Drama vs Peter Gabriel III (Melt) - Progressive Rock Music Forum

An interesting poll considering the current outcome. I didn't think there was enough love in the room for the overbearing Yes entry, up against an obvious crowd favorite. An odd poll though, so I won't vote.

"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno

This one isn't close even though I like them both. PG III for the win!

Drama was stronger than I expected it to be, but I wouldn't put in the same league as Melt.

Believe me Pope Paul, my toes are clean

Both are great albums but I think Drama has aged better.

Clearly PG 3, even if Biko is maybe a slightly bloated conclusion; PG's album endings were much weaker than the albums as a whole until So.

I like Drama but I really think No Self Control is better than anything on that album by a very large margin.

chopper wrote:

richardh wrote:

Sacro_Porgo wrote:

I do think this is another one of those polls that sets up the divide between "prog" and "progressive" quite nicely.

Melt is a pretty obviously progressive album, even if only for introducing the world to the drum sound of the 80s (which Phil subsequently took directly over to Face Value and made it world famous). That said, it doesn't retain much of the "prog" style that much of the music on this site is based in. No 20 minute suites, or even 10 minute epics. The closest you get is a multi-section story song "Family Snapshot" and a seven minute slow build "Biko." This album is all about new sounds, new production techniques, unusual song ideas, atmospherics and moods. The epitome of "art rock" if you ask me.

Drama on the other hand is pretty obviously a "prog" album. While it does contain elements that are pushing music forward (thank you The Buggles), it centers mainly on a harder edged prog style for most of the album that isn't terribly far off from the music Yes had already been making throughout the 70s, if a little meaner. You do get a 10 minute epic in "Machine Messiah," and another lengthy proggy gem in "Into The Lens."

really good summation

PG is a tough listen and takes no prisoners. Games Without Frontiers was a surprise top 5 hit in the UK garnering a lot of airplay so it may not be quite as far away from pop as people like to believe. Shock the Monkey and No Self Control were also played quite a bit on radio at the time while Biko is the best live singalong ever!. Its a very clever album but not as inaccessible as many would like to believe.

Shock the Monkey is on PG4.

oops, thanks!

I am surprised that Drama got so many votes.

Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion.

jamesbaldwin wrote:

I am surprised that Drama got so many votes.

Not I!

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The Dark Elf wrote:

Logan wrote:

chopper wrote:

Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Yes, it has to be Drama, bearing in mind I can't name any of the songs on Peter Gabriel 3. Embarrassed

Not even Biko?

It's very close call for me but I'd probably go for PG.

I would have said, "Not even Games Without Frontiers?" That is one of my very favourite songs that has been an "in regular rotation" staple of classic rock radio here. I'm glad Peter Gabriel moved on from Genesis into his "solo" career.

I hugely prefer Melt. I don't like the classic opening track on Drama, "Machine Messiah", and it doesn't improve for me as the album moves on. It's due to albums such as this that I don't think of myself as a Prog fan. I tried to listen through it again, but it is dreadful to these ears.

Paul, you're missing out on one of the great albums of the 1980s. From the song "The Intruder" with the sinister Peter Lorre whistle (from the movie "M", where Lorre is a whistling serial killer) all the way to the anti-apartheid anthem "Biko'' it is a splendid progressive concept album featuring folks like Robert Fripp, Kate Bush, Phil Collins and Tony Levin.

Saw M the other night on TCM and am curious what classical piece the serial killer was whistling.

"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno

Peter Gabriel: III

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Poll Question: Which do you prefer?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Yes: Drama	36	[45.57%]
Peter Gabriel: III (Melt)	43	[54.43%]
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