Bowie vs. Solo Gabriel

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   (This may belong in prog-related, not really sure)

I was just thinking today that the solo careers of David Bowie and Peter Gabriel have an oddly similar sound, especially in the early 80s (For example, Scary Monsters, IMO, could have been a Peter Gabriel album, and So would have made a nice Bowie record). These are two innovaive stage performers who often created characters out of their music and made each concert a grand spectacle. While their two starting points are quite different, both of these unique artists put out a large collection of excellent and diverse music, all the while pushing the boundaries and acheiving massive popularity.

My question is simple. Whose solo (as in NOT Genesis) output do you prefer, and why?

Myself? As much as I love PG, I'm gonna give this one to the Thin White Duke, who I feel is a vastly underrated musical figure.

Poll Question: Whose work do you prefer?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
David Bowie	43	[45.26%]
Peter Gabriel (solo career)	52	[54.74%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

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Tarquin Underspoon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: September 12 2009 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 1416	Topic: Bowie vs. Solo Gabriel Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:20
	(This may belong in prog-related, not really sure) I was just thinking today that the solo careers of David Bowie and Peter Gabriel have an oddly similar sound, especially in the early 80s (For example, Scary Monsters, IMO, could have been a Peter Gabriel album, and So would have made a nice Bowie record). These are two innovaive stage performers who often created characters out of their music and made each concert a grand spectacle. While their two starting points are quite different, both of these unique artists put out a large collection of excellent and diverse music, all the while pushing the boundaries and acheiving massive popularity. My question is simple. Whose solo (as in NOT Genesis) output do you prefer, and why? Myself? As much as I love PG, I'm gonna give this one to the Thin White Duke, who I feel is a vastly underrated musical figure.
	"WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky

Silverbeard McStarr Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 05 2009 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 167	Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:26
	I love both Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, but I've gotta vote Bowie.

mrcozdude Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 25 2007 Location: Devon,UK. Status: Offline Points: 2078	Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:41
	Gabriel


Icarium Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: March 21 2008 Location: Tigerstaden Status: Offline Points: 34069	Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:42
	I only have Ziggi Stardust and Hunky Dory and none of Gabriel so i can not wote but the two Bowie albums i have are pure genius, marvelus

Slartibartfast Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29630	Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:48
	I'm giving it to Gabriel because while Gabriel has worked with Robert Fripp, David Bowie has also worked with Robert Fripp. Bonus points if you can guess what TV show inspired that line. Double bonus points if you can name the episode. I will say, I do like them both, but I have all of Peter's solo albums and will always get his latest, but I feel no need to complete my Bowie discography. Bowie's work prior to getting involved with progressive artists doesn't float my boat so to speak.
	Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

snobb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 20 2009 Location: Vilnius,LT,EU Status: Offline Points: 3584	Posted: October 23 2009 at 17:56
	Both Bowie and Peter Gabriel were great musicians of their time. Like you them or not, many musicians were influented by them. And if I really like some Gabriel works, I prefer Bowie, as greatest figure. He was very influential from early 70 till late 90, and just recorded long list of great works. Gabriel (solo) made some great work, but for years was more more important as Man in Music world, than real active musician.

Progosopher Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 12 2009 Location: Coolwood Status: Offline Points: 6472	Posted: October 23 2009 at 19:18
	I prefer Gabriel, and think his work is overall more consistent than Bowie's, although it does have its ups and downs. However, Peter is not as prolific as David; when David is good, he's really good, but he has also produced enough material that leaves me blank that it's easy for me to burn out on him. Both are great artists, though.
	The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"

progkidjoel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: March 02 2009 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 19643	Posted: October 23 2009 at 19:19
	One of my favourite ever prog artists.


Roland113 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843	Posted: October 23 2009 at 19:26
	Yeah, for me this one was easy. While I like some of Bowie's stuff, I love Gabriel.
	-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms.

Chris S Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 09 2004 Location: Front Range Status: Offline Points: 7028	Posted: October 23 2009 at 19:47
	Both brilliant but too different to compare. Both minimalist of late in terms of studio output but their contributions over the years beggar belief
	<font color=Brown>Music - The Sound Librarian ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR]

crimhead Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: October 10 2006 Location: Missouri Status: Offline Points: 19236	Posted: October 23 2009 at 20:08
	Peter for me. I respect Bowie and his catalog but I have always been a Gabriel fan.

Negoba Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 24 2008 Location: Big Muddy Status: Offline Points: 5208	Posted: October 23 2009 at 20:11
	This poll is affront on all things sane..... Edited by Negoba - October 23 2009 at 20:13
	You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.

bhikkhu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 06 2006 Location: A² Michigan Status: Offline Points: 5109	Posted: October 23 2009 at 21:04
	I have to go with Gabriel simply because his output was more consistently high quality. Yeas, I know Bowie released a hell of a lot more albums, but that's kind of the point. Gabriel only releases something when he satisfied with it. And before you take opposition to that, I also respect Bowie's willingness to experiment. I like them both, but that's what I choose Gabriel.
	a.k.a. H.T. http://riekels.wordpress.com

fuxi Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: March 08 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2459	Posted: October 24 2009 at 04:18
	I'm amazed at some of the replies here. I was there when PG's solo career took off, he was one of my heroes, I totally adored his first solo album. The second one was disappointing, but with nrs. three and four he hit gold and YES, he seemed similar to Bowie at the time: equally daring, equally intelligent, equally using ideas from a wide variety of sources! But PG's solo career never went through the same amazing trajectory Bowie's had in the 1970s. Whenever I think of that sequence, I'm in awe: SPACE ODDITY-MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD-HUNKY DORY-ZIGGY STARDUST-PINUPS-DIAMOND DOGS-YOUNG AMERICANS-STATIONTOSTATION-LOW-HEROES-SCARY MONSTERS! It's a ten-year high PG has never matched. (I rate ALADDIN SANE and LODGER a little lower but they're fascinating still.) And these days, Bowie's 1970s albums give me greater pleasure than PG's solo stuff. P.S. Back in the late 1970s, PG may have derived the idea of recording an entire album in German from Bowie singing "Helden", but have any of you noticed that Bowie's recent "Never Get Old" is an almost 100% rehash (rather annoying, in my view) of PG's "Games without Frontiers"?

Zargus Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 08 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 3491	Posted: October 24 2009 at 05:03
	hard question, i think i vote for bowie in the end.


someone_else Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Offline Points: 24382	Posted: October 24 2009 at 06:10
	David Bowie made a good start with his first three albums. Hereafter he had his fine moments now and then. Peter Gabriel has his lesser moments, but I prefer most of his solo output above Bowie's.


SgtPepper67 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 17 2007 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 530	Posted: October 24 2009 at 06:32
	I love both of them! I can't decide
	In the end the love you take is equal to the love you made...

Equality 7-2521 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: August 11 2005 Location: Philly Status: Offline Points: 15784	Posted: October 24 2009 at 12:27
	Bowie is probably my favorite song writer of all time as well as a top 5 singer to me. So it's pretty easy.
	"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "

Moogtron III Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: April 26 2005 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 10616	Posted: October 24 2009 at 15:43
	Personal taste: Peter Gabriel. Objective POV: both were innovators, but as it comes to the music purely I think Gabriel was more of a pioneer. Bowie had a great talent in using lots of influences for his own style. Gabriel was really doing new things, like some time not using cymbals for percussion, little details that no one had done before, and Gabriel had a wider array of musical styles that he did. Bowie used a wide array of styles and used it often in something that is essentialy pop / rock music. Well , not always, but often. But look at the differences between Gabriel's first album, Passion and OVO for instance. Also, I think there's much more depth in Gabriel's albums. In emotions, in lyrics. So I vote Gabriel.

Icarium Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: March 21 2008 Location: Tigerstaden Status: Offline Points: 34069	Posted: October 24 2009 at 19:58
	Rick Wakeman sites that David Bowie is the gratest musician and the person who have influend him moust as an artist more then any one else (to make it short Rick Wakeman sites Bowie as the gratest man he have EVVER playd for) if you read interviewa by Rick you may notice him kissing Bowies feets in admiration (almoust)