The 500 - #187 - So - Peter Gabriel

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #187
Album Title: So
Artist: Peter Gabriel

Genre: Art Rock, Progressive Pop, World Beat
Recorded: Ashcombe House, Swainswick, Somerset, U.K.; Power Station Studios, New York, U.S.A.

Released: May, 1986
My age at release: 20
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #297, dropping 110 places.
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Mercy Street

In the summer of 1980, shortly after moving to London, Ontario, I visited the local library on a quest to borrow records. I returned home with two under my arm, both from English solo artists -- David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. The first was Heroes, Bowie's twelfth studio release, and the other was the third, and most recent, record from Gabriel. Like Gabriel’s two previous albums, it was untitled. However, fans dubbed it Melt because of the picture on the jacket -- which depicts Gabriel with half his face distorted as if made of candle wax.

Melt album cover - the effect achieved by smearing
portrait pictures of Gabriel taken with a Polaroid SX-70 
instant camera as they developed.

The album contained the song Games Without Frontiers, released six months earlier and a Top Ten hit in the spring of 1980. However, it was the opening track, Intruder, that immediately captured my attention. The combination of a dark narrative about a home invasion coupled with this powerful, punch-to-the-chest drumbeat was captivating. I would later learn it was played by Gabriel's former Genesis bandmate, Phil Collins. It also marked origin of the gated-reverb sound -- an audio processing technique that would dominate the 80s (and is making a comeback in the 2020s).

The final track, Biko, was an anti-apartheid protest song about South African activist Steven Biko, who died while in police custody. Infused with Soweto-inspired rhythms and traditional mbube singing style, Biko introduced me to a wider world of music, as well as amplifying the impact protest songs can have on social change.

News article following the death of Steven Biko in police custody.

This was the beginning of a Peter Gabriel fandom that continues for me to this day. He is, without a doubt, my favourite solo artist and among my top five groups of all time. His first band, Genesis, had also massive commercial success after his 1975 departure.

The classic line-up of Genesis (1975), (l-r) Tony Banks, Phil Collins,
Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel.

Deciding what to write about for this blog post was a challenge because of the many choices between what to include and what to leave out. Much like determining what to watch on television in the age of multiple streaming channels, I am somewhat paralyzed by the tyranny of choice. When promoting this record on social media earlier this week, I joked that I could write five different posts about Gabriel.  He was a  rare artist who not only entertained but  made me a more thoughtful, socially informed and kinder person. His body of work and socially conscious, humanist philosophy and fearless creative spirit influenced me toward better, kinder and braver choices in my teens and early-twenties.

Gabriel (right) on The Human Rights Now
Tour in 1988 with (l-r) Sting, Tracy Chapman
Bruce Springsteen and Youssou N'Dour.

I have seen Peter Gabriel perform six times in four cities and each concert was memorable.

In 1987, on my 22nd birthday, I saw him at the Canadian National Exhibit Stadium (CNE) in Toronto. Over a pre-show beer I chatted with an "old" guy (he was probably 35) wearing a vintage Genesis concert shirt who had seen Gabriel with Genesis at Massey Hall, also in Toronto, in 1973. In a time before the internet, the “geezer” provided a first-hand account of the group’s storied performances.

Peter Gabriel on the 1986-87 This Way Up Tour, supporting So.

In December, 2002, after a lengthy hiatus, Gabriel released the album Up and brought his tour to Toronto's Air Canada Centre for a spectacular show on a round stage in the middle of the arena. The event included a performance of the song Sky Blue with The Blind Boys of Alabama -- a gospel group with changing members who have been active since 1939.

Sky Blue performance. The Blind Boys of Alabama at the centre
or a round stage, surrounded by Gabriel and his band.

In July, 2003, he brought a stripped down version of the Growing Up Tour to my hometown of London, Ontario. I convinced 10 friends to join my wife and me, and we had a terrific night that began and ended (in the wee hours of the morning) at our downtown apartment.

A polaroid snapshot taken of my wife and me taken by our  friend Reeny
on the night of the London Gabriel concert - July 5, 2003.

In 2010, Gabriel released Scratch My Back. Accompanied by the New Blood Orchestra, Gabriel recorded versions of 12 of his favourite songs, including the aforementioned Heroes by David Bowie, which was a bit of a "full-circle moment" for me.

Scratch My Back album cover.

A few years later, many of the same artists whose songs Gabriel had covered contributed to an accompanying record, called And I'll Scratch Yours. It featured their interpretations of songs from Gabriel's catalogue. It was a wonderful collaboration with contributions from amazing groups and artists, including Manchester's Elbow, Montreal's Arcade Fire, and New York's The Magnetic Fields.

And I'll Scratch Yours album cover.

The project culminated with a three-year, 44-city world tour by Gabriel and a 54-piece New Blood orchestra.  As a surprise for my wife, we travelled to New York City to see it at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in May, 2010.

A photo I snapped outside Radio City Music Hall prior to 
the New Blood Orchestra concert with Peter Gabriel.

I purchased the tickets through StubHub, an online ticket resale broker. They cost a pretty penny (about double the $130 U.S. face value) but secured us seats in the front row of the lowest balcony for a perfect view of the stage.

My concert ticket from the Radio City Music Hall performance
by Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra.

In September, 2023, Gabriel embarked on the North American leg of his most recent tour to promote his upcoming record I/O (initials for Input/Output). The Toronto show was on a weeknight, but we caught his Saturday night show in Ottawa which gave us the opportunity of making a weekend of it with my dad who lives in nearby Manotick.

Gabriel worked, for the second time, with Canadian stage director Robert LePage and each song was built around projected set pieces that celebrated visual artists. It was stunning and, as my wife commented on the drive home, "it had a level of sophisticated maturity that few artists would dare to attempt".

Indeed it had. Gabriel, now in his early 70s, was inviting us to connect with the fragile beauty and, sometimes, terrifying perils of life that have been an artistic preoccupation of his for more than 50 years.

A shot from the Ottawa performance of Gabriel's September 9th show from our
seats at the back of the Canadian Tire Centre.

It was on that drive home that it struck me. Peter Gabriel and his music have been part of my life for more than 40 years. He “melted” into my attitudes, memories, emotions and experiences throughout my teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. I have seen him perform in five consecutive decades. He was 37 at that CNE concert in 1987 and 73 when we last shared a common space in Ottawa.

When I hear his music, I still feel the same excitement I had when listening to the Melt record in my bedroom at 14 years of age. He continues to make me think, reflect and want to be a better person.

You may have noticed that I said I saw Gabriel six times and I've only shared memories of five shows. There is one more concert I have not mentioned. In 1993, I saw The Secret World Tour at Toronto's Skydome (now Rogers Centre). I’ve decided to make that a separate post for publication later this week. It's one of my favourite concert stories of all time. Thanks for that indulgence.

The 500 - #374 - Siren - Roxy Music

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 374

Album Title: Siren
Artist: Roxy Music

Genre: Art Rock, Glam Rock, Art Pop
Recorded: AIR Studios, London
Released: October, 1975
My age at release: 10 (Guest blogger, Doug Hampson, was 16)
How familiar was I with it before this week: One Song
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Love Is The Drug

Last November, posted about album #396 on The 500, For Your Pleasure, by British Art Rock band Roxy Music. The post included a contribution from my long-time friend Bill Gudgeon who worked as an FM Radio disc jockey and band manager in the 1970s. Within minutes of the blog hitting my social media feed, I received a call from Doug, a friend I met 20 years ago through Bill.

Doug Hampson enjoying his favourite pasttime.

"I just read your Roxy Music post," Doug began, "I have a great story about that band." As he shared his tale with me, I quickly looked at The 500 List to discover that Roxy Music had another record, Siren, their fifth release, at position #374.

"Would you be willing to share that story next April, Doug?" I asked.

"Absolutely," he replied enthusiastically and, even through the phone line, I could imagine his face with the familiar grin my friends and I have all come to love from the guy we call "Dougie".  

Doug plying the waters of Ontario

From Doug:

On February 8, 1975, at the tender age of 16, I went to my first real concert. It was Roxy Music at the London Arena in London, Ontario. The only thing I knew about the group was the song Mother of Pearl from their third record, 1973's Stranded.

Album Cover for Stranded by Roxy Music (1973)

During the winter of 1975 I was a member of a local Boy Scout troop. Our fearless leader, Scout Master Larry, announced he was working security for the upcoming Roxy Music concert. He suggested that the concert would be an excellent outing for our troop and he would be able to monitor our safety while working at the show.

London Arena (1920) from The Western Archives

We couldn’t believe we were going to have this opportunity. We had to make preparations and began saving money in earnest. As luck would have it, we ended up with enough cash for our tickets, with money to spare. 

A partial ticket stub from the London show 

So, we did what most teenagers in the 1970s would do; we bought a bag of marijuana. One of the more experienced members of our group rolled the entire contents into doobies (marijuana cigarettes) and, after sneaking it past security, we each received three joints. 

With the passage of time, and perhaps those three joints, my memory about the event is a bit of a blur. However, I vividly remember the start of the show. The house lights dimmed and Roxy Music took the stage. The first five members were long-haired and freaky-looking. They went to their respective instruments and began playing. After a minute or two, out strolled a dashing man in a tuxedo. All I could think was, "Who the hell is this guy?"

Roxy Music (1975)

Then he started singing. What a voice! I later learned this was Bryan Ferry, founder, lead singer and principal songwriter for Roxy Music. But, I wasn't interested in details at the time; I was too busy having the time of my life on this "scout-sanctioned" outing. That feeling of excitement about live performances has never gone away. I still experience the same anticipation and electric delight when I attend a concert to this day.  Thanks, Larry.

More from me:

Roxy Music went on to release this week's album, Siren, eight months after the London performance. It featured one of their biggest hits, Love Is The Drug, which peaked at #2 in the UK and #3 in Canada. The video features Ferry dressed in a British air pilot's uniform, while sporting a gold and black eye-patch. This wasn't a fashion choice. Ferry had injured the eye a few days before the scheduled video shoot. Regardless, it created a buzz among Roxy Music devotees and many began to arrive at their concerts wearing the eye-patch as an accessory. 

Bryan Ferry in the Love Is A Drug video

Roxy Music released eight records between 1972 and 1982 before disbanding. Ferry continued with a successful solo career, while the other members found success with other bands. The group would reunite multiple times between 2001 and 2011 before declaring that they were disbanding permanently.

Roxy Music inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In 2014, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by John Taylor and Simon Le Bon of the group Duran Duran, who, like dozens of other artists, cite Roxy Music as a formative influence. 

Influential Albums - Day 3

This is an update from a post from June 20, 2018 

The Influential Album Challenge is circulating on Social Media platforms again. I have been asked to participate and am revisiting my picks from 2018. 

In March, 1980, I traveled by Greyhound bus to London, Ontario, to spend March Break with my dad who had secured a new job in advance of our family joining. It was my first opportunity to explore my future hometown.

London, Ontario (2012)

I had $30, earmarked for my favourite stuff -- video games, National Lampoon magazines and junk food. However, I knew I wanted to buy a Rush album. The villiage of Kingsville where I lived for five years only had one location that sold records, a small Five & Dime/pharmacy where the selection was limited. A rack near the counter had an assortment of current releases from which to choose. Although, it was mainly K-Tel compilations and Donna Summer's latest offering, a disco record that was ubiquitous that year. Certainly nothing as eclectic as Rush could be found in Kingsville.

K-Tel record from1980 - a mix of rock and disco

I had become fascinated with Rush's music after hearing the song Cinderella Man during a school dance. Anyone familiar with the song knows that this is not a dance track. However, 80s teen culture had embraced the “Disco Sucks!” movement, complete with T-shirts, so I suspect it had been requested by a student at the dance. 

A popular shirt worn by many high school students at the time.

My week in London was marvelous. Each morning, my dad and I would drive into downtown where he worked. Wandering the busy sidewalks was both overwhelming and liberating: video game arcades, bookstores, a half-dozen record sellers and a library (with more than one floor!) At fourteen, I was at the perfect age for this experience -- old enough to be independent and young enough to be untethered from responsibility.

I spent two days debating my record purchase, diligently comparing prices at Sam the Record Man, Mister Sound and the music section at both Eaton's & Simpsons' department stores. In a pre-internet age, it was a crash course in popular music. I absorbed all the available details as I flipped through hundreds of records, carefully examining cover art, track listings and dates.

Eventually, I settled on the live album All the World’s a Stage because, as a double album, it was the best value for the buck. After making my purchase, I went to the Central branch of the London Public Library and convinced the librarian to let me borrow headphones and use the record booth, despite having no library card or any form of identification. 

This is where I would spend much of the next three days. Plugged into a library turntable listening to both discs over and over again. As the band's first live release, it covered songs from their four initial albums. Consequently, it was a journey through the evolution of their music - from their 1974 debut to the 1976 release 2112. There were no lyrics in the liner, so I painstakingly tried to decipher each verse. Songs had names such as Bastille Day and Soliloquy ... clearly, there was some heady stuff going on here. 

I  loved the inner gatefold - it was amazing for a kid who had never seen a concert.

It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Rush. Eventually, I owned their entire catalogue on vinyl and I would see them perform many times -- including their final Toronto concert in June, 2015, on the R40 tour. 

The lyrics, the musicianship, the Canadianity of it all resonated with me. This record immediately transports me to a simpler, carefree time: shoving quarters into an arcade game, slugging a can of soda and walking to the library with my Rush record under my arm.