I like it a little less than "III" because I find "III" completely free of weak points. Here, I wince a bit at "Kiss of Life" being placed at the end, which, after a masterpiece like "Wallflower," feels somewhat underwhelming. Nonetheless, Gabriel makes further strides in his sonic-musical-lyrical exploration, all based on killer percussive rhythms and themes such as human contact and encounters with diverse and distant cultures, which can intersect with our own (the masterpiece "Family and the Fishin' Net"). It's a fundamental album for a certain type of sound and where the more pop tracks also perform well on the charts. In my opinion, Gabriel bends pop to fit his musical-thematic discourse, rather than the other way around, and he does so, overall, quite well.
more
