Peter Gabriel Retrospective: Album 02- Peter Gabriel (Scratch)

 

Next up is the second solo album by Peter Gabriel...

Album:  Peter Gabriel (scratch)

Year Released:    1978

Lineup (numbers are the tracks on the album):  

• Peter Gabriel – vocals; Hammond organ on 11; piano on 2; synthesizer on 5, 7
• Robert Fripp – electric guitar on 1, 3, 5, 10; acoustic guitar on 5; Frippertronics on 8
• Tony Levin – bass guitar on 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11; Chapman stick on 2, 4, 9; string bass on 6; recorder arrangements on 6, 9; backing vocals on 1, 4, 7, 10, 11
• Roy Bittan – keyboards on 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11
• Larry Fast – synthesizer, treatments on 1, 2, 5, 7, 10
• Jerry Marotta – drums on all except 3; backing vocals on 1, 4, 10, 11
• Sid McGinnis – electric guitar on 1, 4, 8–11; acoustic guitar on 2, 3; steel guitar on 3–5, 6, 9, 11; mandolin on 2; backing vocals on 7
• Bayeté (Todd Cochran) – keyboards on 2, 4, 6, 7
• Tim Cappello – saxophone on 10, 11
• George Marge – recorder on 6, 8, 9
• John Tims – insects on 3

Overall Thoughts:

Immediately after the tour of his first album, Peter Gabriel started work on his second album.  Like his first album, it was also self titled, but it's commonly referred to as the 'Scratch' album, based on the album's cover picture.

Like his first album (the 'Car' album), Gabriel is all over the place, both musically and lyrically.  "On the Air" is about a character (Mozo) who can only affect the world by broadcasting over radio, "D.I.Y." is a musical rant about self-reliance, "Indigo" is about coming to terms with dying, "A Wonderful Day in a One-Way World" is about... actually, I have no idea on this one.  There's seems to be a theme about critcizing consumer culture, but it's so esoteric that I'm treating all of the songs individually.

It also ends on a rather depressing song ("Home Sweet Home"), which brings down the entire album.  Nothing stands out as good, and the last song drops it below even mediocre.

Having listened to this album, it's not one I enjoyed.

  

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

1. Peter Gabriel (Car)
2. Peter Gabriel (Scratch)

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. "White Shadow", Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
7. "Mother of Violence", Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
8. "Down the Dolce Vita", Peter Gabriel (Car)
9. "Indigo", Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
10. "Animal Magic", Peter Gabriel (Scratch)