Peter Gabriel

I admire Peter Gabriel's artistic vision and achievements very much, but his debut solo album is a huge scrambling mess saved only by the excellent 'Solsbury Hill' and the mysterious 'Here Comes the Flood' (one of my favorite songs).

The first track sounded about as proggy as expected, so the rest of the album came as something of a surprise! Enjoyed the variety, and the Randy Newman impressions... Fave track - gotta be "Solsbury Hill" - it's an order of magnitude better than everything else on the album. Plus, I just rewatched Vanilla Sky...

A rather incohesive collection of overly eccentric songs. Lucky for us, Peter Gabriel's solo music improved vastly as his career progressed. Let's just say I wouldn't have picked this particular album of his into this list.

A pretty good debut, solo album. Clearly, Peter was trying to find a sound, and I think it’s obvious that it’s songs like “Solsbury Hill.“

This album is all over the place. So many different sounding songs. I don't hate any of them, but don't really love any of them either. 3/5

Well this didn't stand the test of time. I've never listened to the full album before and was profoundly disappointed. There is, of course, Solsbury Hill, and a few other listenable tunes. But half the album seemed to be some kind of fever dream where he mashed up elements of ELO, Styx, and Meatloaf into an unholy sound. I never expected to give this album such a low score. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

10/10 oh boy, to think a debut album can be this perfect blows my mind

Huge, bombastic, and filled with variety, you can definitely tell we are coming fresh off the heels of Genesis here (not to mention the touches from King Crimson members in the studio). Just great art pop/art rock all around, I think this just barely slides into 5 stars for me.

The more i listen to it, the problems i initial detect start to disappear and each track has some mood or meaning that fits in the whole. Even the quirky Excuse Me i've begun to appreciate. The tracks are interesting, lyrically and musically. I'm fully engaged.

Because The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway didn’t have enough pompous excess, Peter Gabriel opens his first solo record with one of the most ridiculous song titles to ever get printed on a record jacket: “Moribund the Burgermeister” After the fantastic “Solsbury Hill”, Gabriel decides he’s a sexpot of sorts and turns in some truly lecherous metaphors on “Modern Love”: “I trusted my Venus was untouched in her shell But the pearls and the balls in her oysters were tacky as hell” and “Hey, I worship Diana by the light of the moon When I pull out my pipe she scream out of tune” He follows that up with obnoxious music hall cabaret (Excuse Me) and, later, an overwrought blues romp (Waiting the Big One). You really get it all on Gabriel’s 1977 self-titled, and by “it all” I mean “a few great songs and a bunch of stuff that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor”. It’s all well executed, but lacks what I’d call “consistency”. Kind of a “let’s throw everything at the way and see what sticks” vibe here and the end result is just ok.

I've heard of Peter Gabriel and I'm sure I know some of his bigger hits, so I was quite excited to get this album. I was actually kind of disappointed when I listened to it. The music wasn't horrid or abrasive, I just couldn't easily get into it. Seeing that this was his first album, I'm still excited to check out the rest of his discography and maybe even give this one another try.

uf discazo, gran inicio y gran final sobre todo

I like this album more every time I listen to it

Had almost forgotten how great this album is. Others have noted that it's stylistically all over the place, but I don't have any problem with that. Really enjoyed listening to this again (I had this on vinyl at one point). Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood are the best tracks.

I thought I knew Peter Gabriel. I did not. This album is a cornucopia of creativity. Some of it is not to my taste but it avoids boredom like the plague. Hats off to this genius for ditching ho-hum Genesis and spreading his wings.

Listen to the album on December 26, 2023. Really enjoyed most of the album especially Fripp on guitar.

I haven't got time to write much, so I'll just agree with those reviewers who found this too much of an eclectic mish mash. I suppose it's interesting as a step on his journey, but I didn't find much to return to; there's a reason Solsbury Hill is by far the best-known track.

Overall, I find this album over-produced and bombastically theatrical, heightened by Bob Ezrin's arrangements and productions. Gabriel still hasn't shaken his prog tendencies. Not a great combination, unfortunately. I think the Ezrin thing works better with much more basic, dare I say cartoonish, material like Alice Cooper or Kiss or The Wall. In the context of Peter Gabriel's songwriting, this just seems overly cerebral and complicated and pompous. Even something as deliberately whimsical as Excuse Me just comes off like a self-conscious Randy Newman off-cut. Even Gabriel admits that 'Here Comes the Flood' is over-produced (and, hoo-boy, is it ever), but I would go further to say that the whole album is over-produced, mired in theatricality and artifice. Solsbury Hill is a lovely song, and the most emotionally authentic moment on the album, but hard to take seriously anymore; it's use in trailers and soundtracks as a signifier of 'heartwarming emotionality' has become a cliche. See, for example, this 'trailer' for The Shining, as if it was a romantic comedy: https://youtu.be/XIeasQTs6_g?si=-wNiQuX8qoRHra1b Not technically Gabriel's fault that Solsbury Hill became a trope, but it is a bit tough when the best song on the album wears out its welcome. I hope the licensing and royalties have bought him a really nice house. I own this album, but now I remember why I don't play it much. If I want to listen to Peter Gabriel, I always reach for his third solo album ("Melt") in preference to this. Peter Gabriel has an ear for unusual sounds and musicians, that he isn't flexing yet. I mean, this has probably the most boring playing Robert Fripp ever did in his whole career (I blame Ezrin). Gabriel let musicians stretch out much more on subsequent albums (especially "Melt"). 2.5 stars, rounding up, because it's not to my taste but not actually _bad_.

I was surprised how little I liked this album. Don't think he found his voice yet. 2 🌟

Gabriel left Genesis mainly for private reasons, not musical reasons. Listening to his solo debut, you can hear a man who's free to do his own stuff. So maybe there was more on a musical level. On his debut, he mixes so many style and while they seem a bit random and not so well connected, they are all great sounds in their own right. "Solsbury Hill" or "Here Comes The Flood" are classics but "Excuse Me" or the opener are noteworthy. This is really great and also more accessible to Genesis's records. And it's still prog.

Thanks to my prog rock- (and prog rock-adjacent) loving boyfriend in the 90s, I am a big Peter Gabriel fan. And Solsbury Hill is a completely perfect song.

★★★★★★

Muy bien. Lo iba disfrutando bastante, hasta que llegó aquél tema llamado Waiting for the big one, que es de esas canciones que se sienten como un milagro. Gran disco que crece poco a poco hasta que uno no puede creer lo que está escuchando.

🖤🖤🖤 Love this.

The man is a genius. More accessible than Genesis work, but does not compromise creativity to increase album sales.

Alright, let's talk about Peter Gabriel's first album, the one everyone just calls "Car." Seriously, this thing? 5 Stars, no question. This was his big leap after bailing on Genesis, and man, what a way to kick off a solo career. It's just a killer first album. You know, back then, his live shows were something else – total spectacles. This record was the ground zero for all the amazing stuff that came after it. And let me tell you, his run of those early albums? All killer, no filler. This "Car" album is so good, it's straight-up legendary. I even went and snagged it on vinyl in German, just because I'm that much of a fan. Trust me on this one: if you haven't given this a full listen, you're missing out. It's awesome.

I had no idea this would be so weird

Wow, I was not expecting to love this so much. I’ve been having an identity crisis over possibly not even liking rock music. But THIS is the kind of rock music I love, and honestly also the reason I’m doing this challenge: To find new artists I love. Stand out songs: Moribund the Burgermeister Solsbury Hill Excuse Me

vaya barbaridad volver a la cosa esta con tal maravilla. me esperaba un álbum para viejos pero ni muchísimo menos. me recuerda a la mejor época de queen con la experimentación de bandas como pink floyd. ninguna canción se queda atrás y siento que lo podría escuchar mil veces sin cansarme.

Two of my favorite songs ever are on this album. Other songs are fantastic. But some of the theatricality is not for me on some days — it’s not always a five. But, I must have the album with me on a desert island. It’s a 4.5; what to do? I’ll give it a 4 for now. —> UPDATE: OK, that’s 👆🏼ridiculous, I would totally play this album back-to-back on my desert island, without question. I’ll go with a 5.

I was genuinely not expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. It's so varied, textured, and beautiful. So many songs immediately demanded I put them on repeat. And it genuinely feels ahead of its time for the 70s. Loved it.

Fucking brilliant! Love cool shit like this!

A true work of art that will be remembered as one of the greatest achievement of humanity

One of my favorite albums of all time. It really marks a change in Peter's sound, going from a Lamb Lies Down-esque song to the masterpiece that is Solsbury Hill. This kind of closure is very similar to New Order's Movement; the first song saying goodbye to Joy Division and welcoming New Order. It is fair to say that this album is all over the place, but to me it really shows the creative range of Peter's musical genius.

My best Peter Gabriel solo and amongst my favorite art rock albums of all time. So catchy and well made, and just enough eclectic. I love it all the way.

Contains the bouncy single "Solsbury Hill", and one of my favourite Peter Gabriel tracks "Here Comes the Flood".

Alas, poor Peter, how we loved thee before you broke up the band to do your own thing. You never made anything that sounded as good as what you created with Genesis. All the same I'll devotedly listen to all your solo albums over and over as a tribute.

Absolute classic. Like visiting with an old friend.

Like Queen if they were actually good.

4.5 - Not sure if it was how I was feeling, but just such a pleasant album

Absolute monster of album. Super varied and simply excellent musicianship. I have always been a fan of peter but had never listened to this album as a whole just a song maybe 2. Now this is top 2 of his albums to me

Love it. This is one of his best!

Ein Neubeginn. Ein ablösen von Genesis. Hier hört man einen kreativen Künstler, der sich beweisen will. Das geht nur in der Unabhängigkeit. Ja, es zündet gewaltig. Unglaublich abwechslungsreich sind die Songs, sehr detailliert die Arrangements. Down the Dolce Vita und Here comes the flood sind schon gewaltig und zeigen die Genialität von Mr Gabriel. Solsbury Hill ist sozusagen die Unabhängigkeitshymne, eine Erklärung für den Soloschritt. Volle Punktzahl

This was great. So varied and interesting, with awesome writing, production value and musicianship. I was genuinely impressed by some of the orchestral and odd instrumentation on a bunch of these tracks. Each one could be a completely different musical act -- other than the fact that Peter Gabriel's super-distinct voice is present in them all, of course. I listened to it twice -- five stars, easily.

pretty new to prog as a whole and before this, i was really only familiar with peter gabriel's hits so i was interested to see what i was going to get out of this one. i was kind of blown away! there are some great prog moments on here, some poppier moments, some really big swings that don't really land (i'm looking at you, 'excuse me.'). it's not a perfect album but i was really blown away by the highs. of course, 'solisbury hill' is the big one here and i was familiar with that, but i really adored 'moribund the burgermeister,' 'modern love,' and the really thrashy-disco-y track 'down the dolce vita.' overall, really artistic, really confident in being weird and non-standard.

This is definitely Peter Gabriel's most underrated album. It features some of the most passionate vocals in his discography, and some of the most beautiful and consistent guitar work I have ever heard. I still think that So is his best album, but this is easily a close second.

Well in a sentence I could say “It’s Peter Gabriel innit” and award 5 stars but that would be lazy and not worthy of PG himself so some flowerification (made up word) needs to be done to justify why I love PG. When considering the quadriset (another one) of self titled albums before the holy grail of SO I fluctuate between this one and the last (Security) in deciding what my favourite should be. This one because it stopped me in my tracks and hit me straight in the face such was it’s freshness and divergence from what was the norm at time of release. It took my breath away but so did every release he has ever made right up to the present with I/O. But as I have mentioned Security and because for some ridiculous unknown reason it does not appear on this list, I must ask why? I’m at a loss to reason why when two of the greatest PG songs San Jacinto and Wallflower appear on that album. 1001 Gods take note please and in particular the one who served up N.W.A Straight Outtta Compton just two days ago. Anyway back to this album. It’s great but I’ve already told you that. Words are not enough but your ears will confirm. 5/5 18/1/25

Not my favorite Peter Gabriel but he always manages to bring an interesting melody or have the perfect sound at the perfect moment, hard for me to explain it much further than that

Great music.

Solsbury hill y Here comes the flood himnos absolutos 4.5, pero por ser pedro gabriel llega a 5

9/10. Gave off a combination of Supertramp and Elton John vibes. Fantastic album.

Just an all time great songwriter. The feelings he can elicit through unique instrumentation is pretty special. Favorite track (beyond the obvious one): Here Comes the Flood

Great.

Fantastic

I am a simple human. I see Peter Gabriel, I am happy. It feels like a warm hug of nostalgia enveloping me, even though I was born way after these albums were released. Peter is my all-time favorite solo artist, so I might be a bit biased here, but I just love this album. He's figuring out his style after leaving Genesis, so there are many different sounding tracks on this album, but every piece is just great. His voice has a gravely tone that is so unique and captivating. I especially like Solsbury Hill (a pop song in 7/4, that perfect mix of pop catchiness and prog nuance to keep me interested), Here Comes the Flood, Slowburn, Down the Dolce Vita, and Modern Love. The full orchestral sections mixed with a funky driving rock beat really get me. I'm also a sucker for anything with Tony Levin or Robert Fripp. I hope his other solo work is on this list!

So good

Solsbury Hill is amazing.

Peter just beginning to find his voice as a solo artist! One of my top lp’s of all time!

Absolutely fantastic album. Love Peter Gabriel

Among the best debuts ever recorded (although of course there's no small cheat since PG had a big head start with Genesis). Every track is great in its own right and no two songs are alike ... from the prog weirdness of "Moribund..." to the masterpiece of the odd-timing "Solisbury Hill" to the grand finale of "Here Comes The Flood" (I quite prefer this big production as opposed to his self-remakes of the song in later years with minimal instrumentation). I even like the murky 70s mix/production overall - just fits the mysterious vibe. One of my all-time favourite albums, nothing to critique here. 10/10 5 stars.

Great music and great lyrics.

Uskomattomia versoja nousee kuolleeksi hakatun proge soundin puutarhasta..

Didn’t remember this being here, I love this album. Coming fresh from Genesis, the music is a cross between those complex theatrical compositions and the artsy pop he would transition into making. Makes for a unique combination, backed up by the fact that the album is filled to the brim with bangers!! ”Waiting For The Big One” is the only weak cut and unfortunately the longest, but besides that it’s just classics and hidden gems. With this I believe that Peter Gabriel is in total my highest rated artist on this site

I forgot how much I love this album! I think listening to it in the context of this challenge and the other albums that were around at the time, makes me love it even more. I'm a massive Peter Gabriel fan and love how diverse his music can be. I much prefer his work around so, us and up, but this album is such an important part of his journey and was at such a pivotal time in his life, that it has to be a 5!!!!

This was a very interesting listen. Genre wise it's all over the place but that kind of works for me. I knew Solsbury Hills right away but I honestly never knew who that was by or what the name of the song was. I greatly enjoyed this album. To me it was very ahead of it's time on certain songs. For example I always thought Solsbury Hills was an 80s song. Other songs have more of a timeless sense to me. This will definitely be something I relisten to. I waffle between 4 and 5 while listening to it but whenever I hear Here Comes The Flood at the end I want to make it a 5. I can quickly tell that's going to become a favorite of mine.

Peter Gabriel is awesome and I had no idea. This album goes all over the place and most of it is really good. I'm torn over which is my favorite between Moribund the Burgermeister, Waiting for the Big One, and Down the Dolce Vita. Each song is wildly different and going to track to track is like a grab bag of cool ideas. If you like your songs to connect, this might not work well for you, but I aas looking forward to where esch track would go. Cool stuff.

C’mon… It’s Peter Gabriel.

The soundtrack to a musical that's not yet been written. Interesting gear changes, dramatic build-ups, thematic lyrics. * further research reveals that Gabriel contemplated using "Here Comes The Flood" in a rock opera. I'm genuinely sad that it hasn't happened yet. Is it possible to be nostalgic for something that doesn't exist, that you never even knew was a possibility until five minutes ago?

Wonderful debut album !

An excellent first outing for the former lead vocalist of Genesis. This would be the predicting venture for his future projects!

Missing some of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs, but it probably is the most consistently awesome solo work of his. The opener kicks off and is somehow all at once both full of nervous tension and full bodied. "Modern Love" is a great organ fueled rocker. "Excuse Me" has the camp and circumstance, balanced by "Humdrum". Even the stylistically varied numbers like "Slowburn" and "Down in the Dolce Vita" still sound hooky and compact, with the former managing to touch on nearly every sound across the album in under 4 minutes. I had first heard the epic closer "Here Comes the Flood" on Robert Fripp's "Exposure" album (in a more subdued... Fripp-y version), so hearing this take was as startling as it was emphatic.

Classic. Love this album. 4.5

An amazing album with experimental sections and Variety. Will listen to again

I bought this album at a flea market long before his sledgehammer days, so this was my introduction to his unique style. It was only later than I learned he was part of the early Genesis albums. He's one of those guys that the more you listen the better it gets. I love this album more for nostalgic reasons, but it is still a fantastic album. Standouts (5/5): Salisbury Hill, Moribund the Burgermeister, Modern Love, Excuse Me, Humdrum, Down The Dolce Vita, Here Comes The Flood. 4/5: Slowburn, Waiting For the Big One. 4.5

This is the most British-ass thing I am giving five stars, except for all the other Genesis albums I’m going to give five stars.

Great album. I have been a fan of Peter since the MTV days. Love his work with Genesis as well.

Really good, i now notuice how often solsbury hill is played on radiostations

Another good one. Definitely some disco influence here. Listened to his 2nd, 3rd and 4th after this one today. Amazing progression.

I actually really liked this one. Had a lot of variety.

Love Peter Gabriel

I own this already, first rate stuff. Released the year I graduated HS.Gabriel is genius.

his first after Genesis, great album!

I'm a huge fan, this is a great record, and I'm slightly surprised to only see three Gabriel albums on the list, but it is what it is. I will give it a four in the interest of not having multiple fives from an artist with only three albums on the list. On the other hand listening to it, I could certainly argue a nine out of ten, there are a few absolute all time classic tunes on this record, for sure. LOL from looking at my ratings so far, I think this has to get a five, given what else has gotten a five.

Peter Gabriel is a genius. I love everything he's ever done.

Great album, great instrumentation, and great flow

переменчивый и вроде приятный напомнил одного друга

Really quite enjoyable and interesting! There were times I thought it was Randy Newman, but that added to the delightfully unexpected beyond the classic "Solsbury Hill."

Although I had never listened to this album, I somehow knew from the first few bars that I would love it. I mean, it does have my favorite Peter Gabriel tune, but also it just sounded cool.

Continuing an excellent week. You could tell me that this album was from any decade and I'd believe it. There's not much here that screams 1977. Loved it.

I had a friend in high school and college who was a huge fan of Peter Gabriel, so even though I couldn’t recall listening to this album as soon as I heard it I recognized every song. I appreciate it more now than I did then. Great album!

5 but I was tripping. Will listen again

gostei

Sounds like Pink Floyd and Randy Newman were forced to write a musical together with no discernable theme, for a vocalist who has a range far beyond their capabilities. Peter Gabriel is a true iconoclast, and while I enjoy his work with Genesis, his solo records are where he really shines as an artist. He is an out of the box thinker on the level of Brian Eno or Robert Wyatt, who is able to create truly original music unbound by any sort of genre conventions or commercial sensibilities. He follows his muse wherever it takes him, shape shifting wildly from song to song, yet somehow the production feels aesthetically consistent and fluid. He always takes you on a rollercoaster ride, with all manner of ups and downs along the way, but in the end I'm left feeling exhilarated.

My first PG album experiences as a middle schooler from my cool older sister. Wonderful bonding with this album. Sadly the commercially successful SO album was quite divergent and a bit of a let down. I haven’t heard this in years. So glad I’m listening to these- new hood ones, old loves, and sure- some I hate.

Amazing. Very theatrical. Never listened to before but will need to give another listen.

never heard of him but he seems good

I love Peter Gabriel.

I was so torn between giving this one 4 or 5 stars that I gave it a second, consecutive spin. My appreciation grew a bit more on the second spin, so here we are. As a solo effort, the scope and vision of this album are extremely impressive - as is the variety. The tracks on the first side of the album don't even really sound like they're from the same band. A bit more consistency would have been nice here. In general, I like the first side (4 stars) a bit less than the second (5 stars). Whereas the first side contains more psychedelia and folk influences, the second side is more clearly progressive hard rock. The exception is the fantastic Solsbury Hill. Gabriel seems to have taken all of what he liked most about Genesis and given it a bit of personal spin - adding some inspiration from Pink Floyd into the mix (not that that's ever a bad thing). Definitely enjoyed this one. Highlights: Solsbury Hill, Waiting For The Big One, Here Comes The Flood

Lots going on here. Some of it brilliant, all of it interesting and none of it bad. Rock, folk, blues, disco, prog. It does feel a little bit like he’s searching for his genre as a solo artist. A few tracks remind me of other big hits, but a little bit of research shows me they were all made after this came out. I was on the fence for a 4 or a 5 but Solsbury Hill really resonates with me right now. I had this album over a weekend and listened maybe 5-6 times and could happily listen again to find more going on. So full marks it is.

Solsbury Hill!!! Love that song. Rest of album equally good.