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Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
http://youtu.be/bo9riZYUpTw


Marsha's D&D friend came over yesterday and wanted me to find a song for her, "Games Without Frontiers" by Peter Gabriel.
It was a modest hit when it came out.
I remember it.
But, "Shock The Monkey" was a favorite video of mine when MTV used to be pretty cool and didn't suck so bad.

I'd argue that games without frontiers was far more popular and played for well over two decades on the radio- probably his 2nd biggest hit next to Big Time, and even that one is arguable.

All great songs- I loved STM and GWF equally

"Sledgehammer" was even bigger. I saw Gabriel and Genesis do "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (Thanksgiving 1974), and then Gabriel's first solo tour in 1977.

yeah i forgot about sledgehammer, it still gets occasional play, but so does games without frontiers.

One thing about games without frontiers- it's IMO one of the most unusual and interesting guitar lines I've ever heard in a song. I've never heard anything that unusual or interesting since.

I saw the guitarist David Rhodes perform solo a couple of years ago at the casino opening for Cyndi Lauper.

My Very first fiance turned me on to Peter Gabriel. ( I always knew about him, (and Genesis) but I was still trying to wrap my head around Spirit (The Twelve Dreams of Dr Zardonicus!) , Robin Trower and the likes...back then..

Then, on a road trip in Paris, my fiance whups out a copy of 'SO' ... and I was sold , hook line and sinker. I cant even begin to tell you how moving that album was. I think it was partially me, being in a love cloud...One song with Kate Smith i think...'Dont Give up" was a dead ringer for the African ambience, mood, and encouragement, which I experienced in Kenya (Where I actually met my Fiance.... )

The fiance is gone, But I still have that Tape

Kate Bush, Paper. Kate also sang backup on "Games Without Frontiers". David Gilmour discovered Kate when she was a teenager. Do yourself a favor and check her out, probably the greatest female vocalist of rock.

jimmydanger wrote:Kate Bush, Paper. Kate also sang backup on "Games Without Frontiers". David Gilmour discovered Kate when she was a teenager. Do yourself a favor and check her out, probably the greatest female vocalist of rock.

Bush...That's right..! . (Dont know where I got Smith...) And I thought she did such an outstanding contribution to Gabriel's work.

Here's Kate singing back up for Big Country:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba7GicJtH-A

My favorite is Sledgehammer, dont know but that song has just stuck in my brain for years.

I agree with Keith that Games Without Frontiers is a weird sounding song, Ive never really dissected it guitar wise, I need to go back and listen again. TO me it always had a Eurythmics kinda feel to it, for some reason.

still hear "Solisbury Hill" from time to time. great song w some very cool odd time sections that if you didn't count it....you'd never know.

gabriel has always been great at getting odd time to groove like it's in four. (big help from tony levin on much of that)

Yeah "Solsbury Hill" is in 7, I like to feel but sometimes you have to count!

Im a rock guitarist all I can count to is 4!

If you take of your shoes and socks you can count even more!

Interesting topic, not just for the fact it is about Peter, more timing issues.. I love anything that will make you wonder, "Where did that come from?!" Genesis as a group created a lot of what I call "side wall" tracks. Album fillers, but each one has something they couldn't fit anywhere else, so it became what it is.

Peter generally doesn't like too many cymbals, but loves bass, and African rhythms. What I love about him more than anything, are his lyrics. Simple bass running off a tapped drum line, some mood and he's done, though he admits it takes years to write a song that he feels is worthy.

Moribund the Burgermeister (B Side) is a typical example and one of my favorite tracks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpJbebfLmJ0

Being a drummer first, well sort of. I've written stuff from the drums alone, made the lyric work over those. Hard to explain really, but I can hear every chord and note.

At the end of the day it's more about feel than timing. Just my take of course. If it feels right, then it works, he's made just so much stuff that just works.

One of the gurus for sure,

Cheers,
Chipfryer