Album: So
Year Released: 1986
Lineup (numbers are the tracks in order):
- Peter Gabriel – lead and backing vocals, CMI (all tracks), Prophet synthesizer (all except tracks 5 & 9), piano (all except tracks 7 & 9), Linn 9000 (tracks 3 & 7), synthesizer (tracks 5 & 7), percussion (track 4), Yamaha CS-80 (track 6), LinnDrum (track 9), Synclavier (track 9)
- Tony Levin – bass guitar (tracks 1–5), drumstick bass (fretting only) (track 7)
- David Rhodes – guitar (all except tracks 6 & 9), backing vocals (tracks 1 & 5)
- Jerry Marotta – drums (tracks 1 & 8), additional drums (track 5), bass guitar (drumming only) (track 7)
- Manu Katché – drums (tracks 2–5), percussion (tracks 3–5), talking drum (tracks 5 & 9)
- Chris Hughes – electronic drums, programming (track 1)
- Stewart Copeland – hi-hat (track 1), drums (track 7)
- Daniel Lanois – guitar (tracks 1, 2 & 4), tambourine (track 2), surf guitar (track 7), twelve-string guitar (track 9)
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet (tracks 2 & 7), cornet (track 7)
- Mark Rivera – tenor saxophone (tracks 2 & 7), processed saxophone (track 6), alto saxophone, baritone saxophone (track 7)
- Don Mikkelsen – trombone (tracks 2 & 7)
- P. P. Arnold – backing vocals (tracks 2 & 7)
- Coral Gordon – backing vocals (tracks 2 & 7)
- Dee Lewis – backing vocals (tracks 2 & 7)
- Richard Tee – piano (tracks 3, 5 & 6)
- Simon Clark – keyboards, backing vocals (track 3), Hammond organ, programming, bass guitar (track 7)
- Kate Bush – vocals (track 3)
- L. Shankar – violin (tracks 4 & 8)
- Larry Klein – bass guitar (tracks 5 & 6)
- Youssou N'Dour – backing vocals (track 5)
- Michael Been – backing vocals (track 5)
- Jim Kerr – backing vocals (track 5)
- Ronnie Bright – bass vocals (track 5)
- Djalma Correa – surdo, congas, triangle (track 6)
- Jimmy Bralower – programming kick (track 7)
- Bill Laswell – bass guitar (track 9)
- Nile Rodgers – guitar (track 9)
- Laurie Anderson – synthesizer and vocals (track 9)
- Greg Fulginiti – mastering
Track listing:
1. "Red Rain" 5:39
2. "Sledgehammer" 5:12
3. "Don't Give Up" 6:33
4. "That Voice Again" 4:53
5. "In Your Eyes" 5:27
6. "Mercy Street" 6:22
7. "Big Time" 4:28
8. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" 3:22
9. "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" 4:25
Overall Thoughts:
After Security, Peter Gabriel took some time and released the soundtrack for Birdy before starting his fifth studio album. With the record companies refusing to allow any more self-titled albums, Gabriel went with a short title "So". He was also less experimental with this album, though he kept the world music influences from his previous albums.
The album is a mixture of political songs ("Don't Give Up") and personal love songs ("In Your Eyes"). Songs that are satire ("Big Time"), songs about the judgemental self-doubt in your mind ("That Voice Again"), and songs about hitting on someone ("Sledgehammer"). The themes of the songs are all over the place, the styles of the songs are all over the place- African music at the end of "In Your Eyes", Funk for "Big Time", Soul for "Sledgehammer", gospel for "Don't Give Up"...
And the album does not miss.
The first seven tracks are a collection of great songs, without any missteps.
This album is the 1927 Yankees of studio albums- just a Murderer's Row of fantastic songs. Six of their songs crack my current top 10- and the top 4 spots.
Gabriel hit the sweet spot- original without being so eccentric that the songs are harmed; incoporating a wide variety of styles, but still sounding seamless.
I cannot recommend this album highly enough.
Ranking of Peter Gabriel Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):
- So
- Peter Gabriel (Melt)
- Security
- Peter Gabriel (Car)
- Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
Top 10 Peter Gabriel Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):
- "In Your Eyes", So
- "Don't Give Up", So
- "Mercy Street", So
- "Red Rain", So
- "Solsbury Hill", Peter Gabriel (Car)
- "That Voice Again", So
- "Wallflower", Security
- "Games Without Frontiers", Peter Gabriel (Melt)
- "I Don't Remember", Peter Gabriel (Melt)
- "Big Time", So
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