Official Peter Gabriel CD thread (unless there's one I haven't found)

I've been recently listening to the first four Peter Gabriel albums and they are pretty friggin' amazing. I mean I am really blown away at how much I prefer these albums to his Genesis work or his latter day efforts. So I was hoping to find out which versions of these first four albums are the ones to get. I have the target security and otherwise the original issues for 1 and 3 made in the US. I also have the remaster for his Last Temptation soundtrack. Is there a consensus as to what sounds the best?

 

I preferred the remasters by a mile for III, SECURITY, SO and US. The remasters seem to remove a layer of haze from the music, and I think US was remixed. However, I'm not a fan of the first two albums and can not offer an opinion for those titles.

 

I picked up almost all of the 2002 Digipak releases (might've skipped the compilation) and have finally gotten around to spinning them recently. I'm enjoying them quite a bit -- I haven't listened to the vinyl counterparts in ages (it'll be interesting to compare) and never picked up any of the earlier versions on CD (fearing the digital harshness that plagues many 80s CDs), so, I can't offer any insight. I know there were CDs done of the German language versions of 3 & 4 quite awhile ago, but, have there been new remasters done of those? I have always preferred the German version of 3 to the English one.

 

The SACDs and the Classic vinyl are the best IMO.

 

First 4 albums:
Car -Hybrid SACD (Available Overseas)
Scratch -Hybrid SACD (I have the common remaster which is better than the original. SO I'll assume that the sacd is better than the common)
Melted Face -Hybrid SACD (One of my favorite SACDs period)
Security -I like the target W Germany. I've heard other members agree this is better than the sacd
So -Black Triangle (The black Triangle has the album in the original order...with in your Eyes in the middle. The SACD has it on the end.)
US -SACD -I have the common Remaster, but again, I'll assume that the sacd is better than the common
Passion -Same as US
UP -Why bother. I guess the SACD is better
Shaking the Tree -The original common is better than the remaster
Bonus :Get the new exposure -Robert Fripp for the original mix of "Here comes the flood"

 

Oh, I'm not the only one who does not like the remaster of "Shaking The Tree"! I agree for the other CD/SACD editions too, but I don't find the new "So" with "In Your Eyes" disturbing. What do you think about the double-CD comp "HIT"? Am I the only one who thinks that Peter Gabriel should deserve a proper box set, including rare and alternative versions, 7" and 12" mixes, b-sides, songs recorded for original soundtracks and tribute albums? Will it ever happen? Next year it will be the 30th anniversary of his first album, who knows...

 

Sorry, never heard HIT. Was there anything new on it?

 

There are at least three different editions of Hit: the UK-European double-CD does not include "Love To Be Loved", "I Don't Remember", "Family Snapshot" and "In Your Eyes" (!) but there's the 1996 remix of "I Have The Touch" that's missing from the US edition. There's also a German "Hit" with the songs from Peter's third and fourth album sung in German. "Downside Up" is here in a newly recorded (live) version - the OVO version wasn't sung by Peter - and there's "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" that was excluded from "Up".

 

The remasters are pretty much ok for Car, Scratch and Melt IMO, but something is not right with Security and the Target cd is superb anyway. Musically I think the second album is wonderful and gets a very unfair press, even from pg himself.

 

Listening to the remaster for car right now and there seems to be lots of hiss. Is this natural hiss or indication of no-noise? Either way it sounds good to me.

 

The first track is one of the best this Peter has ever done!

 

The Peter Gabriel remasters are, as a whole, very well done. The original CDs for his later albums weren't that bad to begin with, though. I personally own the remasters for his first four albums and the original Geffen CDs of So and Us.

 

That's my CD collection as well. I happened to score four very cheap UK imports of his first four albums, which were in mini-LP packaging with the die-cut covers. I think these discs were recalled from stores since they put a sticker directly on the mini-LP jacket, and it was supposed to go onto the shrinkwrap outside the package. About $12 each. Stilll have the original SO and US Geffen CDs, an import CD version of "Plays Live (Highlights)" I bought in the mid 80s, and I have the SACD versions of all of his studio, non-film albums (1, 2, 3, 4, So, Us, Up). Never got rid of the original CDs I bought either, but they go unplayed these days.

 

No-noise would manifest itself as NO hiss, not lots of hiss. To me , hiss is good, it means the orignal tapes still have the dynamic range left in them.

Up-why bother??? Argh!! The 5.1 and 2.0 SACD layers are absolutely magnificent, and PG made this album with 5.1 in mind. It's a revelation. It's my second favorite PG album to PGIII (melt). I can say that I'm a big PG fan and love when anyone starts a PG thread. I've seen him a dozen times solo live, and saw the Lamb Tour in 74 in Cleveland (PG flew right above my head). My only time I missed a tour in N. Ohio was at Blossom Music Festival. I had to travel for business; my wife went with friends and during "Lay Your Hands On Me" she was able to be one of the ones who carried him across the crowd (hint: I gave up a GREAT seat).

Anyway, I love the SACD layers of all the catalog, but agree that the target Security cd is right up there with the SACD layer of the remaster. I am going to upgrade my vinyl side very soon (older SOTA Sapphire giving way to Nottingham SpaceDeck 294) and hope to hear the Classics.

 

I'm with you on this one!

 

Have you by any chance compared "Security" SACD with the Target disc (which I think sounds great)? Also, would you happen to know if the SACD uses the original mixes?

 

"Darkness" is one of my favorite PG songs. The rest of the album is pretty damn good too, especially "Signal to Noise" and "No Way Out".

 

I don't know why, but I sold my copy of "Passion" Sources in a garage sale! (Gorts - we need a smiley with a hammer hitting it's head!)

I haven't gotten into OVO or Rabbit-Proof Fence; The Long Walk Home as I expected. But there are surely some worthwhile tracks there, I just haven't gotten-up the gumption to listen more (probably the same stodginess in me that makes me use words like "gumption").

I agree, somebody needs to assemble a Gabriel box (I hate to suggest PG do it himself, or he's likely to leave out significant things); certainly every PG fan should get to hear a copy of the "special", 7:14 mix of "In Your Eyes" - if they're not burned-out on the song already!

 

A couple of the songs on Up have a chill factor, including "Darkness". Especially in surround.

 

Yes, and include the Robbie Robertson mixed I Have The Touch from Phenomenon and the EP vinyl version of Walk Through The Fire, among others. Hell, even his Afro Celt Sound System "When You're Falling". Oh, and his "Across The River" version from the WOMAD charity album....oh and.........

Yes, a boxed set is definitely due.

 

Yep, it sounds great in surround..."Darkness" and "Signal to Noise" in surround gave me always goozebumps. Listening to it in stereo sounds a bit pale in comparison. It's one of those albums that really make me wish I'd still have surround system at home.

 

I loved the remasters. As a whole, they were well done. UP on SACD is a definite must have... "Sky Blue" in surround is incredible when the Blind Boys of ALabama kick in the harmonies! WOW!

 

Very true. I think it's his best album outside of Genesis.

 

Up has fascinated me ever since he released it - even the name is intriguing, since so much of the music sounds Down. But some of the lyrics belie the music. Darkness, for example, climaxes with "the monster I was so afraid of lies curled up on the floor, just like a baby boy". A very UP message in the end! I wonder if he was telling us to look for the up message buried in the dark sounds.