Be One Of Us (Us - Peter Gabriel)

Member Name: TallTone

Product:	Us - Peter Gabriel
Date:	18/07/01 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: THAT voice, intelligent lyrics, good use of unusual lyrics

Disadvantages: None

Nearly 10 years on now, and this is still PG's "current" studio album (no, I don't count commissions for the Dome). For at least the last five years, the new album has been "just around the corner". In fact, all we really know about it, is that it will be called "Up", and that a lot of the composing was done on guitar rather than the usual keyboard. It's a good job, then, that "Us" is such a high quality offering.

Candidate for the title "Godfather of World Music", Peter Gabriel's influences have become ever more varied as he travels the globe signing artists to his Realworld label. Six years on from "So", those influences are there for all to hear on this 1992 disc.

Ever since his Genesis days, PG has loved experimentation. These days it is best shown in his ground-breaking videos (remember Sledgehammer?) and he does love his gadgets at concerts. But in the music, it means bringing in as many artistes as possible to play instruments most people have never heard of. Can you honestly say you've heard of a djembe or a surdu? What about a doudouk? But this remarkable assortment of world sounds, underwritten by the usual strong bass lines from Tony Levin and the multi-faceted drumkit of Manu Katche, with David Rhodes on most guitars and Gabriel himself playing most of what's left, delivers the perfect backing for that unmistakable throaty, earthy voice delivering highly intelligent lyrics. Unlike on "So" there are no duets with his girlfriend at the time, but she is allowed a couple of backing appearances. Their voices actually mix quite well and I think that Sinead O'Connor's ethereal tones encouraged her man to reach higher with his own voice. The result is quite special, best heard in "Blood of Eden".

If you've never listened to a Peter Gabriel album, start with this one. He's come a long way since dressing up
as a flower in front of Collins, Banks and Rutherford and this disc, along with the specially-commissioned art in the booklet, says more about who he is today than any opinion.

Track Listing:
Come Talk To Me - walls more solid than any bricks and mortar
Love To Be Loved - soft sentiments of self-doubt
Blood of Eden - ballad on the essence of relationships
Steam - pop goes PG in a rip-roarer
Only Us - big world influence echoes a note of hope amongst the despair
Washing of the Water - sex and drugs?
Digging in the Dirt - hold on for the emotion rollercoaster
Fourteen Black Paintings - PAIN to CHANGE in five steps
Kiss That Frog - more PG pop
Secret World - where we all live

Summary: