One of the most respected figures in rock music, Gabriel’s solo career has encompassed hit albums, hit singles and influential soundtrack albums. Hugely successful worldwide, his hit singles in the UK include ‘Solsbury Hill’, ‘Sledgehammer’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ with Kate Bush. If Genesis, according to British comedian and fan, Al Murray ‘were the progressive rock band who progressed’, then Peter Gabriel, once solo, would be the one who progressed the most. Who would have thought listening to early Genesis would eventually take the listener to Senegal, Armenia, South Africa and beyond via the artistic endeavours of their former vocalist? This is a journey through Peter Gabriel’s the solo albums, his live recordings and soundtrack compositions. During his forty-year plus solo career, Gabriel has become a worldwide pop star with his early, self-titled albums and his seminal 1986 record So. He has had hit singles throughout his career, including 1977s bucolic ‘Solsbury Hill’ and the poignant ‘Don’t Give Up’. He also helped pioneer video creativity with the song ‘Sledgehammer’. In doing so, he has reached beyond his progressive rock background to achieve a level of respect that other musicians from that genre could only dream about. You may have heard many of these songs before, but there’s always something new to be found by digging in the dirt. This is the prefect guide to his music for new listeners and long term fans alike. What on earth is going on? In the words of the Burgermiester: ‘I…will…find…out.’ AUTHOR: Graeme Scarfe was born in the 1960s, educated in the comprehensive system in the 1970s and 1980s and graduated from Bournemouth University in the 1990s. He has worked as a music journalist, sound recordist, stand-up comedian and regularly lectures on Film. He wrote the original screenplay for the British Horror film Lighthouse and the comedy novel Seagulls On Speed which is available from www.seagullsonspeed.co.uk He also listens to an awful lot of music and attempts to play the guitar. A member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, he is married with two children and lives in Sussex, UK.
