what have I been missing out on all these years

on deck:

Peter Gabriel (1)
Peter Gabriel (3)

also for the first time

Well, sure they're great, but I'd think the impact would be far less hearing them now. All these years, many imitators, and "dated synth" accusations under the bridge.

But, yeah, they're great rekkids.

I'm a big fan of early Genesis
I'm a big fan of Fripp
I'm a big fan of late 70s production

an underhand softball just floated into my wheelhouse

Peter Gabriel remains one of my all-time favourite artists -- recorded and live.

yeah i need to get the old peter gabriel albums again. i haven't heard them since i was little and i keep meaning to get them because i love the dude so.

Is (3) the "melt" cover with Paul Weller playing on "Through The Wire"?

A few years ago I told my dad that I wanted to pick up a Peter Gabriel album and my dad replied "That pussy?". I never laughed so hard.

My dad doesn't typically swear and really could care less either way about Peter Gabriel. What a great moment. We still laugh about it.

I - II - III - Security - So

Is probably the best five album run of any single artist ever.... except maybe Dylan. All five are masterpieces.

World music personified. He definitely shook down the tree.

Then why do I hate him so much

That's my favorite song by him. I don't know the answer to that question personally.

Yes.

damn. you just started listening to these now???

Peter Gabriel's sound is a cultural sponge if you give it a chance. But not everybody digs that.

<--- lives less than 80 miles away from Solsbury Hill

Do you really hate him, or do you just prefer music from the source country?

I don't think you really hate him, but i'd bet he doesn't register on your radar.

I on the other hand adore him.

same here

Or this:

Something Else
The Village Green Preservation Society
Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire
Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround
Muswell Hillbillies

Or this:

Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The White Album
Abbey Road

Or this:

Catch a Fire
Burnin'
Natty Dread
Rastaman Vibration
Exodus

But yeah, it was an impressive run.

Let's expand on that Beatles run, shall we?

Good points. Mostly when I hear people say 'hate' I seem to think they are talking about the Artist's style of music and how it resonates with them. It'll be pretty hard to 'hate' an Artist you've never met or known personally.

Oh, and to the topic at hand:
I like Peter Gabriel, but just have not been able to sit down for an extended period of listening with him. Something just doesn't sit with me quite right.

I think it's most of what you like, Matt:


not me.

I don't know. I hate all incarnations of Gensis and I've (fairly or unfairly ) pigeoned holed Gabriel into l80's VH1 sound of Sledgehammer & In Your Eyes. Two songs that suck. To me it's a hair off of Toto- Africa.

All that never pushed me to dig deeper into his catalog.

If you hate all incarnations of Genesis, I highly doubt you've taken the time to listen to their best Gabriel albums, which never got played on the radio.

Pigeonholing Gabriel into an 80s VH1 sound is pretty unfair. His first three albums sound nothing like those hits.

If you solely base PG's work on 'Sledgehammer' and 'In Your Eyes'...two of the most over-played songs in the history of manking, you're missing out on something quite incredible.

If you need a fresh listen to Gabriel, you should check out Secret World Tour live, one of the best performed/recorded live documents ever.

Just the rhythm section will knock you on your ass, Tony Levin (yeah he can wank, but not here. Here he just plays the right bass line for the song with so much of the right feel) and Manu Katche (sp?) who's just insane.