Good compilation, but only necessary for collectors.

This is a fine compilation and a great introduction to Peter Gabriel's music, but is rendered largely unnecessary by the "Hit" compilation that came out more recently.



Released in 1990, it features one song each from "Peter Gabriel 1", "Security", and "Passion", four from "Peter Gabriel 3", and five from "So". Additionally, it's got a rerecording of "Peter Gabriel 1"'s "Here Comes the Flood", a remix of "I Have the Touch" from "Security", and the new on this compilation "Shaking the Tree"



Of the sixteen selections here, only four are not on "Hit"-- the "I Have the Touch" remix and "Shaking the Tree" as well as "Mercy Street" and "Zaar" (from "So" and "Passion" respectively). Unless you're a big Gabriel fan, its unlikely either of these are worth the price for this set. "Shaking the Tree" is a great song, but the remix is largely unnecessary. The final new track, "Here Comes the Flood", presents that song as a piano ballad rather than the somewhat overblown recording from "Peter Gabriel 1". I still prefer the Frippertronics and piano version on Robert Fripp's "Exposure" album, but this one is quite nice (and available on "Hit").



Looking at the compilation itself, the track selection is really nice-- noticably absent is Gabriel's biggest hit, "In Your Eyes", and any material from "Peter Gabriel 2", but all the other hits are here. There's a bit of a deemphasis on the brilliant album tracks that could have been included, realizing room had to be made for singles, I still question not including "Family Snapshot" or "Exposure", both unique and (in my opinion) important songs. Still, regardless of what they picked, I suspect any real fan would have something to complain about.



Its a decent compilation, but my review rating is based on the relative lack of necessity of this given "Hit".

There's a Reason "In Your Eyes" is not here!!

After reading so many comments about the omission of "In Your Eyes" on "Shaking the Tree," I felt I had to comment. When you think about it, "In Your Eyes" was only a minor hit when first released in 1986. It didn't become the acknowledged classic until its use in "Say Anything" in 1989. Since "Shaking the Tree" came out originally in 1990, the song had not been a "classic" for that long. The bigger reason that "In Your Eyes" is not on this greatest hits collection is that including EVERY hit from "So" would greatly hurt sales of the "So" CD release. With "In Your Eyes" on "Shaking the Tree," fans could now get "Sledgehammer," "Big Time," "Don't Give Up," "Mercy Street," "Red Rain," and "In Your Eyes on a greatest hits CD. For most people, that would preclude them from buying "So." If you notice, on his "Hit" CD, "In Your Eyes" is there, but the brilliant "Mercy Street" is missing. If you notice other greatest hits CD's from other artists, the majority of them follow this practice. As the old saying goes, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

good deal, good buy, 1 new great song

I got this for a very good price, and I think almost everything on here is quintessential gabriel: strangely unnerving, beautiful, and at times funky in a strange way. I was not going to buy all of his albums, and for 4 bucks this seemed like a steal. It has all the best songs from SO on it, which I had listened to and liked, plus great songs from most of his other early material. I think that this is the Gabriel album to buy for beginners, and the material on here satisfies me enough that I don't want any more really. Especially "shaking the tree," and the new "here comes the flood."

"In your eyes" or whatever its called isn't on here because Gabriel did not want it on here. its his work, he can choose what stays and goes. I assume it was problems with his divorce, because he had many marital problems around that time. If you are interested in his later material, by all means get this and his later cds like an earlier review said. Or just check out the live albums; I don't know anything about those, however. I'd say this disc is a desert island disc, I don't care if a few songs are "butchered" because i actually don't notice. And I have listened to SO a few times!