Reviews (page 6 of 7)
First album after Genesis hits hard
Not really a 'debut' album based on the experience of genesis but a good album anyway
It’s a strange album because he’s written songs in multiple different genres. Kind of makes no sense.
Solsbury Hill is certainly a song that has survived remarkably well with its cheerful and bouncy melody. Boom, boom, boom. It's a song that of course is familiar, but I haven't personally played to death. That stands. I could do without Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One and I often wonder why musicians pollute albums with songs like these. Humdrum was a high point for me as I'd never heard it and I liked its sound, lyrics, and especially the quavering keyboards in the background, eventually opening up into a polyphonic sound cathedral. Gabriel at his youngest and with full potential and power. I am positive this sound has surely inspired generations of important bands of today directly and indirectly. Epic guitar solo on Slowburn Down the Dolce Vita has echoes of Bowie and I like it a bit.
I wanted to name my first kid Peter Gabriel, but my wife said she'd divorce me and file for custody if that happened so, I named them Phil Collins. It's the same kid, really, and my first was the Genesis of having more kids. Now they're in middle school and are relentlessly teased. Sure, they changed their name to Colin, but most kids know their real name and it's not uncommon to hear "Feel Collin!, Feel Collin's (nuts)" in the school hallways before class. Kids are so mean. I named my second kid Peter Gabriel, and even they get teased. Kids refer to him as "Petter..."
Gabriel almost lost me right off the bat with "Moribund the Burgermeister." This self-titled album was saved by "Solsbury Hill," which holds up well, but after that nothing really stands out. The division between early-Genesis Gabriel-led prog rock and later-Genesis Collins-led pop rock is clearly carried over into Gabriel's solo work, but even as a fan of 70s prog "Peter Gabriel" doesn't deliver as a full album.
Pas trop compris la ligne éditoriale
chaotic neutral ?
Me gustó, para rescuchar
Prog bops. Ton of variety. I don't have any observations on this. Do you like early Genesis? Cool, this is that. It's a fun time.
⭐ Solsbury Hill
A weak 3. Certainly listenable but more bad than good. Last 2 songs are really good tho
A benevolent 3 for this one. Couple of better songs, couple of weirder ones...
really swings wildly between great song and goofy song (which is often but not always bad). production is absolutely the highlight but gabriel's voice and songwriting also shine. best tracks: here comes the flood, down the dolce vita, solsbury hill
It's ok. Mix of good rock and good pop.
Had a couple good tunes but many sounded gimmicky
Best Song: Solsbury Hill. 3/5
It was okay. It’s very artsy. Gotta love solsbury hill though. 6/10
Reminds me of the 90s... hard to determine a distinct voice
This album is all over the place. Sometimes it sounds exactly how I expect Peter Gabriel to sound; other times I think I’m listening to Randy Newman.
A patchy album, but enjoyable.
An exuberant and commanding listen, if a bit more pomp than substance. Signals the coming of the 80s as it maintains some narrative worth, but opts more for the big synth splashes and gated drums, a herald of the gradual cheapening of the instrumental and lyrical value that was to come over the next decade. Would consider re-listening as I had a pleasant experience, but only because the songs did not leave much impression outside general positivity the first go round.
Meh
I don't really know what to say I didn't hate it but I didn't like it
I bought this album in the 1970s, but it never got a lot of play. At the time I was shifting my musical mindset from prog to punk/new wave, and this was too associated with the 'old'. On revisiting, it is decent without bein spectaculsr.
Saw the top 10 singles one week in 1976 and thought, I could do that.
peter gabriel by peter gabriel is not as good as peter gabriel by peter gabriel or peter gabriel by peter gabriel or, for that matter, peter gabriel by peter gabriel
Solid 3.
Can definitely see why "Solsbury hill" was so popular.
For an artist as accomplished as Gabriel it is interesting to see his first solo effort come with such an iconic song like "Solsbury Hill". Quite often artists will have one "in the chamber" ready to release to start their career, but it is more telling that it is the sole major hit from this album. Instead we have more musically diverse B-sides and experimental songs which show the future inventiveness he would bring to his solo career.
Solsbury Hill is a 5⭐️ song Here Comes The Flood isn’t far behind The rest is fine but later albums hit that standard more consistently
Sounds way more modern than it is. Enjoyable and a great cover.
2 good songs but not as strong as some of his later work.
A phenomenal album cover. And a perfect song in Solsbury Hill. The rest is melodic and well-produced, but leaning too heavily into the art spectrum for these ears.
Who knew what a weirdo Peter Gabriel was? The style of this album is all over the place.
Some good bits but a bit over proggy for me
PG's voice is thin with little range. The production lifted the late 70s Springsteen sound which isn't a good fit with the songs here. Some songs had that jaunty British end of pier music hall quality, which is an acquired taste. More style than substance here. I wouldn't want to listen to it again.
Honestly, since my only exposure to Peter Gabriel was "Sledgehammer", I thought this would be weirder. In fact, as the first few tracks rolled by, I thought to myself, "Man, this is a pretty solid 70s rock album." And then I hit track 4, "Excuse Me" and was like, "Ah. There's the weird." It didn't last that long, though. It feels like he's just sort of playing around with being weird but isn't fully committed to the bit yet. Overall, this debut solo album is solid but not exceptional. Not great, not bad, just... solidly middling.
This album was.... ok? There was just nothing that really stuck out to me. It's not bad, but other than one or two songs I can't say I "liked" this album. It's a little all over the place musically, but somehow it all still feels like it kind of blends together. There are some moments that make me think I might like some of his other works better, but this album isn't one I plan on coming back to, maybe just for one or two songs. In a word, Meh. Favorite Tracks: Solsbury Hill, Down The Dolce Vita, Here Comes The Flood
Better than I was expecting!
There are some good songs here and there (Moribund the Burgermeister and Down the Dolce Vita are a lot of fun) but it's a very disjointed album, and sometimes doesn't quite stick the landing (Excuse Me feels like it's trying to be weird but just comes across as strangely nervous)
Tässä oli paljon hyvää, mutta myös sellaisia vitsikkääksi tulkittavia kohtia, joille ei meikätosikkp lämpene lainkaan. Kuitenkin parempi kuin odotin.
Mukavan monipuolinen levy, ja muutama hyväkin biisi. 3/5
Not my favorite
Ik sluit me aan bij de wijze woorden van Arjan.
Aparte plaat, maar kon dit goed hebben
Prettig!
A couple of all time favorites (Solsbury, Flood) but too much filler.
Didn't expect to like it but I did. Waiting for the Big One was good with great guitar
Sounds like Bob Ezrin more than it sounds like Peter Gabriel, except Solsbury Hill, which outshines every other track by a mile
meh, whiny and generic
15th December 2022 Listened on the way in to the office. Drove home and had a chilled night, picked Seb up from his Christmas party. Incredible song writer, this album walks the line between the trippy imagery of Genesis and the everyman folk of Simon and Garfunkel. 3.5 if I could.
On another day, this may have been a 4, i like the pace and energy. But I think I really wasn't in the mood for it today, and some of it just seemed a bit too try hard.
Raro...Conocía Solsbury Hill, un poco musical. Al final una heavy-lenta-romántica...Raro.
3 pretty nice stuff
Some good stuff - Solsbury Hill stands out. There are other, much better later versions of Humdrum and especially Here comes the flood. This album was just a rough draft of later finished articles.
Banger album goes hard
Phenomenally eclectic, but rumbles along without any particularly weak moments. Good singing. Good composing (folk, orchestral, rock, blues, funk, pop, vaudeville)! Less prog than Genesis, but still wacky. I can see how Fish-era Marillion were influenced. 3.5 Good.
I can't bring myself to care about Peter Gabriel
3.6 - I like Gabriel's voice and songs like "Excuse Me", with its blend of barbershop a cappella and dixieland jazz, are playful fun. But there are moments where songs get dragged out, like on "Waiting for the Big One" that limps along for a full minute before ending on whimper.
some lovely melodies but some lamentable excursions as well
Its pretty decent stuff TBF. But also, TBF, its pretty uneventful
I wasn't expecting the variety, but it wasn't that good eighter
Peter Gabriel is clearly a man with a thousand ideas running through his head. One minute he’s singing in theatrical voices on “Moribund the Burgermeister,” the next he’s crooning on the pop song “Solsbury Hill.” There’s rockers like “Modern Love,” the old-timey throwback “Excuse Me” and multi-part songs like “Slowburn,” where he tries to capture the breadth of his musical interests in one dramatic song. I think it mostly works! It’s certainly interesting to hear him go for it all. At times I found it overblown the same way I do the proggy Genesis albums Gabriel made just before leaving the band. But these songs are more accessible. There seems to be more of an effort to cater to popular genres and styles. Gabriel sounds like he’s having fun too. “Solsbury Hill” is the clear standout. It’s a bright and catchy pop song but it isn’t simplistic or formulaic. Feels like his genius was more focused on this track and the result is a classic song.
I had hoped for more off the back of Solisbury Hill and the oddly named opener, but this album definitely peaks early then settles into a reliable mediocrity. Solisbury Hill guarantees it's place though
A odd mixed bag, this one. Only recognized Solsbury Hill, though I don't know that I'd known its title or who it was by. And then there's some stuff that almost sounds like Randy Newman and so stuff wackier than that. Overall I liked it but it had no cohesion as an album.
Solsbury hill is kinda chill but meh my man.
Enjoyed this, Solsbury Hill reminded me of happy school times
This is a really interesting album. It was original and had great composition, the lyrics were good and you could hear it constantly innovating from all these different sources. This is definitely sometimes favourite album of all time, and if I were on The Desert Island with just this album I'd get really into it before dying of starvation. ... I'm just not sure I'd choose to listen to it ever.
Some pretty creative instrumentals!
pov: you're digging through your dad's vinyl collection.
La la la Liv-er-pool, Liv-er-pool! La la la Liv-er-pool, Liv-er-pool! X
Enjoyed this album. Big fan of the half halloweeny Moribund The Burgermeister.
A debut album that demonstrates a large range of sounds, with the highlight being Solsbury Hill
Surprisingly good
Give me Peter Gabriel's covers. You can keep the originals. Best track: Solsbury Hill
ну ничего вроде...
ok, but a little tedious
I really liked it the first listen but my enjoyment dropped on the second. It has a great opening and closing stretch of songs, but the middle cluster was annoying. You can definitely hear Peter Gabriel working through his style as this album contains numerous style. Some work, some don't. Solsbury Hill is a classic though.
You can feel this albums influence on modern singer-songwriters. There’s a lovely sensibility to this that makes it hold up a little better than similar release. Likewise it gave Gabriel a blueprint for subsequent (even better) work.
This album was all over the place. I'm all for artists branching out and exploring different genres, but at least have the courtesy to explore them on different albums! But man, Salisbury Hill? I'm sorry, I love that song. So iconic, and in just about every movie trailer made during the late 80s-90s (BTW, did you see the trailer where they turned the Shining into a family comedy just by playing Salisbury Hill in the background of the clips? Genius!). So SH - solid 5; The rest? 2 (it ain't no Sledgehammer). 3.5/5
Bleah. Amazing how good one song can be, and you might think, ah, this is going to be a set of songs so similar to the amazing song I heard that is on this album. But no.
Trop bon reecoute assuré 5
This is Peter Gabriel's first solo album after the break up of Genesis. I must say I'm not very crazy about either Peter, or Genesis' music, but am familiar with both. This album started out with a very weird prog rock song, then transitioned to the very popular and familiar Solsbury Hill. Modern Love, Slowburn, and Down the Dolce Vita are rockin runes, and the rest of the album was more really weird prog rock experimentation. There were constant tempo changes and nonsensical lyrics throughout. Overall, very odd and experimental, and nothing to really captivate me, so this just affirms my dislike of Peter Gabriel's style of music. It may make more sense if I was high. Favourite songs: Solsbury Hill, Modern Love, Down the Dolce Vita, Here Comes the Flood Least favourite songs: Waiting for the Big One, Moribund the Burgermeister, Humdrum, Excuse Me 3/5 (Solsbury Hill alone gave it +1 point)
Certainly an eclectic collection of tunes, I do have some respect for old PG and his ability to change it up.
There is some good stuff on here but I found the album to be quite disjointed and unsatisfying. 3/5
It’s fine.
Ok album, probably wouldn't listen again
Solsbury Hill is sublime. There's so much joy and energy there. I can listen to it anytime and it always works. Here Comes the Flood hits like a punch in the gut (btw, brilliant use of this song in The Americans soundtrack)
I found this album to be so boring but I think I was just in the wrong headspace. It’s probably worth another listen but it’s not the kinda album I’d crave listening to, the tracks are a bit all over the place in terms of style
3.5
A clear 80s sound, breaking new ground in 1977. Doesn't quite hit the heights of Gabriel's later stuff. I'm a gigantic Sledgehammer fan. But this is pleasant enough! Solsbury Hill is overplayed on the radio, but I like it! I like Pete!
3 good/great songs, lots of weird and meandering ones. Sounds like Genesis produced by Bob Ezrin, accurately enough
Alright not entirely my style but decent overall
It was nice dont really remember too well
Totally not what I was expecting from Peter Gabriel! What a fun listen.
LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL 7/10
A bit eclectic!
Bit of a scattergun of ideas. Not terrible, but not much better than mediocre. Fun fact: Peter Gabriel is 103 years old and keeps his youthful look by bathing in bull semen 12 times a week.
There's a decent album buried in here but there's just too much of everything. It very much feels like throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Some of it hits but a lot of it really doesn't. There seems to be a desperate need to prove he can do all the genres. Still it's better than most of the proggy albums we have been tortured with on this list.
The song had some absolutely amazing songs but it also had some awful songs I could barely get through. I rate it in the middle since it was a mix of amazing and not so great.
The very definition of curate's egg - Here Comes The Flood is magnificent, probably his greatest solo song (whether overproduced or not), Solsbury Hill a pop banger, and Humdrum a great track. But Moribund the Burgomeister, the cocktail jazz/blues of Waiting for the One and so on are perhap more like a rich 70s rocker struggling to work out what to say when going solo. Three stars but not evenly distributed.
Solisbury Hill is obvs an amazing track, but I’m not that into the rest of it. 3/5
Ok, two things: 1) Classic rock is classic (Solsbury Hill) but goddamn, Mr Gabriel, your range of musical styles here is all over the place. If I closed my eyes on Waiting for the Big One, I would swear that you were Randy Newman. In addition to blues, there’s honky-tonk, hard rock, chamber music, barbershop chorale, and funk. Holy schnikeys. 2) The album cover is so jarring. It looks like the artist is committing suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning in their car. Way to grab attention. Yeesh.
Eclectic
Oh, how clever, he just names all of his albums "PETER GABRIEL". This is the one with his best song, which has been co-opted too many times in mediocre movies and movie trailers. It's also the album where he sound like Randy Newman on a couple of songs. Frankly, I like my Bob Ezrin produced albums to be a little more coked out than what we get here. Especially one from the 1970's.
This was enjoyable, a bit chaotic at times, but there were some very pleasant moments as well. He seems to enjoy contrasting sweet gentle melodies with sudden loud and harsh, almost zombie-like emotion-stiffling spells. There were times when I heard inventive musical arrangements and that is always a plus when someone creates a sound that has not been heard before. A lot of contrasting darkness and lightness, sound-wise, not entirely sure about lyric-wise. Solsbury Hill is a very sweet song and to my surprise I recognized that one.
Not totally my jam but not bad
Good album, enjoyed Solsbury Hill and would give the album another listen
This is one of the most eclectic albums I've gotten so far. Every song felt like peter gabriel just decided to pick a random genre and do his version of it. However, I wasn't super engaged by the album which might be more because it was on in the car while I was driving but nonetheless I didn't find too many of the songs enjoyable by themselves. The smooth jazz one was decent but other than that I already don't remember too much about it
Not good but could have been worse.
I don’t hate it - and there’s a gem or two on here - but seemed scattered yet repetitive at times.
I was distracted for most of the album thinking about how crazy it would be to pick up the first solo album from the guy from Genesis, maybe Solsbury Hill was out as a single, and then you drop the needle and that "I Am the Walrus" ass song plays?? I want Sledgehammer
Not really my cup of tea but I liked a few songs
An artist I know mainly through a collection and the albums So and Us which I love. Despite this I am not a lover of early Genesis and on here I find he hasn't quite eradicated that element from his music enough and hadn't decided what he did want to sound like yet. There are moments like Solsbury Hill of course that truly work, but other songs like Waiting for the Big One that are truly awful.
Very confused to find the banger Solsbury Hill amidst so much meh
What a mess. A mish mash of random songs, none of which are particularly enjoyable.
A very experimental album with a mix of genres. I was looking forward to listening to this since I love Peter Gabriel’s biggest hits. Unfortunately, it failed to make an impression on me. Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood are the only standouts.
Salisbury Hill is an awesome song other than that this album was not that spectacular
Nice, this album. My Mum picked it out for me among others like Different Class by Pulp. I listened to this one for a few, but got bored and promptly bailed. Horrible, I know, but I'm already swamped with recommendations thanks to this list. What's the more compelling listen? 1089 albums I must hear before my blip of an existence is erased from the mortal coil, or a handful albums I should hear because it would please my mother? I'm an awful person, I know. I'll clear the mum backlog once I'm through with this list. Anyways, I know this is a singer-songwriter rock album and I'm pretty sure I recall it having a bit of a psychedelic influence, though I could be mistaken. Other than being a fan of the cover artwork I don't have much else to remark about this album. Might as well just get into it. The first song was certainly psychedelic-adjacent, though that influence more or less goes out the window with the songs that follow. This was alright. The album has a vast, unique sound going for it, which I respect. It's a bit of a mixed bag, however. Sometimes the dense sounds work, though for the most part I think many of the leading guitars and pianos have a muddy, underwhelming sound to them. On the other hand, the electronic flourishes are generally pretty great. They have a distinctive, fluttering sound to them which works quite nicely. My only real gripe is that their use is few and far between in addition to not really building on one another. The miscellaneous instruments of this album are generally quite good. I was able to make out a cowbell, accordion, organ and pan flute among others, all of which inject some much-needed flavour into this music. Gabriel isn't much as far his vocals go, though for the most part he gets the job done and the songwriting is competent. Overall, this album has one foot in the door, though it didn't go as far as it needed to with its experimentation to win me over. Still, I suppose I didn't mind listening to this. I've heard "Solsbury Hill" before. I think I've heard it in car commercials in addition to hearing it from my Dad's playlist whenever he'd drive me around. A very car-centric song, which is befitting of the constant forward momentum that the song has. The acoustic guitar guides the song along delicately, and so does the rumbling percussion which underscores the music. The occasional horn interludes also go a long way in complementing the ornate, rustic feel that the music has. There's isn't much for me to say about the songwriting, though it is effective and carries the song along nicely. The rolling, building quality that the vocals have during the chorus is particularly effective. Overall, a solid tune. Book time. Peter Gabriel was previously a member of Genesis. That figures. Gabriel's solo career was free from the tensions and time constraints which made up much of his time in Genesis. The result was an album that allowed his creative vision to flourish. Solsbury Hill is one of Gabriel's most enduring and acclaimed songs, with the lyrics being about his experience of leaving Genesis. The album is varied and sometimes dips in quality, which the book entry justifies as being part of its experimentation. Wikipedia says the album artwork was created by Hipgnosis, which explains why it's so good. It was also generally well-received by critics and performed quite well in the countries where it charted, notably peaking at No. 7 in the UK and No. 5 in France/Norway. In total, the album broke the top 10 in 7 countries and was the 42nd best-selling album of the year in the UK. I'm only vaguely familiar with Peter Gabriel, though three list albums seems about right for his achievements and level of success. I cosign this inclusion.
Middy, very 'normal' album, nothing special.
I don’t really like Peter Gabriel, but I do love Solsbury Hill, so this is sort of a toss-up. Is that song so good that it saves the whole album? No, it turns out. I didn’t hate most of this, but a few times I spaced out and wondered if I was listening to Randy Newman for some reason.
Starting to realize most of these albums are on here because of one good song
All over the map - didn't particularly enjoy it
it’s fine
Not really for me
This was an extremely frustrating album to listen to. When Peter Gabriel locks in and writes a truly great pop rock song, it works wonders, like on Solsbury Hill, Slowburn, and Modern Love. Other times, it feels like he's just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks. Moribund the Burgermeister is completely incoherent, Excuse Me feels like a worse version of the Beatles' more wacky songs, and tracks like Waiting for the Big One and Here Comes the Flood drag on for way longer than they should. This album is a mess on a wider structural level too, as there's no sense of progression or consistency. I respect Gabriel for wanting to try his hand at a wide variety of different style, but the execution didn't match the ambition.
It's a solid debut from Peter Gabriel. It's one of those situations where I can appreciate the artistic talent and vision, and can completely see why someone would love this album; but it's just not really for me. And that's okay. Favourites: Solsbury Hill Waiting For The Big One Here Comes The Flood
There are some Genesis songs I like. I don't however care for Solsbury Hill. And seeing that this is the best thing on this album, its a miss for me. One song sounded like a circus, and then one like a rock opera. no thanks.
This was all over the place and just didnt really love any of the songs.
Umm.
What a weird opening track, and besides the familiar Solsbury Hill this entire album was a lot stranger than expected. I kept waiting for it to make sense, but couldn’t really get into it, even after further exploration and lyrics.
meh. nothing here remarkable. The tale behind the cover (Hipgnosis) is more interesting than the album.
I thought there was maybe one or two good tracks eveything else was slop.
This album is all over the place.
It was ok, honestly not a huge Peter Gabriel fan. It just feels cheesy for some reason?
DNF, boringggg
Couldn't really get into it. So varied and eccentric but wasn't doing it for me
Many years of Genesis bashing on Top Gear made this album a difficult one to listen to objectively. I considered giving it a second listen in case I’d been blinded by preconception but found I simply didn’t want to…faded into mid 70s mediocrity for me.
No lo entendí mucho quitando el tema barbershop (vocal)
Gabriel's first solo album is very much a transitional album - there are still some faint traces of Genesis here, and he hasn't yet arrived yet at the his characterisric sound (as can be heard on his third solo album, for example). PG1 has few solid cuts like "Solsbury Hill" and "Here Comes The Flood" but is mostly held back by the colorless backing band (chock-full of top players, to no sonic effect though) and Bob Ezrin's flat production.
I get that it is a classic but so mid
boring
I knew and don’t hate Solsbury Hill. I didn’t like anything else though. I would take Peter Gabriel over Phil Collin’s or Genesis though.
Not for me except Solsbury Hill
it’s alright
No hate on Peter Gabrielle, but this is more typical 70s pop rock.
Eh just okay. Not a big PG fan
So British.
All I want is Sledgehammer.
No dude, I don't need to hear this before I die.
A lot of experimenting with a sound to distinguish from his time with Grrnsis. The only song from this album that had any melodic consistency was Solisbuty Hill. No wonder it was the only charted song.
Pretty disappointed in this album overall. Amazing that Solsbury Hill emerged from this diverse tangle of mediocrity.
This was fine I don’t get the appeal of Peter Gabriel but whatever one song was decent but otherwise just uninteresting
One hit rest very very odd
A good song, the rest was ok
2 Stars (5/15)
some good songs, but veers too theatrical. a big eh. 2.5
Nicht so meins
boring
Peter Gabriel is certainly a very creative artist, but this album is just a bit too messy for me. It's all over the place, feeling more like a disjointed collection of singles from various bands than like an actual album. It's a mix of different styles that do not always blend well together – blues, soft rock, pop, art rock influences from Bowie, weird cabaret tunes that sound like Queen, and even a strange heroic-fantasy ancestor to "Eye of the Tiger" (Down the Dolce Vita). Some tracks feel bland and boring as only soft rock can be, others are more experimental – without being really mind-blowing – and a few are downright annoying (Excuse Me...). Its main redeeming quality is its weirdness, something that I can absolutely get behind. But the crazy moments are not really put to good use, and they're too far and few between to really become a thing. The end result fails to coalesce into a coherent record. I probably won't listen again as an album, but I could see myself giving another try to a couple of individual songs (mainly the last three tracks, which I found far superior to the rest). 4/10
I've listened a lost his 80's almbum So and liked it. But he lost me on this one.
Not really my vibe. I enjoyed the tuba (I think) in Excuse Me, I feel like I don't hear that very often I definitely think the last few songs on the album saved it for me Favourite: Modern Loven and Here Comes the Flood
not bad. i liked 4/9
Proggy and genre-hopping, this is an album that never sits still. The first four songs alone take you through a range of sounds: prog rock, folk rock, stadium rock, and musical theater. "Modern Love" is a highlight, and "Solsbury Hill" is pretty if not very exciting. Tracks one and four come off as a bit goofy though. The middle of the album is the weakest, as it's made up of mostly slower and subdued songs. This culminates in "Waiting for the Big One," a plodding jazzy blues number that takes forever to both start and end. Luckily the next track, a funky jam, immediately improves things, and the album ends on a high note. The variety is sometimes enough to give you whiplash, but just as just as it varies in sound it varies in quality. There are some good highlights, but the weakness are too much to make up for them.
"Solsbury Hill" is a great song, but the rest of the album sounded like experimentation gone awry.
I will forever be grateful my dad never subjected me to Genesis (Peter Gabriel led) idk man this is just everything I find annoying in classic rock of this time. Peter Gabriel just doesn’t move the needle for me. Whether it’s his solo shit, or stuff with Genesis, it just feels mad generic and boring. Bowling Alley ass music.
Genesis is a band I don’t know about I thought they sang we built this city. Anyways Peter Gabriel is art rock which is cool he genre bends but it doesn’t feel far enough. I don’t think this necessarily showcases his potential. Slow burn has some real interesting instrumentals but what is any of this really. Feels really like a demo for a better album waiting for the big one really did feel like it led to down too Dolce Vita I like it it’s very prog but it is way too long too. There is a lot to work with here Gabriel is said to have left Genesis and created this it’s out there and unique and rarely dull it just feels unfinished. I am interested in him now and I will keep looking into his music because the theatrics won me and the genre merging is beautiful. Here comes the flood is the most realized of the bunch here the chorus is perfectly set up and the lyrics just hit. This is the best song and thankfully it builds on itself and actually pays itself off. I think Peter learned the importance of good drums here because man they are good. This saves the record from being a list of good ideas and growing pains to a career that can be shaped from this.
Theatrical rock with some Randy Newman style piano tunes thrown in. Opens ok enough, then the hit, and it’s downhill from there. 7 minute piano blues song is a mood killer. Ends stronger, but too little too late. If this is what Peter was bringing to the table, maybe Genesis dodged a bullet. How can an album that has Solsbury Hill be so terrible otherwise? 1.5.
Solsbury Hill will forever be one of the greatest musical pieces ever written. The lyrics, the tone, the rhythm, and the subject are all just exquisite. The rest of the album pales in comparison to this one song. Overall album excluding Solsbury Hill is an average 4/10. With Solsbury hill is much higher.
Has some amazing tracks, but I stopped listening at the last few tracks because it got so bad.
Decent album that I have never heard before today. I am familiar with the hit song but none of the others. I felt like it's just sort of okay... Not a lot of sonic delight type stuff that I was expecting from his other works. It's not terrible but far from my favorite of his works.
Day 142 Didn’t enjoy this anywhere near as much as So, seemed a bit all over the place to me. 5/10 Highlights Solsbury Hill Down the Dolce Vita
Scusi Gabriel Peter, au wenns paar losbari musig dezwüsche het leider ned so mis. Da bevorzugi de Gabriel Peter. 2 ave marias
This one is a bit of hodgepodge. We all know "Solsbury Hill" which is great but the rest of it is kind of forgettable. Gabriel went on to better things,
Couple decent song for me but most were meh or even just strange.
Listened to this while pushing my crying one year old up the hill to our apartment in a trolley, all while getting my face smashed with snow-mixed rain. So perhaps not the best of circumstances. Sadly, Peter Gabriel didn't do much to make that situation better. Quite the opposite. Think this is at least the 3rd Peter Gabriel album we get on this list. Why!? And 0 Phil Collins albums? Mind boggling. Sure, 'Solsbury Hill' is alright. But the whole album sounds like Genesis and just feels pretentious and hard-to-get for the sake of it. Just nothing special about it in my opinion. In the end it wasn't complete disaster, but it definitely wasn't good. Think I'm mostly tired of having to sit through multiple mediocre albums from the same artist just because the author has bad imagination. Lex Elvis Costello.
Well, this album had Solsbury Hill, which is a great song, and then it didn’t really have that much more. Felt like a mix between boring rock opera, Randy Newman and questionable lyrics. I enjoyed the later Peter Gabriel albums a lot more, his style is more unique in those (Intruder is such a cool song). At least I got a laugh out of the lyrics from Modern Love which has hilariously bad: “” Hey, I'm feeling so dirty, you're looking so clean And all you can give is a spin in your washing machine “” “” I trusted my Venus was untouched in her shell But the pearls, the pearls in her oysters were tacky as hell “” Strong 2.
Let's throw *everything* at the wall, at see what sticks!
Re-visit later 2
I don't get it. 2.
I'm starting to enjoy Peter Gabriel more as I listen to him more. I'm able to appreciate what he does and his choices of lyrics. Unfortunately this album Still doesn't capture my interest. It goes a lot of directions and has some strong points but overall is not the one that I would come back to.
Favorite tracks: Solsbury Hill, Slowburn This album was all over the place, I wasn't surprised to find out that it was Peter Gabriel's first solo album. There's definitely some good stuff going on here but there's so much variety that I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who likes the album in its entirety.
Messy, trying to find his sound and clearly at his best on Solisbury hill. When he leans into 'world music' and art pop, he is better. The rest is fine but not particualrly memorable or inventive. It is musically well made but does not really cohere, and the prog elements are really annoying to my ears
Solsbury Hill: The Album The experimentation shouldn't be looked down upon, but I also shouldn't have to listen to it again! Here Comes The Flood pulls this up to a 2.5. Wish there was enough sauce left here to rate a 3.
The "rock" angle of the whole thing feels pretty middle of the road now and though there are some pleasant melodies throughout there's nothing I'd return for or that makes me want to investigate further. Feels a bit like some Randy Newman/Toy Story stuff sometimes which again is not unpleasant but doesn't make for passionate listening.
Bleh
Pretty meh on this one. Fine, but unremarkable. 2.5/5
This album is all over the place. While there were a few bright spots on the album, the best song of all for me was Solsbury Hill.
1 banger
Also referred to as “car,” this album is careening all over the road! Prog, blues, disco! Throw in a bit of everything. So far my response has been to find it, boring, annoying, interesting and moving, though it’s more of the former than the latter. I think I mainly found it irritating. I kept looking to see how long it was before it would end, which is not a good sign. And I just don’t really like Pete Gabriel’s voice. I quite enjoyed the blues number third from the end but, I dunno. Overall, not for me. But I appreciate the attempt to do something (even many things!) a bit different.
Hmmm, a bit disappointing. Grand, but nothing special
I’m confused. Am I listening to Wii Sports, a Star Wars-inspired orchestral rock band, sappy singer-songwriter content or a David Bowie imitation? I appreciate the creativity but it doesn’t land for me.
I wasn't that interested
Very proggy with some epic moments. It's clear why Solsbury Hill became the track to stand the test of time. It's just undeniable. Really enjoyed Modern Love. I bet it is/was a highlight live. Probably one I won't listen to again but appreciated the deep dive into Gabriel's inaugural foray into the solitary unknown. And what a brilliant album cover.
This was not grabbing me man. I’ll say the production is solid in thought, when everything is put together it just doesn’t speak to me, I think it sounds clunky and jarring to listen to. I like Solsbury Hill…
Mid
Solisbury Hill is great. The rest is pretty forgettable. I don't think PG complete forgot his prog background for this one. 2/5
Alot of these tracks start with some amazing keys/synth work and then it just falls away as fast as it began. Thats a bummer. Solsbury hill is a classic but thats the only recognizable track here for me. Down the dolce vita has some good getup going on but its really the only other track that left any impression. The rest of it went in one ear and out the other. Fine enough record but on the less memorable side for sure.
One good song
Knocking on three stars but no one answered. Each song overstays its welcome but has moments I really like. He’s no Bowie or Phil Collins.
it was instrumentally interesting at times but then the rest was aahhhh
I like his album "So" but out side of Solesbury Hill this one didn't do much for me
meh, 2 stars
Peter Gabrielle is so bleh to me. But so are most British art school weenies
As far as I know Boris didn't do Here Comes The Flood in Flood but I bet they would've done it better It was fine. A bit glam-rocky and I'm not really into that
Okay
It's very surprising. The album that has such a great song as Solsbury Hill is completely uninteresting otherwise.
“Solsbury Hill” and 8 other songs that dont sound like "Solsbury Hill". I'm glad he realized "Oh my music should sound like that"
Like his other this mostly comes off as a jumbled mash of song styles that don’t flow well together. “Solsbury Hill” was great though.
I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but some of the songs were just goofy and the overall vibe just did not do it for me.
Some great tracks, but some I would give a negative score if I could!
Not a big genesis fan, and it's clear here.Why I understand that some of his later solo work might get a little better, but this just misses for me.The pop isn't as poppy enough.The prague isn't praggy enough.The art is not really artful enough.It's kind of just corny.It seems like he had a lot of wants and ideas.Bottled up and he just spleoged them out onto this record after he left genesis
Don’t care for it
i did not find this interesting at all. I would not want to listen to this again. His other albums on here are much better
I don't know why this album is here. Maybe it is ahead of its time? Kind of Bruce Springsteenish... I would say it's alright. Fine to listen to, just not spectacular.
My parents’ mysic…interesting and good but not for me
This album was all over the place. It’s funny how a lot of times with massive hits like Solsbury Hill, they come from albums where they stick out like sore thumbs and don’t fit tonaly with the album as a whole.
Solsbury Hill highlights the album. the rest is fine.
It was ok. A lot of it forgettable with a couple of decent tracks up top.
Not my jam at all. A mix of math rock with art rock. I kinda hated it.
WHY Best Song: Here Comes the Flood Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2/5
Solsbury Hill is a great song but did not get into the rest of the album at all.
Man that Phil Collins never misses (2.5)
This is the first one that I was genuinely excited. I’ve always disliked Genesis and Phil Collins but Peter Gabriel has always stood as somebody I might like? I only know is hits, but I’ve known that he makes interesting music, just never dug into it. Ultimately, this album isn’t something I would listen too much or purchase, but I’m glad I heard it. Solsbury Hill and Humdrum stood out. Excuse Me was out of left field. It’s too… operatic for me, and I also dislike the heavy vocal effects. But again, happy it came up in the rotation.
He's one of the artists whose music makes me feel dumb. I listen, but I just don't get it. I know it's very smart, but it goes right over my head. Not sure if that's the reason it never clicked with me. I'm not crazy about the sound, either. This one is still OK, I guess, but when he started REALLY leaning on that f**king Fairlight synth on later releases, it all went to shit for me.
A little too overproduced and scattershot for my taste. “Solsbury Hill” is an undeniable banger but there isn’t much there for me past that.
Moribund the burgermeister is one of the weirder title tracks i have heard. Maybe this song makes the hit of the album, solsbury hill, feel so much better. Unfortunately it doesnt get better than this song. Modern love and here comes te flood are interesting tunes. But for some reason this entire work doesnt click with me. The lp feels a little all over the place with the the general flow, overproduced and like i am missing an important piece to understand gabriel's overarching vision here. It rather seems to be a totally mixed bag of songs i do not particullarly like.
Really only like Salisbury Hill. The rest of the album isn't for me
The death of rock n roll?
Peter Gabriel is ok. JF 2.8/5
I’m just not a fan-and I’ve enjoyed him in concert too.
I judge Peter Gabriel's solo work by how many songs on any given project I'd play on a boombox I held above my head outside of Ione Skye's house. Solsbury Hill qualifies but the rest of this album is pretty uneven to downright bad. The more of these 70s prog rock adjacent albums we get the more refreshing the late 70s punk/new wave albums sound. There's just a vitality and spirit to those other projects this lacks.
I’m a big PG fan and I have to say this album is mostly incoherent and a big disappointment. Good for him if it helped him set a foundation leading to what was to come, but it’s a huge step down from Genesis.
Song 5 is called "Humdrum". That would have been a good title for this record.
Didn't enjoy the album on the whole. Solsbury Hill is a classic and waiting for the big one saved the back end of the album. It actually ended better than it started which is unusual. It was all over the place though. 3/10 Edit: re-listened to Moribund the burgermeister and it's a tune. 4.5/10
Not for me.
Once more I am saying: I dunno, man
Прошло мимо и забыто
He’s just a goofy guy!
⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 69 A debut album this zany and he goes with self-titled branding?! Herein lies the problem with this record, some really creative off-the wall stylistic musical arrangements that are not cohesive together. Props for being experimental, however far from sticking the landing as directionally Gabriel clearly couldn’t decide what he was aiming for here. Gabriel had left Genesis in 1975 after the intense and sprawling The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, wanting to escape the constraints of rock stardom and explore music on his own terms. With producer Bob Ezrin (known for his work with Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd), Gabriel approached his debut with a maximalist attitude, combining art rock, funk, classical, and pop—with mixed but intriguing results. 🎧 Classic Track: Solsbury Hill 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Humdrum 🚫 Skip Track: Excuse Me Ambitious a project this may have been for Gabriel unshackled from the group that made him a household name, there are just too many conflicting styles, many within the same track ( The Burgermeister??). Having said that, there is much intrigue here too keep the listener engaged by unpredictability and you have to respect the artistry for going so far against the grain, especially for its time. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Difficult to conceptualize how this fits the aesthetic of the record, however given the subject material perhaps this was the point. 🚙 Gabriel blends art rock, glam, cabaret and folk-pop with Bob Ezrin’s production bringing a polished, almost cinematic edge—at times bombastic, at times tender. The album is an artist in search of identity, vacillating between experimentation and accessibility. Some tracks carry over theatrical tendencies from Genesis, while others push toward new pop-rock territory. A compelling but uneven debut. Gabriel tests creative waters without a clear direction, but his talent is undeniable.
weird and all over the place. I like albums with at least some cohesion
Noticed a big variety in musical styles. From experimental to middle of the road sounding pop. Average overall.
Some odd ones. 2 for me. Maybe a 3
definitely his work with Genesis/English Folk Music shines more in this record. It's not as classic as "So" for that reason and honestly a little cheesy. Almost like Bruce Springsteen style of arena rock at times without the same sincere effect.
Kept waiting for this to get good cause it’s Peter Gabriel buuuuut 🤷🏻♀️. The painful stretch between Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood was way too long.
Standouts Solsbury Hill
Outside of solsbury Hill I didn't like this one.
Apart from Solsbury Hill there wasn’t a great deal to get too excited about.
I really don’t understand the whole Genesis/Gabriel/Collins axis. The music seems very dull and uninspiring. Like his last effort on here, at least there is variety, but very little else.
Gabriel’s vocals are ok, but the music kills it for me, just sounds so dated and not my bag.
eh
Turgid. Solsbury Hill couldn’t save this album.
Solsbury Hill was very good. The rest was ehhhhhhh as he was experimenting through many different genres for his first album and none of them were really my thing. This is like a 1.5 in my mind but I’ll round to a 2 because it probably appeals to someone I guess.
Lots of weirdness but none of it sounds very good. It's so dramatic and flamboyant it makes me want to set myself on fire
Man, what happened here? Having only known So I thought this would be great. There were some very good songs but most of this album passed right by me without noticing even though I tried really hard on second listen to form an opinion on every song. I feel like he was trying very hard to distinguish himself here and ended up not landing.
One great song - Solsbury Hill - and a lot of mediocre to poor ones.
I’ve been meaning to listen to some Peter Gabriel for a good second now. And I was kind of disappointed to be honest. I wouldn’t doubt if his later albums were much better, the jury isn’t completely out on this man yet. But his debut was certainly not it for me. He sounds like a strange mix between Randy Newman and Bon Jovi, two artists I largely dislike the music of. Solsbury Hill was a great song though I must say.
It was acceptable. Solsbury Hill is a class for a reason but the rest of the album was kind of mediocre. I think Genesis is way way WAY better than whatever Peter Gabriel put out in a solo career.
Solsbury Hill is one of my favorite songs, but I can't give this album higher than a 2. Everything else I forced myself to listen to (except I did skip Excuse Me halfway through)
Clown music at times tbh
Solsbury Hill is fine, but otherwise this isn't the most exciting album.
It’s fitting for the first solo record by a very theatrical/dramatic prog rock guy to be a bit of a jumbled mess. He’s reeling in all kinds of impulses, not even remotely successfully, and probably was more comfortable letting things go from movement to movement to bridge to solo back to a verse and so on. Then it is no surprise that Car starts off on, well, a weird, overdone note and right after that you have his first bonafide pop hit. Recorded in Toronto! Which has been featured in so many ads and sporting arenas and films it’s now firmly cliche status. Then some sort of Who interrogation, but not content to rock out, throws in some theatrical bridges because of course. And then a barbershop quartet setting up another theatre piece. Jeezus Pete. This kind of scattershot “lemme try this one” vibe more or less dominates the record and is not my thing. When Björk did something similar on Post, you at least had a well-defined version of who she was at that time as a singer and singular personality and while Gabriel definitely had both, he doesn’t overwhelm and own a song with his vocals, at least not on the genre exercises. Instead, these kinda feel like larks? Which is odd, the whole story around the Lamb Lies Down tour is that he wanted to break out of the band trappings and put his mark on everything, but instead there are these very slight album cuts.
It was ok. Solsbury Hill is a classic, but the rest of the album was kinda forgettable
Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 🌧️🚗🙁 Production (2009 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎹🎭😐 Rating: 🧶🧶(🧶)/5
eh, okay
Not even halfway through this list and this is the third Peter Gabriel album to pull. “So” was incredible and makes a third PG album feel justified, but “Melt” was a little lackluster and makes a third PG album seem redundant. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a redundant addition as well. Peter Gabriel’s lowlights (in the context of this list, at least) are still fairly admirable. My biggest takeaway here is that PG was sooooo happy to express himself outside of the limitations of a band. What comes of this freedom is something that’s almost too sprawling, too grand and too all over the place at times. I didn’t realize “Solsbury Hill” was Peter Gabriel - it always sounded like some sort of “Cecilia” Simon & Garfunkel copy. “Excuse Me” is a very fun barber-quartet-style song, my favorite and pick to listen to from this album. It’s one of the musical ideas that hits its mark. There are many that dont hit their mark, or dont really add any cohesion to this project. “Down The Dolce Vida” is a fun, massive song, but after so many different musings and explorations of different styles, I was ready to pack it up after this one. Peter Gabriel is exercising his freedom, and sometimes I can’t keep up with his pace. Maybe a 3/5 in a vacuum, but I have to give it a strong 2/5, he doesn’t need 3+ albums on this list
Solsbury Hill is a banger. But maybe I’m more of a Peter Gabriel greatest hits guy, because nothing else really stood out for me. Simpsons: Yes
Solsbury Hill is a banger and possibly one of my favourite songs, it just gets me right in the heart. But the rest of this album really annoyed me and I wanted to like it! Oh well onto So which is a five star album.
Sometimes it feels like they're only including albums on the basis of one good song, in this case Solsbury Hill
The Album was worth a listen but I would not seek more.
Solsbury Hill is great, the rest is overcooked
Peter Gabriel; very dramatic but not that good (the album, that is.) Solsbury Hill is by far the best song but isn’t enough to carry the album, many of the other songs are kitchy, weird, or just overdone. Not sure why this album is a 1001 Must listmaker, I guess because it’s Pete solo debut after Genesis. As you know, he improves as a writer and an artist. I believe we’ll be hearing from him again with So. L = (1.0*s) J = (2.7*s)
A rather mundane entry by PG with the only standout track being "Solsbury Hill." It's clear he was still trying to define his sound as this album is all over the place and pretty unrefined. I didn't like most of it but the ender "Here Comes the Flood" has a mysterious sound that does well at building something up but then goes too far into theatrical crowd rejoice and it loses me. Overall, slow and not that memorable so not sure why this made the list. 2.0 for PG1 but expect to hear more from him later.
Gabriel solo has some great albums but his early ones, like this one, are a one hitters. "Solsbury Hill" is by faaaaar the best song with the rest barely listenable. They get too stagey and even go as far as featuring Kermit singing saloon on "Excuse Me." It was not torture but "Car" was like driving a n old beater...a little bit of a rough ride. I think we will get more from Pete on the list with maybe another early one hit dudder and for sure a great one from the late 80s. PG1 gets 1.76 stars.
Unfortunately Peter Gabriel's debut solo album is a little too erratic for me. It's a valiant attempt to do something different and break out of the Genesis box, but it's too many ingredients throw into a blender. It showcases some of the roots of what would become his successful solo act, but for my money Peter Gabriel (Car) has too many experimental songs that almost sound as if they are trying to be artsy for artsy's sake. It may have been a better album if it was reeled in tad. I like what Peter Gabriel's solo work morphed into, but this initial record isn't something that I'll come back to. It's not terrible, just mostly skippable in a sea of other more notable work. 2.26 stars
Odd mix of US stadium rock and folksy spangly guitars. Can see why Solsbury hill is a hit.
Was kinda digging the 1st few tracks, then completely lost interest.
1.5
I'm not sure what's great about this album. Sounds like a mess of songs with varying degrees of quality crammed together. An hour after listening to it, I couldn't have told you anything specific about it. But hey, thankfully it's short.
There were only a couple songs that were actually good. The rest was just a mess.
Not really my type of music
There's a couple of songs I like on here, not just Solsbury Hill. Humdrum and Waiting for the Big One are alright. Only Excuse Me genuinely annoyed me, but the whole album doesn't really hang together. The difference between one song and the next is often jarring as there is such a mish-mash of styles. It makes the whole weaker than the sum of its parts.
Some of it was quite good, but no real desire to listen to it as a whole album.
Mixed, didn't hate it
Solsbury hill is a classic. First solo album he went deep into experimental and it just felt like the album was all over the place
This album gave me whiplash. I’m too confused to hate it, but didn’t vibe with anything enough to love it.
This album is so disjointed. Different style songs . I’m not sure what he was going for. Solsbury Hill is the hit and by far the stand out track. Then there’s a song called Excuse Me that sounds like Randy Newman. His best was definitely ahead of him.
I love Peter Gabriel and this album has a couple good songs, but it sounds like a man finding his way. A bit raw and unpolished, but decent.
I liked some songs but not the best Peter Gabriel.
I wasn't a fan of that. There were some good tracks but the whole thing was all over the place and really didn't come together as an album
I really enjoyed some of these tracks, but the whole time I was thinking about how much I’d rather listen to genesis; this whole album just felt like genesis-lite to me , which I guess makes sense. But still. Perfectly fine project, I just can’t ever imagine going out of my way to just listen to this specifically.
Skip this album and listen to his later works instead. Other than Solsbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood the rest was a jumble. The best part of this album is that autoplay led me to listening to "Us" which is an easy 4 stars.
Начинался альбом хорошо, но потом скучновато пошло...
да нормально, но тоже не моё
I don't think Peter Gabriel had moved on far from his roots in Genesis by the time he recorded this album, and it's far from his best. It's not clear why this album makes this list - I thought it pretty uninteresting. I liked the big single from the album (Solsbury Hill), and the cover is very good.
You know song works well in movie trailers? Salsbury Hill. The "boom, boom, boom" allows for some fun editing tricks. Beyond that, this it feels like Peter challenged himself to make sound like each song comes from a completely different album than the one before it. And then goes BIG on each one.
Glimpses of some of the brilliance on 'So,' but otherwise such a mish mash of sounds (Kermit barbershop quarter on 'Excuse Me,' disco hair rock on 'Slow Burn'), that this sounds more like out takes than an album.
reminds me of meatloaf a little
Peter Gabriel has a very distinctive voice that grates on me