Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Slow and groovy. Couple of funky songs too
6.5 paar bangers, maar niet amazing
This is a good album , not great, not excellent. I enjoyed my listen though.
Niamh Kavanagh outsold
Wordy. Need to listen again. Enjoyed sledgehammer
Enjoyed some of this album, Sledgehammer is still awesome, but some sounded too dated/80s to be my favourite- really synthy
Some good tunes, starts strong, got a little bored in the middle. Dig the sledgehammer and in your eyes, hits for a reason. Not sure I’d go back and listen more though. Listened again in the evening, liked it a little more. Some kinda hilarious indulgent 80s tunes with much flute and triangle and 80s drumming.
First Listen; 3.5; The music really sets a mood. Melonchaly and a little eerie without being boring. I actually thought this was a good example of a production sound associated with the 80s. Favorite Track: Red Rain
not exactly world-altering but what the hell sure! typical 80s music truly. i think my mom likes peter gabriel
Possibly the most 80's sounding album I've ever listened to - and this is in no way a bad thing. Each song was a completely different vibe from the previous, which left me wondering what I'd get next. I forget how much I love long songs until I listen to them. Might listen to this album again, depending on what mood/setting I'm in. Liked songs: - Don't Give Up (I loved the slow, floaty vibe and the woman's vocals). - Mercy Street (A really beautiful song. I loved the lyrics and the African music influence interwoven throughout). - Big Time (I loveddd the disco-y sound to this song and the satirical lyrics). - We Do What We're Told (haunting and beautiful instrumentals and vocals). Favourite song: Mercy Street
I love the deep songs like In Your Eyes, Red Rain and Don’t Give Up more than Sledgehammer
Es el primer disco que escucho de Peter y me parecieron interesantes algunos ritmos funk y los bajos. Le doy un 6.5/10, ya que algunos temas me gustaron bastante y otros no tanto. Tema favorito: Red Rain y In Your Eyes Mención para Big Time.
Good album but definitely not to my taste. Can't argue with the impact it had at the time of it's release though.
It’s Peter Gabriel. Probably at his best? It’s not bad. It’s better than Phil Collins.
I need a 3.5 stars option. Once again I liked this way more than expected and enjoyed listening but not sure if It will stick with me.
Very well produced mid-80's cheese. It's kind of an odd mix of big heavy drama like Red Rain and In Your Eyes, cartoonish hedonism of Sledgehammer and Big Time and a bunch of forgettable sleepy filler. Extra star for the absolutely fantastic Sledgehammer video.
I enjoyed the up tempo songs like Sledgehammer and Big Time but a lot of the album was dull. In Your Eyes ending the album makes this teeter between 3 and 4 stars but ultimately do t think I enjoyed it enough for 4 stars.
fav songs: red rain, mercy street, in your eyes This is a good album but I just think that I'm not really an 80s pop girl. In Your Eyes is the standout, it's the only song that's making me feel something other than "hmm okay this is good I guess". I'm probably offending a lot of people with this but oh well.
Favorites: Sledgehammer Big Time We Do What We're Told This Is The Picture In Your Eyes
Some classics on here
Definitely gave me like Phil Collins vibes but if he just didn't really want to make the music all that bad. In Your Eyes a classic though.
Sledgehammer is a masterpiece.
A bit too 80s big pop for me
Enjoyed. Proper 80s stuff with that reverb.
This was a fun listen. Definitely some bangers on here but I didn’t feel particularly strong feelings. Excellent pop record but maybe lacks some substance
- Ik was verrast dat ik een nummer kende. - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM
Before I begin this review, I want to mention that the only song I knew of Peter Gabriel going into this was “Sledgehammer”. Luckily, it happens to be on this album. This is the first of 3 Peter Gabriel albums on the list I’ve rolled, and the highest rated by the users on the site by a pretty good bit. I wonder if it’s because of the inclusion of that song. While undeniably the highlight of this album, I’m also obsessed with “Big Time” now as well. Listen, as a whole, I’m not in love with this album. It’s 9 songs, 46 minutes, which is a good length, and has 6 very light and slow songs, and 3 which are faster paced, better, and more to my personal taste and liking. The third song I really liked was “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)”. Undeniably, Peter Gabriel has an amazing voice I could listen to for a long time. The drummer beats the hell out of whatever he’s using. You get a lot of noticeable, heavy steel drum noises all throughout this album which are pretty awesome. If I was in to the more slow paced and pretty 6 songs, this would absolutely be a 5 star album. If those 6 songs were even remotely like the 3 I enjoyed, this would probably be a 10 star album. As it stands, I’m going to give it a 3.7/5. “Sledgehammer” happens to be my favorite music video of all time, and I recommend anyone that enjoys that song, or anyone who simply enjoys good art to go watch it!! Also humorously enough, but more off topic, Stranger Things finally just came back this week for a final season. I rolled a Kate Bush album earlier this week, and I’m ending the week with a song featuring her on this album. Anyone who has seen the show would know why that’s funny, and if I didn’t know any better I would say the owner of this website may just have a great sense of humor.
Wasn't my cup of tea
A few good ones but overall not great. Lots of repeating motifs. Reminds me of Pink Floyd but not as good.
40/1001 I saw a great documentary about the making of this album. Some of these songs are huge singles, others outright forgettable and the rest are pretty okay to me. 6/10
Tenker mye på Sting mens jeg hører den plata her. Det er vel det at begge har vært med på noe sinnssykt tøft på 70-tallet og ender opp med å lage noe helt streit poprock på 80-tallet. Trodde jeg hadde hørt "Sledgehammer" før, men kan ikke huske den. Er kult, og "That Voice Again" trodde jeg faktisk Sting var med på. Apropos duett så slår det jo aldri feil med litt Kate Bush.
I liked the music in this album; has that essential 80s sound with the cool synths. But holy fuck most of the songs went on for waaaaay too long.
Yah I didn’t realize how great of a voice Peter Gabriel has. And I also was super blown away by the production and instrumentation quality. Like it’s so clean and crisp, and it’s got that 80s funk to it which I love. It’s embarrassing how many of the songs on this album over heard a thousand times and always thought it was Phil Collin’s for some reason. I kinda think they sound similar. But regardless, the only problem I had personally with this album is I only ended up saving like 3 songs and those were the massive hits. The rest of the album isn’t bad just forgettable. Also the strongest aspect of his entire career is how sick sledgehammer is and how inventive and mind blowing the music video is. I don’t think I’ve ever complimented a music video in my reviews so far because I don’t think it’s important/relevant to my review. But honestly it might be hands down one of the greatest music videos of all time. It’s so iconic and fun that you could show it to someone of any age and any background and they will find something about it to enjoy. But at the end of the day I feel this is another album held up solely by the 3 massive hit songs on the album. Make of that what you will but go watch the Sledgehammer music video!
Quirky whimsical melodies, not what I expected. Reasonable for the era
Not too shabby. Pretty descent 80s pop hits some of which i've heard before. 3/5
This album floats between two worlds. One is a sleek, sophisticated take on 80s synthesizer pop. The best songs - "Red Rain" and "In Your Eyes" are in that mode. These songs are also weirdly empty though. The synthesizers are smooth, without intricate accents or percussion. This is most apparent on the pretty but overlong "Don't Give Up." The other world is big 80s pop, like on "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time." Weirdly, those songs feel less hooky than their more subdued albummates. Maybe they sound too big next to the more subtle tracks? This is an interesting one because it presents the sounds of the 80s next to what the 80s could sound like with more sophistication. It's nice, but both sounds are lacking in their own way. Which is a shame - an album that's all as good as the chorus of "Red Rain" would be incredible.
It’s not entirely Pete’s fault that some of this sounds like the ubiquitous soundtrack of roughly any 80s movie - I can see young strivers going up staircases to the tune of That Voice Again on some important task from Gotcha to Secret of My Success to The Manhattan Project’s myriad montages juxtaposing soccer practice and atomic bomb creation. I like So and might even love it if I could get past some of the more sappy moments, although Sledgehammer and Big Time are maybe the first memories I have of coming to dislike songs simply because they were played on MTV or the radio too much - you could not escape this album in throughout 1986 and 87! But it’s fun to go back to...almost 40...years later. Excellent Birds is further evidence I don’t care too much for Laurie Anderson, but that’s me and performance artists and along with the somewhat misunderstood Milgram’s 37 both feel like odd-fitting add-ons (or cast-offs as the case was) from different projects to keep So from being too, too commercial. Which is kinda silly.
OK
Slightly odd: felt a little like a concept album
Not my preferred vehicle for Peter Gabriel, but the album is great.
Donkey Kong Country-ass Music (complimentary)
Sledgehammer and I'm your eyes are classics, but tonally different from the rest of the album. Rest of the album doesn't really stand out to me. Red Rain is pretty good I guess. Excellent Birds is kinda funny, they do be excellent Birds
When this album started off, I thought I was going to rank it pretty high even with the 80s pop label. Red Rain into Sledgehammer was a fantastic start to the album. It slowed down after that into a ballad, then pepped up a bit for That Voice Again. Unfortunately, side 2 was where things really started to drag for me. Aside from In Your Eyes, I didn't care much for the last half of the album. It felt much more boring and drawn out compared to the liveliness of the first side. Similar to what I said about Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms, I think they needed to break up the track listing a little more to mix the upbeat stuff and the slower stuff better. I felt So was better about that, but still had sections that just got boring as they went. That brings down the relisten-ability for me. So, I ended up with a mostly so-so opinion about So. I liked Gabriel's voice and the diverse instrumentation he used. There were several songs that really were top-tier on there. That said, the rest of the album ranged from mostly fine to just meh. I'm much more likely to listen to the few songs I liked rather than the whole thing again. I still think it was good generally, just not as good as I had hoped it'd be from how it started. Overall: 3.3/5
i wasn't there in 1986 so i don't know what it was that made everyone lose their minds over this but it's SUCH an 80s album, down to the world music infusion coupled with digital synths. you hear the genesis ALL OVER THIS and kate bush is very welcome on this album but the standout for me wasn't the new wave but the melancholy ambiance on mercy street. VERY TENDER, VERY BEAUTIFUL...let me call my dad....
So-so, more like it.
1. Red Rain - good. 4* 2. Sledgehammer - OK. Don't really understand why it's the most popular. 3pt 3-6 forgettable. 2* x 4 7. We do What We're Told - OK. Seemed like it could have been an intro to a longer, better song. 3* 8. Didn't really like 2* 9. In Your Eyes - Love it, a classic 5* Avg = 2.78*, rounded to3*
There's something very Disney about In Your Eyes, but overall a pretty good album. I need to listen to it again. 3.5/5
B+
"Sledgehammer" and "In your eyes" are all timers. I was pleasantly surprised to see Kate Bush make an appearance in "Don't Give Up" but the rest of this was not for me.
Got some classic songs in it (sledgehammer, don't give up), but the songs aren't quite as punchy as other classic 80s albums
Kul, grem dokaj na slepo, razen zadnji komad (vidim, da je v večini verzijah sicer 5. komad?) poznam & ga mam na par playlistah, ker je a banger. Všečen začetek z "Red Rain". "Sledgehammer" se začne z neko piščaljo (shakuhachi - glede na wiki, japonska piščal, ma kasneje v komadu še majhen solo) & že misliš kva bo, pol pa najbl bobni udarijo in začnejo ritem. Kul komad. Ker zraven gledam wiki, sm si na začetku komada pokvarila, da bo v "Don't Give Up" tud Kate Bush. Evo jo. Sj je unmistakeably ona. Na splošno bolj miren komad sicer. U, kul bassline prot koncu komada. "That Voice Again" mi je prou fajn. In zdej "Mercy Street" (namesto komada, ki ga poznam, jebiga, djmo se držat tega vrstnega redu, ki ga mam). Začetek mi je zelo cinematic, počasen. Ma cel je tak. Kul. Uf, "Big Time" se poj ful preveč udarno začne, te čist ven vrže iz vajba, k ga je prejšnji komad ustvaril. Ta mi je manj ljub. Aggressively 80s. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" je zanimiv. Čist neki drugačnega. Ozadje je tud zanimiv. "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" je prou tako zanimiv instrumentalno. Bi blo čist logično, da je to zadnji komad, ne vem zakaj morjo dirat reči, ki so ok, kot so. In komad, ki ga poznam, "In Your Eyes". Ta mi je obviously všeč. Hud je, všeč mi je kako progressa. Vse.
115 Vi el nombre del artista tantas veces pensando que era Juan Gabriel, que me costó ajustarme a lo que estaba escuchando. Full 80ero con aires a Phill Collins. Mejh?
This is going in the "not for me" pile. I appreciate the craft behind these songs, and I recognize that this is some of the best pop music of the time. But I'm kind of allergic to that 80s pop sound.
Never really been my thing. Enjoy the hits on this one, and there's some nice moments I hadn't heard before but largely forgettable for me.
Bi-modal reaction: the big booming hits are still great; the meditative songs have become unlistenable.
This was less annoying than I remembered (although I did groan audibly at "hi there!"); the production isn't too overwhelming and the songs are ok. As monster albums of my college years go, I'd put it above Graceland and well below Cyndi.
3, but good 3.
Bit of a mixed bag. Some pop naff in there. Sledge Hammer holds the whole thing up
1986 I actually bought this in '86 (don't have it any longer). There's some good deep cuts here (Red Rain, This Is The Picture) providing a welcome break from the ubiquitous hits that are unfortunately overplayed. Good to hear again though, despite the over-produced 80s sound. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ probably no need ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
There were times when it was easy and thought provoking but I found myself meandering through this album, which ultimately means it wasn’t that interesting to dedicate my full attention to it
Reminds me of Phil Collins, not for me but good
It’s chill
Some good tracks but a bit dated
Chill 80s rock
Not bad, but a bit too much "of its time" with the music and instruments and some oarys felt forced. But listenable.
I was nine years old, homeschooled, and roaming up and down the West Coast in a Toyota Chinook with my mom when So came out…so needless to say, it completely passed me by. No radio hits, no MTV, just miles of adventures and a lot of imagination. By the time I hit thirteen and finally got the green light for MTV, Sledgehammer burst onto the screen and what a revelation. A true banger and visual feast. That stop-motion chicken? Iconic.
#737. There sure is a lot of Peter Gabriel on this list, isn't there? 3/5: fine.
What happen to the b side? In your eyes saves this album.
Whatever the opposite of “timeless appeal” is. An earnest, serious entry from Peter Gabriel that maybe even in 1986 was starting to be overtaken by more pure pop and heavier music elsewhere. It has some decent synth moments and Sledgehammer is a decent tune, but it’s missing the poppier elements you’d expect from a Genesis album. I don’t think it quite tips into parody but not far off. An album probably best left in the 80s.
So genesis vibes (my mum confirmed this thought / connection as she has album in her collection and happened to see her on same day) and we got a little Babooshka from Kate Bush no less. Not sure on the Kate input as was just as engaging as listening to your voice in a tunnel. ECHO...Echo....echo. I think this has aged a bit but has interesting elements. Its solid in almost all regards. Cant say I hate anything. I just think the plinky plonky, pan pibe / bells things just isnt for me. Its like your favourite pants that have been in the wash with that bright red jumper. I will wear the pants as nothing wrong with them but that day something changed!
This album is full-pelt artistic earnestness from the get-go and it's a bit difficult to take seriously. The upbeat tracks like 'Sledgehammer' are pretty good but in a very 80's synth pop way. He has a great voice and a unique style. The album has great sounding production which I've come to expect from this period. At first listen, this is a long way from the prog-rock of Genesis although you can still hear some influences, for example in 'Mercy Street'. It's a bit too mainstream pop for my tastes but definitely stands up as a great example of UK 80's music.
kate bush feature was the best thing about this album. 3/5
day 14: pretty decent 80s pop, some nice experimental droney stuff going on too. kate bush influence goes hard.
Painfully 80s but some really well-constructed pop tunes.
Great album, enjoyed it, hearing Kate Bush was cool
He intentado escuchar este disco varias veces. No entiendo su prestigio ni el de este señor como cantante. Podría hacer de padre de los Gallagher en un biopic, eso sí. Tras la escucha, realmente me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. Sigue sin ser un cantante excepcional, pero la ambientación es muy personal y las canciones están bien compuestas.
Hits are the best
paar eher nichtssagende lieder, paar gute (red rain, (solsbury hill))
Pretty solid. Gabriel’s voice is interesting and In Your Eyes is a classic. However, this style just didn’t grab me. High 3.
so what
So-so
Não conhecia o cantor. Mas gostei da recomendação e escutei o album completo, não adcionei nas minhas músicas favoritas, mas o escutei
Wasn't a huge fan, but always love Sledgehammer
It’s definitely for a 60-70s audience but I do like “we do what we’re told”. It’s got a childish Gambino and OutKast type vibe. Overall I give it a 3.6.
Some songs are vibe 3/5
Kinda a vibe, funky but tasteful
Good
Enjoyed it quite a bit though a few of the sounds have unfortunately aged quite poorly, the kitschiness could definitely be seen as part of the charm but I found it kinda ruining my experience at times when he would break out the blue man group aahh drums. Still very nice and I could see it growing on me! Fav song: Don't Give Up not just cuz Kate but also bc it's quite beautiful but otherwise This is the Picture which is super interesting and actually reminds me of Hounds of Love a lot
It was pretty good - it had some 80s pop vibes at some points - some faux african music which was alright - it was calm all the way - dont really have a stabdout because it all kind of blended together
Some really good songs, like Sledgehammer, and some naff ones like This Is The Picture. Evens out to a 3
THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)’ IS THE ABSOLUTE PINNACLE OF MODERN ART. The rest of the album is just okay. 🥀 But Laurie Anderson‘s collaborative visual masterpiece ‘This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)’ FUCKING SLAPS. You heard it here folks! Now kick back, spark up something laced, and immerse yourself in the cutting-edge avant guard optical splendor which is the music video for Peter Gabri and Laurie Anderson‘s ‘This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)’
I enjoy Peter Gabriel but i like him more when he’s leaning into the weirdness like he did on Melt. This album is fine, it’s really well done for what it is but it’s all so… I don’t really want to say bland because it sounds nice enough but yea, it’s kinda bland. I am being unfair to Gabriel for sure and I don’t dislike it, I just dislike it for a Gabriel album I suppose. I will say that it is hilarious he wrote a song about his dick being a Sledgehammer. 3 stars
Dominated by the big hits sledgehammer and Don't give up, otherwise an ok listen
Solid pop album, soft and mellow Did not know dont give up was peter gabriels song. Thats a good one, bit sad.
I feel like this is an album I would need nostalgia for to enjoy. As it stands though, I'm not really feeling the heavy 80's vibe of this record, especially with the ballads not being quite as strong as the bangers like Sledgehammer and Big Time (great bassline though). Oddly, We Do What We're Told is probably my favorite song? It's got a very vibey, Nine Inch Nails feel. But yeah, pristine pop album that isn't really doing much for me.
Always preferred phil Collins, but solid.
I keep seeing people talking about how this is better than Phil Collins music…. Like how people fail to remember is that Collins released Fave Value before this album came out AND Gabriel left Genesis and got replaced with Collins 6 years before this. This album sounds like a Collins wanna be album to me IMO. I’m sure Collins was inspired by this album, no doubt but Collins and Genesis had this sound already before this came out. This album is super underwhelming imo, other than the stand out hits. I understand its use of early digital instruments and the impact it had but I found myself thinking that Gabriel wanted to be Phil Collins so bad on this album. Idk, just my opinion I was also not alive when this album came out and I’ve listened to all of Phil Collins solo work before this. This album was not bad by any means I was just throughly unimpressed. Fav track: Sledgehammer Least fav: That Voice Again
Very 80s
A so so album. I prefer Phil Collins.
It was a solid 80s album, In Your Eyes was a perfect anchor for this one.
I knew most of the big hits from this album, which are good. None of the other songs really blows me away though. Good production.
Cool to hear the sax intro on Sledgehammer that Mark Rivera wrote (I KNOW HIM). Otherwise, I don't know if I'm the biggest Peter Gabriel fan.
There’s some brilliant music here, but a lot of filler and attempts at things that others did better.
Didn't think I was going to like it, but it's actually good and so chill.
Nettes Album. Red rain - geiler Song.
Middle of the pack, enjoyable but nothing special
Good 80s vibes. A little bit Sting-like. I’d have to be in the mood for it.
5/10… art pop / 80s new wave
Red rain is good Like slegdehammer Don’t give up is awesome, good duet with Kate Bush Generally, a good album but songs feel a bit overstretched sometimes
Is Worldbeat Orientalist? Or is “So” the exception that proves the rule? In this essay, I shall…
Day 2 - Wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I had obviously heard (and love) Sledgehammer, and was hoping the rest of the album would be similar to that track. To my disappointment, it isn't. While I can apricate the album for what it is, with its good production and influences from other genre's. the rest of the album just doesn't bring the same energy. I can understand why people would enjoy the album as a whole but the rest of it isn't really for me.
6/10
I am sure I never listened to this whole album. Of course I know Sledgehammer from the video. That video is a core memory. This still of 80’s production/music has always been off putting to me. But I love his voice.
Previously rated: Peter Gabriel 3 (4/5) Peter Gabriel (4/5) ************************ Looks like I found his previous two albums interesting enough to earn a future re-listen. What about this one? This one has the big hits, but outside of those, I didn't like a lot here. It was very slow and forgettable. Except for that one with Kate Bush, Don't Give Up. That was just bad. I feel 1986 was when pop music just started going south, and over-produced stuff like this was part of the reason. Best track: Sledgehammer - The music video for this is still very enjoyable.
I prefer this album as background music, it's not something I'd listen to by itself. My favourite song was Red Rain, I liked the vocals in the background.
This was the number 1 album when I was born. What was yours?
So what?
I really liked Sledgehammer (such a hit!) and overall it was an average album
So many hits! I didn’t recall knowing all of this tracks. Even though this was an “album” era, I only know these songs as singles. In Your Eyes is an amazing last track!
Gostei mas não sou fã de Peter Gabriel no geral. Boas músicas mas não me encheram as medidas!
In Your Eyes is obviously great, and there are a few other surprising great songs on this album, but songs like This Is The Picture are a little weird for my taste and hold the album back
Man the production on this thing is insane, even if it sometimes feels sterile or commercial. Vocals are very much lacking for me, really wish Kate Bush was on every song and not just one track. Overall feeling meh about it, although I really like we do what we're told, this is the picture and Kate Bush's verses on don't give up
man, i wish i liked this one more. there are some fun hits that obviously get a lot of airplay. i wish this album had more of that. when it's not those handful of songs, it's a very soft, delicate album. but I don't really have a lot of fun listening to it. it's a little bit of a drag. i don't find it interesting, i find it boring. there's other peter gabriel that i really like! but this mostly is not it.
So: so-so. So?
In my review of The Verve's Urban Hymns album, I wrote the following about "Bittersweet Symphony": "Pre-listening: This album prompts an interesting question: what do you think is the single song you have heard the most in your life without ever hearing another track from its album? Because I think this one would be in the running for me (at least until today.)" This Peter Gabriel album contains three songs that I've probably heard more than "Bittersweet Symphony" but I am pretty sure I have never heard anything else off the album. I'm sure I don't even have to name them, but "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time" were of course MTV staples (and "staples" probably isn't even a strong enough word - MTV constants?) and then there was the Say Anything phenomenon for "In Your Eyes." I didn't dislike any of those songs at the time but it wasn't a style of music I was interested in so I never felt the need to explore further. So I am interested to see what 50-year-old me thinks of the rest of this album. Post-listening: wasn't expecting so many guest stars! I enjoyed this and would give it 3.5 stars if I could. I can't give it the same rating as Ill Communication (that rating is going to bother me on my deathbed) so 3 it is!
What?
3,5
I hate Sledgehammer but LOVE LOVE In Your Eyes
At times I had to check that this is the same artist that did PG3/Melt. A lot more accessible. I enjoyed most of it though, it definitely has some duds but then has some belters like Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes. Dont give up was canny too, and this is the picture. Im much more of a Melt fan. That felt weird, strange, and even though its older it felt a lot more fresh. This is very 80s pop.
The album disappears into nothingness after the first four tracks. Sledgehammer is a classic, and Don't Give Up is an all-timer. A really measured song, more complex than it needed to be, and Kate Bush really compliments P Gabey. I was seriously disappointed by the second half of the album, so have dropped my rating a bit.
So so
phil collins but less good?
This is a very 80’s album. The production on some of the songs, particularly Sledgehammer and Big Time was pretty dated, but I did enjoy Red Rain, Mercy Street, and We Do What We’re Told.
The 80s is a curious time period for popular music. The promise of new wave and new technology was infectious. This record represents the apex of that promise. After So, the music of that era started to change. It wasn’t as fun or inspiring anymore. I actually prefer Gabriel’s first untitled albums because of the promise they represent. This one is fully formed and lesser as a result. In Your Eyes is sublime, and there are a few more interesting moments here, but overall not my favourite Gabriel offering.
Klinkt wel lekker
Love Peter Gabriel's voice, but some of these tracks I can leave; production is very much of its time. Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes are the obvious stand-outs.
like the name so-so
I didn't like this at all until the very end. It has a really strong finish, particularly with "In Your Eyes" as the closer. Partly this reflects my longstanding belief that it's much easier to write songs people will enjoy if you make them fast and fun instead of plodding and slow. I think I've heard "Red Rain" before, and combined with the fact that it's the opener, it was probably a single - but that song sucks, what a total snooze. It is best-case the 2nd best song about a color of rain from the mid 1980s. But my favorite song on the whole CD, one I've never heard before, is "Big Time" - what fun song. It's a rocker, it's making fun of himself and other people like himself, it's catchy, that's a winner. That plus the closer makes for a really strong finish. But the first half is a bore, I've heard "Sledgehammer" before and it's fine but it has a totally cheesy 80s song. It's just better to finish on a strong note than to start strong and limp out.
Guide tunes
I interviewed Stephin Merritt once. First telephone interview I’d ever done. I borrowed a minidisc recorder from the editor who told me not to erase his live boot of Rocket from the Crypt. I didn’t. I just recorded over it. Stephin wasn’t unkind, exactly, but he did ask why I didn’t know shorthand. Fair enough. I didn’t. I still don’t. I wrote things down slowly and hoped I’d catch the rest on tape. At one point — I can’t remember if it was because Peter Gabriel had covered The Book of Love or just because the silence between us was beginning to feel cavernous — I asked him what his favourite Peter Gabriel album was. Also, I asked about Genesis. He said he’d never listened to the band, which seemed plausible for the weird pop songwriter. He did like Gabriel. Also plausible. In the piece I wrote, I said his answer was So. But the truth is the recording was unintelligible at that point. A glitch? Bad disc? Maybe I’d accidentally brushed the pause button with my trembling hand. Either way, whatever he actually said is lost to time, and I — somehow — decided So sounded right. It had Sledgehammer on it and Don’t Give Up. It sold very well. But it doesn’t sound right now. Not really. If you’ve listened to Stephin Merritt for more than three songs in a row, you know it wasn’t So. It would have been one of the early ones: one of the self-titled albums with nicknames that reference the album artwork: Car or Scratch or Melt. It was probably Melt. That’s the best one, isn’t it? Merritt covered Not One of Us some time later, which would have been a handy clue. Why I thought it was So — that smooth, glistening thing, with all its horn sections and MTV overtures — I cannot explain. Even the weird bits aren’t weird enough. Sledgehammer is weird for the Top 40, but not weird for Gabriel, who once took the stage dressed as a Giant Hogweed. There are hits on So, sure, but none of them hit like Games Without Frontiers or Intruder. It’s Gabriel doing smooth. Gabriel doing accessible. One of Them. I should have written Melt. I should have asked better questions. I should have learned shorthand. Sorry, Stephin. 2.5 Look at Peter Gabriel’s stupid face. I know this album isn’t bad exactly but I don’t like it. What display of skill Gabriel shows in forging interesting melodies and structures is smothered by his unshakeable determination to use every voice setting on the keyboard. I’m sure the customers were impressed when they pushed the demo button on those things in the showroom in 1986. But five years later they were asking themselves what could have been wrong with their heads that they spent the price of a car on these obsolete abominations. Playing the start of Moonlight Sonata with synth horns then steel drum then ‘Goblins’ is good for about 5 minutes entertainment but ultimately it sounds better on a real piano and the child can’t get any good on the instrument on those settings. Are the songs really that good anyway? The lyrics, Mercy Street for example, are self-regarding but poetically hollow. ‘Don’t Give Up’ has a pleasant sentiment but stumbles over itself musically. Kate Bush plays a blinder making those awkward lines of the chorus sound as musically natural as anyone could. But they’re still not right. Peter Gabriel can’t be accused of making dull melodies but it’s easy to sound interesting when you sacrifice elegance of line. It’s an inelegant album. 2.5/5
Wanted to like it more, but it didn’t seem to hold up as well as I expected. Just seemed dated and a little boring.
Pretty repetitive but overall solid. love the song with kate bush and sledgehammer
Cool soundscapes. Well, not cool exactly. Kind of dorky. But cool.
Very 80s not particularly memorsble
In Your Eyes is soooo good. Everything else was pretty meh though.
...
Quite dramatic at times. Overall pretty easy listening but nothing that wowed me.
Albums of this ilk really sound like the era, for better or worse. Some really great synth sounds and textures but some of the tracks veer into cheesy territory for me. The 'world music' influence is beneficial if not overstated. Sledgehammer & In Your Eyes are classics.
While it's not my thing, I guess I can appreciate it for what it is
Typical 80s synthesizer music. Not saying that is a bad thing. But, this album and especially with Peter Gabriel’s voice, sounds like if Phil Collins woke up and started making mediocre music.
Not bad! The legendary kate bush duet… I prefer Passion and Melt
Eh, medicore
Very 80s, very very Sting. Of its time. Not awful but I think you had to be there. Song with Kate Bush was decent despite being about suicide. He’s got a much better voice than I realised.
Great vocals and production. Very groovy with a lot of fun tracks. Just not my usual style.
This album has this Phil Collins vibe, but it is undeniable that most of the songs are a bit meh, although they are great for a chill environment while you're playing it in the background, while you're possibly on drugs in the 80s, BUT the most popular song on the album - Sledghehammer, is very cool and I enjoyed listening to it again, but I just didn't know that Peter Gabriel was the person singing it. Overall, a bit meh for the whole album, but not necessarily in a bad way.
6.5/10
The hits are great, everything else is meh
Too soundtrack-y for me, honestly. other than the one song I love
Great production! The studio musicians are excellent and there is a good variety in the songwriting. But I don’t like the songs at all. Not one of them. 5/10
There’s nothing to complain about with this album unless you aren’t a fan of 80s synth pop… which I am not. Sledgehammer is kind of a bop but the rest just isn’t my cuppa tea
I was getting excited, but after listening to the album I was a bit let down.
Classic easy listening
you could hear the "old" vibes... but it's quite easy to listen to... nothing catchy. It played in the background without much distraction to work
This was good. Sledgehammer and Don’t Give Up are absolute bangers but the rest kinda washed over me. I think I expected to like it a little more than I did in the end.
Everything I did whilst listening to this turned into an 80's montage.
Definitely should be experienced along with the music videos. Totally part of the experience
3,5/5
a few good tracks but overall not my vibe
Blind album, know the artist and the hits. Didn't hit as hard as I thought for sure. Some parts catchy but wasn't as good as people made it to be for me.
Although it sounded like a desperate attempt to make a 80s pop album, it was a damn good attempt. Nothing jumped out to me in either direction so I’d say it was a solid listen but lacked that spectacular feeling that the albums on this list SHOULD have.
kate bush <3
This was the height of the 80's techno phase. OK album, but it wasn't anything special for me. Sledgehammer is the only memorable song.
Nothing crazy, but still not bad IMO
Three hits on this album that I like. They are fun, and I might even give the volume a nudge up when they come on. The rest of the album left me saying, So? So what? Sounds that annoyed my ears. It's like they're from a totally different artist. Took an easy 4 down to a 3.
Fine, not really my speed.
Better than Coldplay
Not really impressed by this one, definitely enjoyed PG's first solo album much more, as well as his work with Genesis. It's still a lot more interesting and better than pretty much all over-produced bubblegum pop. But there's nothing here that really grabs the listener's attention. It all sounds like perfectly fine filler material, but without anything standing out. People might point out Sledgehammer, but it hasn't aged well. Sounds like a generic soundtrack song from a mid 2000's movie playing in early 90's or late 80's New York. 3.5 rounded down.
Nice
Prior to So, Peter Gabriel seemed to have one foot firmly in the art world and another firmly in the pop world. If that is the case, then on So, he seems to walk around a bit, and end up with one foot in the art-pop world and another just in the pop world. To put it differently: this is the one with the hits. Sledgehammer, In Your Eyes, Don't Give Up, and Big Time were all, on some level, a hit. However, this album is also known for achieving this without sounding like Gabriel is trying to "sell out", the songs here all feel very distinct and personal, and he keeps his art cred intact. Especially since the deep cuts here do *not* sound like they were made for the radio. Mercy Street, We Do What we're Told and This Is The Picture all sound thickly atmospheric, future-forward and mysterious. My personal favorite on here is This Is The Picture, Laurie Anderson (check her out by the way) appears and performs an incredible vocal duet with Peter Gabriel. Not to brush by the singles, they are mostly great as well. Sledgehammer, for example is iconic for a reason: funky, catchy, and just a *touch* art damaged. The only song on here that I specifically don't like is Big Time. It just sounds kind of on the nose and silly to me, but I would like to give credit where credit is due to the bass-work. I overall enjoyed this quite a bit, but I get the sense I may personally get more out of Peter Gabriel's earlier work.
Good Art Pop Album, Maybe not my favorite Genre but i certainly caught my self toe tapping the hits. It's kinda just Dentist office music but not in a bad way?
Classic 80's album with some excellent tracks but loses steam in its 2nd half. Peter Gabriel's voice was pretty great though and it has some interesting world music influences.
This is one of those albums where I'm super familiar with the hit single (Sledgehammer) but haven't heard the rest of it, and yeah, it's a pretty solid bit of 80's pop rock. The slower ballad tracks are a little sappy for my taste, but tracks like That Voice Again, Big Time, and previously mentioned Sledgehammer are tons of fun.
Sledgehammer & In Your Eyes are the monster hits off this album that got played everywhere, and I'm more familiar with Big Time because the WWE played the shit out of this song for Wrestlemania 22. This isn't overly my kind of music, but I respect the artistry at play here.
This album has too much content and should just be Red Rain, Sledgehammer and Big Time.
Gabriel's style can be a tad melodramatic at times. Borderline two stars but it's not bad.
Muy banda sonora
A little tired of these songs
Had great moments for me with the rhythms and bass lines. Fantastic vocals with a lot of character and emotion. A 3 feels too low but a 4 feels excessive for me personally. I feel like he doesn't quite reach the dramatic peaks he had the potential to reach within the album. Overall very enjoyable - I could see myself blasting it in the car with the windows down and feeling alive.
I thought it was really cool to hear all the different sounds, I thought his voice was very unique and was very emotional which I liked. I don’t know if I would listen to it again but I didn’t mind it, and I can see how people would love this album it’s just not one I would personally put on and listen to so for that reason I gave it a 3.
This album was a little rough. I got a heads up from Jordan on her dislike of this album, I liked it more than her but not great.
The slower songs are great.
I’m… not sure. I love Gabriel-era Genesis but never really delved into his solo work as much. I did listen to Melt a lot which I love but this is different. Gabriel draws on a bunch of influences here, you get eighties sophistipop sense reminiscent of Sting and Tears For Fears, you get world beat that can sometimes sound like talking heads, you get some post punk of the claustrophobic kind he had in Melt, especially on the last two songs. It’s a strong record and Gabriel is an amazing vocalist and songwriter, I just don’t think it’s his best work.
Correcto
Hadn't realized his 3 monster hits were on here. Idiosyncratic enough to not be a pure pop album, but he can write a hook when he wants to. I'm not a fan of the slick production but I think this has aged pretty well.
2/3 star, in your eyes got it to a 3
red rain- he sounds like he just woke up and had to record this. 5 sledgehammer- 5 or 6. reminds me of fame dont give up- so true, pete. 4 that voice again- 5 mercy street- 4 or 5 big time- 5 we do what we're told- 6 this is the picture- 5 or 6 in your eyes- 5
So so
So has some cool synth and drum parts. I've always liked Gabriel's voice as well. The album has a weird mix of darker toned songs that are intriguing intermingled with poppy sounding 80s jams. Lyrically it didn't do much for me. Standouts were "That Voice Again" and "In Your Eyes," which is a classic and I love it and I will unabashedly belt it every time it comes on. Overall, the album was kind of slow for me, but I liked the mood. It was a good length too, any longer and I think it would have dragged and overstayed its welcome. So was cool sounding and it was a good listen but didn't really move the needle away from an average 3 stars.
I saw a review that said something to the effect of "Phil Collins if he was talented." That is a shit take, but I do enjoy Peter Gabriel and this album. It's a little bit too cheesy white guy 80's music to truly blow me away, but I did enjoy the track list and I'm certain that had I been alive at the time, I would've enjoyed this album a even more within the context of its release
Very ‘80s! I enjoy the big hits and Red Rain is a great opener but the majority of the songs ran together for me… not a resounding success for me but Peter Gabriel has a great voice and Sledgehammer’s about his penis so I have to assume he also has a great penis. Great song.
3/5 good but not my favorite style
Super fun first track
3.5
Peter Gabriel "So" came out when I was 16. And songs like In Your Eyes were iconic at the time. But at the same time, I was never a huge fan of this album. I always thought it was kind of cheesy and overwrought. The song Don't Give Up with Kate Bush. Is one of my least favorite songs in the history of music. And listening to it now. It hasn't gotten any better. Definitely feel like it is extremely dated.
I like Peter Gabriel, but I feel like some of these songs could have been shorter. Overall, a very good sound.
Some great tracks.
Some great tracks, I struggle with the whole album though
Overall a pretty decent album with two big standouts. I love sledgehammer.
We thrashed Gabriel in a doubles match on the crazy golf course in Brighton seafront. He thought he’d bought a ringer by inviting Mike Rutherford. He didn’t realise that Brighton was basically Len Houmous’ home course. He hit an incredible 18 hole in one’s in a row! 3.4
better than I expected but a lot of it was too much like paul simon
04/05/2025 This was an okay album.
Kinda missed the mark for me, it felt like alot of songs just didnt quiet hit the high i was hoping for. Epic, but not epic enough, for my taste. But can see why people like it.
I was surprised to learn that many of the songs on this album still have relevance.
I really enjoyed this, but Sledgehammer is an annoying song
Aardige muziek met af en toe wel leuke melodie.
I like Peter Gabriel, but I’ve not a huge fan. You can hear Genesis throughout this album. “Sledgehammer” and “Don’t Give Up” are classics. The rest of the album is alright, but nothing to go back for.
Good album - very 80's sounding
6/10. Several tunes I really like.
Surprise Kate Bush!
A couple good ones but overall a boring album.
This is a more "artsy" approach to pop, which I appreciate. Red Rain, Sledgehammer, and Big Time are great, extremely engaging songs. The vocals are fun, and the production is fantastic, with a wide, immersive soundstage that sounds big and busy yet clean at the same time... But the rest of the songs are just fine and dragged my experience down quite a bit. They're way too quite and way to "ambient" with barely any accents, which I'm not a fan of. And when Don't Give Up manages to stay exciting despite the somber tone, the rest... not so much. This album would've been much better if all the songs sounded more like the first two, in my opinion. 7/10
It's fine. Not really my style but I think it's a good presentation of it's genre.
Decente pero un poco Jack of All trades, ningun tema espectacular pero es un nice listen
This was quite nice but it did get a little boring. Kate Bush appearing was a nice little surprise and I enjoyed her contribution, overall a nice album
forgettable boring
I'm giving it a 3 for the hits.
Yeah pretty decent but nothing I wouldn't expect from that era
A couple of classic radio singles here, Sledgehammer and Don’t Give Up, both are 4-star songs. I was unfamiliar with the rest of the numbers but they were all satisfactory. A strong 3.
This was pleasant
Not really my thing, Peter Gabriel to me sounds like one long song. A few classics but the synths and snare sounds are stuck in time.
Bueno
Sledgehammer bass line is amazing but most songs didn’t catch me
I liked this better than the earlier album by him.
80s pop that's just not for me
3 Stars (8/15)
eu acho o trabalho do peter gabriel bem consistente apesar de tudo pprt
I recognized some of the songs. I like how experimental some of the songs were. It made me feel like the other pop songs I was familiar with had more depth than I gave them credit for before.
Really enjoyed the opening track, it almost felt like watching a movie in my head. I didn't expect so many of the songs to sound like Micheal Jackson songs.
I enjoyed this slightly more than I’d anticipated. Very mid 80’s, synthtastic sound which isn’t really my thing, but there are some great tracks on this album, especially the hit singles. There are also enough meh songs to pull it down. Sledgehammer is rammed full of innuendo (see what I did there?), don’t give up is a beautiful gospel infused ballad which I’ve overlooked for far too many years. Glad I revisited this for the first time since my teenage years, but not likely to revisit ever again.
There are some excellent tracks on here but "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time" got so overplayed on both MuchMusic and terrestrial radio that it's a hard listen.
Some pretty good stuff
nothing on here beats that one peter gabriel song from ET
Wasn't in the mood for the 80s yesterday. Turned off after one song. Was going to leave it at that and give it an exaggerated 1*. However, listened to it in full today and enjoyed it. Easy-listening, probably won't return unless I am in a very specific situation (that I don't best want to see myself in). Mercy Street was great.
3/5
6/10
3 out of 5. I enjoyed this one more than Paul Simon's Graceland.
Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: lots of great ones, but I’ll go with Red Rain A name I’ve heard a million times but could never tell you what songs he sang or even the genre. First song opening vibes are totally 80s… Well there’s the radio hit-Sledgehammer. I figured I would come across a “reason” he’s on the list. And it’s not a bad song. Getting Genesis vibes by “Don’t Give Up”. Super cheesy song, but for some reason I actually like it. And another “hit” with “Big Time”. I can see how he was an 80s “icon”. Second listen around and I love the first song, “Red Rain”. Goes to show how things sometimes need a chance. This is a great album.
Some memorable songs from the 80s that I liked more than I did in the 80s ….
Pretty great!
Peter Gabriel goes full on Phil Collins here (this is much better than anything involving Phil Collins). Favorite track: Red Rain 3.5/5
good oldies album but personally does nothing for me. just another album from the 80s
Interesting sounds but not enough to captivate me.
A couple good, funky songs, but mostly slow, forgettable ballads. Very well-produced.
Для меня слишком вылизанный звук.
I really wanted to love this. It's so musically varied, there are a lot of ostensibly interesting things going on here. Yet, I find it just... okay. Yes, the production is excellent. But lord, is it dated. This might actually be one of the most 80s albums I've ever heard. After listening to the car album, I was looking forward to see where he would go. I get going pop, but this is really overshooting it. It's pleasant, even beautiful in quite a few spots. There are some interesting instruments throughout. Neat dabbling into international genres. It's just a shame that it feels right at home on the shelf with 80s shlock. Or with 90s Disney soundtracks. It's someone's jam, but it's not mine. Fav tracks: Sledgehammer, That Voice Again
It was a thing. Not for me but I can see the appeal.
Listen, I get it. Lyrics are important to some songwriters. But there are plenty of artists that put effort into other aspects of the world and don’t rely (mostly) on the poetry aspect. This Gabriel guy is probably saying something important, but as a listener who tends to disregard lyrics even if they’re spectacularly good, I didn’t notice it. And it’s obvious that less effort was put into the sound. The instruments actually sound okay as a sort of slow, 80s-produced mini-soundscape. But with a few exceptions, the entire album carries on with that sound – and without any interesting chord progressions or riffs to back it up. One clear exception to this is the song Sledgehammer, which kicks some serious rock butt and is easily the strongest on the album. Love the bass riff, the guitar tone, the horns, the energy – and I think Gabriel’s vocals work better in this raw rock texture. And judging by Spotify numbers, it seems like most fans of Peter Gabriel agree with me. I’m surprised he didn’t commit more to this rock style, given how it was clearly more popular and interesting than the swamp of poorly produced synth pop Gabriel’s contemporaries were releasing. The two tracks I mostly had a problem with were Mercy Street and This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds). The former is just too dull to really get into, focusing sonically on this high-pitched percussion that doesn’t really change for six minutes straight. The latter is as odd as the title suggests and lacks the hook(s) to justify it. But the first half of the album is pretty darn solid, with Red Rain, Sledgehammer, and That Voice Again forming the album’s highlights. In Your Eyes is also a good note to end on, even if its percussion is so 80s-esque that the song could probably do better without drums at all. 3/5 Key tracks: Red Rain, Sledgehammer, That Voice Again
Meh
sledgehammer maybe the best song ever
Decent album. Unfortunately, the colorful highpoints are offset by the lows.
I enjoyed the sensuality of "Sledgehammer" and was surprised to hear Kate Bush on love ballad "Don't give up"
Pretty good. Couple of standout tracks. Probably wouldn't return to this project on the whole however.
3.5ish
Very 80's. Much sledgehammer! ...wow Reminds me of that old tv show with David Rasche. Don't Give Up is good. 3/5
SoSo Canción destacada: Big Time 3/5
Some great songs on this album but sounds a bit dated due to the extensive use of the Fairlight CMI
Man, this album gets a lot of love. But the 80s synthesized production turns me off to each track immediately. When the album ended, Spotify moved me over to a nice Peter Gabriel song from 1977 (“Solsbury Hill”). THAT song, and THAT sound, grabbed me. The contrast made clear to me that So, despite Gabriel’s excellent vocals, just feels inauthentic and plastic with the synthesized, mechanistic backdrop. 3/5 rounding up and well aware that I may be missing something here!
A solid listen and I'm glad it's on this list. Two all time songs in Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes on this one with some other filler that's not bad. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)
Not enjoying this as much as Melt. Still sounds like Peter Gabriel but the more sinister edges have been cleaned up, and with it I think a bit of the uniqueness. This kind of just went over me as I was listening, it's not bad, but it just didn't provoke much of a reaction. I used to be really into prog rock and have really gotten into 80s pop in recent years so this should definitely appeal to me but I dunno, there's just something not clicking Sledgehammer is a classic, I can't argue that. Others like Red Rain just feel a bit pompous. I just don't really get what's so great about them The album does pick up a bit towards the end. I liked the last few tracks a bit more. Wish the rest of the album were more like those. I felt they stood out a bit more Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm still disappointed Highlights: Sledgehammer, This Is The Picture, Big Time
Unknown artist for me. I like his style and nice vocal. Love the track Sledgehammer.
It was solid. Very Genesis.
Great voice and good songs throughout the album. A really solid pop album with a lot of slower songs which I really enjoyed.
I didn’t much care for Sledgehammer or Big Time when everyone was raving about them, and they haven’t much grown on me enough to push the album up to a 4 despite Don’t Give Up.
Quite good.
So so
3 - Don't Give Up (w/ Kate Bush) 5 - Mercy Street 6 - Big Time
Better than I thought it would be going into it
Fand das Album insgesamt gut, aber n paar Songs waren nicht so meins. Sledgehammer war geil und das Duett mit Kate Bush, der Rest so la la. 3 Sterne
Some great songs - always good to hear Kate bush
Enjoyed it but not an everyday listen
Poppy, easy listening. First two songs are very good.
Irgendwie muss ich bei dieser Art von Musik immer an meine Kindheit denken. Einiges war mir aber zu kitschig
Bin hin und hergerissen. Fand’s nicht schlecht aber auch nicht überragend.
Has the big songs and not alot else.
Obviously a beautifully produced album, a classic. However, the sound of the 80s that this represents has not aged particularly well. I enjoyed it, with several stand-out tracks, but not particularly to my taste.
Oh man, I love Phil Collins! Textbook 80s sound. Heavy bass, synth to replace horns. Big and swelly sound but such themes of self-doubt and disillusion with The Times
So 80s
1️⃣Sledgehammer
All good but each song being 4-6 minutes long? Why?
Not really much to say. In my opinion, if someone were to ask me the definition of a mid album, this may be one of the first to come to mind. Didn't hate it, as it has my favorite David Bowie song, but most, I just couldn't get into. If I could I'd give it a 2.5. Favorite Songs: Sledgehammer, Big Time Least Favorite: We Do What We're Told
The combination of prog rock and 80s production is rarely a good idea (see late period Genesis) so it surprised me how much I enjoyed this. In some places it's a bit earnest, bit it was intriguing throughout. The 1-2 punch of Sledgehammer and Don't Give Up was marvellous, but the rest of the album didn't quite hold up. 'We do what we're told' felt like an offcut from The Wall, and little else stuck. So, so close to being a 4. If there was one more good track it would be, but let's go with middling for now.
A fine pop album. Doesn’t do much for me
This was overplayed a ton in the day so I kinda tuned it out but have come back to it often over the years. Even with it's overdone 80's style production I enjoy it
Much like Van Halen the trajectory of Peter Gabriel and the band Genesis is always a curious one. Many feel that Genesis was an amazing Prog rock band while Peter Gabriel was there and that Phil Collins destroyed it. But listening to Peter Gabriel‘s album So… It shows that both bands were going to be more pop rock as time moved forward. Songs like Big Time, which were in John Cusack’s movie One Crazy Summer and In Your Eyes which was in John Cusack’s Say Anything make this a marker of a time. This album is probably his best album that he has done, but it definitely ain’t prog rock. Debate closed; cheers to Phil Collins, and hats off to you, Mr. Gabriel.
Some big hits on there but not every song was a winner. Still a solid 80s album.
yeah groovy
‘ "Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list"’ says one of the highest rated comments here. I’m born before 1982 and I’m still not putting it on my list. Nor am I going to pan it. It doesn't appeal to me but to give him his due, musicality and talent etc, I’m giving him a 3
Open up your fruit cage earbleach please But catchy in places
It's fine but it just sounds just like any other album from this time its nothing special shouldn't be on this list
It's good. Solid 3/5.