Peter Gabriel

Us

This CD was made for US

Review Score:

(10/10)
Six years after the 1986 commercial breakthrough SO, Gabriel returned in 1992 with the follow-up album US. This album unlike SO is brighter and has a lot more worldly sounds than SO. The theme of this album is alot like Phil Collins underrated album Both Sides which came out the following year after this one. The thing that in my opinion makes US a little better than Both Sides is that while US has very similar themes to Both Sides, US has warmth and a bit more depth where as while Both Sides is also an amazing album it sometimes is a bit cold and dreary in atmosphere.

Enought about the US vs. Both Sides ranting. This 1992 album while it is generally melancholy in sound it has it's share of humor. US finds Pete embracing the colorful worldly African sounds but not forgetting his rock roots. Steam was the big hit off this CD and with a video that in my opinion surpasses it's companion video Sledgehammer by a hair mainly because of the more cutting-edge technology. Steam is alot like Sledgehammer with lots of the trumpets, humor, creativity, and sex appeal. However on the flip side there are some very melancholy tunes like the gentle Washing Of The Water and the eerie 14 Black Paintings which I consider to be the echoing effects of Passion. Overall though, this CD isn't very dark and is actually quite joyous in spite of it's moody content. The album closes with the warmth and joyous atmosphere of the final track Secret World. Love To Be Loved is absolutely gorgeous with a very dramatic melody not all that dissimilar to Red Rain although maybe not as intense. Overall in fact, I think that US is actually brighter and less ominous than SO and while I think UP is a bit more consistent, US has some warmth, and joy that is mostly missing off that dark masterpiece.

This album was very well produced but the remastering improves it and brings out more dimensional details in the music, especially on Digging In The Dirt, and Washing Of The Water. In fact, it's so well improved in the remastering that it almost feels like a new Peter Gabriel album.

The limited edition digipak that the remastered edition was packaged in, is inferior to the older jewelcase cover. The digipak is mostly made of some kind of cardboard paper and there is little if any difference in the liner notes between the limited digipak and the regular clear jewel case. Also what's wrong is that when the hinge in digipak breaks, there's no way to replace it like a regular CD jewelcase. I have no idea why they still release CDs with this idiotic packaging design nor do I see any appeal in the flimsy design of the digipak.

Sadly, there aren't any bonus tracks included on here. I would've been more than happy to hear the hidden gems that Gabriel recorded but did not put on the album. It also would've been better to hear outtake or alternate demos of the songs. In fact, I think the limited edition should've done that, have bonus material included. Geffen should've looked at Tears For Fears first three albums being re-issued with the bonus tracks and liner notes. Unfortunately, there aren't liner notes telling about the history of the albums making either.

A great album that was poorly handled in it's re-issue, US is nonetheless another greal album that deserves a place in every PG fans' collection. At least it didn't have the track list reshuffled like SO was. It's a pity that the re-issuing couldn't have been better than it was.

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