I can't think of an album that is more fitting of the title of "life changing" as that of Peter Gabriel 4, also known as "Security" in the states. I would almost dare say that this is the album that made me take songwriting seriously and start dabbling in it in a more real sense, taking it out of the imagination realm and beginning to actually experiment, learn an instrument, work on my voice, etc.
I could probably separate my life into two halves, one being "...before Genesis/Peter Gabriel" and "...after Genesis/Peter Gabriel". Genesis will undoubtedly end up in this blog more than once but I've been fighting with myself about which album to start with, and that's a harder argument than you might think.
Having said that, it took me awhile to dabble in the Peter Gabriel realm since there was something darker, more chilling, more real about Gabriel's work and presence in general versus the Phil Collins early 80's Genesis and eventual solo period. I received a book about Genesis for Christmas one year around 1985 and was completely fascinated with it, I think reading it multiple times. I was in awe of the Gabriel parts but still slightly scared of them. And then, "So" was released in 1986 and the jumping off point became easy but I knew the journey would be life altering.
Like many people, "So" was the first PG album I listened to. Unlike most people, though, I burned through the album and ended up finding the non-pop oriented material to be the most fascinating. The next step, of course, was to start exploring his musical back catalog. My sister and I did this weird thing where we both bought one of his albums, her choosing PG 3 and I choosing 4, and then copied them for one another. I distinctly remember us trading albums and both coming back saying the same exact thing, something like "Oh...you got the better album!" This is so true of comparing these two albums. In the end, I could still argue with myself for days on which album is better and never actually know the real answer since they're almost like apples and oranges to one another.
PG 4 didn't exactly bowl me over on first listen because I simply didn't understand what the hell I was listening to. I was expecting "Shock the Monkey" and instead I got something that can really only be described as a religious experience, per se. This is why PG 3 appealed to me initially much more and so I listened to both albums simultaneously over the next 4-6 months, probably in late 1986, letting PG 4 slowly grow on me. Once it landed, though, there was no turning back.
How do you explain this album to someone that's never heard it?! Well, I'd begin by saying that very little of it resembles "Shock the Monkey" so don't be surprised by that. In fact, when people ask me what an "arty" album sounds like, this is an example I tend to throw out there, although honestly the beauty of it is that it's both arty and fairly easy to listen to. The opening "Rhythm of the Heat" is literally about a psychological experience and it really does a fantastic job of portraying the overall feeing to the listener of that very feeling, and I'll be damned if I don't want to uncontrollably dance around a fire every time I hear it. Next, "San Jacinto" is one of the all time greatest PG songs, and whereas it also has a certain arty and mesmerizing quality, it's the deeper meaning and emotionally charged wording that really hits home. "The Family and the Fishing Net" takes a bit of getting used to but became a favorite later on, as did "I Have the Touch", and of course the pop hit of "...Monkey" is a nice breath of fresh air thrown in there before moving onto the chant like "Lay Your Hands on Me", a PG live favorite for many years, usually culminating with Gabriel being carried by the crowd. Next, we move into the grossly underrated and all time greatest PG songs ever, "Wallflower", a track that never ceases to take my breath away and bring tears to my eyes, and I can barely sing along without getting incredibly emotional. The album ends with "Kiss of Life", honestly the dud of the album, at least in my opinion, but it's certainly an uppity tune to end on that again makes you want to get your aerobics in for the day.
Getting to know this album inside and out was an experience I can't really put into words. It's also an incredibly visual album, that is if you're the type that turns your lights off when listening, etc. I will admit that the album now sounds quite dated at times, which is really unfortunate, but the essence is still there, I think. Ironically, I find that I can't listen to this album much anymore, both due to the strange production job of the mix and also because I'm too old to jump up and down and act like a ninny when listening to it, which is honestly pretty much the knee jerk reaction I have to this music. This album did plant a very deep seed in my creative self, though, and I always refer back to PG 3 and 4 when thinking about some of the artier material that I intend to work on in the very near future.
It was strange because Peter Gabriel wasn't in my life before 1986 and then everything changed, and I've never looked back. He's been my #1 idol for my entire adult life and someone that I always aspire to be like on many different levels. I also adore that he's at heart just a silly guy, not afraid to be silly and/or laugh at himself, and doesn't seem to take himself that seriously...just the music and art. He's also done an amazing amount of giving back to society, human rights, artists, and so on. I can only say thank you, PG, and I know countless people feel the same.
Assuredly there will be more PG in this column. In the meantime, I'm going to continue my Genesis argument and hopefully they'll be appearing here soon as well.
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