So

... good.

You’re wrapped in his word for 45 minutes. A great place to visit.

... good

The production is impeccable, if very much of its time. Superior, intelligent pop with a couple of kicky cameos from Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson. What really sets this apart though are three absolutely bulletproof tracks - 'Sledgehammer', 'Big Time' and the mighty 'Red Rain'. A lovely listening experience - even when the energy dips, pleasure can be found in the aural textures Gabriel conjures. Features one of the Marotta brothers on drums - have a set of siblings ever played on so many capital T 'tasteful' recordings as these jabronis?

This one is just shy of great, imo. I've never listened to this entire album before, but the impact the videos for "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time" had on me as a wee lad was overwhelmingly apparent as soon as those songs came on. I couldn't tell you the last time I've listened to either of those two songs. But as soon as they came on, it was like stepping into a house I once lived in. Doesn't hurt that they're great songs, too. My critique here is mainly that the track order isn't right. But we can easily fix that. So, without further ado here is the proper track listing of "So (Taylor's Version)": 1. Red Rain 2. Sledgehammer 3. Big Time 4. Kate Bush song 5. We Do What We're Told 6. That Voice Again 7. In Your Eyes 8. Mercy Street "This is the Picture" gets saved for a B-side where it belongs and now the record is front loaded with the upbeat hits, giving the whole thing a better spread of energy and momentum that propels us to "In Your Eyes" and closes with a more contemplative note in "Mercy Street." That record is a 5 star record. But the one we got is 4. Hopefully, Peter Gabriel will read this and call me next time.

Love this album. Whilst not Gabriel's best it reminds me of my time at college when I listened to it often on my Walkman travelling between college and home.

Peter gabriel: Incredible sounding album. So many great textures. Tony levins bas lines and tones are iconic. Peter Gabriel’s voice and songwriting is great. Always loved Sledgehammer and the stoptime animation in the video as a kid. Didn’t know Stewart Copeland played on Big Time- so cool. In Your Eyes is sooo good.

Really enjoyed this record. I love the production and vibe, sledgehammer is such a bop.

This was fun to listen to but I don’t need to listen again. I liked Big Time a lot and of course In Your Eyes. No complaints but nothing that blew me away

Tellement bon. Trop de classiqu3 et une référence pour peter Gabriel. 5/5

A rare favourite among mainstram performers. It's been a long time, but I've heard him many times. Good to listen to again, still valid. Few people have put Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson together on the same album. Plus, I listened to the Special Edition, which has 16 live recordings.

10/10 Peter fucking Gabriel! one of my all-time favorite musicians!

Classic album of high quality deserves to be on the list, but I personally prefer Peter Gabriel III, this one just a verge too pop for my personal taste so it just misses out on the full marks

I was into Peter Gabriel before this album came out, going back to his Genesis days and I was obsessed with his 3rd (melt) and 4th (Security) solo albums. When this came out, to me it was kind of like his sell out album. Sure, there are some great songs on it but it also felt like a betrayal of sorts. I've since come to appreciate this album, but I still love those other albums more. Those are 5 star albums to me, this one is 4/5.

What a great album. I remember the Sledgehammer video when it came out and the song is still great. Big Time is fun as is This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds) with In Your Eyes rounding out my favourites for today.

My rehabilitation towards 80s music is obviously proceeding apace, as I really liked this, and it's quintessentially, indeed, _archetypally_ 80s. Those collabs with Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson were awesome. I can't quite stretch to a 5, but would do 4.5 if possible. Fave track - "We Do What We're Told", I think - very atmospheric! Probably about half the other tracks are contenders, though, including "Sledgehammer", despite it being played incessantly everywhere from childhood onwards! 😆

Þrír og hálfur, námundað í fjóra. Margt mjög áheyrilegt en svolítið dated níundatugarproduction. Fínt stöff heilt yfir.

Very 1980s production, which is a good thing with this kind of material. Not sure if Genesis copied this LP or vice versa, but In Your Eyes could be lifted from albums like Invisible Touch or later. Big Time is essentially a remake of Sledgehammer, which is fine in my books. The only criticism I have for the arresting and brilliant Don't Give Up is that Tony Levin's superb bass groove in the last minute is not extended - gets right under the skin. And how does Gabriel bring out such quality from all those good collaborations (Kate Bush, Lori Anderson, Youssou N'Dour, Jim Kerr, Stewart Copeland, PP Arnold, Tony Levin...) Fantastic and very atmospheric and evocative of the serious nature political popstars found themselves in during the mid 1980s. Gets better on subsequent listens. It's not all just doesn't get going even if it's all about the lyrics; We Do What We're Told is an indulgent unfinished experiment that doesn't catch fire. Overall very impressive

After four albums with much experimentation, Peter Gabriel seemed to have his sound with this album. Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Mercy Street, Big Time and In Your Eyes are all nearly perfect songs, and each one is distinctly different. The three other songs are just OK, but don't distract from the fact that this album is a masterpiece. 5/5

whoah genesis is cool

Ok - men kun et rigtig hit

So-so

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

Mostly a bit slower, nice deep synth backing instrumentals

Sledgehammer // Don’t Give Up // 1-1.5/5

Some of this sounds a bit cheesy and dated, but it's a fun listen!

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.

Peter Gabriel s'efforce pendant tout l'album d'imiter la voix de Phil Collins et s'en sort plutôt bien, il faut l'avouer.

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

Really enjoyed it, a lot to like.

Not really my kind of thing

Just ok

A few bangers and some filler

Очень приятный звук. Захватило почти с самого начала. Автор и альбом стали открытием для меня.

Huge hits off this album. Sledgehammer had big success and got lots of airplay on MTV.

I've heard all these songs as a person who listens to music often and has seen Gabriel live twice, but I have never sat down and listened to this album deliberately. Jesus - can you stack an album with more hits of a certain time than this? Opening with "Red Rain" is brilliant. It rushes at you with all the tropes of Gabriel's music and sets a tone for what's to follow. What follows is a masterclass in sequencing and emotional range, moving from the buoyant funk of 'Sledgehammer' to the profound, shared vulnerability of 'Don’t Give Up' with Kate Bush. To experience it as a whole is to realize this isn't just a collection of iconic singles, but a cohesive and deeply human statement. It's the rare blockbuster album where every artistic risk pays off, cementing its status as a flawless and essential masterpiece.

Really enjoyed this album! Younger me didn't really care for Peter Gabriel. Despite that, this was really good. 4/5

I bought this album when it came out, and was excited to listen again after a long while. I was horrified to realise that it wasn’t as familiar as I thought! Back in the day, I must have skipped some tracks, 😂. The good ones are great, though, and it all holds up well.

I was digging it.

I was a little underwhelmed by this

Some enjoyable songs.

Getting the song "Red Rain" back to back with "Purple Rain" is just not fair. Oh well, Peter Gabriel did his best, but he does sound like an imposter on this list of musical titans. 2 sympathy sledgehammers out of 5 🔨🔨

So was instantly impressive to my most musically-oriented friends at the time it was released. We were all big Kate Bush fans too, so loved seeing her appearance on Don’t Give Up. Big 80s sound from Big Time and Sledgehammer, but In Your Eyes is just wonderful. Really like this.

A very nice low four, some very good songs on here and some less interesting

Genuinely loved this far more than I thought it would.

The 80's. As oft repeated: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This album is the most 80's, and it is in the keeper pile. Its focused energy, surprising emotional range, and classic after classic keeps it firmly in that camp. We had Brothers In Arms a few days ago, and now this. We have been blessed. Daniel Lanois production! I'm becoming a big fan. He's hitting all the right notes with all the added percussion, drummers. The Kate Bush feature on Don't Give Up is iconic. The sheer hit-ness of this album pulls it up past the murk of 80's– the synths, the Phill Collins drums, the Fairlight stock sounds– into a new territory. There's something that goes past the cheese into this whole new territory, on something like "That Voice Again." It reminds me of why I like Bruce Hornsby. I don't know exactly what stirs in me feelings of longing, heartache. How does Peter Gabriel do it? I don't know. 5/5

the singles are okay but the production is gross and the whole thing is tepidly over- earnest

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.

Un 4 por Mercy Street y Don't Give Up

Just a bland album, I personally won't be listening to this again.

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.

Had some bangers, better than I anticipated.

Not as daring as his earlier efforts, but 'So' finds Gabriel reaching his largest audience ever with songs that are smooth yet still idiosyncratically his.

Really good.

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

This was really good, it just wasn’t 5 star material.

Some of the biggest sounds of the 1980s. I always preferred Gabriel solo to his work with Genesis. You know, I miss this whole thing artists in the 1980s did where all of their songs are long as fuck. Yeah, it makes some of the weaker tracks unbearable, but Sledgehammer could be twice as long as it already is and I'd still sign up for it and then some. God help the stop motion animators for the extended music video, though. So... good. 3.5/5.

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

Catchy classic Gab

I'm a latecomer to Peter Gabriel, having only discovered him in the last 5 years or so. This album begins and ends so strongly, and is evocative of a very specific type of "80s" feeling for me. I love it! If it didn't sag so much in the middle I think this would be an easy five for me, but there's a track or two in the middle that are very forgettable.

Could be worse Not much though 2

As you would expect from a Peter Gabriel project this album features aloof vocals, songs, and performances. The backing tracks are interesting but they sound like the test track that your Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 would play when you finish installing the drivers. In Your Eyes isn't bad.

Highlight: Don't Give Up

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

Good

Absolute masterpiece

Very arty. Very percussive. Very good. Yeah the production is somewhat dated by today's standards but the songs remain strong. Red Rain and In Your Eyes are gorgeous. Sledgehammer and Big Time are bangers. Love Tony Levin's bass work. Didn't know Stewart Copeland did some drum work on this album until now. An 80s standard.

I've had this album for years and never heard This is the Picture before. It was added years later. So, not really counting that one for the score. Standouts: Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, In Your Eyes, Big Time Others: That Voice Again Mercy Street We Do What We're Told *This Is the Picture Rating: 4/5

Softlad

LP

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.

I kept on thinking, am I supposed to like this? Yeah, yeah, I liked this. Pop perfection. Lyrically, sonically, production-wise. Does this sound like it was made in the '80s? Sure. It's a good thing I like that '80s sound, though. Sidenote: at times I was reminded of Paul Simon, which was pretty neat.

4.5 didn’t expect to love this so much

Bit too 80s at times, and falls well below the quality of his first 3 self-titled efforts, but a good listen nonetheless.

"All you do is call me, I'll be anything you need." "No fight left or so it seems, I am a man whose dreams have all deserted. I've changed my face, I've changed my name, but no one wants you when you lose." "Don't give up 'cause you have friends." --- Favourite Tracks: Sledgehammer/Don't Give Up/Big Time Summary: Really enjoyed the variety of sound on this album, feels like every track is completely different to the previous. Enjoyed the themes on Big Time and way it was structured to emphasise that kind of lifestyle. I was quite taken aback by We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) having looked up the experiment that inspired it, worth a read! I have been a long time fan of Sledgehammer as well as Don't Give Up which I feel is a genuinely beautiful song.

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.

This isn't Tarzan

3.5

Gabriel finally learns he can be successful if just stops being as weird and crazy as humanely possible. In So, his songs take on a more traditional structure with a greater emphasis on melody. Released just a few months from Graceland, Gabriel also borrows a lot from African music (in addition to Brazilian and Indian) in his percussion and tropical soundscape. Every track is memorable and outstanding. We alternate between fast and spontaneous dance tracks and entrancing atmospheric tracks, both styles relying on unique instrumentation and a million different synths. Seriously, there are guest musicians in every track, whether doing backing vocals (Kate Bush in "Don't Give Up" or Youssou N'Dour in "In Your Eyes"), brass instruments ("Sledgehammer" and "Big Time"), a violin, or other unconventional percussions (the congas, surdo, and triangle in "Mercy Street" by Djalma Correa). I'm not a big fan of ballads, but once you throw in spacey synths or Kate Bush, I can't really complain. Every song here is spectacular in its own way. It's all consistent in production and mood, which is often a complaint of Gabriel's usual eclectic and over-the-top style. Perfect album length, every track goes on for as long as they need. I think I'd prefer the original track ordering with "In Your Eyes" in the middle cause "Excellent Birds" is a softer, more satisfying closer.

The hi-hat (Stewart Copeland) on the opening track still makes me tingle, as does the flute motif opening up Sledgehammer. Kate Bush still raises goose bumps. Great songs, fantastic musicianship and the most amazing 80s production where everything is so clean & clear. Not a bad song on it. Absolutely his masterpiece. Funny that the slightly off the wall prog of early Genesis ended up in pure pop with each part of its membership.

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

Ugh felt like I was in a Boscov’s for 45 minutes

One of my all-time favorites

So good.

I see the influence of this album in many of my favorite artists of today. Whether the impact was real or not... its certainly my flavor of sound

Very good album, I love the dynamics and theater of it all.

Amazing. Strong production that pieces together elements across many genres. It’s clearly an 80s album, but it’s also a world album and a pop album and much more. Many songs stand out, nothing but praise for this great work.

Great album again by Peter, although definitely a bit more commercial and as a whole, not as conducive as his other albums. The songs are all quite different from each other and sometimes it feels hard to hold up a concept. But looking at the songs individually, its a album full of good to great songs

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?

When you consider how all over the place Gabriel was with Genesis, and his earlier solo efforts, I can see why some would be skeptical about this commercially appealing album. And yes, the 80's production doesn't always age well. However, this is just a great album from start to finish.

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.

The GOAT. His music is a balm for the soul!

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.

This feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel too... Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes. Lots of progressive, synth heavy music with the exact kind of gripping lyrics and fusions you'd expect.

Sledgehammer and Big Time are some of the better songs on the album. This Is The Picture (excellent birds) is just weird. Overall, a boring album

Really an album of two sides of Peter, and even in just the first two songs you hear the them - the first full of mysticism and drama, the second of funk and pop genius. He balances the two really well to where neither gets too old. 8/10

Spectacular, one of the smartest, most creative albums of the 80s. Richly arranged with a properly restrained avant garde sensibility, it's Peter Gabriel's most accessible work. This album's big hits ("Sledgehammer," "Big Time") managed to fit in well with the bombast of the mid-80s, but it also has a nuance and thoughtfulness that you almost never see in popular music. The vast range of artists who worked on various elements is also really impressive, from Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson to Stewart Copeland and Nile Rodgers. Gabriel's inclusion of international artists like Youssou N'Dour and Djalma Correa is never heavy handed or exploitative, and adds great depth to the sound. This is an album that begs repeat listening, with new things to discover each time you hear it. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Don't Give Up, In Your Eyes, Sledgehammer, Big Time, Red Rain, This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds), Mercy Street, We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37), That Voice Again

Funny halfway through this album i was thinking "dang this guy sounds so much like Phil Collins". Turns out I should've known they both fronted the same band lol. Definitely haven't heard this guy's name nearly as much, but it was good!

2.5, not my jam other than Sledgehammer

Good stuff

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

"Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list" It is one of the top-rated comment of 'So' on this site. Well, I can guarantee that I was born a couple of years after 1982 and I not only put this album on my 1001 albums list but I also give it a 5. The reason is that I appreciate great music. 'So' is one of the best albums of the 1980s - this album is a great example that pop music can be excellent if everything is of high quality: songwriting, lyrics, production, singing, etc. Gabriel also invited stellar guest musicians who contributed to the greatness of this album. Even the music video for Sledgehammer is iconic, innovative and the best of the decade. Perhaps it helps that I've seen Gabriel live at a concert and when he played these songs from 'So', the quality was the same as on the album. Mindblowing experience. If there is any pop album that deserves to get high rating, it is this album.

Did not finish, very 80's tho.

Love me some happy 80s pop rock. Okay, let's talk about it. It has this cloud of happiness that welcomes you in. Some call that cheesy and silly, too soft and whimsical. I love it because it makes me feel like I'm in a joyful montage in an 80s movie. Pure innocence and fun. It's like a version of bliss. And so what if it's not realistic, it let's me escape to a better place. And for that I love it.

Sonically wonderful and some big big songs. The opening three songs -Red Rain, Sledgehammer and Don't Give Up is just about as good a start as any album I can think of. Bass playing (Tony Levin) is of course fantastic, sitting so nicely in the groove, but also leading the show (eg Don't Give Up). Great roster of singers assisting. Not a bad song on this.

I've listened to this album many dozens of times. It's fairly commercial which is interesting as I think it's more the case of the songs being good, and people liking them, and they end up commercial... as opposed to Peter setting out to make something people would like. Honestly it's probably my least favorite Gabriel album. Then again, I more or less love the other ones, and this one I like a lot.

Sledgehammer, Big Time Mercy Street is a candidate for the most boring song ever. Big Time and Sledgehammer are 4’s and the others are 1’s and 2’s.

Boring and not for me. If you are into astrology this is a 5. we do what we're told

This album is So (bad) FS: Big Time

Great album, easy 5 stars. Classic.

Remember when white people discovered world music? Boy the 80s were full of that trash.

cant remeber

Classic rock is classic. Hurts my heart to say as I recall the MTV VMA show where the Sledgehammer video cleaned the house. Best song about a penis, ever. Mainly because no one clocked it as such for so long.

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

This will never have a revival. Please let these 1980’s production techniques stay buried in the attic. Those who actually enjoyed this at the time are allowed to listen to it with headphones only. The rest of us don’t want to be a part of this. Okay, leave the video for sledgehammer for posterity.

4.5 Outstanding!

This was my first time listening to this album in full and its blown me away. Obviously Sledgehammer is incredible but theres so much more to this album. The perfect 80s pop album

Every track on this album is a legit banger. Peter Gabriel is the most interesting artist to come out of the 60's and 70's music scene. 'So' is a fascinating album that I forget about sometimes and it doesn't deserve to be forgotten.

Välillä tulee mieleen Kirka, ja jos olisi enemmän Kirkaa, olisi parempi. Todella mitäänsanomatonta. Toisaalta helppo jättää taustalle ja olla kuuntelematta, jopa kuulokkeilla.

Kate Bushin markkinoima Don't Give Up, tylsin kappale mitä olen koskaan kuullut, olisi ollut symbolisesti hyvä paikka lopettaa. Kokeilin vielä seuraavaa. Ei tässä reiluudesta olekaan kysymys.

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

Very 80s, not always a good thing but it works great here.

By far the best Peter Gabriel album. This album was so Big Time for me when it came out! The rich musical tapestries, the creative music videos, they all added to make quite a big impact on the person I turned out to be. Or as much as music can. That cassette I bought back then is long gone, though. They'd never last, commercial cassette releases. P.S. As much as I love Kate Bush, I always found Don't Give Up this album's weakest link. And although it was Sledgehammer that first attracted me to this album, these day I gravitate towards tracks like We Do What We're Told much more.

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 know sledgehammer but the rest is new to me. Update I knew don't give up as well. This is pretty good, obvious 80s Genesis comparisons in both singing and production, but tbh Gabriel's voice is better. I really enjoyed this. Not an all time album, but a solid 4/5.

Loved it

My favorites were the first and last tracks. The album had a lot of slow moments, but even at slow times the music was intricate and lush. I have a bias towards Peter Gabriel because I just adore the early 70s Genesis albums. I think I need to return to this one to think about it some more. I was listening to it in the car and the wind made it very hard to hear a lot of what was going on, so I'll have to listen without so much distracting noise.

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

Sledgehammer

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

Puuh olipas aika väsynyttä setärockia näin Frank Oceanin jälkeen. Oli siellä pari kivaa hetkeä, etten ihan ykköseen pudota.

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

So… I knew who Peter Gabriel was by name and notably through having heard the songs “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes” but let me share my ignorance with you. While listening to this album I kept thinking “Wow, this album is phenomenal! This sounds like Phil Collins or Genesis”. Then I read the attached Wikipedia article and immediately felt simultaneously smart and stupid. 5/5 for being educated by an amazing album.

Every song bettter than the last.

Very good

This album had two hits on it (which are bangers) and the rest felt like an 80s movie.

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.

Really good stuff. I've never heard of this guy before, his vocals sounded a bit like Phil Collins to me lol (and I don't particularly like him or his music) but this was v good Saved tracks: Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Mercy Street, Big Time, This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)

I like Biko

Finally the album which fully deserves to be on this list! His voice, so dramatic yet not exaggerated, characteristic tunes. So many great songs: Sledgehammer, Don't give up, Mercy Street, Solsbury Street to name a few.

3.5/5 This album is inconsistent. It has some amazing hits - "Sledgehammer" & "Big Time" are great. And some songs make me think "How did it get in here???". After all it deserves a 4 out of 5

I really don’t enjoy his voice nor the aggressively 80s sound.

One of the best albums of the 80’s and one of the albums responsible for making me a lover of popular music. Gabriel’s songwriting is top-notch and the playing by collaborators like Tony Levin and David Rhodes are sublime. It is the one album I would recommend by Gabriel the artist and one of two or three must-haves of the decade

So 80s, So Gabriel, So Good

A constant reminder that while Collins was a great successor as a lead singer, Gabriel brought along much more than just his unique vocals. So is filled with great rhythms, grand ambitions and all-round complex pop. “Red Rain” is as great an opener as they come and you just feel overwhelmingly safe in the arms of Peter Gabriel. There’s a few songs that doesn’t quite live up to the heights of the highs. Nevertheless, So is still an album to be reckoned with.

This is a Very Special Album, having been a prized tape in my cassette collection from when it came out. The whole thing is so good from start to finish, and I was happy to really notice lyrics and instrumentation that I hadn't really thought about back then. The variety of styles and instruments and voices (Youssou N'Dour was there this whole time?!) are amazing. It opens pretty epically with "Red Rain" before going to the spectacular "Sledgehammer," the song and video of which blew my mind. "Don't Give Up" is a beautiful song that's much more meaningful to me now. Bombastic "Big Time" was another favorite that I'd hadn't heard in too long. "This Is the Picture" is a very cool work featuring Laurie Anderson that I was happy to rediscover. I loved getting to listen to this today so much!

Lots of hits on this album. I recall having tired of a couple of them back when they were big hits, but today they played well and felt so comfortable and warm. The few tracks which I were not familiar were also excellent.

Hello, old friend. It's been too long. You still sound good.

Here is one of the albums that defined my first few years of college. Between being one of my close friend’s favorite artist and the duet with Kate Bush it was impossible for me not to listen. Five of the songs on this album (Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don’t Give Up, Big Time and In Your Eyes) have remained well-known to me since their release. Listening today felt more surprising than I expected. The big songs sound bigger, and the quieter songs speak to me now even more deeply. I’m perplexed how I’d forgotten almost entirely four of the songs when they are so good. This was my introduction to Laurie Anderson and the start of another musical crush. I must remember to go back to those albums now too… It’s great to spend quality time with So again.

my friends favourite album. i think it's ok

Loved this, sounds like a transportation to a different time of the balas rock stars. He was a master of his time

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

Great album, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Big Time, and of course In Your Eyes, we're all huge hits. Songs that are still good today

So's wildly spacious production was the workingest part, coexisting in some discomfort with a hymn-like Kate Bush duet. But even that has Kate Bush.

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.

3.5 stars. This is one of those albums that I respect more than I like. The genre/sound isn't my cup of tea but I can appreciate the audio engineering and crisp, clean production. Standout is "Sledgehammer."

Lovely album, flows well and no bad tracks.

This album is a little dorky at times, but so am I. Something about tors album speaks to me and it’s an album I can see myself growing with. And “In Your Eyes“ is a no surprise standout.

some really great moments (in your eyes especially), and a technically great album. it dragged a bit in the middle, but overall was still quite good.

Oh yes, 80s genius and also it contains Sledgehammer which is a true banger with a very excellent music video. Love love love the 80s beats, Peter Gabriel's voice, other vocals, instrumentation, inspiration and lyrics, the list goes on. Generally love it. I got influenced by an ex and his dad many moons ago and I really enjoy this album since, a classic.

No my thang at all. Quite irritating. So repetitive just a general no

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.

Peter Gabriel seems like a solid dude, but this album is wack. Best track: In Your Eyes

so bad

Incredible album, easily one of the top 40 of all time.

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

ok

Pop

Album 48 of 1001 Peter Gabriel - So Favorite Track : Big Time Rating : 4 / 5 There is nothing to dislike about this. Well written, well produced, well performed. A couple of the tunes are somewhat similar (similarities of Sledgehammer & Big Time stood out) but, at the same time, he brings unique sounds with guests such as Kate Bush, who he duets with on "Don't Give Up" and Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour on "In Your Eyes".

This album is pretty damn good. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m glad I listened to this record. Despite being a pop album, this album accomplishes a lot. The art pop and Brazilian music influences are very present on the album and I love it. The song also has a lot of jazz and funk influences, certainly a welcome surprise. The song Sledgehammer is a good example of everything the album stands for sonically. The Brazilian influences are present in a lot of parts of the song. The jazzy and funky verses and choruses go so incredibly hard. Lyrically it’s not the most deep song, but Peter Gabriel’s vocals are so good in this album. While the art pop aspects of this album are more present in the second half of the album, Sledgehammer still shows what the album is all about and is definitely the highlight, among the rest of this phenomenal album. Truly amazing, I’d give it a solid 9/10, it really is good.

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.

This album was definitely from the 80s. Didn't hate it but also kinda boring. Also, I totally knew it was Kate Bush!!

fav(s) - sledgehammer

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

Awful mid-80s pap that has definitely not stood the test of the years passing; which is a little a disappointing because I quite liked it at the time. Sounds too much like Genesis.

Fun album.

Great pop album. 80's were a very mixed bag when it comes to popular music but this album for sure is a winner. It's just very solid throughout and while not every song is a bona fide hit, none of them are actively pulling the album down.

this album answers the question: what if phil collins was good?

I feel like it has 2 good song on it

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

Great album! Love Gabriel, really enjoyed this listen, haven’t heard every song but we’re all very good! Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes are two of the best I think but overall great album!

this is amazing! Really funky in parts but at its very best when darker and moody. a lot less silly than other Gabriel offerings and full of wonderful production. Best tracks: red rain, don’t give up, mercy street

listened to again an 80s classic

Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list

Positivamente sorpreso, è veramente piacevole da ascoltare e dopo averlo sentito la prima volta sto già pensando a riascoltarlo.

Poprock, nogle rimelig nice numre

Saved by Sledgehammer but the rest of the album is so meh. Not my kind of music but maybe it was groundbreaking at one point. Jus sounds like typical 80s pop.

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.

Some really great songs on this one. Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes are really good. There are a few mediocre songs in the mix too, but overall really enjoyable listen.

Ask me to name Peter Gabriel songs, and the first that come to mind are going to be "Sledgehammer," "Big Time," "In Your Eyes," and "Shock the Monkey." The first three are all on this album. Nuff said.

I have this album on cassette & have had it since 1990. It's quintessential 80s Peter Gabriel & it's perfect. Don't Give Up ft. Kate Bush, Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Big Time, and In Your Eyes - Jesus, this is a juggernaut. Something about his voice, cadence, and emotion draws me in. I've been revisiting Peter Gabriel in both his Genesis & solo years lately, and I wish I would've taken a deeper dive sooner. He's touring this year, so I'm taking this as a sign to see him live. I'll regret it if I don't. 5 out of 5.

Brilliant album. I'll never turn down listening to some Peter Gabriel.

I'm slowly coming around to this sound - which I think of as the "Phil Collins" sound, though it might be more accurately characterized as the other way around. It's always sounded like muzak to me, like something my mom might have put on while she was cleaning... but it's starting to sound more like an old friend now. I gave it a few listens - favorites are probably "Sledgehammer" "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" and "In Your Eyes."

Though I prefer his more experimental material, this is still a great pop record. Starts off strong with "Red Rain" and "Sledgehammer." Reminds me of being in a mall in the 80s in a positive/nostalgic way.

I respect Peter Gabriel, but this is too 80s and I can't get behind it at all. Feels completely contrived and commercial packaged up nicely to be listened to over a K-Mart speaker.

Gimsteinn. Aktívistasti minn 🥰Hver bangerinn á eftir öðrum.

I'm only really here for two songs, one of which mainly for Kate Bush. The rest is fine but not for me. Very late 80s and safe sounding. Ha ha, Big Time

This is a good benchmark album for me to see how far I’ve come after 600 albums because it was one my dad owned on cd and I listened to in high school. Back then I exclusively listened to sledgehammer and when I tried to listen to the whole thing I thought it was boring filler. Now, I really appreciate the album from start to finish. Sledgehammer and it’s music video still can’t be beat but big time, the Kaye bush duet, and in your eyes are all pretty solid. This is also probably the most quintessentially 80s album I’ve gotten outside of shit like Michael Jackson. The synths and other production is just so 80s in a way that’s almost indescribable.

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

Didn't expect to like this all that much tbh, but it's got quite a few bangers. Some less good stuff too, but overall I felt this was extremely solid.

It's fine I guess

Excellent stuff.

The music on So is world-building, creating a large, almost tangible experience. Take the epic opening track, "Red Rain", to see how large, energetic, yet melancholic the listening experience can be. The tracks invite you in to their own world, yet Peter's voice sounds natural, not constructed, as if he is next to you as he sings. The selection of backing vocals and guest musicials add to both the largeness of the overall experience, and the intimacy of the lyrics. There are clever lyrics with a lot of imagery. I tend to like the the moodier songs on this album. Perhaps it's because I've heard some of the upbeat tracks more often. I've heard all of Peter Gabriel's albums up to this album, and several albums after So. I've listened to this album several times. I've listened to the individual tracks even more often - EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK. How could I not give this 5 stars. There's nothing to skip.

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.

Un 4 por Mercy Street y Don't Give Up

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.