Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel IV

THE REVIEW

After the first two timid and uncertain attempts to take flight from the warm and safe Genesis nest, and after a third album that was already more mature and personal, on the fourth attempt Peter Gabriel finally finds the friendly current that allows him to reach very high altitudes, with a dizzying peak in the masterpiece "Passion", a true model to highlight to those who too easily hand out the label of "ethnic music". His restless hunger for musical exploration begins to be satisfied thanks to the discovery of the primitive charm of African tribal sounds, adapted to Western taste through meticulous electronic elaborations, which Peter masterfully achieves in his personal recording studio, which is also his home. The sound of this album goes in the opposite direction to the trends of the '80s: instead of a blend of soft bass and clean drums, here a dry and powerful rhythmic base prevails, which at times seems to overshadow the other instruments and even the voice. This is particularly evident in the African-inspired tracks, such as the frenzied "Kiss Of Life", a true drum festival, and above all the overwhelming "The Rhythm Of The Heat", with its subdued start and magical build-up of tension, created both by the increasingly assertive drums and by P.G.'s increasingly dramatic voice, with the cherry on top being the thunderous entry of a section of real African percussion in the pyrotechnic finale. Another masterpiece conceived in crescendo is "San Jacinto": here, the task of creating a climate of anticipation is entrusted to an oriental-sounding motif played by keyboards, which seems to coil upon itself until it hypnotizes the listener, preparing them to fully appreciate the majestic and engaging finale. After all, even though it's structured in a more complex way, the evocative "Lay Your Hands On Me" also bases much of its charm on the crescendo that leads from the almost whispered verses to the piercing despair of the main motif, also emphasized by nervous bursts of drums. Even the more elementary tracks highlight the percussion sounds: this is true for "Shock The Monkey", the big hit of the album, and for the equally brilliant "I Have The Touch". Powerful drum interventions are also present in what might seem like a slow song, "The Family And The Fishing Net", the darkest and most mysterious moment of the album and the only example of continuity with the prevailing atmosphere of the third album. Amidst so much movement, there is only one example of a melodic song, just one but of rare beauty: with "Wallflower," Peter Gabriel shows that if his interest is currently directed at primitive rhythms, it doesn't mean that his Genesis origins have been forgotten: from the velvety beginning, with piano notes emerging from a fog of electronic sounds, to the sumptuous finale, decidedly tear-jerking, it is pure emotion. It makes an excellent album more varied and complete.