Peter Gabriel 3: Melt (Remastered)

This album has been added to 3 public lists:

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  The Music Slut Committee

  Steve

  "This album takes a very Experimental / Art Rock approach which I love. Experiments on Intruder lead to the invention of the Gated Drum technique which defined the 80’s Drum sound, especially for co inventor, Phil Collins. In hindsight it might seem like it is standard art alt rock, but at the time what Peter was doing was very off the wall for the time, and has been extremely influential in future musical projects. The arrangements on a lot of these songs are so cool. The approach to limit the drummer and producers to being creative by not having cymbals be played at all. So finding interesting ways to fill that sonic range and limit a dependency that drums have. This led to the driving beat in the rock section of Family Snapshot and the more percussive Games Without Frontiers. We get some wacky guitar work from experimental guitarist and 3 time Music Slut Performer Robert Fripp on Control and Remember.

  All this is made possible by Steve Lillywhite’s unique production style which will bring us great records from U2 and Dave Matthews Band in the future.

  Throughout his career Peter has been a storyteller through his songs. For this album we have a lot of darker stories such Intruder, No Self Control, Family Snapshot and Biko. He gets into character for all of these and convinces you through his narration. This verse in Family Snapshot just hits me, how someone could take a life for the purpose of being known, without a real meaning. With the song being based on Arthur Bremer’s assassination attempt of George Wallace, Wallace was just a backup when he couldn’t kill Nixon. He just knew killing someone high profile was enough. The motive wasn’t political or really even personal.

  “I don't really hate you I don't care what you do We were made for each other, me and you I want to be somebody You were like that, too If you don't get given, you learn to take And I will take you”

  I just think this whole album is neat.

  This is also where Peter become an activist. He wrote the anti war Games Without Frontiers comparing war to a game show. And Biko a reflection and reaction to the brutal arrest and murder of anti apartheid South African Activist Stephen Biko. Since then he has been extremely outspoken on human rights, a big contributor to Amnesty international.

  At the end of every concert since the end of apartheid in South Africa, he ends Biko with this statement “Whatever happens now, is up to you” We can change the world if we want to. With the state of the world as we deal with international and national human rights abuses, I think of this line

  “The eyes of the world are watching now”" - Zach

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  2024-08

  vertino

  1001albums:762

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  10001 album

  Pásztor Károly (Charles Shephard)