What a coincidence: we had a family pizza dinner today and our son brought up the task: What are your 5 favourite Peter Gabriel songs? He, my wife and me all had a different list. PG is just special. Spoiler alert: your marathon today had 4 favourites of my wife and my son in it. We have tickets for Peter live in Cologne in June, and I'm looking forward to hear old ans new songs: The new stuff is amazing too.
Got tickets for London, and what I love about Pete is I have no clue about how the concert will be presented. Def one of the most interesting composers working during my lifetime.
I personally loved when Shock the monkey came out... I'm older...it was in a era when music was evolving into something very different and as a alternative music listener I loved it. I listened to everything but bands like The Talking Heads and Oingo Boingo ... just examples ..we're trying something new and Peter Gabriel was right there....thank you I have much love for this era not to say I don't enjoy a array of music I enjoy a lot of music but this era was an experience for the times. Love your reaction❤ it's really a great thing that this music is kept alive for future generations. Peter Gabriel is fantastic in any era so great music marathon😊
I am so happy to hear such epic songs. I like Genesis❤️ But I am a Peter Gabriel FREAK. I listened to all these songs on Repeat back in the day. Great stuff. These songs stood apart from the rest in the 80’s and 90’s. ❤️❤️❤️
Nick, you commented on the bass in "Shock The Monkey", that's actually Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick. He's a master of the Stick, with Gabriel and of course King Crimson and so many other recordings. Great work as always!
Peter's lyrics are never meaningless but are usually Metaphorical. Peter himself says that "Shock the Monkey" is about how jealousy is released when we fall in love, the metaphorical monkey being said jealousy.
@@mvunit3 Not sure if intentional, but you are also referencing Genesis song 'Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'. Being good friends, I am sure Peter and Phil listened to each other's music. Maybe Peter sparked an idea, if only subconsciously.
@@kbrewski1His lyrics are seldom literal but are usually a metaphor. I don't know what TTT means but perhaps ridding oneself of jealousy is like trying to quit a drug habit or getting a monkey off one's back. Nevertheless, the explanation I gave came from Peter Gabriel himself.
Peter Gabriel is truly an amazing musician! Very happy for you to reacting to this! You should also listen to the new songs he's releasing now. He releases one song each full moon untill the tour this year. Untill now he has released 3 songs; "Panopticom", "The Court" and "Playing for time".
Thank you for this! Peter is to die for. I know this word is over used but he’s a genius & went where no one else before. I have tickets to see him. After all these years he’s still relevant with a huge audience. No one had ever heard music like his before. The opening lines are French for Games Without Frontiers. Pop!!!! No way. He never wrote a Pop song. The songs were just so innovative they became hits. His lyrics absolutely mean something. So many metaphors.
Thanks Nick for this marathon reaction to my favourite artist. His style is so unique and his music always touched me on a deeply personal level. Maybe because we share the same birthday, February the 13th 😄. But seriously...I had the pleasure seeing him live three times and those concerts were a lifetime experience. One of the greatest musicians of all times. p.s.: His lyrics ALWAYS have a meaning 😉
Glad to bring you full circle, Nick! I saw that PG is going on tour for the first time in a decade, and decided it was time to revisit. Very hard to pick the songs! There are so many that are just as good as these - Solsbury Hill, San Jacinto, Don’t Give Up, Big Time, Steam, and many more.
When I purchased "melt" and played it all the way through I was pleasantly surprised to hear Kate's vocals on two tracks including 'Games Without Frontiers". Regarding the song, just to give you some background a show originated in France (I think) which was a Television show where rival villages competed against each other taking part in silly games called "Jeux sans frontiers" Now, the idea became very popular and spread across Euripe, each country having their own televised local competitions, it then expanded in a competition where the winning villages/towns from each country competed to a European champion. The English name for the TV show was "It's A Knockout" So Peter Gabriel compares the arms race/war (nuclear) to that game show. Now Kate collaboration on his album, proved to be key, since Kate became aware of the Fairlight CMI, which she started to use on her 3rd studio album "Never For Ever" and to even greater effect on "The Dreaming" and the "Hounds Of Love". BTW "Shock The Monkey" has a great music video, I remember first seeing it on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" on BBC2...
A bona fide genius and a great guy. I'd ague that he has done more than anyone else in popular music to introduce to western ears the exoticisms, mysteries, and delights of non-western sounds and (by extension) non-western culture. He has basically spoon-fed us snippets of artists like Youssou N'Dour, Nusrat Fateh Al Khan, and Yungchen Lhamo by featuring them in his own compositions and affording them the opportunity to enchant us in person via his own music festivals.
Peter knew he had to live with his lyrics so he took pains to get them to his standards. It's why he has years 'tween releases. Nailed doors were his nemesis. Also, check out Synergy for state of the art synths of the time. He did Pete's keys back then. He also toured with Levin and one song of his was performed live and recorded to disk, "Phobos and Demos go to Mars".
Gabriel's long time bassist is Tony Levin.....that is why the bass is always so good. He is another genius. Formerly with King Crimson and a session player for some of the biggest names in rock music over many decades. Has his own band Stick Men.
Thanks Nick and JK, a marathon of Peter Gabriel, an absolute hero of mine, made all the more so after leaving Genesis and then producing a string of albums that are so unique, so utterly Gabrielesque! Every track's a winner, a kind of beginner's guide to PG perhaps, but that's not a criticism at all as it's an introduction to the treasures within every album. Brilliant.
Love Peter Gabriel. Some fun facts about the Melt album. No cymbals. Peter asked Phil to be expressive using other tools but banned cymbals for this album. During the recording of the drums they accidentally stumbled upon the gated drum sound that took over drum recording in the 80's.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this already but Peter's melt album was recorded completely without the use of cymbals and was the first of its kind or at least I believe it was. Peter's next album was also largely recorded that way if not completely.
Steve Lilliwhite produced it, and Hugh Padgham was engineer. Peter took Phil Collins’ cymbals away, knowing his tendency toward them. They also compressed the hell out of the toms. A great sound.
@@mikedonoghues4018 I believe it was also while recording that album that an overhead microphone was accidently left on which created that Phil Collins drum sound he used on In The Air Tonight and the rest was history. I believe that was while recording the track Intruder.
Oddly enough, my favorite lyric is from the end of Sledgehammer, "Chauffeur me, I will chauffeur you." I absolutely adore that double meaning, playing on the phonetic, "Show me yours, I'll show you mine."
Pete is such an artist. You can’t pin him down. Leaving Genesis allowed him to be able to create and grow. I was able to see him early in his solo career in small venues before he got real popular. Sucked that I couldn’t get close to him anymore but I was happy for his success.
PG is such a genius! He totally caught you off guard with Sledgehammer, it's a friggin sex song! LOL "Show me 'round your fruit cage / 'Cause I will be your honey bee / Open up your fruit cage / Where the fruit can be sweet as can be", "I wanna be your sledgehammer" is just a classier way of saying "I wanna pound you till you break". The whole video is full of sexual cues as well, it starts with a microscope video of sperm being pumped through the seminal conducts, not very subtle! And that's where the whole rhythm starts... "Please, show for me (show for me) / Huh, I will show for you / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do mean you (show for me)" and those brass sections, plus Tony's amazing bass. Go back to it with this new perspective, "I've been feeding the rhythm / I've been feeding the rhythm (show for you) / It's what we're doing, doing All day and night (show for me) / Come on, come on, help me do / Come on, come on, help me do (show for you) / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you (show for me)" it's all so darn sexy! Digging in the dirt is such a beautiful song about introspection and healing "I'm digging in the dirt to find the places I got hurt, to open up the places I got hurt". US, the album after SO, is a collection of songs about human relationships, including relationship to oneself. Peter takes so much time to work his music, several years later came UP - about personal growth. Many of his songs have been a profound lesson to help me grow. Shock the monkey - I've always thought it was quite straightforward, about animal cruelty in labs and mankind's lack of compassion for animals an primates. Maybe because I heard it in the context of the movie Project X where it appeared. But it also probably has a metaphorical meaning. PS: I'm a bilingual fan of your (and Lex's) channel, keep the good stuff coming!
Great choices to sample Peter's amazing solo catalog, JK. Peter Gabriel should be knighted if only for his selfless global humanitarian work, let alone his contributions to music, culture and technology. Everyone should read some part of his bio. You mentioned his amazing vocal range and control. Peter's use of language and his clever wordplay are always fascinating, although after 50-some years listening to him, I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of a few of his lyrics. Like Jon Anderson, much of Peter's use of language is meant to complement the music rather than make sense to the casual listener. It's always good to hear progressive rock and jazz fusion on your channel. Please listen to Family (with John Wetton) performing "Between Blue and Me." Family's Roger Chapman was an early influence on Peter's vocal style.
"Jeux sans frontieres" is the chorus, and the title in French. The official Music Video was a hit on MTV and sort of gives meaning to the lyrics, sort of a parody of the concept that International Sports Competition would put an end to War. Loved PG and so much of the '80s music. Glad you hit Red Rain. The official music video for SLEDGEHAMMER won all sorts of awards.
Gabriel is among a very small class of artists like Prince, Bowie, and David Byrne, who found a way to combine catchy pop tunes with truly cutting edge avant-garde ideas.
People my age have been so blessed to listen to these fine musicians as their material hit the airways originally. I'm glad you and others your age are discovering the fine productions of the 70s and early 80s.
I got to see Peter Gabriel in about 1993 or '94 on his World of Music Art and Dance (WOMAD) tour at Buckeye Lake Music Center east of Columbus OH. It was an all-day festival and the acts included Jah Wobble, James, The Drummers of Burundi, Crowded House (!!!), and many more. The opening act for Peter Gabriel was the then-brand-new Lenny Kravitz (!!!) doing material from Are You Gonna Go My Way which was spectacular. Then PG came out and it was mostly material from So and US. He had Bill Bruford on drums, Tony Levin on bass and Chapman stick. Sinead O'Connor came out and did a duet, needless to say, in all the years since I have not been to a show that tops it.
Such an enjoyable marathon- thanks to JK and Nick! We finally got our turntable working again, so I'll be pulling out all my solo Gabriel records, now that my appetite has been whetted! I won't repeat what others have said, which I also thought about during the reaction, just that I look forward to more PG solo songs!!❤️ 🎵❤️🎵 Debbie
There is no voice like Peter Gabriel's. I've been a big fan of his since I first heard him on the Genesis album "Selling England by the Pound" back in the mid 70s. I had the pleasure of meeting and briefly talking to Peter at an after party when I saw him in concert in Miami back in the 1990s. One of my brothers knew the concert promoter at the time, so that's how we got into the party.
Thanks for the reaction. I was in high school when MELT came out. I thought Peter was singing "she's so funky now," but it is actually Kate Bush singing "games without frontiers" in French. After hearing this album I got his first 2 albums, all the old Genesis, and all his subsequent albums.!
"Games Without Frontiers" was way ahead of its time. Many mainstream radio stations wouldn't touch it, so you had to tune into "alt/indie" rock stations to hear it. But it was his breakthrough solo effort. "Shock the Monkey" was released a fair time ahead of the PG IV album, and further cemented PG's stature as the coolest weird pop star around (Nick, PG was doing better in Germany than anywhere else at the time and recorded a German version of this song called "Schock den Affen"!) And of course everybody recognizes these two songs for their innovative production and sound world: minimal guitar, mostly voice, bass, percussion (no cymbals!), and synths. "Red Rain" to me showcases PG as a singer as much as a composer (plus Tony Levin is pretty awesome all over it.) My problem with "Sledgehammer" is that it's basically fan service to the soul singers PG idolized as a kid. Yeah, the video was fun, but I don't really need to ever hear it again. Plus it makes me think of David Bowie's Let's Dance album. No thanks. I prefer "Digging in the Dirt", which sounds more honestly like Peter Gabriel to me.
Music and sounds like a fabulous meal when your senses are heightened to taste, so many exquisite sensations. Thanks J.K. and Nick. These albums gave my headphones a workout back in the day. Cheers
I love what Gabriel did right after leaving Genesis. Very different, often odd and unique! He's always loved percussive world music & tribal influences. That's because Gabriel is a drummer at heart, FYI! Tony Levin (80's KC) often carries the bottoms with great bass & Chapman Stick. (HEY BTW YOU DON"T DO MUCH KING CRIMSON.) Even his very commercial big powerful danceable big Hits maintained his cool vibe. And he killed it on those Videos! He's never lost his creative force throughout all the decades. ALSO Peter helped introduced the mainstream world to Senegal's YOUSSOU N'DOUR who was one the top African Musicians at the time (Saw YN'D many times live). He's a pure force all his own in Senegalese WOLOF music with a voice that sores to the heavens.
It’s been decades since I’ve heard Digging in the Dirt for one reason only, I thought it was titled Red Rain; no interwebs then and hadn’t thought to try looking it up since. Pleasantly surprise to run across it today. I won’t forget to remember again.
Great series of reactions, after having been away for a while. I remember the great anticipation of Gabriel’s first solo album, and he hasn’t let us down through the years. His temperament and approach to instrumentation was already alive and waiting for the 80’s techno era to arrive. He had a large effect on what would come, and he did so in the mid 70’s.
Great marathon fellers! Peter, like Fripp and probably Kate Bush, studied the works of Gurdjieff, and some of the thought come out in songs, like "No Self Control" and "I Don't Remember". Fripp's "Heptaparaparshinokh" is undeniably attributable to the wise mystic. In fact one song Peter and Fripp both released, "Here Comes the Flood" contains, in Robert's version, an audio of JG Bennett, a direct student of Gurdjieff, and father of my friend, Cindy, warning of the climate crisis we are now witnessing. It was released of Fripp's "Exposure" album, in 1980, when those of us in the Court of the Crimson King first learned about oceans rising and etc. "In 40 years" he says, "maybe sooner". All versions of that song are worth reviewing. Peter's film music and work with WOMAD is most outstanding. Peace and love. Greetings to the wife and Marl. -db-
Gabriel wrote that his favourite version of Here Comes the Flood was the track as recorded on “Exposure”. I do like the Bob Ezrin produced version on PG1. It’s strange, because Gabriel also is very downbeat about PG2 - produced by Fripp. I love it, but it’s very stripped back after the arguably overblown but certainly orchestral PG1.
@@mikedonoghues4018 I love all versions I've heard, in a bittersweet way. It would be hard to choose just one, and so glad we don't have to...just yet!!!! :) I was flooded out in 2007, and California is having one as we speak. We are slow to learn.
Loved PG for as long as I can remember. For "Games Without Frontiers" I lost count of how many people I had to tell "You don't know what he's singing because its in French". Also, you got a sub from me.
One day back in 1986, Philadelphia radio station (I think WMMR) had a DJ who after every song ended it with with zoeter singing that final Red Rain. So it would sound like, "And she's buying a stairway to heaven. Red rain."
I was always a bit disturbed by the lyrics of “ Digging In The Dirt”, but just did a lookup about it that explains what he was on about. For some reason Peter was studying about murderers and why they do it. He was learning about “ what murderers have in common, the psychological makeup that unites them”.
Daniel Lanois... Now, that's a name to keep an eye on when appreciating Peter Gabriel... and the best albums from U2, Robbie Robertson,.. Check out his Acadie album 👍
If you haven't done his duet yet with Kate Bush "Don't Give Up", it's an absolute must listen. Well, since no one else mentioned it, Sledgehammer is one of the more explicit songs released. Every line is an innuendo.
@@theplanetruth LOL Good point. Gotta say though although he never says it, the lyrics leave little doubt. So not explicit? Like George Carlin said "Suggestive"?
Shock The Monkey feels full-bodied. Peter’s quirky hollow echo plays so well off the instruments. The track features Jerry Marotta on drums, David Rhodes on guitar, Tony Levin on bass, Larry Fast on prophet and backing vocals from Peter Hammier.
Gotta call out your "lyrics don't have a lot of meaning" comment... you're talking about Peter Gabriel, they always have a lot of meaning... Shock the Monkey is not about the literal... it's a song about jealousy. Peter's songs are usually never about the obvious.
Incredible set of tunes! Great reaction. Peter Gabriel is a musical genius. Only admiration and appreciation to this exquisite talent. Thank you. Keep it alive
Right after college, i spent some time as a DJ in an album rock station - I remember the 'Melt' LP very vividly. Turned me on to the more experimental side of new wave. His solo work is, in general, amazing. I would also recommend checking out a project he contributed to - the Afro-Celt Sound System. Good set, JK!
His core collaborators on most of his music (including this years I/O tour) are David Rhodes - Guitar, Tony Levin - Bass and Manu Katche - Drums, all of whom are incredibly good musicians. If you want to get a real sense of what he's about, #nicknlexrequest watch the video of 'In Your Eyes' from the Secret World Tour. Pure joy!!
"Digging In the Dirt"... After you watch the MTV video for the song, find the live version on YT, from the 1993 concert "Secret World Live". Watch the theatre geniuses Peter Gabriel and stage director Robert Lepage are, for how they recreate on a Rock stage the video's literal digging in dirt. I saw that tour in Los Angeles mere months after moving here from Canada. Amazing show. Just as theatrical as anything that Gabriel did with Genesis, but different all the same.
Hi Nik Great reaction to a wonderful song selection. Genesis is great, but the individual artists are also so wonderful. I am a fan of all of the individuals (Ok maybe not Mike and the Mechanics I,e Rutherford - and Phil only with Brand X ). I love Peter Gabriel and especially the early part of hs solo career. The song: Games Without Frontiers always has a special place in my heart. It starts out with "Jeux sans Frontiers: - sounds like ' she is so funkieee" : in English. The song is actualy based on a German TV program that I used to watch with my Grandfather in Germany (Siegen) as a special treat - it was on late. It was called "Spiel ohne Grenzen". `Check out Gabriels 3rd Album with German Vocals. Kinda cool and not bad at all. Into the Wire become " Durch den Draht" Love your Channel... of all of the 10 or so Reaction Channels I watch it has risen to the top in the last 12 months. Great stuff Peace Tom from Toronto
Shout out to Tony Levin on bass. Brilliant always. He played on Welcome To My Nightmare for Alice Cooper, was in King Crimson and his work here with Peter.
Great choices today --- I love that you included Red Rain --- I dont think Ive seen anyone react to it before you --- and its such a darn good song -- I used to sing it in my car ride home from work all the time back in the day
Very little airplay for Red Rain in 86 but his music video was played on mtv. He did perform it live at Live Aid and nailed it. I believe he had to follow Yoko Ono. She also, nailed it.
Love gabriel. Ozzy covered this. I was confused for a second when I heard his cover but it helped me realize that I'm not a complete weirdo. It's a universally good song! Thanks for the react!
Nick, como ya saben (vos y Lex) Peter se separo de Genesis en 1975, pero no se si saben que el 02/10/1982, toda la formación clásica de la banda (Hackett también apareció de sorpresa y toco 2 canciones) se reunió para un concierto único en Milton Keynes, Inglaterra, para ayudar a Peter que estaba con problemas económicos por causa de un festival organizado por Gabriel en conjunto con una organización llamada WOMAD y que fue un fracaso (por motivos extra musicales) en Julio de ese mismo año. De esta épica Reunión lamentablemente no hay video disponible, solo audio.
Strange how he has evolved - the music is quite different now. Tony Levin is his bass player of choice - also of KING CRIMSON and many other major bands. It’s brilliant how he can do some deep political song and make it catchy! Manu Katche is his amazing drummer. Peter would have been a great soul singer and intended to do a tribute album to soul but SLEDGEHAMMER ended up being the only obvious tribute. Contrast all this with his latest ruclips.net/video/6swOrAJGBWw/видео.html
Hi Nick, this is a great marathon. Love his albums. He does amazing live shows. In one he is walking upside down above the stage. I have this album "Melt" on vinyl in both English and in German. I do have to say the German version is better. He didn't just sing in German over the same mix. His music videos were on tv a lot during the 80's when music videos were particually big on rock shows like MTV. Shock the Monkey & Sledgehammer were big hits for Peter here in England. Nice list of tracks thankyou. Byee Jim X
Hi Nick, great marathon and you managed to mention three creative geniuses in quick succession, Gabriel, Bowie and Kate Bush! Some of my favourite tracks have already been mentioned so i will suggest The Rhythm of the Heat, Humdrum, And Through the Wire & Blood of Eden.
Peter Gabriel’s songs are perfection, but I can’t feel something’s missing without the music video. For those who grew up with MTV, sometimes it’s hard to separate the two from the whole.
What a coincidence: we had a family pizza dinner today and our son brought up the task:
What are your 5 favourite Peter Gabriel songs?
He, my wife and me all had a different list.
PG is just special.
Spoiler alert: your marathon today had 4 favourites of my wife and my son in it.
We have tickets for Peter live in Cologne in June, and I'm looking forward to hear old ans new songs: The new stuff is amazing too.
That's amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this story with us!!
Got tickets for London, and what I love about Pete is I have no clue about how the concert will be presented. Def one of the most interesting composers working during my lifetime.
@@steeleye2112 We're seeing him in Birmingham, It'll be an event!!
ruclips.net/video/EYnk8a--fXQ/видео.html
My list off the top of my head: Solsbury Hill, Here Comes the Flood, I Shoot into the Light, I Don't Remember, Kiss of Life.
Peter Gabriel was one of those few artists that could create something avant-garde-sounding and still make it catchy AF.
POW!!! Right there!
Is, not was! 😜Just about to release a new album. ruclips.net/video/gfje5GekbvI/видео.html
I personally loved when Shock the monkey came out... I'm older...it was in a era when music was evolving into something very different and as a alternative music listener I loved it. I listened to everything but bands like The Talking Heads and Oingo Boingo ... just examples ..we're trying something new and Peter Gabriel was right there....thank you I have much love for this era not to say I don't enjoy a array of music I enjoy a lot of music but this era was an experience for the times. Love your reaction❤ it's really a great thing that this music is kept alive for future generations. Peter Gabriel is fantastic in any era so great music marathon😊
Kate Bush sings vocals on Games Without Frontiers.
He's on tour.
I would love to see him live!
Legend.
Kate sings “Jeux sans frontières”, the title in French.
Shock the Monkey does have lots of meaning. It is about jealousy as introduced by Peter prior to performing it live in Athens
I am so happy to hear such epic songs. I like Genesis❤️ But I am a Peter Gabriel FREAK. I listened to all these songs on Repeat back in the day. Great stuff. These songs stood apart from the rest in the 80’s and 90’s. ❤️❤️❤️
Well said Scott
Nick, you commented on the bass in "Shock The Monkey", that's actually Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick. He's a master of the Stick, with Gabriel and of course King Crimson and so many other recordings. Great work as always!
Peter's lyrics are never meaningless but are usually Metaphorical. Peter himself says that "Shock the Monkey" is about how jealousy is released when we fall in love, the metaphorical monkey being said jealousy.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
. . . the "monkey on your back" I guess 😉.
@@mvunit3 Not sure if intentional, but you are also referencing Genesis song 'Tonight, Tonight, Tonight'. Being good friends, I am sure Peter and Phil listened to each other's music. Maybe Peter sparked an idea, if only subconsciously.
@@kbrewski1 True.
@@kbrewski1His lyrics are seldom literal but are usually a metaphor. I don't know what TTT means but perhaps ridding oneself of jealousy is like trying to quit a drug habit or getting a monkey off one's back. Nevertheless, the explanation I gave came from Peter Gabriel himself.
Peter Gabriel is truly an amazing musician! Very happy for you to reacting to this! You should also listen to the new songs he's releasing now. He releases one song each full moon untill the tour this year. Untill now he has released 3 songs; "Panopticom", "The Court" and "Playing for time".
Excellent artist and selection here! So glad to see Digging in the Dirt get some love!
Thank you for this! Peter is to die for. I know this word is over used but he’s a genius & went where no one else before. I have tickets to see him. After all these years he’s still relevant with a huge audience. No one had ever heard music like his before. The opening lines are French for Games Without Frontiers. Pop!!!! No way. He never wrote a Pop song. The songs were just so innovative they became hits. His lyrics absolutely mean something. So many metaphors.
That is Kate Bush singing "Jeux sans frontieres" on Games Without Frontiers.
Thanks Nick for this marathon reaction to my favourite artist. His style is so unique and his music always touched me on a deeply personal level. Maybe because we share the same birthday, February the 13th 😄. But seriously...I had the pleasure seeing him live three times and those concerts were a lifetime experience. One of the greatest musicians of all times.
p.s.: His lyrics ALWAYS have a meaning 😉
Kate Bush on the female vocals!
Glad to bring you full circle, Nick! I saw that PG is going on tour for the first time in a decade, and decided it was time to revisit. Very hard to pick the songs! There are so many that are just as good as these - Solsbury Hill, San Jacinto, Don’t Give Up, Big Time, Steam, and many more.
San Jacinto! ❤️
@@scottanderson8420 One of my absolute favorites from my favorite PG album!
Got to love a good whistling chorus!
When I purchased "melt" and played it all the way through I was pleasantly surprised to hear Kate's vocals on two tracks including 'Games Without Frontiers".
Regarding the song, just to give you some background a show originated in France (I think) which was a Television show where rival villages competed against each other taking part in silly games called "Jeux sans frontiers"
Now, the idea became very popular and spread across Euripe, each country having their own televised local competitions, it then expanded in a competition where the winning villages/towns from each country competed to a European champion.
The English name for the TV show was "It's A Knockout"
So Peter Gabriel compares the arms race/war (nuclear) to that game show.
Now Kate collaboration on his album, proved to be key, since Kate became aware of the Fairlight CMI, which she started to use on her 3rd studio album "Never For Ever" and to even greater effect on "The Dreaming" and the "Hounds Of Love".
BTW "Shock The Monkey" has a great music video, I remember first seeing it on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" on BBC2...
"It's almost like Kate Bush..." Dude, Kate was singing on that song!
A bona fide genius and a great guy. I'd ague that he has done more than anyone else in popular music to introduce to western ears the exoticisms, mysteries, and delights of non-western sounds and (by extension) non-western culture. He has basically spoon-fed us snippets of artists like Youssou N'Dour, Nusrat Fateh Al Khan, and Yungchen Lhamo by featuring them in his own compositions and affording them the opportunity to enchant us in person via his own music festivals.
Loved this so much Nick, please listen to 'Big Time' and Peter's live London performance of Wallflower, off the charts!
Peter knew he had to live with his lyrics so he took pains to get them to his standards. It's why he has years 'tween releases. Nailed doors were his nemesis.
Also, check out Synergy for state of the art synths of the time. He did Pete's keys back then. He also toured with Levin and one song of his was performed live and recorded to disk, "Phobos and Demos go to Mars".
Gabriel's long time bassist is Tony Levin.....that is why the bass is always so good. He is another genius. Formerly with King Crimson and a session player for some of the biggest names in rock music over many decades. Has his own band Stick Men.
@@kbrewski1 In Squire's absence.....fair enough!😀
Funny you mentioned Kate Bush -- Peter Gabriel was a mentor of Kate and in 1979 he was the special guest on her TV Christmas Special. He was fire 🔥
Peter is releasing his new album one song every full moon so there are 3 so far.
Panopticom
The Court
Playing For Time
Thanks Nick and JK, a marathon of Peter Gabriel, an absolute hero of mine, made all the more so after leaving Genesis and then producing a string of albums that are so unique, so utterly Gabrielesque! Every track's a winner, a kind of beginner's guide to PG perhaps, but that's not a criticism at all as it's an introduction to the treasures within every album. Brilliant.
Love Peter Gabriel. Some fun facts about the Melt album. No cymbals. Peter asked Phil to be expressive using other tools but banned cymbals for this album. During the recording of the drums they accidentally stumbled upon the gated drum sound that took over drum recording in the 80's.
Amazing marathon indeed! Thanks JK for this!
Not sure if anyone mentioned this already but Peter's melt album was recorded completely without the use of cymbals and was the first of its kind or at least I believe it was. Peter's next album was also largely recorded that way if not completely.
Steve Lilliwhite produced it, and Hugh Padgham was engineer. Peter took Phil Collins’ cymbals away, knowing his tendency toward them. They also compressed the hell out of the toms. A great sound.
@@mikedonoghues4018 I believe it was also while recording that album that an overhead microphone was accidently left on which created that Phil Collins drum sound he used on In The Air Tonight and the rest was history. I believe that was while recording the track Intruder.
Oddly enough, my favorite lyric is from the end of Sledgehammer, "Chauffeur me, I will chauffeur you." I absolutely adore that double meaning, playing on the phonetic, "Show me yours, I'll show you mine."
The videos are fine being long when the content is as good as this. These are 5 of my favourite songs so it was very enjoyable all the way through.
Family Snapshot is a must-listen! And Monkey is from his 4th album, Security. Shaking the Tree was a best of.
Agree re: Family Snapshot, long a favorite of mine as well. Hope someone requests that in the near future!
Pete is such an artist. You can’t pin him down. Leaving Genesis allowed him to be able to create and grow. I was able to see him early in his solo career in small venues before he got real popular. Sucked that I couldn’t get close to him anymore but I was happy for his success.
PG is such a genius!
He totally caught you off guard with Sledgehammer, it's a friggin sex song! LOL "Show me 'round your fruit cage / 'Cause I will be your honey bee / Open up your fruit cage / Where the fruit can be sweet as can be", "I wanna be your sledgehammer" is just a classier way of saying "I wanna pound you till you break". The whole video is full of sexual cues as well, it starts with a microscope video of sperm being pumped through the seminal conducts, not very subtle! And that's where the whole rhythm starts... "Please, show for me (show for me) / Huh, I will show for you / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do mean you (show for me)" and those brass sections, plus Tony's amazing bass. Go back to it with this new perspective, "I've been feeding the rhythm / I've been feeding the rhythm (show for you) / It's what we're doing, doing
All day and night (show for me) / Come on, come on, help me do / Come on, come on, help me do (show for you) / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you (show for me)" it's all so darn sexy!
Digging in the dirt is such a beautiful song about introspection and healing "I'm digging in the dirt to find the places I got hurt, to open up the places I got hurt". US, the album after SO, is a collection of songs about human relationships, including relationship to oneself. Peter takes so much time to work his music, several years later came UP - about personal growth. Many of his songs have been a profound lesson to help me grow.
Shock the monkey - I've always thought it was quite straightforward, about animal cruelty in labs and mankind's lack of compassion for animals an primates. Maybe because I heard it in the context of the movie Project X where it appeared. But it also probably has a metaphorical meaning.
PS: I'm a bilingual fan of your (and Lex's) channel, keep the good stuff coming!
Jeux sans frontières was a European TV game show, featuring the major European nations, they played silly games, war without tears.
I've watched some of those on You Tube- they ARE silly!😅
Watch the BBC coverage of them, Stuart Hall crying with laughter made them even better.
I'm not sure I'm supposed to mention him nowadays.
Great choices to sample Peter's amazing solo catalog, JK. Peter Gabriel should be knighted if only for his selfless global humanitarian work, let alone his contributions to music, culture and technology. Everyone should read some part of his bio. You mentioned his amazing vocal range and control. Peter's use of language and his clever wordplay are always fascinating, although after 50-some years listening to him, I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of a few of his lyrics. Like Jon Anderson, much of Peter's use of language is meant to complement the music rather than make sense to the casual listener. It's always good to hear progressive rock and jazz fusion on your channel. Please listen to Family (with John Wetton) performing "Between Blue and Me." Family's Roger Chapman was an early influence on Peter's vocal style.
"Jeux sans frontieres" is the chorus, and the title in French. The official Music Video was a hit on MTV and sort of gives meaning to the lyrics, sort of a parody of the concept that International Sports Competition would put an end to War. Loved PG and so much of the '80s music. Glad you hit Red Rain. The official music video for SLEDGEHAMMER won all sorts of awards.
Hey Nick!
I hope you’re relaxing enough?!
You’re really cranking out the content!
😂😮😂
Gabriel is among a very small class of artists like Prince, Bowie, and David Byrne, who found a way to combine catchy pop tunes with truly cutting edge avant-garde ideas.
People my age have been so blessed to listen to these fine musicians as their material hit the airways originally. I'm glad you and others your age are discovering the fine productions of the 70s and early 80s.
That “Melt” album is a masterpiece.
If Nick and Lex are going to do just one album, the Melt album would be a great choice.
Brilliant piece of work.
My favorite one with Security
@@Alix777. Security is almost a tie for me as the best Gabriel album, along with Melt.
I got to see Peter Gabriel in about 1993 or '94 on his World of Music Art and Dance (WOMAD) tour at Buckeye Lake Music Center east of Columbus OH. It was an all-day festival and the acts included Jah Wobble, James, The Drummers of Burundi, Crowded House (!!!), and many more. The opening act for Peter Gabriel was the then-brand-new Lenny Kravitz (!!!) doing material from Are You Gonna Go My Way which was spectacular. Then PG came out and it was mostly material from So and US. He had Bill Bruford on drums, Tony Levin on bass and Chapman stick. Sinead O'Connor came out and did a duet, needless to say, in all the years since I have not been to a show that tops it.
Such an enjoyable marathon- thanks to JK and Nick! We finally got our turntable working again, so I'll be pulling out all my solo Gabriel records, now that my appetite has been whetted! I won't repeat what others have said, which I also thought about during the reaction, just that I look forward to more PG solo songs!!❤️
🎵❤️🎵 Debbie
I am so happy that this reaction brought our your reaction to get back into PG!!!!
Red Rain is just amazing. The dark chords! My all time favorite is still "Moribund The Burgermeister" though - more like his Genesis period
I saw him play it April 1977 at Winterland San Francisco.
Love that one too!😀
Red Rain is definitely a track that was made for great headphones!
There is no voice like Peter Gabriel's. I've been a big fan of his since I first heard him on the Genesis album "Selling England by the Pound" back in the mid 70s. I had the pleasure of meeting and briefly talking to Peter at an after party when I saw him in concert in Miami back in the 1990s. One of my brothers knew the concert promoter at the time, so that's how we got into the party.
Thanks for the reaction. I was in high school when MELT came out. I thought Peter was singing "she's so funky now," but it is actually Kate Bush singing "games without frontiers" in French. After hearing this album I got his first 2 albums, all the old Genesis, and all his subsequent albums.!
Thanks to Nick and JK! Gabriel III and IV are my fav's
This was fantastic! Love Peter Gabriel. Thank you JK for putting this together. Great reaction Nick!
TONY LEVIN!!!!!!!!! The Emperor of the BASS!!!!!!!!!!
"Games Without Frontiers" was way ahead of its time. Many mainstream radio stations wouldn't touch it, so you had to tune into "alt/indie" rock stations to hear it. But it was his breakthrough solo effort.
"Shock the Monkey" was released a fair time ahead of the PG IV album, and further cemented PG's stature as the coolest weird pop star around (Nick, PG was doing better in Germany than anywhere else at the time and recorded a German version of this song called "Schock den Affen"!) And of course everybody recognizes these two songs for their innovative production and sound world: minimal guitar, mostly voice, bass, percussion (no cymbals!), and synths. "Red Rain" to me showcases PG as a singer as much as a composer (plus Tony Levin is pretty awesome all over it.)
My problem with "Sledgehammer" is that it's basically fan service to the soul singers PG idolized as a kid. Yeah, the video was fun, but I don't really need to ever hear it again. Plus it makes me think of David Bowie's Let's Dance album. No thanks. I prefer "Digging in the Dirt", which sounds more honestly like Peter Gabriel to me.
Music and sounds like a fabulous meal when your senses are heightened to taste, so many exquisite sensations. Thanks J.K. and Nick. These albums gave my headphones a workout back in the day. Cheers
I’m thinking you did not know it was Kate Bush doing backing vocals on Games Without Frontiers, as she did on other songs from that album.
I love what Gabriel did right after leaving Genesis. Very different, often odd and unique! He's always loved percussive world music & tribal influences. That's because Gabriel is a drummer at heart, FYI! Tony Levin (80's KC) often carries the bottoms with great bass & Chapman Stick. (HEY BTW YOU DON"T DO MUCH KING CRIMSON.) Even his very commercial big powerful danceable big Hits maintained his cool vibe. And he killed it on those Videos! He's never lost his creative force throughout all the decades. ALSO Peter helped introduced the mainstream world to Senegal's YOUSSOU N'DOUR who was one the top African Musicians at the time (Saw YN'D many times live). He's a pure force all his own in Senegalese WOLOF music with a voice that sores to the heavens.
Digging In the Dirt - thanks so much for reacting to this song. One of my FAVORITES. You should check out the video.
It’s been decades since I’ve heard Digging in the Dirt for one reason only, I thought it was titled Red Rain; no interwebs then and hadn’t thought to try looking it up since.
Pleasantly surprise to run across it today.
I won’t forget to remember again.
Great series of reactions, after having been away for a while. I remember the great anticipation of Gabriel’s first solo album, and he hasn’t let us down through the years. His temperament and approach to instrumentation was already alive and waiting for the 80’s techno era to arrive. He had a large effect on what would come, and he did so in the mid 70’s.
As we have comfort food, Peter Gabriel and Genesis are comfort music for me. Been listening to them since 1969....
Great marathon fellers! Peter, like Fripp and probably Kate Bush, studied the works of Gurdjieff, and some of the thought come out in songs, like "No Self Control" and "I Don't Remember". Fripp's "Heptaparaparshinokh" is undeniably attributable to the wise mystic. In fact one song Peter and Fripp both released, "Here Comes the Flood" contains, in Robert's version, an audio of JG Bennett, a direct student of Gurdjieff, and father of my friend, Cindy, warning of the climate crisis we are now witnessing. It was released of Fripp's "Exposure" album, in 1980, when those of us in the Court of the Crimson King first learned about oceans rising and etc. "In 40 years" he says, "maybe sooner". All versions of that song are worth reviewing. Peter's film music and work with WOMAD is most outstanding. Peace and love. Greetings to the wife and Marl. -db-
I have "Here Comes The Flood" on Exposure, Car, and a 45 rpm with one side in English and the other in German!
Gabriel wrote that his favourite version of Here Comes the Flood was the track as recorded on “Exposure”. I do like the Bob Ezrin produced version on PG1. It’s strange, because Gabriel also is very downbeat about PG2 - produced by Fripp. I love it, but it’s very stripped back after the arguably overblown but certainly orchestral PG1.
@@mikedonoghues4018 I love all versions I've heard, in a bittersweet way. It would be hard to choose just one, and so glad we don't have to...just yet!!!! :) I was flooded out in 2007, and California is having one as we speak. We are slow to learn.
@@debrabrabenec Never knew it made 45. Cool!
Loved PG for as long as I can remember. For "Games Without Frontiers" I lost count of how many people I had to tell "You don't know what he's singing because its in French". Also, you got a sub from me.
Daniel Lanois produced SO and US, and those 2 albums sounded really great!
"Intruder", featuring Phil Collins on drums, is quite an interesting track. Also, "Rhythm of the Heat" is worth a listen.
One day back in 1986, Philadelphia radio station (I think WMMR) had a DJ who after every song ended it with with zoeter singing that final Red Rain. So it would sound like, "And she's buying a stairway to heaven. Red rain."
I have listened to Red Rain thousands of times and still find it amazing and moving.
I was always a bit disturbed by the lyrics of “ Digging In The Dirt”, but just did a lookup about it that explains what he was on about. For some reason Peter was studying about murderers and why they do it. He was learning about “ what murderers have in common, the psychological makeup that unites them”.
Daniel Lanois... Now, that's a name to keep an eye on when appreciating Peter Gabriel... and the best albums from U2, Robbie Robertson,..
Check out his Acadie album 👍
Digging in the Dirt is such a great song
Peter Gabriel - legend
If you haven't done his duet yet with Kate Bush "Don't Give Up", it's an absolute must listen. Well, since no one else mentioned it, Sledgehammer is one of the more explicit songs released. Every line is an innuendo.
But are innuendos really explicit???
@@theplanetruth LOL Good point. Gotta say though although he never says it, the lyrics leave little doubt. So not explicit? Like George Carlin said "Suggestive"?
Shock The Monkey feels full-bodied.
Peter’s quirky hollow echo plays so well off the instruments.
The track features Jerry Marotta on drums, David Rhodes on guitar, Tony Levin on bass, Larry Fast on prophet and backing vocals from Peter Hammier.
Gotta call out your "lyrics don't have a lot of meaning" comment... you're talking about Peter Gabriel, they always have a lot of meaning... Shock the Monkey is not about the literal... it's a song about jealousy. Peter's songs are usually never about the obvious.
Incredible set of tunes!
Great reaction. Peter Gabriel is a musical genius.
Only admiration and appreciation to this exquisite talent.
Thank you. Keep it alive
You may want to check out the live video of Peter singing Shaking the Tree live with Tony Levin and Paula Cole. It's fantastic.
Right after college, i spent some time as a DJ in an album rock station - I remember the 'Melt' LP very vividly. Turned me on to the more experimental side of new wave. His solo work is, in general, amazing. I would also recommend checking out a project he contributed to - the Afro-Celt Sound System. Good set, JK!
And check out David Bowie’s Putting out the fire with gasoline/Cat people the soundtrack version
His core collaborators on most of his music (including this years I/O tour) are David Rhodes - Guitar, Tony Levin - Bass and Manu Katche - Drums, all of whom are incredibly good musicians. If you want to get a real sense of what he's about, #nicknlexrequest watch the video of 'In Your Eyes' from the Secret World Tour. Pure joy!!
I love everything Gabriel. Thank you for your reaction good job.
I loved this track when i was ten years old. And since. Watch the video which accompanies this.
"Digging In the Dirt"... After you watch the MTV video for the song, find the live version on YT, from the 1993 concert "Secret World Live".
Watch the theatre geniuses Peter Gabriel and stage director Robert Lepage are, for how they recreate on a Rock stage the video's literal digging in dirt. I saw that tour in Los Angeles mere months after moving here from Canada. Amazing show. Just as theatrical as anything that Gabriel did with Genesis, but different all the same.
Tony Levin who played with King Crimson and played bass on the last two songs was a huge part of the sound!
"Melt" and "Security" both excellent albums.
And you know that was Kate singing on Games Without Frontiers, right?
New album and tour this year
I’m seeing him in Italy
Tony Levin bass
Manu katche drums
David Rhodes Guitar
Together again
Great choices J.K !!
Hi Nik
Great reaction to a wonderful song selection. Genesis is great, but the individual artists are also so wonderful. I am a fan of all of the individuals (Ok maybe not Mike and the Mechanics I,e Rutherford - and Phil only with Brand X ). I love Peter Gabriel and especially the early part of hs solo career. The song: Games Without Frontiers always has a special place in my heart. It starts out with "Jeux sans Frontiers: - sounds like ' she is so funkieee" : in English. The song is actualy based on a German TV program that I used to watch with my Grandfather in Germany (Siegen) as a special treat - it was on late. It was called "Spiel ohne Grenzen". `Check out Gabriels 3rd Album with German Vocals. Kinda cool and not bad at all. Into the Wire become " Durch den Draht"
Love your Channel... of all of the 10 or so Reaction Channels I watch it has risen to the top in the last 12 months. Great stuff
Peace
Tom from Toronto
Did I make it to the end of the video? It wasn’t long enough. You need to do at least three more PG marathons.
Jeux San Frontiers was a inter European game show in the 70s. The U.K. version was called It’s A Knockout
Sledgehammer is about a sledgehammer had me falling off my chair. LOL. Nick it's all about sex.
I know, but why this monotonous March music rhythm? a macho? doesn't have to be fun.
A typical MTV video song as Steam too.✌
Shout out to Tony Levin on bass. Brilliant always. He played on Welcome To My Nightmare for Alice Cooper, was in King Crimson and his work here with Peter.
Great choices today --- I love that you included Red Rain --- I dont think Ive seen anyone react to it before you --- and its such a darn good song -- I used to sing it in my car ride home from work all the time back in the day
Very little airplay for Red Rain in 86 but his music video was played on mtv. He did perform it live at Live Aid and nailed it. I believe he had to follow Yoko Ono. She also, nailed it.
Misheard lyrics:
“she’s so popular…”
Games wo Frontiers was amazing as an 80s teen, as much as Solsbury Hill was.
I hear it as "she's so frumpy, yeah" 😄
Love gabriel. Ozzy covered this. I was confused for a second when I heard his cover but it helped me realize that I'm not a complete weirdo. It's a universally good song! Thanks for the react!
Ozzy is a big fan. I remember raising my eyebrows when I saw in an interview he had “So” in his top five albums of all time.
I witnessed PG on his So Tour. It was absolutely phenomenal.
Another great song from "Security" is "I Have The Touch".
Tony Levin was also on John Lennon's Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey
Ok, you made me laugh with the “Most of our viewers are over 60…” 😂😂😂
Nick, como ya saben (vos y Lex) Peter se separo de Genesis en 1975, pero no se si saben que el 02/10/1982, toda la formación clásica de la banda (Hackett también apareció de sorpresa y toco 2 canciones) se reunió para un concierto único en Milton Keynes, Inglaterra, para ayudar a Peter que estaba con problemas económicos por causa de un festival organizado por Gabriel en conjunto con una organización llamada WOMAD y que fue un fracaso (por motivos extra musicales) en Julio de ese mismo año. De esta épica Reunión lamentablemente no hay video disponible, solo audio.
On Mike Rutherford's birthday no less! What a shame there was no video. It was the 80s after all 😔
Strange how he has evolved - the music is quite different now. Tony Levin is his bass player of choice - also of KING CRIMSON and many other major bands. It’s brilliant how he can do some deep political song and make it catchy! Manu Katche is his amazing drummer. Peter would have been a great soul singer and intended to do a tribute album to soul but SLEDGEHAMMER ended up being the only obvious tribute. Contrast all this with his latest ruclips.net/video/6swOrAJGBWw/видео.html
Great to hear some old Peter Gabriel another good song is beko
Hi Nick, this is a great marathon. Love his albums. He does amazing live shows. In one he is walking upside down above the stage. I have this album "Melt" on vinyl in both English and in German. I do have to say the German version is better. He didn't just sing in German over the same mix. His music videos were on tv a lot during the 80's when music videos were particually big on rock shows like MTV. Shock the Monkey & Sledgehammer were big hits for Peter here in England. Nice list of tracks thankyou. Byee Jim X
I only have the 45 of "Here Comes The Flood" in German- and the album in English I wonder if the album is on You Tube in German? I'll have to look.
Hi Nick, great marathon and you managed to mention three creative geniuses in quick succession, Gabriel, Bowie and Kate Bush! Some of my favourite tracks have already been mentioned so i will suggest The Rhythm of the Heat, Humdrum, And Through the Wire & Blood of Eden.
All mimes
If you like Shock the Monkey you should love the "Beat" album by King Crimson. Same era, same bass player, Tony Levin. Quirky but catchy songs.
Peter Gabriel’s songs are perfection, but I can’t feel something’s missing without the music video. For those who grew up with MTV, sometimes it’s hard to separate the two from the whole.