Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
	Released: 1983/2002 Label: Geffen Cat. No.: CDPGDX100 (UK, remastered/ltd ed.), CDPGDR100 (UK, remastered) Total Time: 64:49
	Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, June 2002 This is a nice overview of Peter Gabriel's first four albums. It's not a must have piece for your collection, unless you happen to be, as they say in England ... gob smacked, obsessed, and ravenously seek out everything by the artist. Plays Live: Highlights is exactly what it says it is. Gabriel went back into the studio in Bath England to tweak the recordings; nevertheless the live atmosphere is pretty much kept intact. I particularly enjoyed "I Don't Remember" and "Biko," which I think is his most prolific and emotionally charged song ever. Other than those two songs, a lot of what I heard was a lack of aggressiveness by Gabriel and his band. While listening to "Shock The Monkey" I was fully expecting a rousing rendition, but unfortunately everyone sounds like they are restrained. "Solsbury Hill" was good, but even that could have had more energy and oomph behind it. Even though I felt that the sonics could have been cranked up a few notches and the energy level a few more pegs higher on the ladder when this was originally recorded, I did enjoy this. This is Peter Gabriel after all, and you always expect so much. His band was really awesome; this recording just doesn't serve his music the integrity it deserves. Rating: 3/5 [When Plays Live was originally released in 1983, it was a 2-disc set, featuring 16 tracks. This 2002 remastered version is of the single disc (hense Highlights ) version of the album, which was also released in 1983. The tracks that appeared on the two disk set, but were left off for Highlights are: "The Rhythm Of The Heat," "Not One Of Us," "Intruder," and "On The Air." Less significantly, the track order has been rearranged... and even then the 2 disc vinyl differed from the cassette version -ed.] More about Plays Live: Track Listing: I Have The Touch (4:47) / Family Snapshot (4:47) / D.I.Y. (4:05) / The Family And The Fishing Net (7:38) / I Go Swimming (4:54) / San Jacinto (8:19) / Solsbury Hill (4:41) / No Self-Control (5:04) / I Don't Remember (4:12) / Shock The Monkey (7:10) / Humdrum (4:21) / Biko (6:52) Musicians: Peter Gabriel-Keyboards, Vocals Larry Fast - Synthesizer, Piano, Photography Tony Levin - Percussion, Drums, Vocals (bckgr) David Rhodes - Guitar, Vocals (bckgr) Contact: Website: www.petergabriel.com Note: will open new browser window Discography Peter Gabriel (1) (1977/2002) Peter Gabriel (2) (1978/2002) Peter Gabriel (3) (1980/2002) Security (1982) Plays Live (1983) Birdy (OST) (1984/2002) So (1985/2002) Passion (1989/2002) Shaking The Tree (1990) Us (1992) Secret World Live (1994) Ovo: The Millennium Show (2000) Ovo: (2000) Long Walk Home (2002) Up (2002)
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