Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener’s Companion

246 Pages·2016·1.22 MB·English

by  Durrell Bowman

EXPERIENCING PETER GABRIEL
The Listener’s Companion
Gregg Akkerman, Series Editor
TitlesinTheListener’sCompanionprovidereaderswithadeeperunderstandingof
keymusicalgenresandtheworkofmajorartistsandcomposers.Aimedatnonspecial-
ists,eachvolumeexplainsinclearandaccessiblelanguagehowtolistentoworksfrom
particular artists, composers, and genres. Looking at both the context in which the
musicfirstappearedandhassincebeenheard,authorsexplorewithreaderstheenvi-
ronmentsinwhichkeymusicalworkswerewrittenandperformed.
ExperiencingDavidBowie:AListener’sCompanion,byIanChapman
ExperiencingJazz:AListener’sCompanion,byMichaelStephans
ExperiencingLedZeppelin:AListener’sCompanion,byGreggAkkerman
ExperiencingLeonardBernstein:AListener’sCompanion,byKennethLaFave
ExperiencingMozart:AListener’sCompanion,byDavidSchroeder
ExperiencingPeterGabriel:AListener’sCompanion,byDurrellBowman
ExperiencingtheRollingStones:AListener’sCompanion,byDavidMalvinni
ExperiencingRush:AListener’sCompanion,byDurrellBowman
ExperiencingSchumann:AListener’sCompanion,byDonaldSanders
ExperiencingStravinsky:AListener’sCompanion,byRobinMaconie
ExperiencingTchaikovsky:AListener’sCompanion,byDavidSchroeder
ExperiencingVerdi:AListener’sCompanion,byDonaldSanders
ExperiencingtheViolinConcerto:AListener’sCompanion,byFrancoSciannameo
EXPERIENCING PETER GABRIEL
A Listener’s Companion
Durrell Bowman
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
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Copyright©2016byDurrellBowman
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorby
anyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretriev-
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whomayquotepassagesinareview.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Bowman,Durrell,author.
Title:ExperiencingPeterGabriel:alistener’scompanion/DurrellBowman.
Description:Lanham,Maryland:Rowman&Littlefield,2016.|Series:Thelistener'scompanion|
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2016004981(print)|LCCN2016006436(ebook)|ISBN9781442251991(hard-
back:alk.paper)|ISBN9781442252004(electronic)
Subjects:LCSH:Gabriel,Peter,1950–—Criticismandinterpretation.|Rockmusic—England—
Historyandcriticism.
Classification:LCCML420.G107B692016(print)|LCCML420.G107(ebook)|DDC
782.42166092—dc23
LCrecordavailableathttp://lccn.loc.gov/2016004981
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsof
AmericanNationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaper
forPrintedLibraryMaterials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
To Vicky Lucas, for encouraging me
to pursue this book topic
and for enjoying many types of music
with me in our life together

CONTENTS
SeriesEditor’sForeword ix
Timeline xi
Introduction xix
1 “TellMeMyLifeIsabouttoBegin”:1950–1971andEarly
Genesis 1
2 “TheChamberWasinConfusion”:1972–1975andthe
ExodusfromGenesis 23
3 “They’veCometoTakeMeHome”:1976–1978andPeter
GabrielI(“Car”)andII(“Scratch”) 49
4 “IfLooksCouldKill”:1979–1980andPeterGabrielIII
(“Melt”) 73
5 “CoverMe,WhenIRun”:1981–1984andIV(Security) 97
6 “ThisIstheNewStuff”:1985–1989andSo 123
7 “IReachOutthroughtheBorderFence”:1990–1999andUs 151
8 “InTransitionOnceAgain”:2000–2015andUp,ScratchMy
Back,andtheRockHall 177
Conclusion 205
SelectedListening 209
Bibliography 213
Index 215
AbouttheAuthor 223
vii

SERIES EDITOR’S FOREWORD
T
hegoaloftheListener’sCompanionseriesistogivereadersadeeper
understanding of pivotal musical genres and the creative work of their
iconic composers and performers. This is accomplished in an inclusive
manner that does not necessitate extensive music training or elitist
shoulder rubbing. Authors of the series place the reader in specific
listening experiences in which the music is examined in its historical
context with regard to both compositional and societal parameters. By
positioning the reader in the real or supposed environment of the mu-
sic’screation,theauthorprovidesforadeeperenjoymentandapprecia-
tion of the art form. Series authors, often drawing on their own exper-
tise as both performers and scholars, deliver to readers a broad under-
standingofmajormusicalgenresandtheachievementsofartistswithin
thosegenresaslivedlisteningexperiences.
When Durrell Bowman pitched the idea of writing an entry for the
Listener’sCompanionseriesonPeterGabriel,Iwasthrilled.Thisisthe
kind of book I wanted to see written, and yet I’m relieved it wasn’t me
whotriedtowriteit.The musicofGabriel breakssomanyconventions
andcategorizationsthattheactofdescribingitinnonjargonlanguage(a
majorgoaloftheseries)isdauntingtosaytheleast.Asateenmusician,
I was first introduced to the music of Gabriel as a member of Genesis
because of my interest in groups like Yes, Pink Floyd, and Emerson,
Lake & Palmer. Next, Gabriel stole into the living rooms of American
youth with a disturbing video for “Shock the Monkey.” Soon after, he
crushed all competition for video airplay with “Sledgehammer” and
ix