release date: Feb. 10, 1977
format: cd (2003 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Bob Ezrin
label: Virgin Japan / Real World - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Moribund the Burgermeister" (live) - 2. "Solsbury Hill" (4 / 5) (official video) (live montage) - 3. "Modern Love" (official video) - 6. "Slowburn" - 8. "Down the Dolce Vita" - 9. "Here Comes the Flood"
Studio solo album debut by Peter Gabriel released two years after leaving the succesful British prog rock band Genesis is Gabriel's first of four consecutive studio albums with identical titles - all of which originally released on Charisma Records. The album is commonly referred to as "Peter Gabriel 1" / "Peter Gabriel I"or simply: 'Car' with reference to the front cover. Gabriel has gathered up a list of fine backing musicians for the album, including guitarist Robert Fripp (of King Crimson), and a list of American musicians: guitarist Steve Hunter, session bassist Tony Levin, keyboardist Larry Fast, drummer Allan Schwartzberg and percussionist Jimmy Maelen. Fripp would re-join Gabriel on his two following studio releases, Fast on the next three albums, and Tony Levin would be a stable musician on all of Gabriel's future albums.
Stilistically, Gabriel is still working in the style of prog rock but has turned his back on the longer progressive part of the music and turned to a combo of Lou Reed / David Bowie / Brian Eno / Roxy Music-type of glam rock and art rock using both guitars and synths.
It's an album that refers to and builds on the established traditions of popular music, instead of embracing elements from the punk rock invironment, but it's still a mighty fine release taking rock to new grounds. The album is the first of three Peter Gabriel albums to be included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Record Mirror 4 / 5, Uncut 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]
