Peter Gabriel "Peter Gabriel" AKA "2" AKA "Scratch" 1978****

This is Peter Gabriel's 2nd album, called simply "Peter Gabriel". That's cool, many singers have an eponymously called album, usually their debut. Gabriel, though, used the same name for his debut, then for his second record, then for his third, and his fourth. So critics gave them numbers or names to tell them appart: This is usually called either "2" or "Scratch" because of its cover. The grim cover photo is just another indication that Gabriel wasn't about to go out of his way to be pleasant and make new fans. Another indication is his choice of producer: Robert Fripp was anything but a hitmaker, though his unconventional guitar sound was much in demand. Around the same time he played in albums by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Talking Heads and Blondie, among others. Despite the fact that singer and guitarist used to front two of the most distinguished progressive rock outfits (i.e. Genesis and King Crimson), this album is sonically closer to New Wave while retaining Prog's tendency to experiment. Of the first two songs "On The Air" is a rocker with an aggressive raw vocal and synths reminiscent of The Who's "Baba O Reilly", while lead single "D.I.Y." is another uptempo rocker with funky bass and edgy vocals. On the excellent ballad "Mother Of Violence" he's thoughtful and emotional, accompanied mostly by acoustic guitar and classical piano. "A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World" is a surprisingly simple song melding reggae and new wave the way early Elvis Costello albums did. "Indingo" has a sparse late-night jazz feel, but the rest of the album isn't as straightforward. "White Shadow" and "Flotsam And Jetsam" are a couple of more uncoventional prog ballads with pensive piano, while "Exposure" sports a repetitive funk riff and Fripp's heavily manipulated guitar effects, a technique he called Frippertronics. "Animal Magic" is an upbeat rocker with bar room piano and nimble guitar and "Perspective" a straight glam rocker that reminded me of Lou Reed. The album closes with another ballad demonstrative of its often perceived as "cold" and "unforgiving" nature: the main character seeks fullfillment in the married bliss of a well-ordered family life, only to find himself shackled in misery and living in a slum. When his wife kills herself and their child, he tries to gamble the compensation money away, only to win big. Finally he gets to buy the "Home Sweet Home" of his dreams. The story, told in dramatic style with wistful piano and saxophone, was perceived as misogynistic by some, tragic by others, and darkly humorous by others yet. Gabriel deliberately obscures the spirit in which he wrote the song. The album in general is dominated by quite oblique lyrics and music, so it's no surprise it's not among his best loved. Yet there's no denying there's a musical genious at work here...

**** for On The Air, D.I.Y., Mother Of Violence, A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World, Animal Magic

*** for  White Shadow, Indigo, Exposure, Flotsam And Jetsam, Perspective, Home Sweet Home