Peter Gabriel - PETER GABRIEL*****

Moribund The Burgermeister/Solsbury Hill/Modern Love/Excuse Me/Humdrum/Slowburn/Waiting For The Big One/Down The Dolce Vita/Here Comes The Flood

Self titled debut solo album from the former Genesis front man Peter Gabriel. Not as progressive as his group compositions, it provides a vehicle for a variety of musical styles. Includes the UK No. 13 hit Solsbury Hill. (US:38 UK:7)

“Peter Gabriel's initial departure from Genesis is so all-over-the-place that you can't pigeonhole him to any style or genre.”

“It reminds me more of Genesis than any of Peter's later albums, so it's always been my favourite solo album of his. Unsurprisingly, the first two tracks, which are the most Genesis like of all, are also the most successful.”

“Peter Gabriel's first solo outing after leaving Genesis is a mixed bag with him still trying to develop what his solo sound would encompass. The style varies from track to track with some sounding like ideas from his Genesis days, and others being more experimental in nature. The opening, Moribund The Burgermeister is a cut that may have been intended for Genesis. It's more prog oriented, and has some of the quirky narrative components that Genesis were so well known for. The second track, Solsbury Hill may be the best in the entire Gabriel discography and approaches pop perfection without sacrificing musicianship for the sake of a radio hit.”

“Making a clean break from the pastoral symphonic style of Genesis, Peter Gabriel's first solo album sees him apply his theatrical approach to a set of intriguing art rock pieces.”

“This is an album that shows its time and influences and reveals Gabriel as a restless spirit, searching for his own style and sweeping from grandeur to intimacy, touching all points in between."

“There is some of the early Genesis prog influence here and there, mostly in terms of sheer ambition rather than actual sound, but for the most part Gabriel seems to have moved on and he's all the better for it.”

“Peter Gabriel's seminal solo career began with this interesting release, a mixture of pop hits, standards, art-rock and genre exercises that looked back on his time with Genesis while pointing the way toward the future.”