The Wolf's Den

Peter Gabriel's third album, (called “Melt” by the fans due to its cover art) was released in 1980 under Mercury Records. It was somewhat controversial upon its release because it was originally rejected by Atlantic Records, which was his previous record label for many years. Gabriel wound up getting the last laugh, as this record went out went on to be his highest-charting yet in both the UK and USA. (#1 in the UK, #22 in the USA.) However, there may have been some reasonable concerns as to why Atlantic Records initially rejected the album. The record is very dark, and unlike most of his other records, there is little respite from the darkness on this one. (Except for maybe at the end, but even that is up for debate.) It is similar in spirit to its successor, Security. But, where I had mixed reviews on that album, this record, I praise. Why? One word:  consistency . This is one of Gabriel's most consistent albums. Almost every song sounds like it could have its own music video...

  Peter Gabriel - Security   Peter Gabriel’s fourth album was originally called “Security” here in the U.S. and in Canada. However, it was released self-titled everywhere else in the world. (The change was because his three previous records were all self-titled albums, and since he’d changed record companies three times over at this point, Geffen Records demanded he give his fourth album a name, even if it didn’t stick after multiple reissues over the years.) Boy, this is a tough album for me to talk about. My opinion of this record keeps changing with almost every listen! At worst, I'll think it's only "Shock the Monkey" surrounded by a bunch of artsy songs I haven't quite decoded yet. At best, I'll agree with Gabriel's most fervent fans and think this record is a near-masterpiece. Bennett the Sage once said that Gabriel seems more like a performance artist than a musician at times, and nowhere is that more evident than on this album. The songs here...