The 500 - #187 - Peter Gabriel Part Two

This is part two of my Peter Gabriel blog for the record So - originally posted on November 10, 2024.

In my previous blog, found here, I recounted five of the six times I saw Peter Gabriel perform live and saved the story of the sixth event for this post.

Gabriel’s sixth studio record, Us,was released in 1992 It had been a half dozen years since So, the critically acclaimed 1996 record that sold seven million copies and landed at #187 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2012 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The lyrics of So explored universal themes of faith, religion, materialism, consumerism, belonging, love and conformity. Us, by contrast, was much more personal for Gabriel, whose lyrics addressed his difficult divorce from his first wife, Jill Moore, in 1987, and the depression and therapy that followed. He also reflected on his relationship with Rosanne Arquette, who was an A-list actor in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Gabriel and Arquette.

The opening song on the album, Come Talk To Me, focuses on the growing distance between Gabriel and his teenage daughters during his marital difficulties It also features backing vocals from Irish singer Sinead O’Connor (#408 on The 500) with whom Gabriel had an on-again, off-again relationship throughout the ‘90s.

Gabriel and O'Connor

Although Gabriel released new music during this challenging time, his output was a mainly instrumental record – 1989’s Passion, which became the soundtrack for Martin Scorcese film, The Last Temptation of Christ. The music score was considered a landmark in the growing popularity of World Music and it won the Grammy Award in 1990 for best New Age Album. I absolutely loved it and it got me through many tedious shifts when at a box factory in the summer of 1989. My job was to fill a bailing machine with scrap cardboard that I gathered in a cart I pulled around the factory floor. I was one of the few employees allowed to wear headphones because I wasn’t operating a machine most of the time. Whenever I listen to Passion, I’m reminded of that mind-numbing, low-paying job. That September, I returned to the restaurant game and studied extra hard in school – factory work was decidedly not for me.

Album cover for Passion 

In early 1993, it was announced that Gabriel would be embarking on a massive world tour promoting the Us record. The ambitious gig was dubbed The Secret World Tour visiting 28 countries over 17 months. My friend Jeff and I snatched up a pair of tickets the day they went on sale for his June 26 concert in Toronto at the 50,000-seat Skydome (now Rogers Centre), which had opened four years earlier. The concert sold out quickly, but we secured two seats in the last row of the lower bowl, directly facing the stage. Jeff and I were also at our first Gabriel concert six years earlier at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds on my 22nd birthday.

To say we were excited about the upcoming performance is an understatement as Jeff and I were devoted fans of Gabriel and his former band, Genesis. We had collected nearly everything both singer and band had released, including the solo efforts from the various Genesis members. Together, we’d attended two Genesis concerts in Toronto (sans Gabriel) in 1996 and in 1992 – the first at the CNE grounds and the latter at Skydome.

Genesis on the We Can't Dance Tour (1992)

At the Skydome, we were gobsmacked by the elaborate stage and set design. We later learned that Gabriel had worked with Canadian artistic director Robert Lepage to create two platforms, one square and one circular, connected by a moving walkway. The subliminal message of the two stages was the interplay of tension and union between male and female forces.

Secret World Stage being constructed - pre-show.

In the early 90s, the McDonald’s franchise was heavily invested in the Skydome and the burger empire opened its 600th restaurant, a giant concession stand, on the main promenade, of the stadium’s lower bowl. Our seats were directly in front of the glowing yellow arches that became a problem when the concert began.

The opening song, Come Talk To Me, began with Gabriel inside a red British phone booth on the square “male” stage. His duet partner, the incredibly talented Paula Cole, appeared at the centre of the round “female” stage some 20 metres away. Gabriel emerged from the booth, singing into a headset microphone but giving the illusion he was singing into the telephone. As he moved closer and closer to Cole, the telephone line stretched out behind him. Ever the theatrical performer, Gabriel struggled and strained as he attempted to close the distance between himself and Cole, who served as a metaphoric representation of his daughter. It was a powerful opening number that physically and emotionally captured the pain Gabriel felt as a father who, due to his extensive touring schedule, struggled to maintain a connection with his daughters – often talking only briefly over the telephone, an arrangement that became rarer as the girls grew older and more independent.

Gabriel approaching Cole during Come Talk To Me.

The song ends with Gabriel failing to bridge the final short distance in order to reach out and touch Cole as he is pulled back to the booth along the moving walkway, resisting the inevitable drama of hanging up the phone in the red booth. A video of the song from the 1994 DVD of the concert can be found here.

The glow from the neon yellow arches was an impediment to the emotional tension of the duet, despite an attempt to block the distracting light with a black curtain. The effect was to wash the stage lighting in a yellow haze. No sooner had the song ended than I sprang up from my seat, not saying a word to Jeff, and bolted for the box office I had noticed on our arrival. 

There was no line up and I quickly explained the situation to the clerk who was pleasant and sympathetic to my complaint.  She reached into a drawer and offered me a replacement ticket … “It's for the first row,” she said, smiling.  

Elation tempered as I remembered Jeff, still awash in that sickly yellow haze and likely perplexed about my sudden departure. “I’m with a friend,” I said, hopefully.

She returned the front row ticket to the drawer and said, “I’ve got two together, but I will need the other ticket.” 

Earning my everlasting gratitude, she locked up the booth and accompanied me back to where Jeff was seated. At this point, Gabriel was performing Steam, a song that had hit #1 on the Canadian charts the previous January. It is an up-tempo number, so the crowd was swaying, many standing and singing along. I leaned into our row and beckoned Jeff to come with me, but he ignored me. And concert-goers behind me were getting irritable at having their view of the on-stage action blocked – as if the yellow haze wasn’t enough. I grabbed Jeff’s arm and, with strident urgency, said: “Jeff, trust me, let’s go!”  Thankfully, he relented and, with a confused look on his face, followed me and the ticket agent down toward the stage. I told him to turn over his ticket.  She handed over replacement tickets and at the end of the long walk, pointed to two seats in the second row of the round, “female” stage – about two metres from Ms. Paula Cole.

The replacement ticket I received, notice the price is $0.00

The reality of what had just happened began to dawn on Jeff, who turned to me with a wide grin and proffering an outstretched arm for an appreciative handshake – which I accepted vigorously.

The rest of the show was spectacular and I encourage people to watch the live video. Filmed during his performance in Modelo, Italy, it has recently been remastered into 4K resolution. However, a good version is available on YouTube for free. Needless to say, it remains my favourite Peter Gabriel concert and is certainly in the Top Three shows I have ever seen.

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. 

---

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 - #388 - The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto - Various Artists

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's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 388

Album Title: The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Mbaqanga, Maskanda, Mqashiyo and Isicathamiya
Recorded: Various (Compiled on Earthworks Label)
Released: 1985 (Recorded 1981-1985)
My age at release: 20
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify: Qhule Manikiniki

Although it highlights the work of dozens of black, South African artists, this album was conceived and compiled by two white South African's living in Britain, Trevor Herman and Jumbo Vanrenen. 

The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto - album cover

The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto covers four styles of music (Mbaqanga, Maskanda, Mqashiyo and Isicathamiya) that were popular in the South Western Township of Johannesburg, hence the term SOWETO. 

Soweto in north west South Africa

When this record was released, this township was an impoverished, segregated region on the outskirts of the Johannesburg. At the time, South Africa was governed a form of institutionalized racial segregation in place since 1948, called Apartheid. Politically, socially and economically the country was controlled by the nation's minority white population. However, it in the crowded shanty-towns and matchbox-houses of Soweto that rhythmic, uptempo Zulu-inspired music flourished. For the inhabitants, it was a source of pride, escape, pleasure and discreet rebellion.

Soweto - mid 1980s

Mbaqanga (Mm-ba-kan-ga), the main style on the record, is a Zulu word for cornmeal porridge. Indeed, the sound is a delightfully infectious hodge-podge of percussion, jangly guitars, bright brass orchestration, singing and chanting with an African jazz influence. Words don't capture the wonderful sounds of the record. As the adage goes:

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."

It is a bright, energetic, effervescent sonic concoction. However, many of the songs have a sneaky, subversive message -- a  euphonious rebellion for the disenfranchised masses. 

I stumbled on the South African sound at a young age. In 1980, at 15, I moved to London, Ontario, from a rural farming community 200 kilometres away. I was enthralled by the facilities of a "big" city, with its public transportation and a downtown library that provided limitless inexpensive opportunity.

London's former Central Library 

The availability of books was only part of my joy; the library had stacks of records, including new releases, and readily accessible headset-listening booths.

That first autumn, I took the bus to the library from my new high school and spotted a record from musician Peter Gabriel. It was his latest release and, although untitled, is often dubbed Melt because of the image on the album cover depicting Gabriel's partially liquefying face. (See Below)

The final track was Biko, a song that (I would later learn) opens and closes with a chorus featuring two South African folk songs, Ngomhla Sibuyayo (When We Return) and Senzenai Na? (What Have We Done?). The haunting and ethereal sound, juxtaposed against Gabriel's modern instrumentation, was riveting.  

The liner noted that this was anti-apartheid, protest song and eulogy for South African activist Bantu Steven Biko who died brutally in police custody in 1977. I had so many questions: 

What was apartheid? 

Who was Biko? 

Why did he die in police custody?

In a time before Google searches, gathering information about this event required deep-digging. However, I was in a library where the staff had come to know me by name and were eager to assist.

Slowly, I learned of the injustice that had been done to Biko and the atrocities that continued to be perpetrated on the black, South African majority. In a time before the phrase "woke" was coined I learned much about Biko and Apartheid. 

Sometimes, my research came from scattered news reports or articles in magazines. However, it was the power of music bared the injustices of black Africa to the world, through artists such as Gabriel, Simple Minds, U2. They became part of the growing grassroots Boycott Apartheid Movement.

Guitarist Steven van Zandt brought the campaign into mainstream conversation. In 1985, he assembled a collection of famous musicians (Gabriel, Bono, Ringo Star, Keith Richards, Miles Davis and Bruce Springsteen) under the name Artists United Against Apartheid to release the song Sun City. 

Sun City record - released 1985

The gravitas of these individuals, many of whom are on The 500 multiple times, brought Apartheid into mainstream conversation in North America, and thus began a global movement that would end the rampant discrimination in 1994, culminating in the election of black hero Nelson Mandela as president.

The heart of this story is the Zulu-sound, and The Indestructible Beat of Soweto is a fantastic entry point for any new listener.

 

The 500 - #465 - The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

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

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 465

Album Title: 69 Love Songs
Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Released: September, 1999
My age at release: 34
How familiar am I with it: I knew one song
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: A Chicken with its Head Cut Off
Great Lyric:
I could listen to all my friends and go out again
And pretend it's enough or I could make a career of being blue
I could dress in black and read Camus
Smoke clove, cigarettes and drink Vermouth
Like I was 17, that would be a scream but, I don't want to get over you
(I Don't Want to Get Over You)

In my last post, I acknowledged that multiple listens to Coldplay's 2002 effort A Rush of Blood to the Head failed to alter my opinion of it. It was just...okay. This week, I am happy to report that 69 Love Songs grew on me with each listen.

This 1999 record was conceived by The Magnetic Fields' front-man Stephin Merrit while listening to a pianist play Stephen Sondheim songs in a Manhattan bar. Originally, he intended to write 100 love songs but settled on 69 - three volumes of 23 released on a triple CD set. I have to admire his ambition. After all, I have committed to 465 more blog posts about The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Merrit is clear in his purpose - these are not love songs. They are songs about love songs written from different points of view and covering multiple genres. There are country, synth-pop, free jazz, ballads and even banjo & ukulele novelty tunes. These are love songs about the madness of new romance...the monotony of monogamy...the joy of life-long commitment...the torment of unfaithfulness and the pain of loss. A love song by a girl to a girl from a male's perspective or another song about an unfaithful partner who is represented metaphorically as a dog whose leash is too long.

The only song I knew was The Book of Love, which I first heard on Peter Gabriel's 2010 release Scratch My Back. We were fortunate to be able to see him perform it live in May of 2010 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is one of my favourite concert memories of the past decade. It was my first time using StubHub and I spent a little extra to secure first row tickets on the first balcony - an absolutely perfect position from which to see one of my favourite performers with a full orchestra.

Then, in 2015, the same song was re-purposed with comedic brilliance in an episode of South Park called Tweek x Craig. Consequently, whenever I hear it I feel a full swath of emotions. It is an beautiful version that immediately pulls on my heartstrings and makes me want to find and hold my wife. However, it also makes me want to laugh.

There are so many wonderful bits of poetry scattered throughout this record. It was difficult to choose a favourite. I encourage you to give Volume 1 a listen with headphones on and the printed lyrics available. If you like that - continue the journey.

Influential Album Day 6

Day 6

This is the sixth post in a series of ten documenting the albums I consider influential. My first post, found here, provides some insight into the rationale behind this journey. The first album I selected was the Soundtrack to Oliver, which I discovered in 1973 at about age 8. My second choice can be found here and was The Cars Debut album. The third selection was All the World's A Stage from Canadian band Rush (found here). The fourth, Duran Duran's Rio is (here) and the firth, Pink Floyd's Wish you were Here is (here).

When I first learned of this challenge, I knew that a record from this group of musicians needed to be selected. As I am typing the opening sentences to this composition, I have still not settled on the single LP I will select. The story today covers about 6 years, culminating in 1986.

In 1980, I discovered the band Genesis through the album Duke. I loved everything about the sound on this album - the lyrics (the fictional story of Albert), the drumming, the keys. In particular, it seemed to bridge a gap between both progressive rock and the pop music. It was high level musicianship fused with catchy melodies.

About the same time, I heard Games Without Frontiers from Peter Gabriel’s third album (Sometimes called Melt). My buddy “Cease” was the first person to tell me that Peter Gabriel used to be in Genesis. Thus, my journey to discover everything that these two bands had to offer began. I made weekly trips to both the library and Dr. Disc (a used record store) buying or borrowing everything in the catalogue.

The most interesting discovery was the album A Trick of the Tail (1978). The cover of the LP had been painted by a student at my first high school (Kingsville) and was displayed, without the title, in the cafeteria. I had looked at it for a year - loving it, but not knowing what it was.

Between about 1981 and 1986, I was Genesis obsessed. I eventually owned everything in their standard discography as well as a few bootleg, UK and rare releases. My favourite was my Spot the Pigeon EP on blue vinyl. It now goes for over $50 on EBay, so I regret letting that one go.

I still like everything (in varying degrees) by Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett & Collins - even No Jacket Required - it’s those horns! These LPs (from 1969 - 1986) are a deeply ingrained soundtrack to my life from age 15 - 21. The releases after were equally important - particularly the Secret World Live release from the tour I saw in 1993. It was video cassette that was really the start (genesis) to the phenomenon of “Hodgyvision”.

"Hodgyvision is the nickname my friends and I give to shared video watching - usually over cocktails. It began in the days of VHS and we would bring our cassettes cued-up with videos of live performances, comedians or any strange television fodder. It eventually morphed into DVD's & PVR recordings and now we all use our SmartPhones to cast YouTube clips through Smart TV's. Technology making our lives immeasurably easier!" 

In the summer of 1996, one week apart, Peter Gabriel’s So & Genesis’ Invisible Touch were at #1 on the charts. It was one of the few times that an artist that I loved was commercially popular - and I had mixed feelings about it.

On my 22nd birthday, July 11, 1997, my buddy Cease and I saw Peter Gabriel play live at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. I remember meeting a guy in the beer tent with a Genesis Nursery Crime concert shirt on. He seemed old - but was probably only in his early 30’s.  When you are 22 - everyone over 30 seems old. He had seen multiple incarnations of the all the bands we loved and he regaled us with stories. Ironically, I realize that I am doing the same right now! 

This concert was also one of the last times that Peter would perform his "Faith Fall" backwards in to the audience so he could be passed around by fans during the climax of Lay Your Hands on Me. I was in the throng near the front and that moment was the closest thing I had to an evangelical experience. See it from the same tour in Athens here (at about the 6:00 mark). In the end, I didn't get close enough - the crowd bowed and swayed and he was carried off to my right surprisingly quickly. Regardless, it was a surreal experience that punctuated the powerful energy a determined group of humanity can achieve.

With so much to choose from, it is tough to narrow this down - but that moment felt like a summit, so, I guess I am settling on So - to summarize a 38 year relationship with all things Genesis!