Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Smooth
6/10
The actual album I don’t remember much. This could be a 2 for me, extra star for live aid now concert work
Eh, one notable song. 2.9 stars.
I almost gave this 4 stars because there are parts are I really liked about it, but as an overall album experience, it wasn't my favorite and I don't see myself revisting this album in full. Still some really good songs in this and I look forward to seeing how Peter Gabriel evolves in later albums. Favorite Track - Down the Dolce Vita Least Favorite Track - Excuse Me ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Although wonderfully all over the place, fails to move me emotionally. Really liked the last track though.
Solid album with interesting songs. Never heard of the artist before so went in blind. The songs were nice with loads of different instruments in there and also the overall mixing and sound the album impressed me. Some of the songs felt a tad bit long and repetitive but it didn't bother that much. Best song was Down the Dolce Vita
Really just an album. Overall good vibe, but it has some good, some bad. Not too long, not too short. Really middle of the road album with a middle of the road rating. 3/5
Peter Gabriel is an idiosyncratic artist who occasionally scores a global hit as well. Class.
Ni slabo. Got some nice songs
Undeniably talented. I never gave Peter Gabriel must attention when I started my music journey and and it feels too late to of do now but I liked a bit of this album.
geter pabriel
Three Peter Gabriel albums on a list of 1001 albums anyone "must" hear seems excessive. "Solsbury Hill" is a great song, and you can tell Gabriel is feeling his first sense of freedom from the constraints of his Genesis bandmates in many of the tracks here. But I don't think he has found his full voice here, and several of the songs feel more like him noodling around than the work of the kind of master songwriter he is destined to become.
Might be the missing link between The Who and Rush. Modern Love was neat.
A part un titre qui devait passer sur Nostalgie il y a 20 ans, cet album et cet artiste ne me disaient rien. C'était franchement sympa, parfois bluesy, parfois un peu hard rock et parfois psychédélique presque comme du krautrock, c'est un album varié et fun, plein d'énergie, mais avec pas tant de personnalité que ça. Et c'est là que je déteste le fait de devoir noter sur 5, parce que selon moi, c'est mieux que la plupart des 3 que j'ai mis précédemment, mais ça vaut pas non plus un 4.
Top Songs: Solsbury Hill Here Comes the Flood
Original Gabriel-fresh
High hopes dashed by a bizarre second half of the album
Feels like he's searching for a definitive style in this album as it shifts from prog (Moribund the Burgermeister), pop (Solsbury Hill), McCartneyesque vaudeville (Excuse Me) and blues rock (Waiting for the Big One). Not all of it is successful but it clearly paved the way for some of the bangers that followed. 3*
Chaotic and weird just like Genesis
Lo escuché sin prestar demasiada atención pero estuvo bien
Upon seeing the album: Ooh, nice, a Peter Gabriel album I've never heard! First track: Ok, nice, we can work with this. Second track: Absolute classic. Everything else: um I can appreciate that this is the half of the solo career that made the amazing half possible. Security is one of my personal favorites, but this one didn't land for me.
Quite all over the place. Some real strong stuff (especially at the beginning and end) and a few songs that made my ears bleed. 6/10
The tuba sound in 'Excuse Me' makes me wonder if the title is an apology for an episode of bad flatulence. An messy, uneven album but a few good songs, particularly the closer 'Here Comes The Flood' and some interesting ideas allow it to scrape a low 3 stars.
Good, I think I'd listen again for sure.
I like to play Solsbury Hill on my guitar
It’s genuinely wild how inconsistent and odd this album is. There’s almost nothing average on here, it’s either great or tedious and unlistenable. Kudos.
I like Peter Gabriel enough, he’s got some flair for sure and he brings that on his debut. Things do shift gears quite often on his first of… 4 self-titled albums? I personally enjoyed what he did on the last couple tracks over the remainder of the album. As a kid I absolutely loved Solsbury Hill, it’s a silly track and I still enjoy it. This is fine, don’t hate it don’t love it. Peter Gabriel is great I just can’t get on board with all his art. 3 stars
One single I recognized and the rest was decent. Different than Genesis but still ok.
Today is actually the day it was released in 1977. I do believe he is a legendary songwriter. Genesis had Peter and Phil among others. Great group. Great album.
Jeg tror det generelle album ikke vækkede mig synderligt med musisk inspiration. Men så skete der noget, der skete noget i slutningen af samværet mellem mig og dette album, det blev ret fedt der. Dog må jeg henholde mig til min helhedsoplevelse.
6/10
6.5/10
I dig Peter Gabriel and recognized a few tracks off this album. I enjoyed the listen, might spin it up again sometime but wasn't bowled over by anything on offer here.
This is clearly Gabriel's "I'm out of Genesis and I can do anything I want now" album, in which he plays with a wide variety of genres - "Moribund the Burgermeister" could easily have been a Genesis track, "Waiting for the Big One" is a straightforward slow-burn blues, and "Down the Dolce Vita" is an orchestral pop piece that could easily have been part of a '70s movie soundtrack. There's even a barbershop quartet segment with some polka-style tuba throwan in. Other than the omnipresent "Solsbury Hill" and the melancholy "Here Comes the Flood" (which is better in its later stripped-down recordings), none of these tracks have really become classics, but I can definitely hear the seeds being planted for what Gabriel's music would become.
Haut mich nicht um. Der Sound ist aber gut.
*Solsbury Hill is a great song *The album is well done musically, but a little all over the place with the different genres
This was a bit of a shambles. Songs were all over the place - it wasn't a cohesive album. Saying that, the songs were bad at all. Just a bit disjointed 3 ⭐️
The transition from Genesis to solo wasn’t complete until his third album. This is damn good but not amazing as music to come.
A bit of a mixed bag here, the track Solsbury Hill stands out in particular as a fantastic song, and there is an enjoyable run of tracks on the end, but a lot of experimentation leads to a record without much cohesion, and some really dull moments like Excuse Me Fav Track: Solsbury Hill Best Three Track Run: 7, 8, 9
p387. 1977. 3 stars. Schizophrenic mix of weird musical theatre and classic 70s Brit rock. When it's good, it's brilliant, but there are far too many oddities to deserve repeated listening.
Very good album. This is a 3,5
Solsbury hill!!!
Mixed bag. Leuke nummers, minder leuke nummers. Niet slecht. Ook zit in Modern Love een soort telefoontrilsignaal waardoor ik continu dacht dat m'n telefoon ging, vervelend.
Beetje een messy album dit maar de productie is in ieder geval super.
Good
What a strange album. The songs are a bit all over the place, but on a second listen, there's more to commend than just "Solsbury Hill," which I've always loved. Is "Moribund the Burgermeister" the weirdest first song on this list?
Sounds very ahead of its time-- more like 80s than late 70s.
A lil theratical and so werid for the album and cover being so non descript. Solsbury hill and modern love and slowburn are fine tho v english tho. Not me being like it reminds me a phil collins and him replacing him in genesis.
Hadn’t listened to in decade(s?). Good still way out there but good transition from Genesis is really interesting as he grew into the pop star.
3/5
This one felt all over the map. I would start to like it, then a new song would start and I would be put off. None of it was bad per se, but it just wasn't really for me.
Gabriel’s first solo album is shows an artist still learning to stand on his own. I think his 80s work is some of the best of the decade and this is still good, but it feels a bit under baked. There are sudden tonal shifts within songs and listens more like a collection of unrelated songs than a planned album. All in all, it feels like a prototype of what Gabriel’s music would become. Favorite track is Solsbury Hill.
Some of the songs didn't feel true to the artists genre. The transition between Down the Dolce Vita to Here Comes the Flood felt nice and those are two I liked the most. I'd give this album a 3/5
This felt like an impressive album but not one I would listen to again.
Like his solo sound, though I don’t love it
It sounds like every song is on a different album, but has some fun songs. I’ll fight anyone who says Genesis was better with Peter Gabriel though.
Fairly underwhelming with some decent highlights. I've gotten three Peter Gabriel albums during this project and I feel like I've liked each one slightly worse. SO was 4 stars, Peter Gabriel 3 was 3 stars that should have been a 3.5, and this one is a 3 star that should be a 3 star.
This album goes up and down. Some tracks are excellent, others just don’t really work for me. Still, I like the overall vibe. It’s ambitious, a bit prog, and the guitars are well used. When they come in, they really build the tension and make the songs feel bigger. So yes, it’s uneven. But it’s still a very good album, and I’m clearly still into this kind of sound.
Five for The Seed alone
Rating: 5.5/10
Another complex, theatrical and diverse '70s album. Solsbury Hill I realised is a really good song. Worth a relisten
18/01/2026 I couldn't really get on with it as I find this album quite bland. Spotify listeners: 5.6 million
Not yet peak PG
gute musik, somewhat enjoyable 3,5
hmmmmm
Not a terrible album, the first two songs are definitely the best. A lot of them run way longer than they should, and weirdly towards the end of the album the style changed wildly. There were some that gave me a Randy Newman Vibe and some that gave almost a fanfare vibe. None of them were terrible though. Solid 3 for me.
Very diverse in it's musical style and fun listen.
i liked it, it was pretty good. track 1 was my favorite because i really liked the different styles throughout the song. 6.5/10
I love how orchestral this is. It will for sure require a second listen through
Solsbury Hill is a pop classic. There are a few other songs on here I quite enjoyed ("Modern Love", "Down the Dolce Vita") but then there are "Excuse Me" and "Waiting for the Big One" which were just terrible.
very "solo album"
Some really interesting music but as an album it just doesn't gel.
Really strong start; I loved the first two songs. That being said, the album showed its best cards immediately and the rest of the album, while not terrible, was rather bland, with some overly long and boring songs. Still alright though.
I like his voice. And some of the songs were quite good.
Enjoyed
Musically, the first 2/3rds of the album reminds me of what you might hear in a quirky 80’s movie or sitcom. Then, out of nowhere “waiting for the big one” hits you with a great bluesy refrain from the 80’s power of love style of rock, would almost call it prog. Down the dolce vita and waiting for the flood also each go to contrasting places that make you wonder if Peter had a deal with the label where he was only able to fully send it for 30% of each record. Was going to give this album 2 stars until I heard the last 3 songs, glad I hung in there
A little Genesis-lite, a little blues and soul, a little of the great Gabriel to come…this album is all over the place and inconsistent but shows flashes of brilliance
This list is too saturated with Peter Gabriel. He did some great stuff. But this first album is too much from too many directions to be a cohesive must listen.
Love solsbury hill and love the album cover - the rest of the album is very varied - more prog rock than not
Ok
Kudos to Peter G for chucking so many different styles into the mix for his debut solo album. I have to admit I did not really care for the majority of them. I enjoyed Solsbury Hill, Modern Love and Here Comes the Flood - everything else I could happily never hear again. Bonus point for Solsbury Hill and the local connection - a lovely place to go for a run.
Coming out of (masters of the extended rock opera) Genesis, containing this to 40-odd minutes is an achievement in itself. 'Moribund the Burgermeister' quickly gets into the theatrical chorus, showing Gabriel hasn't left the aesthetic of his former band far behind. It's a mini-prog rock masterpiece (which is probably the best way to listen to prog-rock i.e. not for too long). But this all being compressed works wonders - firstly it's eminently listenable, and secondly it feels like it's ram-packed with ever-moving twists and turns. An opening run par excellence; then a race around some different styles which never really work unless it touches back upon his prog-rock roots. The prog-rock touches are suitably grandiose but compact, and I found that excellent. Overall this doesn't hold a candle to the excellent Melt.
Enjoyed the variety, but only one really good song
At first I wasn't a big fan of this album, but from Slowburn on I was enjoying it. Definitely would listen to some of these songs again.
I liked it more than the other Peter Gabriel albums that were on this list, but it may have been carried by Solsbury Hill. Other than that, I probably won't come back to this. Strong 6/10
I liked it though preferred my other PG listen (3), the first three songs were a strong start, the song after that was kind of hokey but I liked most the others
A couple of good tracks on here - Salisbury Hill and Here comes the flood stand out but I’ve never really seen the appeal of Peter Gabriel
Start war eher seltsam. Solsburry hill ist ziemlich gut. (Auch irgendwie bekannt) Excuse me kam sehr überraschend, aber ist irgendwie trotzdem catchy. Slowburn ist auch ganz gut. Waiting for the big one hat mich komplett überrascht. Alles in allem ein solides Album. Vorallem ziemlich abwechslungsreich.
It was decent, nothing stood out enough to me to listen again, but I didn't dislike it.
The coincidence of driving up to the bridge of the local creek here in North Queensland to see how hard she’s flowing after a monsoonal downpour, and coming back to the car where the next song that played was Here Comes The Flood. I love Solsbury Hill. The more I listen to the song the more I appreciate it, especially its unique use of 7/4 where the accent changes between the instrumental hook and the verse. It’d surely be in the top 20 individual songs I’ve heard through this project. The rest of the album was ok.
Not bad, Salisbury hill is the standout
Good
I do like Peter Gabriel but I only a few tracks stood out on this album.
On Peter Gabriel's first solo full length, he hasn't quite nailed down the songwriting; but he makes up for it by being consistently interesting. He plays with a wide variety of sounds and styles here, and it doesn't all work, but it does establish Peter Gabriel as being daring, ambitious and playful straight off the bat. I think this album even captures something almost whimsical that I see more in prog than in art-pop/rock. Although there are a lot of moments here that *do* work. Moribund The Burgermeister is a very enjoyable intro that flirts with avant garde synth-pop stuff. Solsbury Hill has a delightfully pastoral feel, and just great pop songwriting. Humdrum has a great intro that makes me think of Brian Eno. Down The Dolce Vita combines enormous symphonics with hard-driving funk in a way that *could've* been insufferable, but I think it really works. And I think Here Comes The Flood has a real beauty to it. But at the same time: Slowburn and Modern Love are kind of whatever to me, Waiting For The Big One is a slog, and Excuse Me is fucking obnoxious. That being said, I do think the full package here still deserves a tentative 3. Peter Gabriel (Car) is a portrait of an artist who was ambitious and daring out the gate, even with flaws. And I do really respect the decision to debut with something like this that doesn't give the public a *ton* of easy answers. I'd say it's worth a listen.
Peter Gabriel’s self-titled debut is another album that I bought after I originally learned about the 1001 Albums list. I picked it out because I loved “Solsbury Hill,” and I was a fan of Peter Gabriel’s So. I know that I listened to it from start to finish when I first bought it, but other than “Solsbury Hill,” there wasn’t much on this album that I wanted to come back and listen to. Now, over 15 years after buying this album, I’m excited to listen to it again to see if my opinion will change. I really like Peter Gabriel as an artist, so now that I’m better acquainted with his music, I’ll enjoy this album more. I’d say my opinion of this album has improved a bit since my first time listening to it. There’s one amazing song on here, and a handful of pretty good ones, but the rest of the songs are either too weird for my liking, or just don’t do anything else that the other songs already do, but better. You can definitely feel Peter Gabriel’s prog rock background on this album, and he does a fine job of blending elements of prog with pop music, creating some beautiful arrangements in the process. But the album as a whole feels uneven, as the pop elements tend to wane at inopportune moments. I think this album is certainly influential in terms of what it meant for pop music, but also in terms of exposing audiences to the fact that prog music isn’t always weird. Some notes on the individual song: There’s so much of Peter’s Genesis persona and sound on the “Moribund.” I think it’s pretty accessible for a prog sound, but the album doesn’t stay this ‘prog-forward’ forever. This song has that distinct Gabriel prog sound, but it sounds like its evolved since his Genesis days. It’s grandiose and has sudden shifts, but it’s packaged into a pop friendly four-minutes. It’s weird, but it has enough melodic moments that you can see how this guy went on to record “In Your Eyes” ten years later. “Solsbury Hill” is the gem of this album. That gentle melody is so beautiful, and then you get some woodwinds tossed in, along with Gabriel’s great vocals. The sound builds and evolves so wonderfully, that you really get a sense of Gabriel’s talents as an arranger. Here, he showcases how he can use those weird elements to make something truly unique and beautiful. I like the prog sounding keyboards of “Modern Love,” but it’s also got a good pop sound to it, with some really great vocals. It’s just a solid where sound of prog meets pop. There were some excellent guitar riffs too. “Excuse Me” is a prime example of why this album feels so disjointed. I’m not sure there was much purpose behind this song. It’s weird, and it feels out of place on an album that fused prog and pop. This song feels like it goes full-tilt into the theatrics and flash that Gabriel was known for with Genesis, but it also sounds like a Randy Newman number, and it just doesn’t fit here in my opinion. “Humdrum” took a bit to get going, but once it hit the halfway mark, it was really pretty beautiful. But I thought those nice arrangements ultimately got bogged down by how tedious the first half of the song was. “Slowburn” went firmly back to that prog inspired sound, but it didn’t do anything that other songs on this album haven’t already done. “Waiting For The Big One” leaned pretty far away from the pop sounds that had been used up to this point. It’s not bad a bad song, but it doesn’t really add anything to the album. It gets better as it goes along, but by the time it gets better, it’s a bit too late. “Down the Dolce Vita” was really good. I really liked the funky guitar playing, and the keyboards were really great as well. I liked how big and bold the sound was. I loved the epic sound of “Here Comes the Flood.” The ebb and flow to the intensity was great. Songs like this show how talented Peter Gabriel is when it comes to crafting some really beautiful songs. While this album isn’t something I’d be quick to listen to again, it’s still pretty good. The best moments on this album lift it up, but the worst parts of it are a bit tedious and unnecessary. I really hope no one stands outside my window playing “Excuse Me” on a boombox.
I've never hard this album, but it sounds exactly like what an idea-machine prog-guy would do for his first solo album. To wit: "Moribund the Burgermeister," which is among the most preposterous prog song titles of all time. This is a whole bunch of sounds and ideas crammed into 41 minutes. Unsurprisingly it's a mixed bag. "Solsbury Hill" is a total banger and rightfully considered a classic. I didn't expect the stomping disco rock of "Down the Dolce Vita," or to enjoy it like I did. "Excuse Me" sounds like the Beatles at their most annoying, and lengthy blues exercise of "Waiting for the Big One" is excessive. But the greatness of "Here Comes the Flood" makes up for it. 3.5 stars.
5/10 Peter Gabriel very much feels like he’s finding his feet with this debut solo album. There are times when he seems to be wanting to dive into the Syd Barrett school of performative quirkiness, times where he wants to become a cultivator of the finest cheesy power-pop, and a variety of things in between. When it hits, there are some really solid tracks on here. Solsbury Hill and Down The Dolce Vita were highlights for me, but it also feels like a bit of a mixed bag of styles that doesn’t really come together as a unified artistic vision. The compositions are largely decent, but some of the transitions between sections felt a little underdeveloped, and he didn’t seem to fully commit to being one type of performer across individual songs, let alone the whole album. That could work with the right execution and careful transitioning from one thing to the other, but there does need to be some kind of central thread to tie everything together that wasn’t really apparent to my ear. There were also times where things got a bit stale, and once the expectation of audio oddities has been established, the lack of them can make the less varied tracks seem a bit limp by comparison. Is this an essential listen, I don’t think so, but if you’re into any of his later work, it’s a pretty interesting stepping stone from his Genesis days to those later records, and there are some solid moments to enjoy too. Moribund The Burgermeister - It’s a quirky blend of ideas that goes for a grandiosity that I don’t think it quite achieves. I think he’s perhaps pulling a little to hard on the performative weirdness thread in places and on the other hand it’s fairly run of the mill in others, so it doesn’t really feel completely satisfying in either direction. There are elements of it that I do quite like, but it doesn’t really feel like the weirdness carries enough to make it consistent throughout. Solsbury Hill - This is a well constructed pop-rock song. It’s not complex, despite being in a 7/4 time signature, but the riffs are nice and it’s melodically pleasing. The transition out of the chorus is nice with the couple of bars of 4/4 that throw an interesting rhythmic twist in. The song builds nicely in dynamic as it goes, and he does his best to add a bit of weirdness in with the backing vocal bits near the end, but they don’t really detract from it and work with the build up of parts. It’s a really solid song. Modern Love - This isn’t bad either. It’s another decent pop number with some nice pacing and dynamic changes in there. It’s reasonably hooky and the instrumentation is pretty well constructed. It’s not necessarily my kind of thing, and it’s not the most exciting of songs, but It’s pretty good at doing what it’s trying to do. Excuse Me - This is quite the tonal shift. It’s another attempt to be quirky, and it does achieve that goal to a certain extent. It’s a fairly straightforward composition in some ways, but there are actually some quite nice rhythmic choices here and there that keep things interesting. Production wise, it feels a bit too slick and somehow lightweight at the same time, but it did grow on me as it went. Humdrum - There are some ideas in here that I quite like, but it doesn’t quite come together in a completely satisfying way for me. There are quite a lot of changes across the track that could work with slightly more gradual transitions, but things just jar a little too much for me. And then when it gets to the more full sound towards the end it starts to lose me. Slowburn - This another one that has its moments for me, but doesn’t feel completely coherent all the way through. There are moments when the flow of the composition works really well and everything comes together in a tonally and rhythmically satisfying way, but it just wanders off the beaten track a little too much and loses momentum from time to time. He feels a bit lost between wanting to make something a bit weird and something epic, and fails to really hit either mark. Waiting For The Big One - The jazzy style of this is great, and there’s an almost Tom Waits-esque lilt to his vocal delivery that I like. There’s a lot of dynamic range in here. The musicianship is great, particularly the piano playing, which is lush. He throws in some odder moments, but they all work tonally with the rest of the track and it all flows together really nicely. It perhaps drags on a little too much, but the guitar and piano work during the solo section is really worth sticking around for. It’s a really satisfying listen and possibly my favourite on the album so far. Down The Dolce Vita - This has got decent pace and drive to it. It blends the more theatrical orchestral parts and the heavier rock sections quite nicely and I quite enjoy the transitions and blend between those two sides of the track. It does lull a little here and there, but when it gets going, it’s good, and I really like some of the rhythmic choices. Here Comes The Flood - Ah, some power-pop to end the album. It’s a bit too cheesetastic for my tastes. The softness of the verses and the grandiosity of the choruses work really nicely together, but it’s all a bit too on the nose for me. The playing and production are exactly right for this kind of song, but It’s just not for me. Bring back a bit of your weirdness, Peter, all is forgiven.
Last song is nice
There is value here. I see its importance. late 70s/80s rock blended with an intense orchestra? Interesting, but not for me. Too much.
Nice to find that weird doesn't have to mean unlistenable, unlike most of the experimental albums on this list
Peter Gabriel is always an artist where I like what they’re doing but never love it. 3.5/5
Neobičan album, ali sviđa mi se, pogotovo ovi bluesy dijelovi. Nije mi baš svaka stvar jebena, ali all in all, ugodno iznenađenje moram priznati. 3/5, 6.5/10
Not massive on Peter Gabriel, but this isn't a bad debut album from his solo venture. "Solsbury Hill" is obviously a great hit, but the rest overall are mediocre. Wanted to give a 4, but it's not quite enough for that.
Wow that was unexpectedly epic on the second half starting with "Waiting for the Big One". Really liked all that grandiose-ness and of course Solisbury Hill, this one will have to be a re-listen for me, which is surprising considering I think I've listened to all of Peter Gabriel's back catalog in the past. Edit: listened again and this is way too uneven / "quirky" to be a 4.
2.5
Decent
Pleasant but not memorable
3.5, this was a lot quirkier and fun than I was expecting it to be!
For the most part, it's quite good but it does veer off track for a moment but it manages to pull me back onto course. I do think there's better Gabriel albums than this and there's better Gabriel led Genesis albums than this but still worth a listen.
Probably a 3.5. Has the sound of what I’d consider the 80s on an album from the 70s - synth and echoing vocals. There’s probably too much experimentation which results in an uneven album (some songs sound like parodies of Alice Cooper or Randy Newman) but Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood are five-star tracks.
Other than the two standout tracks "Solsbury Hill" and "Here Come the Flood" this album lacks cohesion and contains quite a bit of dreck. Because of the masterpiece Solsbury Hill I am giving this album one more point that it probably deserves...
Weird stuff. Stray thought but this list makes you think about the way songs are taken out of the context of their albums and become hits - Solsbury Hills on its own is a very pleasant song that I’m sure I’ve heard tons of times and didn’t know who it was by, and elicits a very specific tone, but this album is so much more than that! So much wilder and weirder! It’s cool
This album was super weird. I think if you told me it was a compilation and not one artist I'd probably believe you, lots of varying styles and harsh transitions between songs. Super weird that Solsbury Hill is on this record. Truly reminded me of almost like an artsier/poppier Tom Waits record.
I've always heard people rave about Peter Gabriel. Favorite artist, videos, or live performances. This was the first full album I've listened to of his and was impressed. Had a lot more unique sounds. This might not get referenced much, but I got big time Lenny Kravitz vibes from Peter Gabriel's singing style. I think Lenny must have been a fan of the music and styled his singing after Peter. I still don't know what was Genesis/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel from some of the old days, but this was a good, not great album.
Having never heard a Peter Gabriel album before, I can honestly say this wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Solsbury Hill is a classic and I thought the album would be a bit more like this on the whole. Whilst it was an interesting listen, it was quite theatrical and eccentric, at times he seemed to be channelling Randy Newman. Excuse Me was a very quirky, barbershop styled song and at times I can’t quite work out if I like it or not. I grew up in an era when Peter Gabriel represented groundbreaking videos on MTV with hits like Sledgehammer and Digging in the Dirt, which I quite liked so again this threw my expectations. Overall I’m unlikely to come rushing back here but there’s something quite interesting about it that I can understand that people will absolutely love. I’m glad I listened, its place on the list makes sense to me.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this as I only really had knowledge of his popular stuff. It was definitely more prog than I expected (and possibly hoped for) and this was a bit of an obstacle to my enjoyment of the songs underneath. As I am wont to do, though, I am giving an extra star purely for writing a great pop song (Solsbury Hill) in 7/4 time. Because who does that.
I really like a lot of Gabriel’s work but listening to this album suggests that he may be a much better singles artist than making really good deep cuts. Found the second half to drag a little although picked up again with the last track.
My second Peter Gabriel album, but much earlier chronologically than So?. It was good but was kind of all over the place in tone/style. I feel like he was still honing in on the sound he was searching for. Overall- decent album
Solsbury Hill is one of those songs I can remember the time and place when I heard it for the first time. Nothing earth shattering about that except I became a Gabriel fan right then and there. Great catalog. Great showman.
Obviously a complete mess stylistically. So, as an album I'm not sure it succeeds in the basics. Some of the songs are pretty decent - look at the reviews and Solsbury Hill stands out. And it's a decent tune which saves this from 2 stars. And I quite like some of the other bits. But I'd not want to listen to this as an album again because it seems like a selection of demos playing with very different ideas. And I don't think that really works. This is so close to 2 stars.
Gabriel leaves Genesis but not his oddness. A mix of pop-prog-rock makes it a bit of a hodge podge of ideas but with the backing band he's got here, the quality is always pretty high. The rockier songs fare better than the ballads to be honest. Best Tracks: Solsbury Hill; Modern Love; Slowburn
this was good but i honestly didn’t love it. i liked So much more from him. not sure exactly why
Peter Gabriel é um ilustre virtuoso quando o assunto é a construção de melodias interessantes e infectantes. Eu gosto do trabalho dele com o Genesis, mas ainda não me aprofundei na sua carreira solo, conheço apenas o So. Acho interessante ver esse lado tão experimental e esquisito dele nesse disco, comparado com suas sensibilidades mais pop do seu futuro trabalho. Toda canção aqui é interessante, com diversos elementos que imploram por sua atenção, como sintetizadores vibrantes, orquestração cinemática e ornamentos inusitados. Sinceramente, é um disco que eu queria gostar mais. É um pouco estranho dizer isso, mas é aquela velha história do santo não bater. Quando se isola os elementos estruturais dessas faixas existe aqui muita coisa que me agrada, mas o resultado final não me prende inteiramente, por motivo ou outro. Às vezes pode ser algo tão simples quanto meu estado mental no atual momento. Quem sabe… Quem sabe seus outros álbuns solo aqui da lista causarão maior impacto em mim. Mas por ora, tenho aqui uma obra que eu gostei, apreciei cada momento de sua duração, mas não me marcou profundamente. 3.5/5
Arty as was intended…
The most 80s sounding album I’ve ever heard, only to then realize it was released in ‘78.
Just okay. Salisbury Hill is a classic and masterpiece, but the rest almost feel like he's trying too hard to find himself.
Solsbury Hill is great, rest not my favorite
It feels like he's fumbling a little bit. 3/5
Det tog lång tid att inse storheten o tidiga Gabriel, men detta är ett spännande album
A little weird, fun, funky, trancy(?)
Terrible opener in my opinion but progressively improves in creativity and flow.
Solid album but nothing to write home about. Other than a few standouts it’s just really not that memorable, especially when compared to other art rock classics from the same year like ‘Low’ or ‘Animals.’ Do you need to hear this before you die? Not really. Favs: Moribund The Burgermeister- Didn’t expect to be rocking this hard. Gets weird too which I like. Solsbury Hill- Timeless classic and the albums only ‘must-hear’. The “grab your things I’ve come to take you home” line hits me in the feels every time. Slowburn- Nothing special about this song I just like it. Here Comes The Flood- Pink Floyd-esque arena rock. Ends the album on a strong note. Least Favs: Excuse Me- Oompa Loompa-ass song. Waiting For The Big One- Not interesting enough to warrant being seven minutes.
I always thought this album came out in the '80's. Most of this album didn't land with me, but I hear the influence in his later albums and other artists so I respect that.
3 out of 5. I enjoyed So more but this is still a good time.
Solisbury Hill is an all timer and the rest was theatrical and eclectic and pretty solid. Not sure I'd put it on, but I appreciate his first solo effort.
- Agree with people that this is really all over the place. It’s definitely a mixed bag. - That said, I liked the majority of the songs, primarily on the first half of the album, and of course that includes Solsbury Hill. - I thought the experimentation was interesting and, for the most part, added to the interest of the songs there. For example, I thought it worked in the first song because the simple verses had that interesting effect in the background before it went all orchestral and hair band, so you expected it to veer into being experimental. And, I liked the kind of organ feel on the Humdrum, but I didn’t like when it went into the wind section. So, sometimes the experimentation worked, and sometimes it distracted. - Despite liking the majority of the songs, I hated some other ones: Excuse Me (so hokey), Waiting for the Big One and Down the Dolce Vita (and of course those two had to go on forever), I’m looking at you. They were just so extra… holy musical masturbation.
Det va veldig variert, men på en kjedelig måte, og æ hadde ikke forventa at det skulle høres sånn ut, og strengt tatt skulle æ vel også ønske at det ikke hørtes sånn ut, så jaja.
Salisbury Hill is such an amazing song
It was quite interesting listening and reminded me of my childhood, when I had only my father or grandpa’s cassettes to listen to The Beatles or other 60-70s music bands.
Some good stuff but I worldly go out of my way to listen
Not my favorite PG--but I had forgotten how jazzy it is! Also, Solsbury is an all-time banger.
Enjoyable but a bit much at times. Probably won’t come back but will enjoy Solsbury Hill when I hear it. 3.5
Like everything he ever did it’s not bad, just ranges from a little weird to outright bizarre.
I really don't even know what to say. He sounds like Phil Collins but the album was so far out there.
Solsbury Hill is one of my favorite songs, but overall, this album is 3.5 stars good. He got better.
Strange listen. 3-4 songs were absolute gems. Walking down by the lake in the fall weather was super fun listening to this album. Very prog and somewhat jarring at times. Salisbury Hill is a treat of a song. 3/5 stars.
Solsbury Hill is the standout here. Everything else is just okay. 3/5
Never trust an album named after the artist. 3.
In depth review of Peter Gabriel’s *Car* (1977) ------------------------------------------------ **Overview** Released in February 1977, *Car* is the first of four eponymous albums that Gabriel insists should be read like “issues of a magazine.” Recorded in Toronto with Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Kiss) at the helm, it is the sound of a 26-year-old deliberately dismantling his Genesis mythology while still too unsure of his solo voice to fully trust it. The result is a kaleidoscopic, often bombastic set that lurches from vaudeville blues to symphonic art-rock, held together by Gabriel’s already unmistakable baritone and a new-found gift for concise, emotional melody. --- ### 1. Lyrics – “Stories, puns and the first cracks in the mask” Gabriel’s Genesis lyrics were baroque fantasy novellas; on *Car* he keeps the surrealism but adds diary-level candour. - **Solsbury Hill** – A 7/4 folk song that doubles as the most graceful break-up letter in prog history. The imagery (“I walked right out of the machinery”) is personal yet universal, turning Gabriel’s exit from Genesis into an everyman epiphany about risk and self-determination . - **Here Comes the Flood** – A post-apocalyptic flood wipes away technology and ego, leaving only shared consciousness. Gabriel later complained Ezrin’s orchestral tsunami “over-egged” the song, but the lyric’s central plea – “Don’t be afraid to cry at what you see” – survives any amount of strings . - **Moribund the Burgermeister** – Cartoon-Gothic tale of a medieval mayor confronting St. Vitus’ Dance. The character voices and plague imagery are pure Genesis fan-service, strategically placed as track 1 to reassure migrants from the mothership . - **Humdrum** – A wry, self-deprecating look at domesticity (“I’ve been far too long in your arms”). It’s the first time Gabriel writes about ordinary adult fear rather than mythic escapism. - **Excuse Me** – A barbershop-quartet send-up of stalker-love, complete with tuba and falsetto “doo-wops”. Some hear misogyny; others hear Monty Python. Either way, it’s the album’s most polarising lyric. - **Modern Love / Slowburn / Waiting for the Big One** – A triptych of relationship anxiety cast as hard-rock swagger, slow-burn erotica and bluesy stand-up comedy. The one-liners (“Modern love can be a strain”) are deliberately banal, almost proto-PC Music in their anti-poetry . **Verdict**: The writing is split between the fantastical past and the uncertain present; when the two collide (*Here Comes the Flood*) Gabriel produces his first truly timeless solo lyric. --- ### 2. Music – “Prog heart, pop lungs, blues knees” Gabriel’s stated brief to Ezrin was “make it sound nothing like Genesis.” The solution was to graft his complex instincts onto American rock muscle. - **Odd meters made organic** – *Solsbury Hill*’s 7/4 feels like walking downhill; the beat is clipped yet breezy, proving Gabriel had absorbed McCartney’s lesson that sophistication works only when it swings. - **Orchestral maximalism** – Ezrin hires the London Symphony for the last two tracks. *Down the Dolce Vita* shifts from Copland-style fanfare to disco-rock in 6/8, a transition so audacious it either thrillingly collapses or collapses thrillingly depending on your tolerance for theatrical excess . - **Guitar foil** – Ezrin brings two Lou Reed alumni: Steve Hunter (icy, melodic leads on *Slowburn*) and Dick Wagner (heroic solo on *Here Comes the Flood*). Their blues-rock vocabulary drags Gabriel away from Hackett’s pastoral arpeggios toward something more urban and abrasive. - **Keys & synthetics** – Larry Fast’s polymoog and mellotron add alien sheen to *Moribund…*, while Roy Bittan’s piano gives *Humdrum* a laconic, almost Springsteen-like intimacy. - **Vocal performance** – Gabriel already manipulates his voice as an instrument: the Burgermeister’s guttural growl, the falsetto croon on *Excuse Me*, the gospel exhortation at the climax of *Flood*. It’s a master-class in character acting without masks or fox heads. --- ### 3. Production – “Cathedral bombast vs. intimate confession” Bob Ezrin’s trademark is widescreen drama; Gabriel’s is claustrophobic intimacy. The tension defines *Car*. - **Layered density** – Up to 80 tracks of orchestra, choir, guitars and synths were bounced down to 24-track tape. The result is a wall of sound that can obscure nuance (Gabriel’s lifelong complaint about *Flood*) . - **Dry close-miked vocals** – Gabriel’s voice is almost always front-and-centre, double-tracked but not bathed in reverb, a choice that keeps the lyrics legible even when the arrangement balloons. - **Spatial trickery** – Eno-style tape loops flutter under *Moribund…*; reverse-reverb piano swells announce the tidal wave in *Flood*. These psychedelic touches soften Ezrin’s otherwise brick-like mix. - **Dynamic range** – The album was cut hot for 1977 vinyl; recent 2015 half-speed remaster retrieves transient detail and reveals how carefully Ezrin carved frequency space for the orchestra. --- ### 4. Themes – “Escape, apocalypse and the terror of normality” Running beneath the stylistic whiplash are three linked anxieties: 1. **Autonomy vs. belonging** – *Solsbury Hill* celebrates walking away; *Waiting for the Big One* dreads being left behind. 2. **Cosmic cleansing** – Water obliterates ego in *Here Comes the Flood*; plague erases social order in *Moribund…* 3. **Performance of masculinity** – From the chest-beating rocker of *Modern Love* to the self-mocking sap of *Excuse Me*, Gabriel interrogates male archetypes he once played in Genesis costumes. --- ### 5. Influence & Legacy - **Short-term** – *Solsbury Hill* becomes Gabriel’s first solo hit, charting higher than any Genesis single in the UK and providing the template for 80s adult-alternative (see: Crowded House, Talk Talk). - **Long-term** – The album’s genre-blend and world-music flirtations (check the modal flute line on *Solsbury*) foreshadow Gabriel’s Real World aesthetic. - **Covers** – *Solsbury* is reinterpreted by artists as varied as Erasure, Neil Finn and Justin Timberlake (live). *Here Comes the Flood* becomes a piano-vocal set-piece for every Gabriel tour; stripped versions appear on Robert Fripp’s *Exposure* and Kate Bush’s 1979 TV special, cementing its reputation as the “author’s preferred” reading. - **Critical ranking** – Often rated the “weakest” of the first four PG albums, yet tracks from it still anchor Gabriel’s live shows 45 years on – a testament to the durability of its peaks. --- ### Pros & Cons at a Glance | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Contains two unimpeachable classics (*Solsbury Hill*, *Here Comes the Flood*) that justify the price of admission alone. | Inconsistent tone: lurching from barbershop parody to symphonic apocalypse can feel like channel-surfing. | | Gabriel’s voice never sounded more elastic; the character-work hints at the theatricality he’ll perfect on later tours. | Ezrin’s maximalism occasionally swallows nuance – Gabriel himself disowns the over-produced *Flood*. | | Lyrics begin the shift from prog-fantasy to personal-political, mapping the psychic cost of leaving a successful band. | Side-two rockers (*Modern Love*, *Slowburn*) are competent but generic; the riffs could be any mid-70s AOR act. | | Strong supporting cast (Fripp, Fast, Levin, Hunter) seeds the band that will define Gabriel’s 80-90s sound. | *Excuse Me* is either charmingly eccentric or unforgivably twee – no middle ground. | | Historical importance: proves that art-rock frontmen can survive and even thrive outside their mother-ships, paving the way for Collins, Hogarth, Wilson et al. | Not the ideal entry point for newcomers – *Melt* or *So* offer a more coherent portrait of Gabriel’s solo identity. | --- ### Bottom Line *Car* is the sound of an artist blowing up his old band’s blueprint and rifling through the rubble for new parts. The album’s schizophrenia – part confession, part vaudeville, part cathedral – is exactly what makes it fascinating. Its missteps are audible, but so is the exhilaration of freedom. Without this messy rebirth there is no *Biko*, no *Sledgehammer*, no *Secret World*. *Car* is not Peter Gabriel’s greatest solo record; it is the necessary first chapter that makes all the others possible.
Solid solo debut. Solsbury Hill is an all time PG tune. 3.5
Mostly unimpressed with Pete Gabriel. Just alright 80's rock sounds, but I was entertained by the song about being left alone
I just do not get into Peter Gabriel.
Ganz cool
Très surprenant
For a first album this was decent but Gabriel certainly has much better.
It started off pretty good and then kinda just got weirder, and then it started to really drag, and then it was just kinda boring towards the end. He has better stuff (like So).
really not sure what to say about this album. every track was different & certainly wasn't a boring listen. but did just feel all over the place. and no idea how Solsbury Hill even fits into this album-absolutely amazing track
solsbury hill used to be a staple song in my house!
(3) bit weird bit creepy bit good
Better than expected. I guess I just hate Phil Collins. Worth a relisten.
I'm a little embarrassed that it took me more than one album from Peter Gabriel to realize that this is the guy from Genesis. I was like, "I swear I've heard this voice before," the whole way through. This album feels like a little more "artsy" pop rock. I don't know how to describe it. It's obviously not as simple as pop rock and pays a lot more attention to instruments, aiming for more variety through somewhat unique composition. And I enjoyed it more than an average pop rock album because of that. But it still mainly focuses on vocals (which I don't like that much) and tries to be more accessible. I feel like something is missing, but I don't really know what exactly. 7/10
I thought I liked him better than what I heard on this album. Songs were all over the place. Averaged out to a 3. Favorite song was Here Comes the Flood.
There are many better songs in the universe than Salisbury Hill and Peter Gabriel absolutely belongs on this list but not this album. It’s transitional there’s some great songs, but I would’ve gone with the third album security or so before I would pick this one.
I was disappointed in this album. About every second song was fantastic, but a lot of the other ones were pretty meh IMO. I also felt like it didn't cohere that well. Definitely not writing off Peter Gabriel, some of those songs were awesome, but I don't think this one is for me.
This album is kind of rollercoaster. Solsbury hill is unassailable. Here comes the Flood is great. As an album it’s a bit incoherent.
I think it's good though it didn't inspire reverence
I love PG but this album is pretty varied
Another album where one song is just just so much more well known generally than others
Interesting one but not his best
No way of knowing what was coming from one song to the next - kind of like he was just throwing really different things at the wall, most of which didn’t work for me. Solsbury Hill and especially Here Comes the Flood were great tracks.
Kivan monipuolista rokkia, oli popimpaa ja vähän progressiivisempaa kamaa. Tykkäsin kyllä enemmän kuin mitä ajattelin. Parhaat: Solsbury Hill, Down The Dolce Vita, Here Comes The Flood
Respect the artistry but wasn’t fully the vibe
It was nice but nothing very memorable.
81/1001 Peter Gabriel - s/t (1977) Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is one of those albums where everything is flung at it to see what sticks. The highs are high - Solsbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood, and the lows are low - Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One.
Not hugely memorable, but still nice to listen to. I liked 1 or 2 tracks enough to save them.
Delightfully quirky! But also kind of not cohesive enough. I'd listen again in the future though!
Mi ricorda un po' lo stile Collins. Non è male, un pop leggero ma rocckeggiante in alcuni aspetti. Ora capisco, era nei genesis anche lui.
Uneven
Solsbury Hill is a great song. The album overall is pretty good.
Eclectic and good
Schizophrenic. High quality, but all over the place. Some enjoyable tracks but hard to settle into anytime resembling a groove to enjoy the album in. Weak 3/5.
Very solid brit rock situation. I appreciated the goofier songs on this album, it's cool when they have some fun with it. Didn't know this dude is from Genesis. Might relisten on a lark.
Stranger album than I was expecting, kind of cool but weird. Nothing surpassed the hit Solsbury Hill in my opinion. 3.2
Bom álbum. Emoção o tempo todo. QoA Adonis New.
Lots of experimentation with an all-time, end of the world, desert island song. Gabriel's voice rules.
Gefälliges Album mit Solsbury Hill welches heraussticht.
This was a good album. I've never heard this album fornthe exception of the song, "Salsbury Hill."
This was cool different
Хорошо но дальше лучше
This is just Phil Collins
Nice listen.
This album represents my overall feeling about Peter Gabriel. It either absolutely love it, or have zero interest with it. Very little middle ground with his music, even with Genesis. On this album, songs like Solsbury Hill, Slowburn and especially Here Comes The Flood are just ‘bloody brilliant’, but a few also that are throw aways for me.. no half-zies so it’s a 3, but a high 3 based on the good songs alone
Familiar with the next few Gabriel albums, but only really knew the hits from this one. Listening through reinforced two things: I quickly lose interest in songs that lean too heavily into a musical-meets-opera style, and when Peter Gabriel is at his best, he’s truly exceptional. Most of the songs on this album struck me as either excellent or entirely forgettable. I do wonder if it might be a “grower” with repeated listens, but for now, I’m not inclined to invest the time. There are too many other great albums competing for attention.
3.5
3/5
That was a really fun album. I liked it a lot. Some of those synths feel before their time.
3.5 stars
It's alright, but I'm to filled with rage to enjoy it.
Not too bad but nothing remarkable either. Kinda David Bowie lite.
I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it enough to turn it off. 2.5, rounded up to 3 because of Solsbury Hill.
Trying to figure out if I should describe this album as eclectic, diverse, or just a jumbled mess? Having read some backstory about Gabriel's break from Genesis and his subsequent hiatus, I get the impetus he may have felt to try new things upon returning to the recording studio. Just not sure if it lands for me. Solsbury Hill is a beautiful hit with prog-rock roots (7/4 time-signature, anyone?). Modern Love feels like a more mainstream chart. Slowburn and Here Comes the Blood are anthemic, dramatic and fitting for this time period, but just not memorable. (Given the context of its time, 1977 also saw the release of Meatloaf/Steinman's Bat Out of Hell, and two years after Queen's Night at the Opera.) But Moribund and Dolce Vita feel too over the top, and I can't begin to explain/understand the thinking behind Excuse Me. Basically, did I enjoy listening to this album? Only halfway.
Like some other albums, this made me think about why it's in the 1,001 list. Reasons usually include because it represents an early or quintessential example of a particular genre, or it's just damn good. But another reason seems to be if an artist goes on a new path from what they used to do. I guess that's it here? Because I don't view this as genre defining and it's unspectacular, though solid. But it's Peter Gabriel on his own for the first time...and at times he's brilliant and at times he sucks. I think there should be less debut solo albums on the list (that includes the Beatles on their own, minus George) and wait until they hit their stride. Gabriel is all over the place on this album. Moribund the Burgermeister feels like he's still in Genesis - a weird character and story he can bring out on stage. Excuse Me is just strange and bleeds into Humdrum, which also starts strange but ends more beautifully. Waiting for the Big One is very different - like a jazz number (early at least) and a different vocal styling for Gabriel. Not for me. But he also delivers absolute magic on this album. Solsbury Hill is a classic - punchy, melodic, well-written. Modern Love is energetic and catchy and Slowburn is well-composed lyrically and musically. Down the Dolce Vita is over the top but I love it. Here Comes the Flood is a focused effort and it is simply beautiful. 5 out of 9 songs that are great, that feels like a 3.5 at best.
„Solsbury Hill“ ist ein toller Song, viele andere sind viel zu verkopft. Schade, die anderen von Genesis sind den für mich besseren Weg gegangen.
great
Nothing crazy groundbreaking here but good fun. Those couple moments here and there that sounded like peak Genesis had me rock hard
There was one popular song, which I didn't know was by Peter Gabriel, but the rest are just good background songs. Overall, nothing very exciting, but it's pretty alright.
A bit over the map. I was debating 2 or 3 but Solsbury Hill is such a damn good song
This was alright. I’m not sure I’ll listen to anything again… maybe here comes the flood. but it was a pleasant listen.
kinda weird and quirky at times in a way that reminded me of what Kate Bush would be doing 5 years later, but a little subdued at times despite the competence on display deserves to be one of the 1001? not as much as So or his third self-titled. probably could be cut but i prefer it to the latter
I wasn’t feeling the first half of this record. It gets better in the latter half. I enjoyed the variety in sound from most of the latter tracks. Favourite Track(s): Excuse Me Least Favourite Track(s): Humdrum
I've never fully gotten into the whole "Peter Gabriel is an artist powerhouse" thing besides 1986's So, so (pun intended) I was eager to give him an opportunity. Enjoyable album, diverse sounds and "sub-genres", but I did not click with this one that much.
2.6 My highest rated comment on here is saying how shite Peter Gabriel's So is (ironically the highest rated comment on that album is someone fuming at my comment which now sits just below it). Anyway, this one was rather different, better I might add, but not massively. Definitely not sounding to 80s. But just a bit weird. It's strange as there are some highlights. 2nd track was good. But then just weird tangents like the Randy Newman ones. Not for me Clive.
Ni bien ni mal
A quirky and eclectic first solo outing from Peter Gabriel. A little bit all over the place sonically, but there's a few songs in here I enjoyed and that I feel give the best framework for where his sound would head from here. Solsbury Hill definitely stands above the rest
I think I need to give this one another listen someday. I can tell he's creative and talented, but it didn't stick with me. Forgot I even listened to it.
Kinda cool
Peter Gabriel solo albums are usually fun. This is a guy who always showed off his artistic chops whilst fronting Genesis. So with this being his first solo endeavor, I'm sure many eyes were on this and great things were expected. After listening, this one is a bit all over the place. To be somewhat expected I guess, but I've heard some of Gabriel's later solo albums (namely, "So") and they're more cohesive than this. Can't beat "Solisbury Hill" of course, but "Humdrum" and the closer "Here Comes the Flood" stood out as well.
Not my favorite era of Peter Gabriel but some good songs and you have to admire the variety!
Exactly what i would think from a Peter Gabriel album like... good vocals and alright backings. Had Solsbury Hill on it so it gets a 3 haha
My goodness, it sounds a lot like early Genesis with the prog rock influence. Solsbury Hill reminds me of my Pa's old ringtone on his phone, and there is a real mix between cool experimental stuff on Slowburn and boring prog rock.
Didn't think that I'd like this, but it was fairly pleasant.
Honestly, I expected more. It all kind of ran together for me like a casserole. Tasty and good but nothing too exciting.
Wasn't too focused on this one for other reasons. Solsbury Hill is a banger.
I like Genesis but not really a fan of his solo work.
Rock, 1977 -> 3
I never think I’ll enjoy Peter Gabriel, but then I do. A nice mix of palatable with hints of the weird on this album.
Better than I expected. Fun and a little more loose vs what I was anticipating.
One of the best by one of the best
Good. 3/5
a bit too weird for me
Jo, ganz angenehm, aber er hatte bessere Alben
Hab tatsächlich etwas mehr erwartet. Sorry Peter
Interesting. Nothing stuck with me but interested to dive in again
Pleasant enough but can't say I'm all that fussed about it - it's a shame that Solsbury Hill is miles better than pretty much everything else on the album as that's the only one I already knew!
I remember when Peter supported Houmous and Chutney in late 1975. He was awful! He did nothing but moan about Mike Rutherfords socks. It didn’t make any sense! 2.6 2/9 Solisbury Hill
Quite interesting. I prefer Peter Gabriel's subsequent albums, but this one is a fine listen.
Why is Peter Gabriel on this list so much? He is so mid.
Fun and easy
3/5 very varied sounds between songs
Enjoyed this. Lots of variety and experimenting with styles. Solsbury Hill stills sounds great today
Pretty interesting album Standout songs: Solsbury Hill Waiting for the big one
I get the appeal, but it's a little too old-school for me.
Why does Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins sound so similar? It's alright, but nothing special
Salisbury hill ir great. But other than that this album seemed like a really random mix of songs and genres.
There are elements I like in this but overall I find him kinda cheesy.
Better than I expected, and a lot more "commercial" as well. I've always liked Peter Gabriel's voice while questioning his artistic decisions. This is the closest I've gotten to enjoying a full album.
It's okay. I prefer his later albums where he finds his footing and his balls droop down a little lower.
Much like Genesis after his departure, Peter Gabriel clearly struggled on his debut to figure whether he should lean into pop or prog. The result is an uneven mix with some good stuff, but no clear coherence.
Aside from the opening track, Gabriel spends the entire Side A trying to find himself after his departure from Genesis. Side B, with its longer songs, seems much more well-structured, but Gabriel’s solo debut didn’t quite see him emerge as the legendary solo artist he would become.
Perfectly enjoyable listen but nothing truly stood out as spectacular. Enjoyed that there were elements of prog without that dominating every song. Probably wouldn't put it on again. 5/10
2.5 stars
Peter Gabriel's debut solo album initially reminded me of the unusualness of early Genesis, but toward the end I thought of Randy Newman's orchestral pop. I felt the album rather disjointed, but upon reflection perhaps it was purposeful to show Gabriel's musical beginnings and evolution. I noticed blues in "Waiting For The Big One," a genre I didn't expect from a musician so entrenched in progressive rock. Speaking of, this album wasn't completely progressive but more art rock, and I like that Gabriel didn't limit himself.
This is a pretty good solo debut for Peter Gabriel, if I do so say so myself. And that is coming from someone who isn't typically the biggest fan of progressive rock. Granted, this is very palatable and easygoing progressive rock, but it is still fairly reminiscent of Genesis. I definitely found myself enjoying Peter Gabriel more in his 1980s solo work, but I digress. Peter Gabriel shows a lot of artsy originality on this album, again showing a strong solo debut. Parts of this album are very big and symphonic, and I couldn't help but be drawn in by the dramatics of it all.
2.5
I enjoy just how weird this is, and I enjoy some of the songs, but in general there isn't really a lot here I'd relisten to often.
I think I like Peter Gabriel in theory a lot more than in practice. Salisbury Hill is the smash on here deservedly so
Okay, record. Nothing too memorable.
I was let down by this album. I was hoping for so much more than just Salisbury Hill.
I love Solsbury Hill, and I quite liked a couple of the other songs, but I just don’t think I’m going to listen to this album again.
Okay but nothing special
Bit of a mix bag, when it's good it's very good but some songs don't match the quality of others, a mix of genres too which doesn't bother me too much. Worth another listen I think
Thankfully not as prog as I was afraid of, but still a little all over the place. “Solsbury Hill” is the obvious high point, but the rest felt like it alternated between 2 and 4 star songs.
Some high highs and low lows. Seemed like Moribound the Burgermeister and Excuse Me were inspired by Rankin Bass’s Christmas specials. I do love when song transitions into each other though
A couple great moments and overall a fun listen. Unlikely to return to.
Enjoyed the listen but nothing immediately hooked me. Maybe will grow over time. Solsbury Hill is awesome though
Ok
I used to think I was a Peter Gabriel fan. Turns out, I’m mostly a fan of what he represents: a bold, technically brilliant innovator, a champion of global music, and a deeply admirable humanitarian. But musically? At least when it comes to this album, I’m just not feeling it. Peter Gabriel 1: Car is ambitious, theatrical, and inventive. I can fully respect why it holds a place in the rock canon. It’s daring. It tosses genres around like juggling pins. The opening track, “Moribund the Burgermeister,” felt like I was trapped in a bad LSD trip with that dying mayor. The album makes no effort to be palatable or pretty. And that is exactly why some people love it. I’m just not one of them. Solsbury Hill is fine. I’ve heard it a million times, and I associate it more with Vanilla Sky than anything else. It is interesting to note that it’s written in 7/4 time, which gives it an off-kilter, slightly floating feel that mirrors the emotional tension in the lyrics. The only song I actually replayed on purpose was “Waiting for the Big One.” That one worked for me. It has a slinky, bluesy vibe that gives Gabriel room to breathe without crowding the space with too many ideas at once. The lyrics, though, are kind of ridiculous. “Hope Moses knows his roses”? Come on. I get the theatrical irony, but it veers into parody. “Down the Dolce Vita” also caught my attention. It opens with a massive orchestral fanfare performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, then slams into a gritty, theatrical groove. The transition is abrupt and almost absurd, but that chaotic scale shift gives it a weird, thrilling energy that stands out from the rest of the album. Bottom line: I respect Peter Gabriel. I admire the risks he takes. But I didn’t connect with this album, and I don’t plan to revisit it. Just because something is innovative or important doesn’t mean it’s something I want to hear again.
6/10 I love Peter Gabriel. I do not love this album. there are a bunch of clunkers here. Still, bad Peter Gabriel is better than some good other artists... 5-28-2025
Kermit the frog in a barbershop quartet then merges into clown music? Bonus points for the weirdness but still not so much my thing
first side sucked but the second side was much better. would’ve got 1 star without it
nice enough
One of the top-rated reviews for this album brought up Randy Newman, which surprised me based on the Peter Gabriel tracks I know. Then I heard Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One, and it all made sense. This album does feel like an artist trying on a lot of different styles to see what suits, with the result that it's a very mixed bag. But when it does gel (Solsbury Hill), we get an all-timer of a song.
Pretty much what you might expect from a Peter Gabriel solo album right after Genesis. Little bit of this, little bit of that, Solsbury Hill.
I like Peter, but not so much this earlier album.
salsbury hill is great but is really the only standout
I really don’t know what to make of this album. Sure, Solsbury Hill is a masterpiece. But the rest of the album is uneven. Even some of the individual songs are uneven. Do I love Excuse Me? Do I hate it? I’m really not sure. Pretty sure I hate Waiting for the Big One. And then he throws out a classical-rock-disco track with Down the Dolce Vita and I’m mesmerized! Such a disconnected, uneven album.
This one is a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes it just seems like he is trying to sound like someone else. Modern Love sounds like Springsteen and Excuse Me sounds like Randy Newman. I liked this more than So. Favorites were Solsbury Hill, Waiting For The Big One, and Here Comes The Flood.
Definitely him finding his sound. One standout track and the rest are the sound he didn't find. I'd listen to Solsburu Hills again but skip the full album
It’s interesting. I feel like it has potential to be a favorite if I spent more time with it.
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought. Some of it is very 80s and over the top, but a few songs just sounded like he was having fun.
Enjoyable listen. Wasn’t my favorite
Sort of bland and inoffensive. Didn't mind it but nothing really stood out either, except Solsbury Hill.
Solsbury Hill is an objective banger. The rest of it is okay to good. I like it's quirky moments and it was a great breakaway from Genesis. But in many ways he was still finding his feet.
3.5
I expected more from this because of his experience. It’s somewhat jam-band inspired and meandering musically. Brilliant, but his producers should have reined him in a bit more.
Grand.
Bit of a hodge-podge, but some nice tunes nonetheless.
This was a bit uneven for me as an album. Of course I can hear Peter Gabriel's talent here, but the album is all over the place. "Solsbury Hill," "Down The Dolce Vita," and "Here Comes The Flood" are the best songs on the album. The last two tracks were so stunning that I wanted the entire album to be like this. If Gabriel put together a whole album in the same vein as those tracks, it would be something special. But as is, the album is just alright.
My favourite Gabriel era is self-titled III and IV, and while I give this credit for ambition and restlessness, it's very patchy in terms of quality.
I always thought it was"Salisbury Hill". So that's a bit embarrassing.
A lot of varied music on here, and decently done, but nothing that jumped out as fantastic. I enjoyed, but it's showing its age.
Big, ambitious sound, with a couple of big songs, and some longueurs - mapped out the direction for his solo career, and for Simple Minds (and many others) too
I liked this less than I thought I was going to given how much I love Solsbury Hill
Not bad, but pretty average rock, not in a negative way.
I'm not a Peter gabriel fan at all but Solsbury Hill, Down The Dolce Vita and Here Comes The Flood kind of go, whereas the rest of the album is middling to bad. very uneven, the phrase that keeps coming to mind, sensical or not, is "mud album"
Peter is still finding his feet here, but you can see where he WILL go.
317/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Some moments of interest but overall not very memorable and trying to hard I feel.
Love Solsberry Hill, one of my all time favorites. Other than that this felt like a very discombobulated album, like it was supposed to be a greatest hits album or something. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it really didn't feel like an album to me. High 3. Maybe I was expecting too much being Peter Gabriel and all.