After a decade in musical limbo, Peter perks UP again!

One thing certain in Peter Gabriel's solo career: when he records an album, he gives it his all, making sure every last detail is presentable, even if it takes years to get right. Ever since 1982's SECURITY, these multiannual breaks became common occurrence, not necessarily a bad thing. The years preceding 1986's blockbuster SO resulted in his most popular & successful album, begging the question "Do Peter's fans want an album recorded fast or well?" SO's success showed the latter to be most likely true.



But who knew it would take Peter an unconscionably long decade to show his face again with 2002's UP? However, his trademark perfectionism was not the only reason for his long silence. He had a record label to run, Real World Records, which has since become a beacon for artists in world music, as well as his Witness foundation for human rights awareness. Musically, he turned out side projects like his millennium show OVO & the film score for 2002's THE RABBIT PROOF FENCE. Surely, even while Peter took his sweet old time with UP, he was certainly not idle in other aspects. The 10 years it took for UP were worth the wait.



Legend has it Peter recorded some 150 songs during UP, so how he whittled down to 10 for the album is ponderable. But hopefully that means another 10 years will not pass before a follow-up comes. UP features some returning figures like bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes & producer Daniel Lanois, along with some new faces like Real World artists The Blind Boys Of Alabama, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & even Peter's daughter Melanie singing back-up on a few songs. Moodwise, UP is Peter's darkest since 1980's MELT.



Some claim Peter returns to his halcyon days in Genesis, and the opening "Darkness" lends credence to this theory. Primarily mellow with the occasional grungy guitar darting in & out, the keyboards are straight out of the Genesis rulebook & could come from the fingers of Tony Banks. Indeed, Peter takes a pronounced command of them on UP, and that influence permeates this epic, where all but one song runs over 6 minutes.



"Growing Up" is a tad more syncopated, but that does not necessarily make a slightly hip hop-influenced number any more brooding, although you may find yourself dancing to this uniquely catchy tune. This song's multilayered production is a sign that the years spent crafting this work were perhaps necessary. The line of "My ghost likes to travel" will lodge itself into your brain for days.



For beauty, "Sky Blue" completely runs the table with a song based on a theme from Peter's RABBIT PROOF FENCE soundtrack. The Blind Boys Of Alabama's vocal part on here is stunningly moving, and sure to cause even hardest-hearted listeners to tear up. The same goes for Peter's own vocal which shows just how much of an instrument it is, and how he can transfer from a raving howler to a stirring serenader. The tempo remains quite steady, a marked contrast from the frenetic pace on most of UP.



"No Way Out" sets an unsettling mood right from the start with a menacing guitar figure, loads of echo & that voice of Peter's that has not aged a bit even if he has entered his fifties. The change in tempo towards the end foreshadows the same such ploy on the following track, making the song not the stuff of top 40 radio, which seems only willing to play music with a definite hook. Obviously, Peter is much smarter than that.



As Peter labored on UP, he recorded a song for the 1998 film CITY OF ANGELS. Slightly refurbished for UP, "I Grieve" is a melancholy excursion into the difficult subject of death, yet not really of a person, but of humanity. While he has tongue in cheek on the following song, Peter is appropriately mournful here, and the change in beat during its final 2 minutes is a jolt, including that sustained final note Peter sings.



The first single "The Barry Williams Show" got mixed reviews, some saying its bitingly witty send-up of trash talk television was ill timed since Jerry Springer's heyday has long passed. Also, it did not fit with UP's unrelentingly dark nature. Either way, not much changed in their subject matter, so Peter's jibe at them remains quite timely. His lyrics nail exactly what they are looking for in the way of humanity's foibles, and the Beach Boys-inspired vocals make this a bitter pill that can still be swallowed.



If the schizophrenic beat & tempo at the top of the album had not convinced you this is challenging & thought-provoking music, "My Head Sounds Like That" will drive it home for sure. It starts mellow with an unobtrusive drum pattern & Peter's piano, with occasional entrances by the Black Dyke Brass Band. The final third features a drastic change in atmosphere with drum programming increasing in volume. Peter's falsetto will haunt you long after the song finishes.



No, Peter does not cover Roxy Music's classic "More Than This", he creates his own song. It is possessed of a down & dirty bassline that barely begs the listener to start dancing even when it is far from get-up-and-boogie as you can get. It is an anthem encouraging the listener to find more in their lives, especially when material possessions can be quite fleeting.



Chances are, "Signal To Noise" is UP's darkest, most cathartic tune, if just for the truly purging vocals of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (particularly on his second appearance). The orchestration adds to the noirish nature of the song, his most frightening since "Digging In The Dirt". Filmmakers would give their eyeteeth for music like this to accompany a murder scene.



UP closes out on a sedate note with the brief 3-minute "The Drop" that has just Peter accompanying himself on piano for an utterly beautiful coda to a dark & harrowing listening experience that still prepares us for UP's follow-up when it does arrive.



Is UP Peter Gabriel's finest work? The jury may still be out on that. But Peter did not intend UP to be digested & enjoyed in one go. So for those who have hung UP out to dry, listen again, and eventually the strengths will reveal themselves & you will start to "get" it after a while. Hopefully, it will not take another decade for Peter Gabriel to return again. But if this album is any indication, the only way Peter has to go from here is UP.

From fear to resignation

Life has been rather hard lately, and this album has borne me through almost single-handedly for a month. I recommend Peter Gabriel's UP to those who are grieving, for, as it takes you on a journey from fear to resignation, it mirrors those complicated feelings, both transient and chronic, that accompany grief. Those locked in fear, despair, and sadness may find a kind of comfort here.



The Songs: "Darkness" presents the emotional and cerebral battleground of those mired in fear: I'm afraid (but I don't have to be), but I'm afraid (but I don't have to be)... It's a very disturbing song, but I found it very helpful to have that dynamic laid before me. The next two songs, "Growing Up" and "Sky Blue", are more upbeat but continue to ponder life's struggles. "No Way Out" is a nice seque to "I Grieve," but it's subject matter, on careful listen, is very creepy. "I Grieve" is a marvel of contrasts, presenting both simple grief and some kind of hope for moving forward; the lyrics and vocals ring true--the grief here is real, and the hope offered is tantalizing but out of reach (for now). It's the crux of the album; if what came before was a peeling away of layers to reach the quaking heart of grief, then what follows is a thorny path to the seat of resignation. "The Barry Williams Show" is about the only levity on this album, and it's biting satire. The next two songs, "My Head Sounds Like That" and "More Than This", mark attempts to see something other than the darkness of before. "Signal To Noise" is the big payoff: all cards on the table and a heart willing, at last, to embrace something more. The vocals and orchestral passages are riveting. "The Drop" is short and tender: a sense of hard-won peace.



Music: This is not music I find myself singing. Rather, it's meant to be heard and felt. It's a soundtrack of the heart and borrows pop, rock, and other trappings to paint its emotional landscape; those familiar with Gabriel's other music have some idea of what to expect. The vocals range from heavily processed (e.g. "Signal To Noise" a la "D.I.Y." from Gabriel's 2nd album) to open and warm (e.g. "I Grieve" a la "Mercy Street" from SO). The songs are eclectic and utilize lots of guest artists. The use of brass band and orchestra was brilliant. The singing of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was nothing short of amazing.



In Context: Other reviewers have explored this album's place in Gabriel's oeuvre in detail. I believe this is a great album, and it needs to be listened to as an album, not just a bunch of songs. As such, it ranks up there with SECURITY as being one of his most cohesive and consistent efforts. If you liked SECURITY, you'll probably like this one, though, hard to believe, it's darker.



Recommendation: If you are in a dark place, then you may actually find this album incredibly rewarding. If not, then give it several listens before passing judgment. It may be a bitter pill to swallow for some, but for others already choking on bitter things, it's medicine in disguise. Highly recommended.

Gabriel's wasteland

After a 10-year hiatus from pop/rock music, Peter Gabriel returned in 2002 with "Up," a record featuring scintillating production, innovative songwriting, and masterful instrumentation. This is Gabriel's most groundbreaking work since the early days of Genesis. If "Up" could be judged on its technical merits alone, it would qualify as a masterpiece. However, "Up" can be tough to digest during the first few listens, and casual fans expecting the likes of "Big Time" or "Sledgehammer" are likely to be disappointed.



"The Darkness" begins the album with a barely audible percussion track; Gabriel demands the listener's close attention. The percussion then explodes into a heavy blast of distortion; Gabriel explores the range of audio dynamics much in the same way he did with Genesis' "The Musical Box" (1971). However, Gabriel defies listener expectations by ending the track with a whimper, not a bang. He eschews predictable catharsis, thereby signaling that this record will require attentive and thoughtful listening.



After an atmospheric intro, the next song, "Growing Up," breaks into a toe-tapping groove and catchy chorus; it's the closest thing here to a single. "The Barry Williams Show" is the only other truly upbeat number, though it's a somewhat dated attempt at spoofing the rash of Jerry Springer-style sensationalist TV shows. (I'm still trying to figure out what TV's "Greg Brady" has to do with this song!)



Songs like "Sky Blue," "More Than This," and "No Way Out" represent the "classic Gabriel" sound, with world beats, jangly guitars, and the ubiquitous Yamaha CP-70 electric piano. On "Sky Blue," Gabriel makes effective use of his RealWorld label mates The Blind Boys of Alabama, achieving a spine tingling effect with their soulful backing vocals. However, songs like the bleak and mournful "I Grieve," the macabre "My Head Feels Like That" and the stark "Signal to Noise" establish an almost unrelentingly dark tone for the rest of the album. This is definitely not feel-good music!



Where Gabriel's last non-soundtrack solo album, 1992's "Us," featured rich, dense arrangements, most of "Up" is intentionally sparse and minimalist. The instrumental parts, while uniformly brilliant, are painstakingly isolated, as if Gabriel was afraid the sounds would get lost in a mix. The overall effect suggests a blasted wasteland or void, where the listener has a minimum of reference points to guide the way.



There's no question that Peter Gabriel has created an authentic work of art with "Up," but it's a record that demands active listener participation. Only those willing to make the commitment are likely to appreciate it.