Peter Gabriel Retrospective: Album 01- Peter Gabriel (car)

 

Starting a new retrospective on another musical artist that I've listened to almost all of the albums- Peter Gabriel.

Album:  Peter Gabriel (car)

Year Released:    1977

Lineup:  

• Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, keyboards, flute, recorder
• Robert Fripp – electric guitar, classical guitar, banjo on "Excuse Me"
• Steve Hunter – acoustic guitar on "Solsbury Hill", "Slowburn" and "Waiting for the Big One"; electric guitar, electric rhythm guitar, pedal steel
• Dick Wagner – backing vocals, electric guitar on "Here Comes the Flood"
• Tony Levin – bass guitar, tuba, leader of the Barbershop Quartet on "Excuse Me"
• Jozef Chirowski – keyboards, additional vocals on "Excuse Me"
• Larry Fast – synthesizer, programming
• Allan Schwartzberg – drums, phone directory
• Jimmy Maelen – percussion, synthibam, bones, additional vocals on "Excuse Me"
• London Symphony Orchestra – strings on "Down the Dolce Vita" and "Here Comes the Flood"
• Michael Gibbs – orchestral arrangement

Overall Thoughts:

In August of 1975, Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving the band Genesis, which he helped created in 1967 and was the lead singer for six albums.  He left for a combination of musical differences with the rest of the band and a desire to spend more time with his family.  Eighteen months later, he released his first solo album.  

Gabriel's first four solo albums are untitled.  His first album is referred to as the 'Car' album because the cover is a picture of Gabriel seated in a car.  

The ablum leads off the "Moribund the Burgermeister", a song about Saint Vitus' Dance, and is very much a prog rock song.  The second song, "Solsbury Hill", is much less prog rock and is much more radio friendly.  The entire album is a weird mix of styles.  "Excuse Me" sounds like it should be from the 90's- the 1890's.  "Waiting for the Big One" sounds like a piano ballad from World War II.  When listening to the album for the first time, you have no idea what will be played next.  It's an eclectic mix of musical styles, without any obvious pattern or theme.

Gabriel's lyrics feel like an abstract painting- they are less about telling a story and more words put together to give a mood.  It works, but often I feel like asking, "What the hell does that mean?"

It's a fascinating album- Gabriel is all over the place, and some of the songs hit ("Solsbury Hill" remains a classic).  But it's an album that goes all over the place- it's a fascinating collection of songs but not really an album.

  

Ranking of Peter Gabriel Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Peter Gabriel (car)

Top 10 Peter Gabriel Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Solsbury Hill", Peter Gabriel (Car)
2. "Here Comes the Flood", Peter Gabriel (Car)
3. "Waiting for the Big One", Peter Gabriel (Car)
4. "Moribund the Burgermeister", Peter Gabriel (Car)
5. "Humdrum", Peter Gabriel (Car)
6. "Down the Dolce Vita", Peter Gabriel (Car)
7. "Excuse Me", Peter Gabriel (Car)
8. "Slowburn", Peter Gabriel (Car)
9. "Modern Love", Peter Gabriel (Car)