Peter Gabriel

Secret World Live

Peter knows you already have his first live album!

Review Score:

(10/10)
You'd be surprised how many acts who've been around long enough to do more than one live album seem to forget they have old fans when they do the new live set. I bought this with a sigh of relief--there's only one repeat from the "Plays Live" set: "Solisbury Hill". Everything else is from "So", "Us", "Birdy", "Passion", plus rarities "Across the River" from the "Music & Rhythm" benefit album and "Shaking the Tree" (the title track and duet with Youssou N'Dour from the "hits" set). Maybe "Red Rain" is played a tad too slow, but after all, he did the same thing with "No Self Control" on "Plays Live". Paula Cole's duet with him on "Don't Give Up" is more Whitney Houstonish, as opposed to Kate Bush's catch-breath emotional appeal--but his touring bass man has gotten Tony Levin's indispensible third-harmony hook down pat, as well as the reggaeish coda. This album satisfies me not only as the avid Gabriel fan, but also as the baseball card collector who used to hate getting "doubles" of the same card. And you don't have to o.d. on bubblegum either!

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