PETER GABRIEL

To leave oneself

 

These were Peter Gabriel's last declarations, faced in monologue form, there for April of the ' 77. beyond those because of the separation of the band and their recently published album like soloist, we met with Gabriel's lucid points of view that goes much more far from the strictly musical thing to go into in a territory that interests us to all: the life.

 

Genesis

When we get the massive popularity that so much had wanted we entered in a trap. We could not unwrap ourselves with any freedom. There were so much people and so much money rotating around Genesis that seemed a great risk to try to change. Everything was organized to stay like we were. But I wanted and he/she needed to change.

However, Genesis was kind of a democratic machinery and there were ways to manipulate it. He/she could say what wanted in different songs, but it was always a fight. He had to contribute an idea and to let that somebody took it and it developed it hoping to be able to revise it later there were all kinds of silly and unnecessary discussions, and I eat most of the publicity it was for me, jealousies and resentments that made the difficult things existed. They are intelligent people, but when I was given credit by something that they had written, they were bothered a lot. The same thing spent to me when to some of them was given credit by something that I had written. It is a basically human reaction. Its consequence in the group was the frictions, especially toward the end. And we were not exactly " friends " when I said that I left. In a moment I realized that he was thinking of terms of business, very useful for a shy musician, but to try to the disks and the audience as if they were money it is not for me.

The Disk

I believe that my LP is more simple, more direct emotionally, more personal than much of that I made before and I think that in him I have taken less seriously to myself. Bob Ezrin's election like producer was not automatic (Ezrin worked with Alice Cooper, Kiss and Lou Reed). enough time passed negotiating with several producers. It was not familiarized with the work of Bob I save for the first ones simple of Alice Cooper that had had a good time me enough.

Bob manifested a great sympathy immediately for my ideas, thing that had not happened to others. I realized that it had never been associated to somebody as me, but we coincide in so many things that I knew that he would be the suitable one for the album. He maintained contacts with the Stones, Bowie, Brian Ferry and a great people variety, and I was not too sure that wanted to really work with me.

I needed hopelessly somebody with an objective point of view, Ezrin was resolved to capture the emotion of the songs. It criticized me some things that I brought near him at the beginning because they were too complex. I thought that was entitled complete of making it and I revised them to restructure the best parts and to simplify them.

Our first encounter was very interesting, because after having me informed, I had to admit that I didn't like most of the things that he had taken place before. And he admitted me that neither he liked my previous works. He knew that Bob had dominated the artists totally with those that he worked before and that he accustomed to enter in the composition of the topics. I didn't want that it happened me that, so we made an arrangement: he stopped me the responsibility to compose (accepting their suggestions) and I allowed it to be in charge of of the recording without interferences. It had never worked this way before. I was always put in the production, the blended one, etc. so was not very sure, but after a time in the study was obvious that he was making a better work of what I could make. After one week, more or less, in the study, already had a total trust in him. It was us at both interesting the project because he implied to move away from that made before by both.

I let that Bob selects the musicians. I preferred the American musicians. But the result has left me as. Steve Hunter combination and Robert Fripp can seem something strange, but it is really very good. All they are mature musicians and they know exactly what a contribution to make to the songs. They know the a lot or him little that it is necessary to put to the arrangements and they don't ask to make alone. It was not worried to work with new musicians; for that reason I left Genesis. What I worried was that he didn't like my songs. And I was happy a lot when they responded with enthusiasm, because that people are true professionals. Many English singers went to the USA and they recorded with American session musicians, but in general the results have been poor, basically because the sesionistas appeared I not eat committed with the disk.

It was completely the other way around with this album. There was such a strange mixture of musicians that all were bestirred with the project. When we listen the first takings it was incredible. I mean, Hunter and Fripp playing together was a very strange thing but with a lot of " potent " at the same time.

The case of Robert (Fripp) it was that of a friend helping another. I admire him a lot, especially their work with (Brian) Eno. "Non Pussyfooting" is a very important album. I believe that that and the first of King Crimson are between the best things that Robert has made. The most defiant and inventive. I believe that he found to participate in my disk very exciting. He was only another session musician more and it was interesting to see like he reacted before this situation. Because the American session musicians are incredibly professional. There is a total differs in the way in that they take the things. They come and they leave. They don't analyze the music. If they like the they play, and they play it with dexterity and enthusiasm. In this case at least. All wanted to experience a little bit. Many had worked before with Ezrin but this is only noticed in "Modern Love", a quite aggressive theme, and I wanted him to be this way.

There was not time for frictions among the musicians. Bob (Ezrin) had to see in that but especially the sound engineer that works with him. A called type Brian Christian (a very big of Italian origin) that insulted everybody. It was necessary a to flow constant of insults and palabrotas in the study. And it was I magnify. All were insulted and it seems that they annulled this way the ego problems. When somebody toward something bad it insulted him to him from top to bottom and I eat this it passed all, the whole time, nobody was depressed. The atmosphere was also loaded with kind of a tension that I liked a lot. It was a very different experience for me and Robert also stops. I don't want to give the impression that the sessions with Genesis were terribly formal, but everything was very kind. One had to have much care if wanted to criticize the stored idea of another. To work with session musicians was an advantage in that sense. They will play at least 12 LPīs more east year, so they don't care if they criticize them. Contrary to what passed with Genesis, we took everything less seriously in Toronto. There was but spontaneity and more amusement and I believe that all that is reflected in the disk.

Of all a little

With regard to the disk I believe that many will be disappointed for not receiving their regular dose of fantasy. But I also think that a lot of people to which he didn't like Genesis will appreciate it.

The rock is basically an entertainment and there are many musicians that take this way it. Also this who they write and they can pass the time and to make you think. It is obviously this way I eat up he/she likes to see me but at the same time I have much non tornarme care too seriously.

I cannot tolerate that nobody retaliates to lecture and I don't want to lecture anybody. But I like to think and I believe that I can light the imagination of people in some way. I like to be able to communicate directly and one of the things that felt with Genesis was that we promised but of what we gave. I believe that we were better in the ideas than in the realization. Looking behind sees what we would have to have made a lot but brief and concise, as much in the letters as in the music. Often the group was interested in inventing complicated sequences of chords and changes. The melody and the lyrical one -that it was it that but I was interested to me - they were secondary. I continue thinking that the arrangements were too many difficult. I can still enjoy many of the things that I made with Genesis to weigh that now I see a heap of flaws. I still enjoy "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". There I play Brian Eno, some of the few inventive minds in the scene of the rock. There are so much people reproducing old ideas, but what the one will make cannot be predicted. Looking for new perspectives is constantly. I think that it is a great cuestionador and very refreshing by the way. In the rock it is so easy to stay always producing the same music in base of oneself it formulates.

The attitude of Eno comes from the inquisitive and adventurous spirit that I characterize to the music and the musicians of the last years of the decade delī60. At least there was originality in the many and different things that they happened then. It was a positive atmosphere. I believe that that is what we need now. Neither to think of this whole thing of the punk. Nobody this giving a realistic alternative. In the ī60 there was an underground that at least it treated to be positive. Now a nihilistic sense that I find pertubardor exists.

In spite of everything I believe that it is possible we overcome this and stronger emerjamos and better. It is something like that like an education for adults. I would like to see a situation where people begin to question the structures that dictate the way in that they live. A situation where people can change works without taking a risk her security that has the opportunity to make different careers. One has a very limited vision of the life if this classified by a lot of time in oneself situation.

I believe that I will die nude and exposed. I really want to be able to go aboard in small projects to maintain my fresh and active mind. It is possible that it finishes in the same trap of which I escaped recently. If it happens I will treat this way to escape again. Only that this time, now I am a soloist, I will have to escape from myself.

 

The Lp commented by Peter Gabriel fears for topic

-Moribund The Burger Meister - it is a song on the incident happened in the city of Aachen in 1374. There was a violent epidemic of the wrong of San Vito. Everybody danced frantically and had incredible "revelations" The facts they are counted from the point of view of Burgomaestre that you see disappear their power.

-Solsbury Hill - it was originally part of a piece but it releases.

-Moder Love - A topic rocker, with a song type that not toward from the times previous to Genesis. We play it like kind of a parody to the heavy music. It is about a romantic one lost in a technological world.

-apologize - we record It after a meal and we were something drunkards. He has tuba and Robert Fripp plays the banjo.

-Slowburn - Something very personal with climate variations. It is it but resemblance to some things that I made with Genesis

-Waiting for the Big One - it was made very quick in the study. It is a memory of the nights that happened sat down in clubs seeing to several groups of John Mayall

-Down The Dolce Vita - it is Also a variety of climates. He has a tremendous entrance of The Symphonic of London.

-Here Come The Flood - it is a very impressionist song of simple structure. It is like a flood to the mind

"Mordisco"Magazine, April of 1977