The Reward for the Wait!
Written: Sep 26 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Deep, involved, complex, intense, lush, personal music
Cons: The Barry Williams Show
The Bottom Line: Peter Gabriel pulls together the wide range of styles from his career into an rich, complex, and deeply personal album.
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| engwall's Full Review: Up by Peter Gabriel |
For those who appreciate the range of Peter Gabriel's music, Up is ample reward for a ten year wait. Others who only like his radio-friendly hits will not be as impressed.
Up recalls musical elements from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, III, Us, and a few albums in-between. The songs on this album are moody, introspective, and complex. It's not surprising that critics hoping for more of the same pop candy as "Steam", "Sledgehammer", and "Big Time" are panning the album as too dark and morose. But come on, this is Peter Gabriel, and he did have a career before So. He's never been shy about exploring the darker corners of the human psyche. Those of us who have enjoyed the full breadth of Peter's styles, Up is a merging of the best portions of each into a whole. This album rewards those who listen attentively, and only gets better with each listen. Unfortunately, some may not be willing to invest themselves enough to really appreciate the brilliance of the album.
From the opening moments of "Darkness" it's apparent that Peter has taken the gloves off and is returning to the raw edgy style from his earlier works. A stark, simple beat explodes into a caucophonous, filtered and distorted scream (a-la "Intruder"). Then, out of lyrics about fear comes a more peaceful, intent sound as he speaks of owning his fears, and not letting them take control. The album is rife with the thoughtful and intense lyrics Peter is known for.
It's almost puzzling that Peter even included "The Barry Williams Show", which is by far the least inspired song on the album. I can only guess that it was added to give the producers something to play on the radio, since the rest of the album is far too dense and complex for radio.
If you're too jaded to appreciate when an artist is opening up, and prefer the shallower waters of Linkin Park to the more challenging currents of Tori Amos and Kate Bush, then don't bother with Up. But if you like meat on your albums, and despair in the throw-away tripe that passes for music these days, Up will restore your faith that there are artists out there that still give a damn about music and reward the faithful who will wait ten years for an album.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying
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Epinions.com ID:
engwall
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Member: Keith Engwall
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 67
Trusted by: 67 members
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