... waiting for a new Peter Gabriel studio album

  • I know he has been in the studio a lot this year.

    I am beginning to think it must be due to marital issues at home, perhaps he doesn't want to stay at home. Just kidding of course, on a more serious note, I think Peter must have lost any sort of drive or motivation to release a new studio album, despite the fact that he has allegedly been sitting on tons of new material for almost 2 decades now.

  • I am beginning to think it must be due to marital issues at home, perhaps he doesn't want to stay at home. Just kidding of course, on a more serious note, I think Peter must have lost any sort of drive or motivation to release a new studio album, despite the fact that he has allegedly been sitting on tons of new material for almost 2 decades now.

    I think he was close to finishing that album five years ago, just before his wife got sick. Maybe some future interviews will reveal the whole thing.

  • I think he was close to finishing that album five years ago, just before his wife got sick. Maybe some future interviews will reveal the whole thing.

    I think the legend of him finishing that album actually pre-dates his covers orchestral albums.

    • Official Post

    I think the legend of him finishing that album actually pre-dates his covers orchestral albums.

    it does. He said in august 2002 that there would be another album within 18 months

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    Right and he's been rumored to be considering the Genesis reunion tour....Of 2007.

    2005 To be precise. But he left the room back then and the possibility faded away

  • Only when I have a CD of new original PG material in my hands (allowing for maybe a track or two of earlier single releases e.g. "I'm Amazing" etc)...


    ...and only when I have listened to the CD for the second time (because the first might be a dream)...


    ...will I start to believe his new album might be nearing release.


    Whether I like it or not (and he hasn't disappointed yet) is another matter. "UP", for all its airless overproduced I-don't-know-how-to-properly-end-these-songs-and-so-I-won't vibe, had some absolute gems on it, "Rabbit Proof Fence" is one of my personal favourites, "Scratch My Back" and "New Blood" were uninvolving and that's being generous, "I'm Amazing" and "The Veil" underwhelmed me quite considerably. The live "Love Can Heal" I did like though.


    So we'll see. Hopefully.

  • Perhaps one silver lining of the pandemic is that it left PG with more time to actually work on album tracks, since he hasn't been able to tour or do many other things.

    Perhaps, personally though, I'm under the impression and it's been the case for the past decade that he's simply lost drive and motivation. Understandably so, he's 70, I believe, he achieved a lot commercially and artistically and did quite well for himself. Looking back and it a fan's wish, he could have perhaps released a couple of more albums but I'd say he had his say.

  • Perhaps, personally though, I'm under the impression and it's been the case for the past decade that he's simply lost drive and motivation. Understandably so, he's 70, I believe, he achieved a lot commercially and artistically and did quite well for himself. Looking back and it a fan's wish, he could have perhaps released a couple of more albums but I'd say he had his say.

    You are probably right in terms of his overall motivation. If he had really wanted to, he would have put out another studio album years ago.


    I'm hoping for just a release of whatever he has worked on. It doesn't need to be a fully-realized album. I'll take a Flotsam and Jetsam part 2 that just collects together all of the songs he's worked on since Up that haven't found another home.

  • I'm hoping for just a release of whatever he has worked on. It doesn't need to be a fully-realized album. I'll take a Flotsam and Jetsam part 2 that just collects together all of the songs he's worked on since Up that haven't found another home.

    That would have been my position too but I realized as big a fan as I am, looking back I must admit having been underwhelmed by his latest releases, including UP.

  • I think Peter was taken aback by the underwhelming response in certain quarters to Up. I know I was shocked that the arena was half-full at best when I saw his show in Washington, DC on that tour. It’s similar to what Tony and Mike experienced when CAS was virtually ignored in the US. When you’ve experienced so much success it has to be a blow to a performer’s ego (and maybe even confidence) when album and ticket sales suddenly take a precipitous drop.

  • I think Peter was taken aback by the underwhelming response in certain quarters to Up. I know I was shocked that the arena was half-full at best when I saw his show in Washington, DC on that tour. It’s similar to what Tony and Mike experienced when CAS was virtually ignored in the US. When you’ve experienced so much success it has to be a blow to a performer’s ego (and maybe even confidence) when album and ticket sales suddenly take a precipitous drop.

    I saw him on both the Growing Up and Still Growing Up tours in London; the former was well-attended but for the latter, the arena auditorium was as you say half-full. But I didn't realise Up had such a lukewarm reception generally in the US.

    Abandon all reason

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    I saw 14 shows across the Atlantic (London 2003 included) and all shows were full, some sold out.


    But - UP was 10 years after US and Peter hasn't been touring for 8 years. At the time he said he was testing waters in North America. Since that worked, they added European shows and then this tour went on forever.


    (my prsonal best shows on that tour were Montreal II, Cologne and Brighton)


    After that, Peter toured a lot and enjoyed unexpected success with Scratch My Back, so I wouldn't guess it's that reason why he didn't release new music.

  • I think Peter was taken aback by the underwhelming response in certain quarters to Up. I know I was shocked that the arena was half-full at best when I saw his show in Washington, DC on that tour. It’s similar to what Tony and Mike experienced when CAS was virtually ignored in the US. When you’ve experienced so much success it has to be a blow to a performer’s ego (and maybe even confidence) when album and ticket sales suddenly take a precipitous drop.

    Hard for me to say this, considering how much of a fan I am but in hindsight UP was really nor worth the wait, at least mine and it was a long time waiting. The songs I enjoyed the most had already been previously released, Sky Blue, and I Grieve, then of course there are nice moments and atmospheres, his voice was top notch, as ever but I felt we weren't nowhere near the brilliance he had gotten used to from PG3 onward

    Edited once, last by Fabrizio ().