Peter Gabriel-So (1986)


 

Artist: Peter Gabriel

Title: So

Label: Geffen

Format: CD

Catalog Number: M2G 24088

Year of Release: 1986

Country and Year of Edition: US 1986 Columbia House Club Edition

Sell Price: $3.37

Sell Date: 1/14/25

Condition: VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold: 12/27/23 NM/NM  $4.00

Low: $1.50

Median: $3.00

Average: $3.33

High: $6.00

Current low price: $2.75

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 13

Have/Want: 293/211

Where Sold: Annandale, NJ

Time It Took To Sell:  13 years

Where and When Bought: Columbia House Record Club or CDHQ 90's

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: C-

Sad To See It Go: No

Peter Gabriel's So is an album I've found generally unlistenable throughout the years.  The exception is the duet with Kate Bush, "Don't Give Up" which has it's melodramatic charms.  Truth be told, I don't like that one that much either.

Much like mid-80's Genesis or Steve Winwood, the aspects that were great with their earlier output or tolerable in the early 80's have been replaced with punishing Linn drum programming and washed out with synthesizers.  On So, you have great guests all over the place: Youssou N'Dour joins on the insufferable "In Your Eyes," Laurie Anderson, Nile Rogers and Bill Laswell help close out the album with Laurie's "This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)," Stewart Copeland drums on 2 hits: the album opener "Red Rain" as well as "Big Time."  It looks so good on paper.

Certainly, So sold well--5 million in the US from 1986-1996.  Even though "Sledgehammer" was a #1 Billboard hit and "Big Time" got to #8, "In Your Eyes" which peaked at #26 in 1986 had the most commercial legs, being certified Gold in 2005.  Perhaps it was the inclusion in Say Anything that helped.  Gabriel wanted the album to close with this but the low end insured that it opened side 2 for the needle's sake.  Later editions revised the track order to the artists' desired concept.

Upon deeper inspection, the tracks that weren't hits didn't date in the same ways.  You could say they are credible soundscapes, but I just would rather spend my time elsewhere for that. "We Do What We're Told (Migrams 37)," the original vinyl closer, is the best crack at these since the Laurie Anderson number was a CD bonus track.

Music made to be tested on a new CD player in the hi-fi store after Aja wore out.



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