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As the leader of Genesis in the early '70s, Peter Gabriel helped move
progressive rock to new levels of theatricality. After
seven years fronting Genesis, Gabriel tired of the extensive touring and
band format and went solo in 1975. In his solo career, Gabriel was no
less ambitious, but he was more subtle in his methods.
Unlike his earlier extravagant, theatrical presentations, he favoured
minimalism and often played shows in a plain boiler suit. With his
first eponymous solo album in 1977, he began exploring darker, more cerebral
territory, incorporating avant-garde, electronic, and worldbeat influences
into his music. The record, as well as its two similarly titled successors,
established Gabriel as a critically acclaimed cult artist.
Gabriel's third eponymous album was his artistic breakthrough. Produced
by Steve Lillywhite and released in 1980, the album established Gabriel as
one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians, as well as one of its
most political. «Biko», a song about the murdered South African activist
Stephen Biko, became one of the biggest anti-racist
anthems of the '80s. «Games Without
Frontiers», with its
eerie chorus, nearly reached the Top 40. «Shock
the Monkey» became his first Top 40 hit, paving
the way for his multi-platinum breakthrough So in 1986. Accompanied by a
series of groundbreaking videos and the number one single
«Sledgehammer», So became a multi-platinum hit, and Gabriel became an
international star. He was celebrated as an artist whose
work was popular without being compromised. A duet with Kate Bush, «Don't
Give Up», also lifted from So, became a UK Top 10 hit in November 1986. Instead of capitalizing on his sudden success, he began to explore other
interests, including recording soundtracks and running his company Real
World. Throughout the 80s, Gabriel dedicated much of his time to absorbing
world music, and in 1982 inaugurated the WOMAD
(World Of Music And Dance) Festival. He also became heavily involved in
Amnesty International and recorded with Senegalese star Youssou N'Dour. The
pair toured the USA under the banner of «Conspiracy
Of Hope» and raised money for Amnesty. He invited
musicians from all over the world to record at his luxurious self-built Real
World studios in Bath and incorporated many non-Western ideas into his own
music. In 1989, Gabriel was commissioned to write the score for Martin
Scorsese's The Last Temptation Of Christ. Virgin Records released a greatest hits collection in 1990,
«Shaking The Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats». Although 1992's Us
fell short of the high standard set by So, it put Gabriel back in the public
eye with a series of outstandingly creative videos for singles such as
«Steam»,
«Digging In The Dirt»,
and «Kiss That Frog».
In 1999, Gabriel was commissioned to contribute music and act as musical
director for the Millennium Dome show in London. The soundtrack was released
the following year on the Ovo album.
Concert photography: © Helge Øverås. Must not be used without permission.
Links: Official Site -
Wikipedia -
All Music Guide |
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