TD, Gabriel, "Not This Time", "Don't Give Up"

[Joe Turner <cutter%umass-boston.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>]

How can I be a Gabriel fanatic? Simple. I don't like most of his solo
stuff. PGI and PGII almost get crassly commercial at times ("Modern Love:
and "Perspective" come to mind). PGIII isn't his best album, PGIV is.
PGIII is like TD - lots of texture. PGIV is lyrically and musically/melodically
more interesting -> TO ME <-. Production value is higher, too.

And how can I listen to PGIII more readily than TD? Gabriel paints a dark
picture of life and the world in general - paranoia, hatred, chaos. Katie-kins
paints a dark picture of HER life and HER world in general. Two different
things. Petey sez "Life sucks!". Well, hell! I knew that. He's only confirm-
ing my suspicions. KB sez "MY life sucks!", and that's intense personal hurt,
which is a hell of a lot stronger. PGIII also has tinges of optimism, where
TD really doesn't (correct moi if I'm not reading enough into TD). Hell,
PG is nasty at South Africa for Biko, but what else does he say?

	"You can blow out a candle
	 But you can't blow out a fire
	 Once the flame begin to catch
	 The wind will blow it higher..."

There is Hope for Mankind after all.


As for the raging furor over "Not This Time"...
...eh. It's a b-side.

(Then again, go out and buy "Wherever You May Run" by Red Letter Day for the
 b-side "Suzie's Bombed Out Tonight!"... or "Go Out and Get Her, Boy" by the
 Wedding Present for the b-side "The Moment Before Everything's Spoiled
 Again" (which sounds sorta like New Model Army, aktchally) <- look! I can
 mispell words like everyone else! Am I cool now? Can I talk about Art??

It's not her best, I didn't expect it to be her best, so I thought "Yeah,
it's Journey-ish, but it's nice to listen to. It's not a masterpeice, but so
what?"

As for "Don't Give Up"...
                o
Talk about a 180 turnabout in tone!!! Is this the same darkly malevolent
Gabriel I know and worship? Still: it's a pretty song, and it's convincing.
Most of _So_ is "pretty" - also real pop. Some of it reminds me of the new
Simple Minds music, for some reason... also ABC (must be all those high-hats).

[Poor Simple Minds... now stuck in a constantly repeating loop of "Look! We
 Can Sing ``Don't You (Forget About Me)'' 10 different ways!!"]

------------------------

And now, something I thought I'd never say:

	Michael Hedges is one of the most incredible guitarists I've
	ever heard. I am finally buying my first Windham Swill album.

-------------------------

On a final note -

Did I mention the Gabriel bootleg with different words for "I Don't Remember"?
I know have 5 versions of that song... sheesh!    (demo, album, german album,
two live versions)   Such is the life of the untiring collector!  The bad
part is that Second Coming Records now officially has received more of my
money than any bank account I have ever owned did.

				Save your parity bits for big cash prizes!
						Joe

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