release date: Sep. 6, 1982
format: digital (2003 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: David Lord & Peter Gabriel
label: Virgin / Real World - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights:
1. "The Rhythm of the Heat" -
3. "I Have the Touch" -
5. "Shock the Monkey" (4 / 5) (official video) -
6. "Lay Your Hands on Me" -
7. "Wallflower" -
8. "Kiss of Life"
4th studio album by Peter Gabriel released 2½ years after Peter Gabriel (1980) is his last self-titled album and the first to be co-produced by Gabriel. This time he has teamed up with classical composer but also fairly inexperienced music-producer David Lord. Much as usual, the album is made with a handful of stable backing band musicians, which include guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin, keyboardist Larry Fast and drummer Jerry Marotta. To distinguish this from the former three studio albums, also titled "Peter Gabriel", this is also found as "Peter Gabriel 4" or: "Peter Gabriel IV", and it's commonly referred to as 'Security' referencing the front cover - this title has also been used for American releases.
The album lands somewhere in-between his last two albums - not really being up there with his fine third album, but nevertheless bettering his second album out, which by no means makes it on par with his debut 'cause they're so very different albums. Musically, it's not as straight-forward as his acclaimed 1980-album but it still contains some fine songs. There's a stronger presence of 'world music' in the rhythm sections but also a more experimental compositional approach with 'progressive pop' influence. Three tracks #3, #5 and #7 were selected for single release with "Shock the Monkey" as the album's clearly best-faring single and one Gabriel's best-charting singles to date. It topped as a decent number #58 in the UK but made three top-10 charts: number #10 in Canada, number #3 in Italy, and top of the charts in the US on the Mainstream Rock list (number #29 on the Billboard Hot 100) as one of a total of four singles by Gabriel ever to reach that position in the US.
The album may be his most incoherent album, but still contains great ideas - especially his incorporation of African rhythm sections occasionally shines through but comes better out on his following albums.
Not essential.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]
