Classic Albums, Peter Gabriel's So on TV Tonight

[Big Ears]

Classic Albums, the making of Peter Gabriel's So, which included Sledgehammer, is on BBC 4 tonight at 9:00pm (Friday 23rd March 2012). Prog Britannia and Prog Rock at the BBC are also repeated later on the same channel.

 

[LG]

Sledgehammer remains one of my favorite videos of all time...and I'm not a fan of them so many were just plain poorly made.

So and Us are two phenomenal albums,,,they transferred to CD very well too.

Peter Gabriel seems to have almost stopped making new music...which is too bad.

 

[Big Ears]

Sledgehammer remains one of my favorite videos of all time...and I'm not a fan of them so many were just plain poorly made.

So and Us are two phenomenal albums,,,they transferred to CD very well too.

Peter Gabriel seems to have almost stopped making new music...which is too bad.

The documentary revealed that the videos were made by Aardman Animations, which included Nick Park (the dancing oven-ready chickens sequence), later of Creature Comforts, Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run fame.

Another interesting fact in the documentary was that the tracks were sequenced for vinyl, ie. tracks which needed bass were placed first on the outside grooves, those that needed treble were last on the inside grooves. When the tracks were transferred to CD, they were in put in a logical order according to the lyrics. The grooves were no longer a factor.

Footage of Tony Levin showed what a good bass player he is. I saw Peter Gabriel live once or twice around the time of Biko (Melt 1980-ish), but I don't remember Tony Levin playing bass. In those days PG had a very strange stage presence, wearing a cat suit, standing still and staring into the distance. I've since heard he was nervous on stage. Towards the end of the show he was joined by Phil Collins on vocals. Both were very relaxed sitting on the edge of the stage.

I never saw Gabriel with Genesis, which I would have loved around the Nursery Cryme or Lamb Lies Down period. Collins I saw with Brand X, not a bad group in their own right.

 

[LG]

^^I didn't realize PG was nervous performing...when he did the support tour for "Us" he played in Calgary but not here, which irritated me no end. But my friends that went to the show were very impressed with the concert.

That is very interesting about the arrangement of the songs according to how much "groove space" they needed. I have So on vinyl and CD...I'll have to play them both now that you've sparked my interest.

Oh and I Love claymation/stop action photography, when done properly it's better than a lot of CGI I've seen over the years.

 

[Big Ears]

I think Peter Gabriel dressed as a flower and fox in a ballgown, with Genesis, to disguise his nerves. I never saw Genesis live, mainly because they progressed beyond the clubs before my time.

 

[LG]

^^ You might be right......I always just thought he was just being "theatrical" with all the costumes/make up he wore during Genesis's early and best days.

At least it's better than Jim Morrison's approach, he would drink heavily before a show to calm his stage fright, they do say when he was young before the Doors became a massive success he was the nicest guy you'd ever meet sober...then when he was drunk he became an obnoxious asshole.

 

[Big Ears]

I thought Gabriel was being theatrical to begin with. There are a lot of stories about Jim Morrison, but the real truth may have died with him.

 

[LG]

^^There have been so many stories about Jim Morrison from people close to him that say the same thing I give the account of his drinking before concerts credibility.