Peter Gabriel - So - 1986

Hace pocos días se cumplían los 30 años del lanzamiento de ésta maravilla, uno de los mejores álbumes de su década prodigiosa.
"So", es un trabajo imprescindible de los años ochenta, en el que Peter Gabriel da rienda suelta a su pasión por los sabores musicales de todo el mundo, inspirándose en África o Brasil, apropiándose de sus ritmos para vestir de gala sus canciones de pop anglosajón.
El ex-frontman de Genesis regresaba después de un silencio algo prolongado, ya que el hombre acostumbraba tomarse cierto tiempo entre disco y disco, y regresaba por la puerta grande.
Mientras que sus ex compañeros de aquella banda que por entonces "ya eran tres" solamente, lanzaban ése mismo año el peor disco de su carrera, pero exitosísimo comercialmente (hablo de "Invisible touch", obviamente), Peter entrega una producción cuidada, un puñado de canciones inspiradas y destinadas a quedar en la historia.
El músico y productor canadiense Daniel Lanois (Brian Eno,U2) que ya había trabajado con él en la banda sonora de "Birdy" aporta su toque "ambient" al quinto álbum de estudio de Gabriel, en el que participan grandes nombres como Kate Bush, Chris Hughes, Laurie Anderson,L. Shankar o Youssou N'Dour, etc.
Y cosechó también un importante éxito comercial, partiendo por ejemplo de un single absolutamente disfrutable y bailable, pleno de soul y funk.En aquellos tiempos cuando el dj dejaba sonar la flauta shakuhachi (no se si se escribe así) de la intro, sabías que ibas a comenzar a mover los pies con un temazo total.El original videoclip realizado en "stop motion", en una onda que Gabriel repetiría en otros clips de promoción futuros. fue justamente elogiado y premiado,

SLEDGEHAMMER

También estaba una maravillosa melodía construída sobre ritmo de forró brasileño, 

MERCY STREET for Anne Sexton

Looking down on empty streets all she can see

Are the dreams all made solid

Are the dreams made real

All of the buildings, all of the cars

Were once just a dream

In somebody's head

She pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam

She pictures a soul

With no leak at the seam

Let's take the boat out

Wait until darkness

Let's take the boat out

Wait until darkness comes

Nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey

Nowhere in the suburbs

In the cold light of day

There in the midst of it, so alive and alone

Words support like bone

Dreaming of mercy street

Wear your inside out

Dreaming of mercy

In your daddy's arms again

Dreaming of mercy street

'Swear they moved that sign

Dreaming of mercy

In your daddy's arms 

Pulling out the papers from drawers that slide smooth

Tugging at the darkness

Word upon word

Confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet box

To the priest - he's the doctor

He can handle the shocks

Dreaming of the tenderness - the tremble in the hips

Of kissing Mary's lips

Dreaming of mercy street

Wear your inside out

Dreaming of mercy 

In your daddy's arms again

Dreaming of mercy street

'Swear they moved that sign

Looking for mercy

In your daddy's arms again

Mercy, mercy, looking for mercy

Mercy, mercy, looking for mercy

Anne, with her father is out in the boat

Riding the water

Riding the waves

On the sea

¿Alguien recuerda aquella deliciosa serie policial de los ochentas, en la que abundaba la buena música en cada episodio (Phil Collins y Peter Gabriel eran recurrentes en el soundtrack)?

RED RAIN

"We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" se refiere al famoso experimento 18 del doctor Milgram.

WE DO WHAT WE´RE TOLD

("Miami Vice", se llamaba la serie)

Para personas con cierta sensibilidad, supongo, la siguiente tiene que ser una canción inolvidable.Inspirada en tiempos de crisis en que familias enteras lo pierden todo (¡que actualidad!), es un hermoso diálogo con cierto aire gospel y final con sonoridad de reggae, entre Peter y Kate Bush.Son el padre de familia que lo ha perdido todo y la esposa que lo contiene y apoya en la adversidad. 

DON´T GIVE UP

In this proud land we grew up strong

We were wanted all along

I was taught to fight, taught to win

I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems

I am a man whose dreams have all deserted

Ive changed my face, Ive changed my name

But no one wants you when you lose

Dont give up

cos you have friends

Dont give up

Youre not beaten yet

Dont give up

I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around

Never thought I could be affected

Thought that wed be the last to go

It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home

The place that I was born, on the lakeside

As daylight broke, I saw the earth

The trees had burned down to the ground

Dont give up

You still have us

Dont give up

We dont need much of anything

Dont give up

cause somewhere theres a place

Where we belong

Rest your head

You worry too much

Its going to be alright

When times get rough

You can fall back on us

Dont give up

Please dont give up

got to walk out of here

I cant take anymore

Going to stand on that bridge

Keep my eyes down below

Whatever may come

And whatever may go

That rivers flowing

That rivers flowing

Moved on to another town

Tried hard to settle down

For every job, so many men

So many men no-one needs

Dont give up

cause you have friends

Dont give up

Youre not the only one

Dont give up

No reason to be ashamed

Dont give up

You still have us

Dont give up now

Were proud of who you are

Dont give up

You know its never been easy

Dont give up

cause I believe theres the a place

Theres a place where we belong

Laurie Anderson incluyó en su "Mister Heartbreak" de 1984 la versión original de ésta colaboración con Peter.Él a su vez quiso incluírlo también, con algunos arreglos ligeramente diferentes, en "So":

THIS IS THE PICTURE (EXCELLENT BIRDS)

Sólo termino diciendo que es uno de mis discos favoritos de todos los tiempos.Sobre cada tema en particular y la producción de éste álbum formidable ya hay abundante información en muchos medios, así como en innumerables blogs al que como éste, muy poca gente va a leer,así que no me apetece dar más datos sobre un álbum que todo el mundo conoce y si no, debería conocer.

PROGRAMA

All songs written by Peter Gabriel, except where indicated.

Side one

01."Red Rain"   5:39

02."Sledgehammer"   5:12

03."Don't Give Up" (featuring Kate Bush) 6:33

04."That Voice Again" (Gabriel,David Rhodes)    4:53

Side two

05."In Your Eyes"   (feat.Youssou N'Dour) 5:27

06."Mercy Street"   6:22

07."Big Time"   4:28

08."We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)"   3:22

09."This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" (featuring Laurie Anderson) (Laurie Anderson,Gabriel)

4:25

IN YOUR EYES

PERSONAL

Credits adapted from So's liner notes. The track numbers correspond to the original release.[84]

Peter Gabriel – lead and backing vocals, Fairlight CMI, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 (all except tracks 5, 9), piano (all except tracks 7, 9), Linn LM-1 (tracks 3, 7), synthesizer (tracks 5, 7), percussion (track 4), Yamaha CS-80 (track 6), LinnDrum (track 9), Synclavier (track 9)

Tony Levin – bass guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), drumstick bass guitar (fretting only) (track 7)

David Rhodes – guitar (all except tracks 6, 9), backing vocals (tracks 1, 5)

Jerry Marotta – drums (tracks 1, 8), additional drums (track 5), drumstick bass guitar (drumming only) (track 7)

Manu Katché – drums (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5), percussion (tracks 3, 4, 5), talking drum (tracks 5, 9)

Chris Hughes – LinnDrum programming (track 1)

Stewart Copeland – hi-hat (track 1), drums (track 7)

Daniel Lanois – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4), tambourine (track 2), surf guitar (track 7), 12-string guitar (track 9)

Wayne Jackson – trumpet (track 2, 7), cornet (track 7)

Mark Rivera – tenor saxophone (track 2, 7), processed saxophone (track 6), alto and baritone saxophone (track 7)

Don Mikkelsen – trombone (track 2, 7)

P. P. Arnold – backing vocals (track 2, 7)

Coral Gordon – backing vocals (track 2, 7)

Dee Lewis – backing vocals (track 2, 7)

Richard Tee – piano (tracks 3, 5, 6)

Simon Clark – Yamaha CS-80 chorus effect (track 3), Hammond, Fairlight CMI and bass (track 7)

Kate Bush – vocals (track 3)

L. Shankar – violin (tracks 4, 8)

Larry Klein – bass guitar (tracks 5, 6)

Youssou N'Dour – vocals (track 5)

Michael Been – backing vocals (track 5)

Jim Kerr – backing vocals (track 5)

Ronnie Bright – bass vocals (track 5)

Djalma Correa – surdo, congas and triangle (track 6)

Jimmy Bralower – LinnDrum kick (track 7)

Bill Laswell – bass guitar (track 9)

Nile Rodgers – guitar (track 9)

Laurie Anderson – vocals (track 9)

BIG TIME