Scratch My Back
Peter Gabriel
Produced by former Pink Floyd cohort Bob Ezrin, this collection of twelve intriguing covers makes up Gabriel’s fourteenth solo album. Since being a staple of Genesis in the 1970s, Gabriel has been a constant on the pop and rock circuit – but he’s taken a drastic change of direction on this LP. Recorded using just orchestra and his plaintive vocals, it’s certainly interesting to hear tracks such as Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ stripped back to the very essence of the song, building slowly throughout. Arcade Fire’s ‘My Body Is A Cage’ is another song that benefits from the minimal arrangement. While the lack of guitars or drums might sound like a disaster, it works surprisingly well, allowing the emotion in Gabriel’s voice to fill in the gaps. Perhaps oddest of the lot is the rendition of Radiohead’s ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ which is treated to a piano backing and mainly spoken word vocals, creating a kind of musical poem that is drastically different to the original – surely the whole point of a cover. For those prepared to listen then, an enchanting and striking album that is guaranteed to turn some heads.
Reviewed by Pete Muscutt
My body is a cage <3
[b]PeterILarsson[/b], agree. each time it becomes more understandable or so. young Gabriel is too alive and confident to create something like Up & SMB - something sad, negative, depressive, painted black. it's a beautiful melancholic штука.
bardzo intymna muzyka ;) a zarazem wspaniała
i am under shock
... a real calm and amazing album and performed live even much better ...
Yes perfect relaxing album. Not only scratched my back, but also stroked my soul. Thank You Peter :)
mature musical perfection doesn´t need songwriting - thank you, Peter!!!
I would prefer more energy and less sensitivity. Too tender. But the highest quality from Peter again - anyway.
I have many likes and dislikes about this album... (2) too many to mention here.
Im loving this Album, he is just yelling out the words... with the orchestra type in the back, such a good album.
I had low expectations. I also like eclectic covers chosen. The record's better than what's been said. It contains some terrific arrangements & yes, a few duds. What I like most is acoustic instruments replaced the homogenized synthesizers & manipulated sounds dominating the last several PG albums. Arrangements equal or exceed the atmospheres in anything he's recorded previously & WITHOUT the crutch of technology. Many tracks hearken back to early Peter Gabriel albums & very-early Genesis. "Apres Moi", "Mirrorball" & "Flume" bring the haunt & horror essential to "Family Snapshot", "The Intruder" & "The Rhythm of the Heat". "My Body is a Cage" reminds me of "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" an early Genesis track. Standouts surprise. "Listening Wind" feels like Kronos Quartet and "Boy in the Bubble" bests the original. Duds try too hard. See Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out). "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" sounds like all Randy Newman songs (read: boring). **** 4 stars
A fantastic album and brilliant live !! Im just not keen on Gabriels version of Street Spirit
до чего же потрясающая музыка.
Eurochannel, the 100% European content television channel available on DISH Network, presents Peter Gabriel in April. Tune in on channel 752 to enjoy Peter Gabriel. In the channel’s new exclusive special, the musician speaks about his career and his latest album, Scratch My Back. Eurochannel will also air visual stunning video clips of Peter Gabriel. Peter Gabriel will premiere April 18th at 8 PM EST and 9 PM PST. More information about Peter Gabriel here: www.eurochannel.com
Fantastic work!
Anyone else who also ordered the deluxe collector's edition? :D
Great respect for the idea: Covering artists who could be children or grandchildren of him, who came out long after he started to rest... Yes, that's it: Established musicians always tend to cover songs from their influences, forerunners as if they stop being inspired after hitting the business. As for the songs: Only "The Boy in the Bubble" worked for me, and I can even classify it as "better than the original"...
My avatar accurately reflects how I feel about this album.
@dscomic So is his most commercially succesful album, but for me, it's far from his best. PG4, US and Passion are really the highlights of his carreer (and well, I like Achtung Baby more than Joshua Tree...).
Not really a PG fan but I heard this and fell in love. Downloaded it and loved it so much I had to go out and get the special edition double cd as well. In many cases I think the covers are better than the originals and the orchestral arrangements are really touching. Power of the heart and book of love are two songs that really stand out in my opinion.
Nice album and am glad that it came out, though it's time we get I/O now!
covers... no guitars, no drums...so boring
This just doesn't work for me, but then again, 'So' is such a remarkable album that it's one of those things where Gabriel hit his highest mark with that awesome album and nothing else is quite as good (much like I feel about U2 and 'Joshua Tree' - nothing before or since that album compares...)
I love PG but if there's anything I hate more than a cover song is an album full of covers.
Apparently Peter Gabriel and I have similar taste in music. Good song choices Petey.
Thought it was pretty awful. In my opinion, he sings like he's just going through the motions, and the album would really have been a lot better if he'd just performed the songs in 'Peter Gabriel' style. (Listening Wind, in particular, is a song that could very well have been a Peter Gabriel song in the first place. Would sound great if he did it justice.) Overall it's pretty bad and I'm relieved I didn't buy it.
Even if at first puzzled by this, I undeceived willingly and I took off my hat, chapò mr gabriel !!
Great album! very personal and moving...
Refreshing deconstruction.
This album is both amazing and great (actually, I would say wonderful and moving) for those who enjoy subtle and rich music. :-)
'Scratch My Back' rated at 69% http://highrating.blogspot.com/2010/03/peter-gabriel-scratch-my-back.html
I would never use words like "amazing" or "great" to describe this album. It's just "nice but boring".
I had to go to a few different stores in my town...but I finally found it.
Each song is good in it's own right (except his ruined version of street spirit) but as an album it's... well... boring.
Lindo.
peter without drums, machines, peter gabriel naked. One voice and a symphonic orchestra. Covers only. Nothing new. We've been waiting for 8 years So I scratch my head. He says that the music industry is dying, maybe already dead. He's asking his fellow musicians to cover his own repertoire. Nonetheless, the record stands like the state of the music universe he's describing. Everyone will find a couple of listenable tracks. I love peter's effort. I'm only wondering why he could not erase HIS own vocal tracks. Addictive but dramatically depressing.
Sad to say, I found the album extremely boring. I really wanted to love it as it contains many great musical arrangements, but I probably wasn't open-minded enough at that time.
A profound connection with Minimalism, as pathbreaking in its own right as Gabriel's earlier "Passion".
really one of his most boring albums, a shame really
"Gänsehaut-Musik" - makes me cry, similar to the final sequences of Bernstein's "West Side Story" or the musical Hair.
beautiful ;)) His voice is enough to make those pieces sound special.
The cover is a photo of magnified blood cells colliding.
an interesting album. What is that on the cover?
Pure genius. Wonderful voice, beautiful arrangement. I'm in love with this album :)
Gabriel pure
vivid, soulful, eerie, beautiful, chilling, dynamic, deep.
only thing I have to say about SMB.... I really have to get used to some of the songs because some sound so different than the original... like the way he sings them or the space between the words.... and my overall opinion... modern time doensn't make the music any better... what do you say?
thedeep325 shouldn't have an opinion on this album...TV On the Radio is utter crap.
the new album is beyond brilliant. each song has blown me away
Peter is the best =)