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This record is rock, globally slightly progressive, and quite progressive on the last song "Song of Seven". The bass is well played and sounds good; it is amazingly complex on "for you for me".
ANDERSON's voice is outstanding, as always. The keyboards are omnipresent, and there are many piano parts. There is also electric and acoustic guitars. Finally, everything is decent but not very good, until you listen the last track: "Song of Seven": a beautiful mellow progressive song, starting with emotional symphonic arrangements. Probably his best song ever!
Studio Album, released in 1980
Track Listings
1. For You For Me (4:23)
2. Some Are Born (4:06)
3. Don't Forget (Nostalgia) (3:02)
4. Heart of the Matter (4:21)
5. Hear It (1:51)
6. Everybody Loves You (4:03)
7. Take Your Time (3:09)
8. Days (3:30)
9. Song of Seven (11:16)
Total Time: 39:48
Line-up/Musicians
- Jon Anderson /vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, harp
- Ronnie Leahy / keyboards
- Ian Barinson / guitar, bass, vocal
- John Giblin / bass
- Morris Pert / drums, percussion
- Christopher Rainbow / vocals
WITH:
- Dick Morrisay / saxophone
- Jack Bruce / bass
- Simon Phillips / drums
- Clem Clemson / guitar
- Deborah Anderson / vocal
- Damian Anderson / keyboards
This album belonged strangely to my brother when I was 14-15 and started to play our family's records. There were also some other influential albums including Yes: 90125, Rush: Signals, plus some Saga and Asia, that had something to do with prog - of which I at the time didn't know yet. Of all these albums Animation had the strongest impact on me; more precisely, it was the long title track. It simply blew my young mind and transferred me into new magical spheres of music, the kind I had never heard before. It was PROGRESSIVE instead of normal verse/chorus/verse song structure. So I could say it all started right here (honorary mention goes to 'Telegraph Road' by Dire Straits).
'Animation' is still written in my memory even if I have listened to it very rarely since 80s. It must be the deepest existing expression of emotions about childbirth - by a man who "was there". Some chaos, pain (described by instrumental sections), and after all has settled, love and amazement of life's wonder. "There is nothing like seeing the birth of a child." It is wonderful, but probably only if you totally surrender to it emotionally.
The rest of the album always remained less important. I liked some other songs too, e.g. energic 'Olympia' about sports spectacle, pastroral 'Boundaries' and colourful 'Much Better Reason'. Without title track I might say this is well produced - rather 80-ish - and arranged, but nothing very special, in a same category as 90125 or actually less interesting in compositions. But as it has that 9-minute 'Animation', I say sincerely it's clearly the best Jon solo album I've heard. (3,5* rounded up.)
Studio Album, released in 1983
Track Listings
1. Olympia (4:58)
2. Animation (9:07)
3. Surrender (3:53)
4. All in a Matter of Time (3:06)
5. Unlearning the Dividing Line (4:56)
6. Boundaries (3:20)
7. Pressure Point (3:20)
8. Much Better Reason (4:27)
9. All God's Children (4:25)
Total Time: 41:32
Line-up/Musicians
- Jon Anderson / vocals, producer, engineer
- Jack Bruce / bass
- Henry Lowther / horn
- David Sancious / keyboards
- Simon Phillips / drums
- Chris Rainbow / vocals
- Dave "Clem" Clempson / guitar
- The Delme Quartet / strings
- John Giblin / bass
- Billy Kristian / bass
- Ronnie Leahy / keyboards
- Dick Morrissey / saxophone
- Morris Pert / drums
- Blue Weaver / keyboards
- Ian Wallace / drums
The track list of “Shaking the Tree” is top notch with indeed 16 golden tracks on it. However: if you don’t own this one yet I would rather go for the 2003 release “HIT” as it is a double disc set which has 15 tracks more on it. Once again the track list of “HIT” is also top notch. Since I only owned the album “SO” until “Shaking the Tree” was released this was a very nice addition to my PG collection. 4 stars once again.
Boxset/Compilation, released in 1990
Track Listings
1. Solsbury Hill (4:20)
2. I Don't Remember (edit) (3:48)
3. Sledgehammer (slight remix) (4:56)
4. Family Snapshot (4:25)
5. Mercy Street (edit) (4:44)
6. Shaking The Tree (1990 remix) (6:24)
7. Don't Give Up (edit) (5:56)
8. San Jacinto (6:41)
9. Here Comes The Flood (new recording 1990) (4:31)
10. Red Rain (5:36)
11. Games Without Frontiers (edit) (3:57)
12. Shock The Monkey (edit) (3:58)
13. I Have The Touch (1983 remix) (3:44)
14. Big Time (4:26)
15. Zaar (2:59)
16. Biko (edit) (6:54)
Total Time: 77:21
Line-up/Musicians
- Peter Gabriel / vocals, piano, fairlight, prophet, CS80, percussion
- Tony Levin / bass, stick (1-3,7,8,10,12,13), drumstick bass (14)
- Steve Hunter / guitar (1)
- Robert Fripp / guitar (1,2)
- Larry Fast / synthesizers (1,8,11-13,16)
- Alan Schwartzberg / drums (1)
- Jerry Marotta / drums (2,4,8,10-12,16), drumstick bass (14)
- David Rhodes / guitar (2-4,6,7,8,10-15)
- Manu Katche / drums (3,6,7)
- Phil Collins / snare drum (4), surdu (16)
- John Gilbin / bass (4)
- Larry Klein / bass (5)
- Youssou N'Dour / vocals (6)
- Habib Faye / bass, guitar (6)
- Kate Bush / vocals (7,11)
- John Ellis / guitar (8)
- Daniel Lanois / guitar (10,14)
- Stewart Copeland / hi-hat (10), drums (14)
- Peter Hammill / backing vocals (12)
- Simon Philips / drums (13)
- Simon Clark / bass (14)
- Shankar / doublin violin (15)
- Nathan East / bass (15)
The third Gabriel album appeared during New Wave era, and it was really an influential effort to the legions of post-punk/alternative rock bands. It was also an avant-garde work drawing more connection to the groundbreaking works of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, plus the instrumental rhythm section (Jerry Marotta-cymballess drum kit/Tony Levin-bass and stick) created a blueprint of ethno-tribal percussive beats that along with Gabriel himself, was to be copied in the decade to come.
The crimsonesque, dark metallic opener "Intruder" and the closing World Music/Afro beat of "Biko" encapsulate an excellent album, which also launched Steve Lillywhite as the one of the best producers of the 1980s (U2, Simple Minds, Talking Heads, the Pogues...). Amidst the entire electronic and ambient picture lies an unexpected hit single "Games Without Frontiers", a song that was the first Gabriel song that I heard, so I cherish pleasant memories on this. Kate Bush sings backing "jeux sans frontieres" during the chorus, which is French translation of the title. But, it also happens to be the name of a competition TV show, which was quite popular even in SFR Yugoslavia in the late 1970s/early 1980s. There were dozen or so national teams, mainly from continental West Europe, while Yugoslavia also took part in several annual occasions, "playing silly games" in historic locations (fortresses, seaside resorts) across these countries. It was some sort of teenage mini-Olympiad or something... English name of the game was "It's a Knock Out", which Gabriel sings just before the chorus. So, obviously, Adolf, Enrique, Sasha, Hans, Jane and Andre were very inspirational to Peter.
"Family Snapshot", "And Through the Wire" and "Not One of Us" are for me sub-standard songs and in retrospect they sound quite boring too. Overall, "Peter Gabriel III" is very good album and surely ranks among the best works of 1980. Highly recommended to prog fans especially those in favour of art/experimental pop music.
Studio Album, released in 1980
Track Listings
1. Intruder (4:53)
2. No Self Control (3:56)
3. Start (1:21)
4. I Don't Remember (4:42)
5. Family Snapshot (4:29)
6. And Through The Wire (4:58)
7. Games Without Frontiers (4:07)
8. Not One Of Us (5:21)
9. Lead A Normal Life (4:15)
10. Biko (7:27)
Total Time: 45:31
Line-up/Musicians
- Peter Gabriel / lead vocals, percussion, bass synth, synth, piano
- Jerry Marotta / drums, percussion
- Phil Collins / drums
- Morris Pert / percussion
- John Giblin / bass
- Larry Fast / bass synth, synth
- Tony Levin / stick
- David Rhodes / guitar, background vocals
- Paul Weller, Robert Fripp, Dave Gregory / guitars
- Dick Morrissey / sax
- Kate Bush / background vocals
This record is rock, globally slightly progressive, and quite progressive on the last song "Song of Seven". The bass is well played and sounds good; it is amazingly complex on "for you for me".
