło mnie to że znałem aż 2 piosenki z tego albumu: Sledgehammer i Don't Give Up. Zasługuje na mocne 3.5

Good

The only song I properly knew was Sledgehammer, although I would not have known the name of artists if asked. Very solid classic 80s album.

A bit too self indulgent sounding for me. But Sledgehammer is an all timer.

The bigger, bolder tracks like Sledgehammer and Big Time had me dancing in my seat, but most of the quieter songs on this album put me right back to sleep. I generally like Peter Gabriel but this album needed a better killer to filler ratio.

3.5

3/5 Best: In Your Eyes Worst: This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)

I mean, "Sledgehammer" is a bop but the rest of the album? Not so much. Not that it's bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not all on the same level as "Sledgehammer" is it?

off to a good start tbh. i've been meaning to get into more prog rock, and this album was a nice starter i think. the strong points of the album was certainly the production, but i don't feel like it had anything that particularly stood out to me. the atmosphere was lovely. the lyrics are also pretty good, line delivery also alright. all in all, solid album that i enjoyed. will have to listen again!! 3/5.

So is the fifth album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel. The album's music is inspired from many cultures and influences. It has elements of pop, soul, rock, and world music from specifically African and Brazilian styles. So was an immediate commercial success and launched Gabriel from a cult artist into a mainstream star. The album has been certified 5 times platinum in the US. This was a great album that mixed mainstream rock sound with exotic beats to create a variety of tones over the entire album. It showed true craftsmanship from an experienced singer-songwriter. This may be Gabriel's best album so I recommend everyone to give it a listen.

Gave an extra star due to the Sledgehammer song. This album just wasn’t for me.

Did not finish, very 80's tho.

cant remeber

The domineering final track overshadows one of the only good albums to come out of the 80s. Gabriel’s vocals are stellar, and while the instrumentals retain a certain cheese factor, it comes across as genuine and doesn’t make the album unlistenable.

Pretty good, I should listen to Peter Gabriel more

Don't really get on with his voice, like the music arrangement although it's very 80's Sledgehammer a good tune, but not brilliant the rest began to grate on me a little by the end. 2.6

This was alright. I'm not really a fan, but it's not bad.

Era defining production and genre jumping. Owes credit to Lionel Richie, Sting and Talking Heads. 'Don't Give Up' is still lovely though.

I've been surprisingly bored by Peter Gabriel's solo stuff. A bummer because I had high expectation since I love Genesis's Foxtrot

Ei pöllömpi! Tosi kasari, mutta jotenkin tää kasari on iskenyt viimeaikoina muhun. Ehkäs silti hieman alle nelosen. 3/3

Peterillä on kyllä hieno ääni, ja jollain tavalla tää toimi. Sanotaan 3.5/5, ei ehkä kuitenkaan vielä nelonen.

I remember this album from when it was first released and very popular. I enjoyed it back then but hadn’t really listened to it at all for decades. It was nice to hear these songs again. Brought me back to that time in my life. I don't feel compelled to listen to this album or any of these songs again anytime soon -- nothing against them, just heard them plenty of times for years in my youth.

I like Biko

my friends favourite album. i think it's ok

mmmm kinda disappointed. Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes were good but I already knew those. Not really a fan of many of the others on the album

Solid

ehh? he's just fine, some real cool ideas but it's just kinda annoying and brooding without feeling genuine. killer opening track but overall just mediocre

its an alright album. 3 of its songs are great which makes it good but the rest is alright.

Didn't love it, weirdly went from pumping 80s stuff to slow weird stuff. But I can it was quite out there at the time and definitely influential. Ask boomers about the video for Sledgehammer, they bloody love it.

It’s fine and everything, I’m just not into it very much.

Pop

A beautiful amalgam of musical styles and influences that converge together naturally, and yet create something entirely novel. I personally also can't think of this album without thinking of the music videos that came out on MTV, specifically for the track 'Sledgehammer'. The culminating and synergizing effect of the musical and artistic directions was sublime.

Was in the wrong mood but would like it another day

Good album lyrically and melodically. However blatant 80s production ruined some heartfelt moments.

Familiar 80s pop songs, maybe not for me

smooth moody echoey 80s with a twinge of that arena rock social justice philantropist kinda vibe. but maybe that's just from me reading his bio. 3.5/5

Poprock, nogle rimelig nice numre

Not bad. There is no doubt that this album is extremely well produced, has elaborate arrangements, and has very layered sound. This music is just a bit melodramatic for my taste.

The album where PG hits big. I'm not a massive fan of his faux-funk but its all sonically sound and holds together as an entity. Half the album are hits but i prefer more experimental stuff.

Honestly kind of disappointed with this one. The veritable banger that is Sledgehammer just barely earns it a third star, but aside from a small handful of other tracks this was kind of a snooze.

Mired in the 80s sound, but a few shiners come through. Just middle of the road to me.

Very slickly produced, with the sound instantly placing it in the mid-19080s. While I quite like Peter Gabriel and think Sledgehammer a fine song, most of the remainder of this album sounds quite dated and rather bland.

Best album in the last 3 or 4.

Peter har litt for raspete stemma, men don’t give up

Darting through the technology-driven optimism of the eighties, Peter Gabriel finally reached pop stardom with *So*, his fifth solo album. While his prog-rock chops as a former singer and leader of Genesis could still be felt in various parts of his first four LPs, *So* is the record where Gabriel burnt all the boats behind him so as to fully embrace the commercial aesthetics of his day and age, and this for better or for worse. The better is obviously the hard-hitting, bass-heavy, rhythm'n'blues-via-Otis Redding-inspired cut "Sledgehammer", a legendary first single that was "horny" in all the senses of the word, and whose infectious melodies and arrangements, aided by an iconic video, blasted the doors of MTV wide open--giving Gabriel access to most American homes at the time. The "better" is also the touching duet with long-time accomplice Kate Bush, "Don't Give Up", and the equally touching "In Your Eyes", with Youssou N'Dour's backing vocals at its end--another stepping stone in the long-standing tryst between Gabriel and "global" music (best exemplified through his later Realworld label). The heartfelt and wide-eyed opening track "Red Rain", propelled by an interesting drum section, is also pretty good (in spite of a dated "gated" sound probably half-ruining said drums for today's ears--more on that later...). In all those songs, Gabriel's vocal performance displays this mix of strength and frailty that makes him such an effective pop singer. Somehow, and in spite of the 80s "cleanliness" of the mix, you can still sense sincere emotions bubbling through the surface. It's in those subliminal cracks in his voice--necessary breaths of fresh air piercing through all the gloss around them. Also worthy of note is the other duet in the album, "This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)"--this time with the eccentric, avant-garde singer/spoken-word artist Laurie Anderson. You can find another version of this off-kilter experimental song in Anderson's second LP, *Mister Heartbreak*, by the way. Both mixes and renditions are haunting and evocative--with the *So* version being a little more straightforward, maybe, in keeping with the record's overall aesthetics. All of this is fine and dandy, but the album is not without a few borderline-unforgiving flaws. First, and we've just touched upon that, even for the good songs there's indeed a typically eighties aseptic sound that takes away all of the potential edges Gabriel could have retained to give more genuine flavors to the whole shebang--and none of that is more direly experienced than on the unashamed cheesefest "Big Time". Even when taking into account the song's sarcastic lyrics about a naive man moving to a city so as to "make it" there, the hackneyed, cliché-laden instrumentation on this one is jarring and, frankly, quite unnecessary. Besides, given how "commercial" Peter Gabriel wanted to sound back in 1986, it's hard to pinpoint the exact level of self-awareness behind those ironic lyrics about the capitalist zeitgeist of the middle eighties. One actually wonders if the line between self-deprecatory impulses and sheer cynicism was all that clear for the British singer at the time. If you go "meta", you should at least make your intentions clearer than any of the ones found there. Otherwise, it's just a silly joke you make on your audience. Secondly, some of the other tracks pale in comparison to the highlights of the album. Those cuts are admittedly not as horrible as "Big Time", but they still take their toll on the larger picture (this LP only has nine tracks, after all). "That Voice Again" is for instance a meat-and-potatoes eighties pop cut, enhanced by big-production ideas, but not striking enough as a barebones song to leave a lasting impression. "Mercy Street" is supposed to be as moving as "Don't Give Up" and "In Your Eyes", but its lack of clear dynamics and its unobtrusive instrumentation make it rather bland--a flaw that's quite ironical here given that the rest of the album is *not* subdued enough to age that well. And eerie "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" sounds fine, but it's mostly an instrumental, so it doesn't bring the necessary contents to make up for the album's shortcomings. Besides, one wishes that Gabriel taking the subject of Milgram's dreadful experiments as inspiration for a piece of music could have produced something more substantial, at least. The British singer had already used such "topical issues" for some of his most stellar songwriting in the past (see "Biko", "San Jacinto" or "Family Snapshot"). And under that light, "We Do What We're Told" is a disappointment. *So*, no pun intended there, what's the real deal with this album, beyond all the official critical praise? Well, let's just say that as far as "magnum opuses" go, Peter Gabriel's fifth LP is far from being a spotless affair. It seems like this album can be best appreciated if you put it back to the context of the middle years of the eighties, which makes it far less "timeless" than a large part of the records singled out in Dimery's list. 1986 did not leave us many lasting masterpieces compared to most other years of the 20th century, by the way--which might have helped *So* become a landmark of sorts, both for its creator and for 80s pop in general. Here is how a generally talented, part-zany, part-ambitious singer/songwriter managed to secure his place under the sun, along with his legacy. Peter Gabriel had what it takes to become a pop star. But did he have what it takes to pen and perform one of the 1001 most "essential" albums of all time? The jury's still out on this one. 3/5 for the purposes of this list (which means 8/10 for more general purposes: 5+3) Number of albums left to review: 583 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 200 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 96 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 123

Pop progresivo. Un megahit. Ni fu ni fa.

I do like a bit of PG, and this was no exception. Lots of known, a good amount of unknown.

Would be higher, but Kate Bush. Blech.

Quintessentially 80s niet echt mijn ding. Saai en er gebeurt niet veel

1 hit then a lot of spoken word rubbish

Ehh

Ass

Sorry men i skjønne bare ikke greia. Klarer ikke å like den her type 80 talls sound. Anerkjenner at det e bra, men klarer ikke å like det.

Starts strongly, but falls off HARD. So many of these are such boring songs, and a few of them are SO long.

Meh. He was in Genesis

Jesus Christ here we go again with Peter Gabriel bro. How many albums are we gonna get on here that give me PTSD to sitting in my mom’s car in the early 2000’s. For being such a dynamically produced album, it amazes me still how lifeless it can still feel. But I guess it just comes down to taste right? Idk I just hate this overdone, overly processed, hospital light ass music. To be fair, there’s plenty of stuff I like in the 80’s that implements this, but that stuff does it in more of a tongue in cheek way. Idk I’ve never been a Gabriel fan at all either, that isn’t doing any favors. Overall, this is just boring music to me. I’ve got no stand out tracks and I won’t be revisiting. Praying for no more Gabriel.

It's ok, better than expected from the first song

2.5 - Inoffensive but not super interesting.

nunca ouvi um disco que realmente me fizesse sentir absolutamente nada. nem raiva, desgosto, prazer ou alegria. apenas nada. música de fundo.

Lo escuché pero no escribí, así que este soy yo desde el futuro escribiendo esto. No me acuerdo nada.

I’ve never enjoyed Peter Gabriel’s music, where potentially beautiful melodies get smothered by excessive production, like over-processed cheese. Kate Bush’s performance is as beautiful as you would expect, so So gets an extra star from me.

I got through life without ever listening to him, and this marks the first time I've ever heard the famous Sledgehammer from start to finish. I did not like it.

Art pop and pop rock built from polished synthesizers, expressive percussion, tasteful guitars, and warm vocals feels like walking through a beautifully designed modern home where every room is impeccably furnished but decorated in much the same style—you appreciate the craftsmanship, yet your attention gradually drifts. The album's polished production and understated vocal delivery create a consistently calm atmosphere, but for me the emotional restraint, occasionally preachy tone, and limited instrumental variation made it increasingly difficult to stay engaged. Its themes of connection and humanity are sincere, yet the music rarely generated enough contrast or urgency to bring them fully to life.

Lion king ahh music

Not great. This is like some boring soft rock crap, maybe adult contemporary. There are a couple okay songs like Sledgehammer and Big Time but the rest is real bad.

I prefer PG's earlier solo work Fav track: We Do What We're Told

It wasn’t unpleasant to listen to but too 80s.

Correct mais c’est pas mon vibe pref

Your typical 80s album and doesn't really distinguish itself from the rest. I guess its either not my thing or i am simply not old enough to appreciate it. Still i guess a huge 80s music fan could love it easily.

Some good tracks off this album, but the entire album blended together. nothing memorable

So commenters said Ozzy was a huge fan of this album interestingly. As for me, it is not really my kind of music, and peter gabriel tends to blend all together for me. The little flute part on Sledgehammer into the final part was cool. I'm Your Eyes was the only one I had heard much before from radio, and it isn't even one that I'm that close to. Peter Gabriel music has a beautiful quality to it and it's not bad, but I still struggle with it.

I'm pasting in the bulk of my review of Madonna's Ray of Light here: "by the 2/3 mark I was so ready for it to be over. It felt very much like I already got what was going on and we were just dragging it on at that point. Didn't help that each track was like 5-6 minutes apiece without a ton of variation sonically."

I'm feeling generous giving this a 2. It was not good but I'm clearly not the intended audience so someone must appreciate it

Great álbum so complete it brings a lot to this genre

highlight songs: red rain don't give up 2/9 songs i liked not my type of album genre

Fine

Not my fav. Retro, love his other music though

I dont really like classic that much

I spent 45 minutes wondering if I had accidentally put on the soundtrack to an HR onboarding video. Every song feels determined to be important, yet somehow ends up sounding like polished beige wallpaper. Every song takes itself so seriously that I started feeling guilty for not wearing a turtleneck while listening. I kept waiting for the moment where it would finally click. It never did.

My favorite Peter Gabriel song is just a cover of a David Bowie song. 2 stars

I did like some of his song but it wouldn’t be an album I keep

This was unfortunate

jeg kan godt lide red rain den er ret god. det er noget jeg godt kan lytte til men jeg ville nok ikke vælge albumet selv

muy plano

There’s something I just don’t care for about Peter Gabriel’s music…he’s always too serious or something. I like Genesis though hmm.

Red Rain is very much not for me as i just felt bored and slightly irritated by it (no mistaking what decade this was from). It is far too long. Sledgehammer is obviously a great tune and cannot be heard without conjuring up images of its equally brilliant video. Whilst i’m not a great fan of either Gabriel or Kate Bush ‘Don’t Give up’ is also a really good song, despite its synth pan pipe vibes. ‘That Voice again’ sounds like a poor Sting track and i much prefer Guy Garvey’s version of ‘Mercy Street’. Outside Sledgehammer it all feels a bit too Ernest and pretentious to be an enjoyable album. Big time brings the horrible 80s synths back to the fore, i do not like 80s synths

не мое

zzzzz

if I was a middle aged mom this would be awesome unfortunately I'm a man in his late 20s. There is glimpses of a really timeless album here. But it is lost in just odd production choices.

😴

album #65 peter gabriel please get over yourself ꩜ album rating: ★⯪☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,024 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 32 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 13 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 52

Some of these songs sound like they should be on Disney 90's movies. I hope I never have this album in my eyes or In Your Eyes again.

Fiz Kjedlig

Boring instrumentals and kind of annoying voice. Kate Bush was cool.

Very 80s. Perhaps not aged well, but I found this dull.

I listened to it… I think. Not much to say as it was not much of an album

The three singles are the only songs worth playing. I’m sure this album made more sense in the context of the scene it landed in - but without the familiar melodies of the singles there’s nothing pulling me in to listen again.

Bland

It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good. I knew Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes.

Sludgehammer is cool, but it is not enough to carry the rest rather boring album

By this point, any time this page refreshes and it’s not some whiny indie folk or sixties nostalgia slop feels like a gift. Red Rain and Mercy St are bangers. Never need to hear Sledgehammer again. Further confirmation that the Fairlight is the worst synth ever.

Eh, only liked a couple songs. Pretty boring.

Generic 80s. Nothing really to say here. A little dull.

The production value on this album is insane. Although, I did listen to a remastered version, but it sounds like this was probably still something special in the '80s. The problem is, the only good songs are the ones that were already radio hits. It's like Peter Gabriel only knows how to write a pop banger and can't do balance. Seriously, what was up with following up "Sledgehammer" with "Don't Give Up"? Absolutely terrible. Stick to the sexy stuff, Pete.

Yall mind if a white boy plays a little RnB? I was deceived this this not RnB

It’s funny how certain albums are products of their time and the people who were in those times cherish the music (and rightfully so). But as an outsider of this era, I feel like this is hit or miss as it didn’t resonate with me personally. Call me a jaded listener but nothing sticks out and separates itself from other music of its time. Just sounds like big, formulaic music with echoed vocals from a dramatic white guy.

A perfectly boring album seemingly obsessed with beating his former band (Genesis) to the top of the charts at whatever the cost. No doubt this was produced in the 1980s and the awful production weighs everything down further. No, it's not total crap but I wish it was maybe it wouldn't be so numbingly dull.

I’m just not a Peter Gabriel guy. This is fine but not something I’d listen to recreationally.

I prefer his work with Genesis and this album wasn't really my cup of tea. It's just too 80's for me. 1. In your eyes 2. Big time 3. Sledgehammer

Such a product of the 80s. Sounds so dated and corny. I really like Peter Gabriel's voice, but the music and production just doesn't do anything for me. Sledgehammer is such an annoying song and I don't believe people would remember it the way that they do without the admittedly very awesome music video. Giving it 2 stars for This is the Picture (Excellent Birds) cause it was actually a pretty cool song.

A few decent songs I know from the radio but mostly a slog of 80s synth piano. ⭐️⭐️

SLEDGEHAMMER IS MY JAM. In your eyes is also lovely. But the album as a whole doesnt do much for me.

Very average album. Some of the songs are great, others put me asleep. 4.5/10 Top song Sledgehammer

me aburrio

my eyes couldn't possible roll back farther into my head then this album made them.

총 9개곡 수록, 46분. 신스가 위융위융하고 후크 가사가 계속 나오고 후렴이 영원히 반복되면서 페이드아웃으로 끝나는 아하 전형적인 팝이구나 미묘한 아프리카 느낌도 있고 ㄱㅊ네용 슬레지해머는 이름만 몇 번 들어봤는데 제법 마음에 드는 듯 이라고 생각했는데? 머시 스트릿부터 갑자기 엄청 트랜퀼하고 사이키델릭한 신스와 부드러운 아프리카풍 북이 "ㅋㅋ 저 그런 대중가요만 하지 않습니다"를 주장하기 시작 심지어 그대로 끝까지 감 뭐랄까 한 곡 정도 더 신나도 되지 않았나 하는 아쉬움 나름의 미학적 선택이겠지만... 한줄평: 중간에 힘이 빠진다는 느낌 취향: ★★☆☆☆ 재방문: ★☆☆☆☆

Sometimes trippy, sometimes boring and repetitive There is a nostalgy of 80s behind it, but I don't get it Lack of craziness and charism

Seldgehammer has to be the best song on this album. I found myself wishing there was more of this. Partially because the 80's pop is not my favorite era of music - the slow songs tend to sound the same and the pop songs feel similar in structure. I found the psychedelic-esque/ambient/airy sound on Mercy Street interesting and unexpected. I don't think I'd reach for this album again, it was okay. Favorite tracks: Sledgehammer Mercy Street

Sledgehammer is nice, not sure about the rest.. prolly won't revisit

Lame

A couple middling bangers interspersed with some limp filler. No, I’m not talking about an old-school English brunch.

Everyone has a genre they just cannot stand, and this (80s soft rock?) is mine. I know people love it, but I cannot understand why. It’s like being passionately obsessed with aluminium or a Mazda CX5. Although Sledgehammer kinda rules so it scores as high as possible given the genre.

Nice try peter. I know a dud when i see one. That one from 1976 was so solid. But this was bloated and aimless. The Kate Bush feature and In Your Eyes are great pulls from this, but the rest of this was cheese.

For the genre of music it’s meant to be I’m sure it’s very good but it just didn’t click for me.

Sledgehammer feels so out of place on this album. It’s the one bright spot on this very dark sounding album.

Not for me.

two shock the monkey's better

Some decent songs sadly held back by 80s production. Why must so many 80s albums sound like this?

A little cheesy. Not for me, but I see how it is of its time.

Wasn’t bad by any means but I don’t see myself coming back to it.

Peter Gabriel - So On previous studio albums, Peter so eloquently used the Piffleblaster 3000 to great effect. However after a chance meeting with Dietmar Zorg, Peter purchased the one of a kind Zorgmeister A1 mk3. The diamond encrusted variable note digital accordion. At £500000, the worth of it comes through on So, so magically. The chords are obviously 0.005% clearer. Majestic. That's what I hear. Bloat. Nice songs ruined by money. Only millionaires can afford to make this type of album. I for one say, no thanks

Liked 1 or 2 songs but not the others

Three good songs. The rest are so bad they drag the album into the high 2s

So. So?

this album was kinda disappointing. I homes did not like one song on this album; not that they were bad, just so…eh? I guess 80’s pop just isn’t my thing.

I can’t do this album straight through. That’s too much Peter Gabriel for one sitting. I know the hits (and they’re fine) so I skipped over them. I’m sure I’ve heard this album collectively over time through various doctors offices, grocery stores, or my moms car.

Felt pretty samey all the way through. Kate Bush duet dragged on too long.

Kind of boring, the radio hits are good but I had to skip a few songs.

Very of its time. Certainly hasn't aged as well as something like Graceland or Purple Rain.if ever there is an 80s film festival in a high-rise this album is playing in every elevator. This was a warning way back when that a great video does not a good song make.

So fine

Fattar inte grejen här :( Men plus för Kate Bush

Instrumentals are cool, but Peter G's voice just does not fit well I feel like.

2,5 Bijna met tante P naar een concert gegaan van hem. Mooi ontlopen

У меня адская аллергия на genesis, Коллинза и как оказалось... на Питера Габриэля тоже. Если бы у меня был такой голос - я бы не пела. Эти колокольчики и флейты утомляют. Скучно, обычно и никак. Это, наверное, первый пик, который дослушала через силу. Я лучше еще три раза включу альбом Стинга. Но все они для меня из одной оперы.

Was alright

top 3 - We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37), Don’t Give Up, Sledgehammer. I don’t know, just went ‘meh’ on all the tracks. I was underwhelmed but it’s not horrible enough to rate it a 1.

not the type of 80s music for me

uuh nose yo

Maybe we can all collectively agree that, even if Phil Collins was worse, that Genesis and their members were always shit?

Lovely mix, boring to listen to

You know how they say an album is timeless? Yea, this wasn’t that. Album wasn’t bad, but the music is just not something that transcended the 80s imo. Not horrible, but not for me

No es malo, pero es aburridísimo e insulso. Si sos un NPC brainwasheado te puede parecer bueno.

I feel that Peter Gabriel made music for the kind of loser dude that feigned vulnerability to get back into his girlfriend's good graces, only for her to be left disappointed again later when he still can't stop cheating on her. Sledgehammer should have never been made. This album sucked but not enough for me to give it a one. Congrats.

Im so glad I wasn't alive in the 80s

Alright, Peter. I wasn’t too sure about you when I started the album, and my intuition was right. Red Rain was a little bland for my taste. But Sledgehammer is a bop, sonically, but those lyrics were soooo bad. The first time I listened to it, I didn’t look or listen to the lyrics, which is maybe how this album was intended to be listened to. Then he lost me again at Big Time, which the lyrics were so incredibly cringe. This is the Picture made me laugh out loud, specifically the “excellent birds” line. I’m sorry, this album is so unserious. I’m giving it a 2 simply because you can’t say it wasn’t cohesive and it wasn’t the worst album we have listened to. It was just comical.

- Impressed but wow so 80s - Red Rain rocks and the drums sound massive - Kate Bush jump scare - Birds mentioned lfg - I love the cover of his 1980 album - Not for me and probs will not return but glad I know more about Peter Gabriel

Sledgehammer.

I was gonna to turn this off until I got to Mercy Street, low key that song and the next two are decent. But the beginning and ending of this album are a rough listen.

Wha I like about Peter Gabriel is that his makes very unique music and sounds. What I don’t like about Peter Gabriel is that his music is boring.

Just generic 80s pop, there's nothing special about this. Nobody is rocking this music because the 80s were pretty forgettable as far as pop music goes. Michael Jackson and Madonna are pretty much the only ones to endure the years; the rest of the music is extremely dated and doesn't sound good now. 2/5

Vocal focus with soft background music. Not my fav.

only good song was sledgehammer tbf

Not for me but had some good songs.

The best way to describe this is "boring". Peter Gabriel clearly has passion in the songs - it's not like he's just phoning it in but it all comes across as being beige. If there's a reason that adult contemporary has a bad reputation is this album

Vocal is passable but too boring like sound the same. They try to do good music but it is'nt a good moment in the music era, that album is doenst competetive.

ne

Only know Peter Gabriel from his hits so know a few songs here but never listened to an entire album of his. Such an 80s sound. 80s pop music, mixing between some ballads and more pop heavy songs. Don’t Give Up is a great duet ballad. Nice song. Really don’t like some of that 80s production synth/drum beat sound, but that’s not specific to this album. It’s prominent throughout a lot of this though. The pop hits are fun. Sledgehammer is a funky 80s jam. Overall, not a lot of my favorite sound here. Gabriel had a nice distinctive voice though that helps a bit. And the songs are lyrically deeper on the ballads, making them usually more interesting than the funky pop songs. Unfortunately there’s such a dated sound to a lot of this. But I guess that’s part of its charm 40 years later. Some catchy pop songs, some nice ballads but overall not my favorite sound. 2/5

This was quite boring

buen intento, pero no se puede ser hortera sin ser consciente de ello

Would not buy Not bad lots of interesting ideas and rhythms but the overly synthy sound and Mr Gabriel's voice annoy me and the songs can feel like they overstay they're welcome. Lots of pipes, synth and bass Some really cool basslines Some slow ballads like dont give up and more dance like songs like sledgehammer, Red rain - not a favourite but cool drums That voice again - distinctive 16th note hihat dramatic and different chord progressions Mercy street - double vocals, sounds like one has large amount of reverb and another is quite tight Big time - funky, upbeat, really good if a bit long We do what we're told - cool trance rhythmic intro, This is the picture - very cheesy in 2026 - whispered lyrics are weird and excellent birds is not a good lyric In your eyes - glad this is over

Good album

It was pretty meh. Feel like I have poor taste because I didn't enjoy it, but I really didn't.

Not my thing, but I see how people could like it

Peruvian flute for days. Otherwise mid.

So so

Enjoyed sledgehammer but the rest was fineeee.

Mid:/

Cool one

Fine, a little forgettable

Some of the songs are great but they blended together too much.

There's some ok stuff but the artists could do better. He should be an album artist but somehow it's just the singles that stand out. Given the test do you need to listen to it and the fact Genesis does enough to represent him a 2 is appropriate. Pleasant enough though

Not too bad i guess

Not a fan

Eh.. Ikke helt min greie.

Var litt så som så (heheh). Helt ok, men litt kjedelig. Sledgehammer er bra

Dette endra ikkje livet mitt akkurat. Blir nok med denne gongen. "Big Time" var dog herleg ironisk.

Foretrekker Phil Collins. Kanskje fordi jeg ikke har hørt så mye på Peter, eller fordi stemmen er litt mindre karakteristisk. 2-3 et sted.

Sounds like he's tryna do music like Tarzan OST guy

Not for me. I can’t get behind the 80s production choices and none of the songs really stood out to me.

A few songs that I liked but not the whole album.

Fine, not doing a particular amount for me! Sledgehammer an obvious banger though.

Shit was buns ngl. 2/10 1 liked song

Sledgehammer!

a bit too spacey and ambient for my tastes

not my music type but liked it

Was surprised by how much I didn't like this album. I've heard sledgehammer and in your eyes often and have always noted how melodic they sound, how they must've been ahead of their time when they were released. However it seems that those two songs are the high point of this album - everything else sounds like plain, overproduced 80s/90s drivel

Fun 80’s vibe, great voice, kinda felt like background music to me, didn’t really resonate but we pleasant

Eh

just very mid, has that old 80s/90s sound, butt not in a unique way.

Not my thing, cheesy, but I guess it's a little fun

In Your Eyes is a great song. And the album has a certain nostalgia to it. Not my vibe, though.

Hellaciously eighties.

its okay. red rain is falling down i guess. not my personal pick, as I am really picky in what i listen to. usually, i wouldn't pick an album with the dude's face on it. i like the sledgehammer; it sounds like an 80s tv show. the more i listen to it, the better it gets. I guess its because i'm getting used to it. 80's music is long, and not much is going on. very slow. its good doing something else while listening to it, because it's a bit repetitive at times.

Breaking: songs that bored me throughout my childhood still bore me as an adult

Not really my style

Pretty solid album, though it wasn't really my cup of tea at times. "Don't Give Up" stood out the most for me.

would be better if i wasn’t traumatized by big time

Não é muito a minha cena mas ouve se

26/12/2025 1. red rain - immediately liking the bass. very atmospheric... very 80s. not entirely sold on his voice though.... very dramatic. not much to say about this one, didn't love it, but didn't hate it either :/ lots of the positive reviews i've read seem quite nostalgic for this, but i've literally never listened to peter gabriel before, so maybe that's why i'm not liking it as much?? 2. sledgehammer - reminding me of the music in wii sports resort basketball. really nice bass though. this is just background music for me. it's alright, but nothing really pushes it into something i would actively choose to listen to. the ending is really nice, especially with the backing vocals. 3. don't give up - nice intro. really sweet synths. the bass in this album is really great. i still don't like his voice, sorry! kate bush???? this is just boring to me. not finding this sweet or comforting, but preachy and annoying. i would kill myself if i heard this song again. how is there still a minute left. the instrumentals are nice though. 4. that voice again - i don't know how i'm going to get through this album. got loud and i'm liking it more :) bass is reallly nice. still very 80s, but in a less bad way than earlier songs. chorus is alright. 5. mercy street - liking the organ/synth at the start. had a break and his voice is sounding a bit better to me. i like the softer sound of this one. still a bit too 80s pop for me, not in a good way. 6. big time - this is the most 80s song ever made. still not in a good way bass is still nice though. *7. we do what we're told (milgram's 37) - the synths/electronic noises are really nice. guitar just started, liking it. more dreamy so far.... only one i've really liked. may redeem the album for me. very atmospheric...... loving this one. album redeemed. 8. this is the picture (excellent birds) - liking the intro. reaaally 80s. liking the vocals more. probably because there's not as much peter gabriel. liking the lyrics. 9. in your eyes - so glad this is almost over. not even enjoyable the way abba was. bass is still nice. all of the songs are far too long, especially when you're not enjoying them :( i didn't connect to any part of this album (except for the almost instrumental song that i really liked <3) and found it far too cheesy with a very overproduced 80s sound. maybe i'm too cynical for this, but the anti-suicide song just got on my nerves. as someone who likes synthpop, i didn't think i'd dislike this album so much, but it's like if you put my least favourite parts of generic 80s music and put them together. understanding why people don't like overproduced 60s pop now (they're still wrong).

I really did not enjoy that. Feels like something my mom would listen to in the 90s.

Not my thing

Boring but i did like 1 song 80 music is a miss

I am not a huge Peter Gabriel fan, but I liked In Your Eyes and Don't Give Up (because of Kate Bush). The album sounds a bit dated but overall it's not bad or offensive. 5/10

Bon, mais je ne réécouterais pas

Not my thing

M'ha costat uns quants dies escoltar-lo sencer, no perquè sigui dolent sino q no es gens el meu estil (i mira q m'agrada bastant tot). Alguna cançó no m'ha acabat de disgustar, però no me n'he guardada cap i no crec que escolti més cançons d'en Peter Gabriel. Li poso un 2 per això, no pq sigui dolenta, suposo q si t'agrada música així doncs està bé, però m'ha avorrit bastant...

not my cup of tea but the instrumentals are pretty creative

Couple songs give me some Phil Collins vibes, somewhat one dimensional at times but enjoyable. Definitely a product of the time, can't say I'm the biggest fan but not a bad album by any stretch.

Sledgehammer is a banger. Rest of the album is pretty boring overall. 2/5

Kind of reminds me of phil collins

I enjoyed the radio songs, the rest was meh.

Imagine writing this while your wife of ~15 years is banging a producer that you work with

Nothing remarkable

Jeg anerkjenner Sledgehammer som en banger, men er ikke egentlig så betatt av den selv; den har litt for mange av 80-tallets mindre flatterende elementer og produksjonsteknikker. Don't Give Up er på noen måter bedre, men jeg fortrekker vaporwave-versjonen (B1 på ECCOJAMS). De fleste låtene er altfor 80s på feil måte, men har ikke samme banger-kaliber som Sledgehammer. Det man sitter igjen med, er egentlig en ganske lunken skive. Låtene med minst futt er også de som lider minst av 80s prod, men selv om feks. Mercy Street er behagelig, er den også ganske kjedelig...? Ville heller hørt et album med We Do What We're Tolds enn et album med Sledgehammers, har jeg misforstått noe? Hadde historien vært like snill med denne skiva om Peter Gabriel ikke hadde bevist at han var kul fordi han spilte prog? At In Your Eyes ikke er siste sporet i den opprinnelige sequenzen er helt sykt. Den fader perfekt ut, men så synes noen at den skulle ÅPNE B-siden? Jeg skjønner ingenting.

Totally new to Peter Gabriel, I obviously know some songs, including the finale on this one In Your Eyes, but otherwise I have not gone out of my way to listen to this man. This album feels the most 80s, synths and all. Red Rain, Mercy Street and In Your Eyes are standouts. This is probably not something I would come back to often, but it really flows from start to finish and there are some good bits in there, I do like the accompanying singers especially on Don't Give Up (Kate Bush).

This album has that big band sound. Not big bad as in orchestration, it’s more like a “hey look at me, I recorded in Africa” sound. Like how Sting would do it or Pink Floyd with the division bell. I don’t get or see or hear anything special with this album. Even Sledgehammer isn’t a generational sounding song to me. This is just your parents music if you grew up in the 80’s. Choice cut: In Your Eyes

I'm not the world's biggest fan of the Genesis sound, so this album didn't really impress me either. Some good hits here and there (especially in that Kate Bush feature), but even breakout hits like Sledgehammer aren't the same without the music video. Fav tracks: Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, We Do What We're Told

Det är som dom där gamla low fat chipsen man av outgrundlig anledning ibland snaxade på i sin ungdom. Rätt gott men inte tillräckligt gott för att ge någon tillfredsställelse men inte heller så mycket msg att man mår illa så man liksom ringer upp chipsen och albumet och det/dom bara pågår och hur ska man egentligen ta den liknelsen i mål? Och ja, Kate Nashbush är ju den stora behållningen men det är ju egentligen bara för jag sett stranger things för asså helvete vilken scen det ändå var. Farligt nära en etta den här plattan.

team philadelphia collins!

Som att lyssna till Phil Collins sjunga till rederiets soundtrack. Räddas från ettan av låten med Kate Bush och In your eyes (som Phil Collins Tarzanlåt fast sämre). Så överdrivet städat sound. Musik för 80-talsyuppies...och Dino.

2. First listen. Lyrics feel basic and uninteresting & production has kept it firmly in the 80's, not connecting and not enjoyable

His fifth album. Pop. This is such a slick 80s album. I actually quite like the production on this one. Don't Give Up is a good track. Gabriel's vocals compliment Kate Bush really well. Overall it's a nice album but it just doesn't really grab me at any point.

Bland. Not enjoyable. Much rather just listen to genesis.

Bland

Don't Give Up was unexpectedly profound. Definitely the highlight for me. In Your Eyes was probably the best of the more typical sounding tracks. There are particular synth sounds throughout that make it sound cheaper than I think it deserves (though they were no doubt quite exciting and experimental at the time). 👍Don't Give Up

Maybe I'm just not a Pete Gabriel guy but I can live with that fact. Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes are the only enjoyable songs off this one for me.

Not really me but it’s not bad

Got bored of it quickly - found i had to push through to listen

2.5

Inte för mig

just not for me!

I'm not really a fan of 80s pop and drum machines. This is no exception.

Was fairly high on the first couple songs. Severely downhill from there. Even I will not defend this Peter Gabriel

What's the deal with all these Peter Gabriel albums? --Jerry Seinfeld

I really dislike the 80's commercial pop sound and therefore a lot of Peter Gabriel, but I gave it a chance and did enjoy the composition, even if the end result is .... unsatisfying. Ultimately, though, this is representative of an era of pop I struggle with so it's gonna get a low score (2.5)

not bad. not my cup of tea

Oldies gold

How is In Your Eyes so good, but I can't stand most of this album? Red Rain was a decent start, but that's it for me. These are not excellent birds.

Sledgehammer is a good song... the rest of the album is a bunch of filler. "So mid" as the kids say. Maybe a 1.5? I'll round up, I guess.

so, so 80s

Okay album. Didn’t do much for me

Not for me

It's fine, just not my cup of tea.

Sledgehammer - awesome. In Your Eyes - classic. Peter Gabriel (in general) - pretty good. Synthesizers - pretty cool. This album - meh

A ono, ima par dobrih stvari tu, na trenutke mi jako daje cheesy vibe u stilu Disturbed, ali Sledgehammer je kultna stvar. 2/5, 4/10

Somewhat lost on me - feels too dated but it’s been rounded up to a 2 because of the Kate Bush feature

Awfully long album... I listened to Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, and In Your Eyes. Only saved In Your Eyes... Games Without Frontiers (from another album) was quite cool tho. Overall not my kinda thing:/. Respect though.

This is certainly from the 80's Best Song: Sledgehammer Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2/5

Eurgh, this does not move me, perhaps it should, I concede it's possible that if I listened to it many times it might grow on me, as some Genesis stuff did. But I found it all a bit pretentious really and his voice somewhat grating. There, I said it 😐

Lyrical writing was so odd and seemed unprofessional almost to the point where it was irritating. Overall not terrible music but there are so many better albums of this genre and from this time.

I guess I don’t really like his voice. The three songs I know are the only 3 I liked.

oh boy I didn't like this. Its so over produced. nothing is catchy. It's whack.

Blah...

Strong ending. The whole album sounds like an 80s movie. The rest I could easily leave behind.

Didn’t finish Like red rain 5/10

Horribly heavy

This was extremely meh and if I wasn't committed to listening to every track in this project, I would have shut this off about halfway through.

One good song

I can't get over the fact of how the cover photo looks so egocentric? Sure it's common for singers to have themselves on it but it just gives that vibe. Mediocre music for me

The songs ane his voice where ok but this just wasn't my blood type

One great song, one really annoying. The rest is meh.

This is probably? good for 80's pop, but 80's pop ain't for me. 2.4

Cool use of diverse instruments but overall too sappy and not my jam

Eh, I’m not *that* big of a fan. I feel like there wasn’t anything crazy interesting or different done I will say: Don’t Give Up IS quite a nice positive song. I like the "Don't give up [cause you have friends / you're not the only one]" lines especially. Also, I liked how there were those guitar strum bursts on Big Time

I don’t like this album very much. It’s full of a lot of the 80s sounds in not that big of a fan of. It also feels like a worse Phil Collins, and I don’t really particularly like Phil Collins.

Nicht meins

Sledgehammer is still a banger (side note - I didn’t realize it was about his dick until now) and Big time kind of does (the poor man’s Sledgehammer which is also somewhat about his dick). The rest pretty much sucks. We do what we’re told randomly sounds like a bonus track from OK computer which is kind of cool I guess.