PETER GABRIEL 2 [AKA: SCRATCH]

Peter Gabriel´s second album is his most obscure and transitional. The songs aren´t as sharp and well arranged as his solo debut. In fact it sounds almost punkish in some ways. All the rough edges are left and most of the time it works. A lot of the stuff here is more tentative than successful, but still it has some high quality, even when you don´t really like it. And some moments are pure beauty (Mother Of Violence, White Shadow).

It is obviously that Peter Gabirel was still trying to find his own sound. Larry Fast steps in as a major player here and would be a key figure in future releases. As usual the team of musicians he chose for this CD is absolutely phenomenal: Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta, Roy Bitter... Wow! Gabriel has to be a great talent not to be overshadowed by such giants. And believe me, he does not. In fact, it is his voice and ideas that guides all through the entire album.

Unlike most of his early solo releases, this one has some flaws, but nothing that spoils the overall effect. Very good, but I don´t think it is really essential. It was an important step for him, but the results for the average listener is mixed. I still have difficulties listening to some tracks like the pseudo reggae A Wonderful Day In One Way World, for exemple. But is still very well done and above average. Trnasitional is the best word to describe it. And, therefore, not the best CD for a newcomer. Start by his first. 3,5 stars.