Peter Gabriel

What to say. He is a genious in my mind. Poetic, strong and a fantastic, mesmerizing voice. Increadible in so many ways, but also difficult and a bit strange. You must listen many many times to appreicate the music to the max. It is not for everyone, I think, and not for the radio.

My Peter Gabriel facination started in 86 when I was in Hastings on Language Summer School learning English (and learning to party, I might add) when Sledghammer and Don't give up raged on the hitlists. Perhaps this is the only album that was really a big commercial and streamline hit for Peter Gabriel, but my appreciation grew after I learned more.

When I came back from England that summer and talked to my brother about my new facination, he showed me the four other albums that Peter Gabriel had given out solo at that time. No names, they are popularly called 1,2,3 and 4. 3 is the best, in my mind. "Biko" came out on this I think. I'm just pulling this out of my head, so I might be wrong.

After that I learned that Peter Gabriel was the original singer in Genesis, and that opened a new path in my "musical education". My top grade in Music in "senior high" was due to this interest, and with a big help from my brother's vast music collection which had all Genesis and Gabriel records given out to that date.

I've been to two concerts with Gabriel, both in Oslo. The first was in 87 on the "So"-tour, the second a few years later - I'd say around 1995.

Now he is out with Scratch my back. An album only with cover songs, it is entirely in Gabriels spirit. I have a job to listen to it some times to really apprecate it. It is difficult as the voice and tone of the music is so closely linked to my brother.