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Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

1977

Peter Gabriel
Album Summary

Peter Gabriel is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter and producer Peter Gabriel, released on 25 February 1977 by Charisma Records. After his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis was made public in 1975, Gabriel took a break to concentrate on his family life. In 1976, he began writing material for a solo album and met producer Bob Ezrin, who agreed to produce it. Gabriel hired several additional musicians to play on the album, including guitarist Robert Fripp and bassist Tony Levin. The album was later known as Peter Gabriel I or Car, referring to the album's artwork produced by Hipgnosis. Upon the album's release, it peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 38 on the US Billboard 200. It has since reached Gold certification in both countries for selling 100,000 and 500,000 copies, respectively. The song "Solsbury Hill" was the first single which peaked at No. 13 in the UK. Gabriel supported the album with a tour of Europe and the US through 1977, featuring a seven-piece band including Fripp and Levin. The album was remastered in 2002 and 2011.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.26

Votes

9910
Genres
Rock

Reviews

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Mon Sep 05 2022
4

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...

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Mon Aug 08 2022
3

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.“

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Tue Aug 16 2022
2

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.

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Wed Aug 24 2022
2

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.

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Tue Dec 13 2022
2

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).

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Tue Dec 20 2022
2

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.

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Sun Dec 24 2023
4

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

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Tue Mar 28 2023
3

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.

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Fri Feb 16 2024
3

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

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Wed Aug 17 2022
2

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

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Thu Aug 25 2022
5

Solsbury hill. Fantastic. Modern love. Pretty good.

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Sat Aug 27 2022
5

very ahead of its time. love moriband the burgermeister

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Tue Sep 20 2022
5

i kind of loved it? hadn’t heard any of the songs but solisbury hill, and that banged, but i didn’t realize it would be so weird. gonna check out more peter gabriel now

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Tue Oct 04 2022
5

I really like it!!! It's great!!

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Wed Nov 02 2022
5

This was a good album. I found a couple of the songs a bit strange but it certainly had a few good ones. Favourite: Solsbury Hill

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Fri Nov 11 2022
5

Haven’t heard this one before, I’ve only listened to So. But I really enjoyed the unique instrumentation and songwriting on this one. Looking forward to listening again.

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Fri Nov 18 2022
5

Ok, this unexpectedly ruled. I've heard Solsbury Hill before but wasn't expecting the rest to be so good. I think I'm gonna give it a 5/5!

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Sun Dec 04 2022
5

The fifth star is for solsbury hill

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Mon Dec 12 2022
5

What an intriguing album. Weirder songs like the Bürgermeister one and the barber shop one, combined with songs that are very grandeur and pompous. The "weirder" songs kinda disrupt the flow of the album, but the other songs are good enough to give this 5 stars. Likely an album that grows on you with each listen

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Mon Dec 12 2022
5

Just an amazing ride from beginning to end. It has Genesis, Pink Floyd and David Bowie vibes, in a great run time, with dynamic production and vibrant songwriting that keeps you engaged and not knowing what will come next. And of course, one of the best songs ever in Solsbury Hill.

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Tue Dec 27 2022
5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Tue Jan 03 2023
5

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

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Mon Jan 09 2023
5

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.

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Thu Jan 12 2023
5

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

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Thu Mar 02 2023
5

never heard of him but he seems good

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Thu Mar 09 2023
5

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

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Thu Mar 23 2023
5

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.

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Sat Apr 15 2023
5

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.

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Thu Jun 22 2023
5

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.

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Sat Jul 01 2023
5

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.

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Sun Jul 16 2023
5

5 but I was tripping. Will listen again

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Thu Oct 12 2023
5

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!

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Thu Oct 12 2023
5

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.

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Thu Oct 12 2023
5

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.

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Thu Oct 12 2023
5

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."

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Sun Oct 15 2023
5

переменчивый и вроде приятный напомнил одного друга

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Tue Oct 17 2023
5

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

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Fri Nov 10 2023
5

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

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Mon Dec 18 2023
5

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.

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Wed Dec 20 2023
5

his first after Genesis, great album!

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Fri Jan 05 2024
5

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

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Fri Jan 26 2024
5

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

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Fri Jan 26 2024
5

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

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Sun Jan 28 2024
5

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

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Fri Feb 23 2024
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.

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Mon Feb 26 2024
5

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

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Mon Feb 26 2024
5

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

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Tue Feb 27 2024
5

Classic. Love this album. 4.5

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Wed Mar 06 2024
5

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.

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Tue Mar 12 2024
5

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

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Wed Aug 17 2022
4

Prefs: Moribund the Burgermeister, Solsbury Hill, Humdrum, Down the Dolce Vita, Here Comes The Flood Moins pref: Waiting for the Big One

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Sat Aug 20 2022
4

I didn't expect this to be good but I was surprised. I enjoyed it. I really liked Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One.

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Sat Aug 20 2022
4

Very like his work in Genesis, showing how much control he had in the band. Solisbury Hill is far and away the best known (and probably with good reason) but the album as a whole is pretty consistent.

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Sat Aug 20 2022
4

Most tracks have a good intro, great riff, and interesting detailing. But the vocal parts lack tension; even when the song is not upbeat on the surface, it just sounds like they have all the answers, so there is no reason for me to care. So I would classify this as a solid nostalgic 70s rock album, but not a timeless classic.

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Wed Aug 24 2022
4

More ‘prog rock’ than I would have expected and pretty polished for a first solo album, reflecting years of prior work with Genesis. Insightful lyrics re: the human condition that are typical of his other work. Big vibe change between the pop single and the other tracks - sound like different albums.

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Wed Aug 24 2022
4

Never heard of him, realy good album, I liked it.

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Thu Aug 25 2022
4

Not bad. Might be willing to listen to again but won't specifically seek it out.

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Highlight: Here Comes The Flood

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Good album. Solid instrumental and good vocals. Were some parts that weakend songs but I enjoyed.

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Awesome album. Some weird tracks but enjoyable. Humdrum, slow burn, down the dolce, solsberry hill

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Sat Sep 10 2022
4

Stunning, lovely stuff. Solsbury HIll is a modern classic.

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Fri Sep 16 2022
4

Gets better towards the end. Overall very enjoyable.

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Sun Sep 18 2022
4

dis shit NOICE. Peter gabriel progboy goat genesis GANG. solsbury hill makes me wanna go on a ketamine bender. swing your dick and balls mr gabriel because you were ahead of your time with this one. sadly Phil Collins is the better musician. Minus one star. solid debut from an influential king

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Mon Sep 19 2022
4

Gotta Love Solsbuty Hill, of course. The rest of the album feels a bit abstract, but still fun

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Tue Sep 20 2022
4

Perfect blend of badass amazing shit and annoying bollocks

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Tue Sep 20 2022
4

Solid album from the og drummer from Genesis

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Tue Sep 20 2022
4

I had never listened to this album but knew his music, good stuff.

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Thu Sep 22 2022
4

I was never a big fan of Genesis, or any post-Genesis bands or projects, so Peter Gabriel was fairly anonymous for me before listening to his first solo album. My first impression was that the first two songs are fairly underwhelming. By a quick research I found that "Solsbury Hill" is a well-liked single from this album, but I really found it boring and uneventful. Nothing that would excite me, both in the Gabriel's singing and in the musical layer. When moving into the second part of the self titled record, I actually realised how good this is. "Humdrum" and "Slowburn" were a really fun songs, but the best comes at the end, with "Waiting for the Big One" and "Here Comes the Flood". Very nice and not obvious compositions, heavily influenced by progressive rock, with a lot of tempo changes. Interesting solos, piano at the last track and great singing made those two a great songs. I was curious of who was the main creator of the album. Gabriel was the writer of all of the songs, but the music was created by Robert Fripp and Tony Levin, both known from King Crimson, which explains quite a lot. It might be my subconscious, but last few songs on the album, and "Waiting for the Big One" especially, could be easily added to Crimson's discography and no one would notice that there is something wrong. To sum up, I am positively surprised with this album. As far as I know later records are a little bit more pop than alt/prog rock, but going on a trip into Genesis albums and early Phil Collins should be very pleasant. Possibly even on this list!

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Wed Sep 28 2022
4

Peter Gabriel's first solo record starts with 'Moribund the Burgermeister' that still contains quite a bit of the Genesis atmosphere of 'Lamb', but with the beautiful 'Solsbury Hill' Gabriel takes a different path. A perfect pop song with great lyrics and a catchy melody. Next song is the Bowie-like rocker 'Modern Love' makes it clear that this is going to be a varied album. When we continue in a kind of vaudeville style song with the somewhat strange 'Excuse Me' we are going all over the place. Together with Side B's 'Slowburn' and 'Waiting For The Big One' these are the songs on the album that drag it down from a superb debut. The songs feel too much all over the place. Closer 'Here Comes the Flood' is once again a brilliant song, and therefore a nice end to a fine solo debut. The stripped-down version of that song on 'Shaking the Tree' is also very worthwhile.

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Thu Sep 29 2022
4

This album didn't make a huge impression on me, but it was consistently good. It's an interesting look at the interim period between the prog rock Peter Gabriel of Genesis and the pop start Peter Gabriel that I grew up with 4/5

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Fri Sep 30 2022
4

The first half of the album was very interesting, unusual and creative songwriting. It has a few low points but an entertaining listen throughout

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Sat Oct 01 2022
4

Weird as fuck but really good

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Mon Oct 03 2022
4

I like Peter Gabriel. He's such a little musical gremlin making music for small toadstool-dwelling gnomes. I'm basically saying that if Papa Smurf was real, he would listen to Peter Gabriel. Cool mix of pop and prog rock. I'm a fan. Going to blow smoke rings from my comically oversized pipe now.

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Wed Oct 05 2022
4

Rock? Jazz? What is this? A bunch of bangers and a couple duds.

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Fri Oct 07 2022
4

I was expecting something very different. Something more experimental or psychedelic, but this album is pretty much diverse. I hear some psychedelic but mixed with old plain rock n' roll, pre-indie rock, and a choir(?). I'll increase my evaluation just because of my surprise.

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Wed Oct 12 2022
4

Enjoyable poppy prog rock album. Standout is "Solsbury Hill" which is extremely catchy. Felt a little over-produced at times, with some exaggerated ballad-y moments.

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Wed Oct 12 2022
4

"Solsbury Hill" is probably the best, most known song on the album and my personal favorite. Nice album though I suppose I was expecting to hear more known songs but that's probably on his other albums. 7/10.

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Mon Oct 17 2022
4

After splitting from Genesis, Gabriel took a break and then released this solo album. And boy what a debut solo it was. Although he was essentially the leader of proggy Genesis for years he completely re-vamped his sound and this album sounds nothing like Genesis. So extra kudos to him for that. There are so many great songs here: Modern love, Down the dolce vita, Here comes the flood, Humdrum etc, but Solsbury Hill has to be one of his all time greatest songs. Overall this is a tremendous debut.

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Mon Oct 17 2022
4

I remember eagerly running out and buying this album, being disappointed with the drivel Genesis had been putting out since Peter Gabriel’s departure. The wonderfully weird opener Moribund the Burgermeister did not disappoint. Solsbury Hill showed he was going to explore different styles, which he confirmed emphatically with Excuse Me. The production on big rockers like Modern Love sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it and realize now that the missing link was Alice Cooper – Toronto’s Bob Ezrin was producing both artists at that time! The Flood preceded by Dolce Vita is a great finishing combo. Between a 4 and a 5 for me.

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Mon Oct 17 2022
4

Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was such an excellent LP I couldn't believe Peter Gabriel split from Genesis after that one. He was always the weird one in Genesis with the costumes, crazy acid induced lyrics (see Supper's Ready) and singing style. This made him the easy one to like. When his first solo album arrived I remember reading the song names before playing it and seeing the first song was "Moribund the Burgermeister". That made me so happy. I had no clue what this title and that's what I liked about it. It was weird which meant Peter was back in business.

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Mon Oct 24 2022
4

Was good, different from what i know of him

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Wed Oct 26 2022
4

Rock progresivo. Un megahit. Está bien. Un 4.

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Thu Nov 03 2022
4

Bra biltur-album! God stemning hele veien

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Fri Nov 04 2022
4

Wow, didn't realize "Solsbury Hill" was Peter Gabriel! This is one of my favorite songs ever. The whole record is awesome! Love Petey Gabe's stuff, especially the more theatrical cuts. Hope more of his work pops up!

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Wed Nov 09 2022
4

Hadn't listened to this album in a long time, enjoyed re-listening. Solsbury Hill is a classic.

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Sat Nov 12 2022
4

Usually, when artists go solo due to creative differences, they start to suck or become more stripped down. In most cases, even if the songs are decent, you feel like the band could make those songs better, or at least that's how I felt in cases like Stevie Nicks or Morrissey. But just like Donald Fagen leaving Steely Dan, Peter Gabriel shows he's full of a colorful diversity you just couldn't expect to find on their band's records. Not saying they're better, in fact these records tend to be less cohesive, but it goes to show how talented these artists are when they have full creative control. At heart, it shows that Peter Gabriel is a pop rock artist, who will fully realize his potential in his later masterpiece So. For now, he's exploring and finding what works for him. But as an audience member, I find myself enjoying every minute. It's actually a really great introduction to Gabriel-era Genesis, less busy and more spacious but still full of as much personality. "Modern Love" appeals to arena rock fans, "Humdrum" to adult contemporary, "Waiting for the Big One" to blues (and a bit of jazz), and "Down the Dolce Vita" to disco. But of course, the one that shines is the folk-like yacht rock "Solsbury Hill." Favorites: Moribund the Burgermeister, Solsbury Hill, Excuse Me, Down the Dolce Vista

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Thu Nov 17 2022
4

The name of this song is "Solsbury Hill?" wow ok! I checked Spotify to make sure it wasn't glitching out and playing a different track hahah. Yea this song is a 5/5. Unfortunately Spotify started this album in shuffle mode so after the wild first track with weird guttural vocals it went to the rockin track 6, "Slowburn". The contrast wasn't bad or anything, and I think it would have been just as much of a leap as track 1 to track 2, "Solsbury Hill". I really hate accidental shuffle. I love the instrumentation on "Excuse Me". Love a good tuba oompah sound. Really enjoyed the album full through!

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Wed Nov 23 2022
4

Solsbury Hill is a banger. Peter's voice is both so iconic and so well produced that its one of these distinctive sonic signatures in rock and roll. Down The Dolce Vita is also a banger. "stranded starfish have no place to hide."- Here Comes The Flood could be a fun cover.

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Mon Nov 28 2022
4

listened to again such a great record, proggy but also pop

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Mon Dec 05 2022
4

It was very Peter Gabriel and I found it pleasing

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