h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Although his later studio albums became a bit dull (OVO is dreadful) Peter Gabriel is, IMHO, one of the great live artists. Definitely recommend his concert film PoV (Point of View) which includes such magnificent episodes as PG swinging right out over the audience on a rope swing, his mad dance with Youssou during In Your Eyes (hysterically funny and exciting at the same time) and Lay Your Hands On Me, where he stands with his back to the audience and falls back into their arms for a bit of celebrity crowd surfing. That must take some bloody nerve.

I was lucky enough to go to the very first WOMAD festival, which was a commercial flop but as entertaining as anything I've ever seen since. Peter Gabriel played with the likes of Stewart Copeland on drums, L Shankar on electric violin and Peter Hammill on guitar - but to top it all, he got the Drummers of Burundi on stage for Biko. Man, that sends shivers down my spine even now.

Yeah, I found OVO to be pretty disappointing: whereas all his other albums have required considerable effort not to play constantly, I've played OVO about five times, and have found each time pretty much an effort.

Pity, because Passion is great, and they're both similarly empty of traditional 'songs'.

Still, Gabriel's a corker, and one duff album doesn't change my opinion that he's one of the great artists in the modern music scene. Damn fine entry, too.

Thanx.

I will keep an eye out for new threads on this article.

TM.

He'd better watch out for MY sledgehammer, talentless has-been.

Please be positive or don't be. It's the h2g2-philosophy.

peter gabriel and friends gave me one of the best shows its ever been my pleasure to attend soundwise plus thegeneral vibes of my fellow concert goers.the sound job was amazeing this being at a semi outdoors venue,the merriweatherpostpavilion.trespass is perhaps my favorite genisus releaseand likewise they have given an excellent show on the three times ive been able to cacth them live.must say my favorite sets of these were when theywent into older lambliesdown and before that set lists.thankyou much for the entry some may say they sold out on the later releases i think they deserved the money they have made from the pop stuff.trick of the tail is one of albums ever imho.they started the whole concept album thing

"Apologies" to TowelMaster - I thought this was an open forum for debate, not a mutual gratification sychophantic society!

Ah well - I guess that just the h2g2 "philosophy"

Nob'ed

Be fair Livzy, I did not know much about him, but 'talentless' is obviously untrue, he has done some amazing things, and he deserves loadsa credit for the WOMAD thing Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

OK

Fair enough.

I'll give him the WOMAD thingy.

He's just not to my taste, that's all!

By the way - BCNU?
What?
Translation please!

Say each letter out loud, and think of The Prisoner, or Bester from B5 Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Livzy,

Let me express myself a bit more precise.

h2g2 is indeed a forum to vent your own personal opinion, so it's quite allright to disagree with other researchers.

Now - although I cannot keep anyone from doing so - saying "he sucks" or something like that is not really a forum-entry. Why don't you elaborate and post just WhY you think he is "A talentless has-been" ?

That is what I referred to as being the 'h2g2-philosophy', not censorship. If there was to much of that I would have quit h2g2 a long time ago...

Later,

TM.

Laughing loudly at people who call Uncle Pete "talentless"...he is possibly the most underrated musician around at the moment. Because his records don't sell in terms of coldplay or keane does not mean he is talentless. Always with an eye on the normal, but with an unusual perception, Gabriel continues to astound/surprise/thrill many of us. Live shows in the UK may be undersubscribed, but they do the thing for me! Maybe he's just not meeting people's needs in a time when interest rates are low, Geldolf is big in the news about G8/poverty, but there will always be a need for the music PG supplies, it's real, it's meaningful and above all it is important.
Talentless, be buggered...the most inventive, adventurous artist our time will not be credited with anything (apart from the Sledge video) until eyes,ears and hearts are opened.
I rest my case!

One of the best things that Phil Collins has done for music was giving Peter the drum pattern for Intruder.

I saw Peter in concert in 1980 (possibly '79) and the concert started with that drum pattern. It seemed to go on for ages but yet was over too quickly. Just the drums going doom, boom, doom, boom, boom, doom, it has to be the best opening to a concert I have seen.

He did that laying back into the audience bit then though I wasn't close enough to participate in that.
It seems he has always felt the need to have as much contact with his audience as possible.


And yes, I agree that he is a very underated talent.