391) Peter Gabriel - Melt

I’m fifteen in 1986 and never miss an episode of Top of the Pops, The Tube and The Chart Show as I slowly become obsessed with music. There is some guy on The Chart Show with the most imaginative video for a song called Sledgehammer, it becomes a huge hit and the subsequent solo album So is a number one smash. This guy is Peter Gabriel and it’s the first time I have heard of him.

Numerous articles at the time informed me that he was the original lead singer of Genesis, but he did leave when I was only four years of age so I think I can be excused and before he went multi-platinum he had already released four acclaimed solo albums all called Peter Gabriel and all top ten hits.

This record was his third solo album hitting number one in 1980 and is the one with Gabriel’s face melting on the front sleeve.

Gabriel was experimenting with synths, drum machines and changing the way drums sounded now confident in his ability as a solo artist although the album contained many guest players who are well known.

The most well-known songs on this record are Games Without Frontiers and Biko. For Games we hear the welcoming voice of Kate Bush singing in French over synths and drums before Gabriel comes in almost deadpan and we have added whistling from producers Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham, on first listen it’ an almost stark song but the backing track, like all this record, reveals itself over repeated listens.

Biko was about the death of the South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in police custody and has become an anthem for Gabriel, it’s still hits all of these years later a thoughtful and hard hitting protest song and let’s not forget the majesty of the bagpipes.

Opener Intruder he brings in old Genesis pal Phil Collins on drums where they use a sound called “gated drums” I don’t really understand it as I am no musician but they dominate the track and guitars occasionally sear in and it’s a sinister vocal from Gabriel, it’s a haunting deep opener but it makes you sit up and listen and draws you into the record.

No Self Control, Robert Fripp appears and Phil and Kate are here as well and as the title is belted out Peter is backed by the crowd with Kate following, its intense and hypnotic, great chaotic rhythms throughout.

XTC’s Dave Gregory joins Fripp for I Don’t Remember with Gabriel’s voice more frantic but this is a catchy pop song with plenty going on and Family Snapshot starts as just piano and Gabriel but at two minutes in we have added drums, sax and guitars, Gregory back again with long term Gabriel guitarist David Rhodes before all fade away and we are left with Peter and piano, clever but beautifully done. 

Paul Weller joins us for And Through the Wire a rougher and rawer vocal and the guitar cuts through the track with great bass and Fripp also returns for Not One of Us, the drums from Jerry Marotta hit hard and loud throughout and Lead a Normal Life is eerie and mainly instrumental.

I had never heard this record in full, it’s a wonderful album and Gabriel was, and still is at seventy-six, pushing the boundaries.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Games Without Frontiers