Peter Gabriel • 1
Classic Records/Real World Records PG 1-45
Four single-sided 45-RPM 200 g LPs
Originally released in 1977, this is Peter Gabriel’s first solo studio album. The first four Gabriel albums were simply titled Peter Gabriel, so this one is often referred to as Car or (less often) Rain after the raindrop-covered car pictured on the cover. The album is most famous for the single, Solsbury Hill, a song which describes Gabriel’s departure from progressive rock band, Genesis.
The album features nine tracks, including the previously-mentioned Solsbury Hill and the somewhat anthemic Here Comes the Flood. There are apparently two versions of the side two opener, Slowburn, the usual version (which opens with a piano and is about 4:30 long), and a longer version with an extended intro. The latter apparently has only ever appeared on one version of this album, released through Direct Disk Labs; alas, it is the shorter rendition that is on this version of the album.
The sound quality is as good as one would expect, i.e., very good. Pressed on Classic Records’ Clarity vinyl, the single-sided records are pancake flat with silent surfaces. The music is great too!
Packaged in the usual Clarity style, a heavy duty box with the contents protected by bubble wrap, this is a record that you should try to get your hands on (these Clarity records are becoming increasingly hard to find). Doubly so if you’re a Peter Gabriel fan!