My Favorite Albums: So
Every once in a while an artist releases a perfect album. The criteria for what makes a perfect album may vary depending on who you ask, but for me it’s simply this:
Every song on the album is good to great
The album is of its time but also transcends it, so it doesn’t sound too out of place many years later
The songs are cohesive and flow well together, so there are no whiplash transitions from one song to the next
Using these criteria, one can only conclude that Peter Gabriel’s 1986 release, So, is a perfect album, and it certainly rates as one of my favorites of all time by any artist in any genre. It's my first entry from the 1980s in this "My Favorite Albums" series so far, but that's only because I'm doing them in no particular order.
So came along at a time in my life when I was burying myself in music and so much of it was speaking to me. Mtv was on my television constantly and 80s music was beginning to incorporate many different styles from all over the world as exposure to different kinds of music was taking off. It probably says a lot about my feelings on the music from that year that there are more than 275 songs in my "My 1986" Spotify playlist.
The sum of the album consists of songs that are equal parts catchy, artistic, important, and intriguing. Gabriel can include serious lyrics about psychological experimentation (“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)”), arthouse-style abstractions (“This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)”), and dick jokes (the final lyric of “Big Time”). Few artists could pull all of that off in one album, let alone make it all a nearly flawless and seamless piece of work.
Just to clarify and avoid confusion, I’m using my CD track listing for the running order. If you’ve got a different version, your track list might be different.
The album opener is one of my favorite Gabriel solo songs, “Red Rain.” If you struggle to find meaning in this song, it’s understandable. Read the Wikipedia entry for it some time. There are multiple inspirations for it but the main thing that sticks out to me about it is the stunning imagery of the lyrics and the standout musicianship of bassist Tony Levin and drummers Jerry Marotta and Stewart Copeland (hi-hat). Beyond that, it’s one of Gabriel’s finest ever vocal performances. It’s as good an album opener as exists anywhere in rock/pop and better than most.
Gabriel’s megahit “Sledgehammer” launches with much bombast after the quiet final death struggle of an ending to “Red Rain.” I’ll admit this is one of my least favorite tracks on the album, not because it isn’t a good song but because I’ve heard it approximately 13 million times. It was ubiquitous in its time both on the radio and on Mtv. It still gets played just about every hour on every 80s pop station or specialty 80s show. It’s an amalgam of funk, soul, and pop with a Stax-esque horns section giving this a flavor of its own. The lyrics are ridiculous but Gabriel sells them to the listener and you gladly buy them because he’s so convincing about it. Levin’s bass is among the song’s stars but everything works well together.
The upbeat “Sledgehammer” gives way to the slow, moody “Don’t Give Up,” which is among the highest points of So. It’s a song that makes one want an entire album of duets between Gabriel and guest vocalist Kate Bush. The beauty of this song belies the bleak subject matter of a man at the end of his rope due to unemployment and the lack of prospects for any in the near future. Gabriel sings about hopelessness, loneliness, and isolation, while Bush answers with passages of hope, love, comfort, and promise. It brings tears just about every time I hear it. The arrangement is extremely sparse in comparison to “Sledghammer,” with Manu Katché’s drums, Levin’s bass, Richard Tee’s piano, and the guitar of David Rhodes all painting the dark and light moments in turn as Gabriel and Bush sing. It’s just an incredible song.
The tempo rises again with “That Voice Again.” I love the way Gabriel’s vocals are layered in this one and the simple yet effective synth lines and guitar work. Katché’s drums once again shine. The song visits the idea of that voice inside our heads we like to call our conscience, and in typical Gabriel fashion (the lyrics can be interpreted in multiple ways).
The album’s big showpiece song comes next, but I prefer its position on the 25th anniversary edition of the album, where it's placed as the final song. “In Your Eyes” is one of music’s all-time great love songs and it features one of the best vocal performances of Gabriel’s career. The song became an iconic moment of the 1980s when it was featured stunningly in a dramatic scene in the film Say Anything. You might be currently picturing John Cusack holding that boom box over his head right now.
The world music (specifically African) influences here give “In Your Eyes” a unique flavor among love songs and the vocals of Youssou N'Dour near the end give it an otherworldly feel. Gabriel extends this song in live shows, even though it already clocks in at over five minutes, which is fairly long for a love song. If he doesn’t end the show with “Biko,” this is often the concert closer, and he’ll usually bring out extra guest musicians and his opening act to assist. It’s a live show highlight in addition to being an album highlight.
Perhaps the best crafted song on the album comes next in the form of “Mercy Street.” It’s the musical equivalent of a warm, snuggly blanket. Gabriel’s interest in poet Anne Sexton ended up being a gift to his fans because this is one of his absolute career highlights. Gabriel again layers his vocals, giving this song a dramatic feel that almost feels ominous yet beautiful. The lyrics are depressing, and a bit devastating, but in a more subtle way than your garden variety sad lyrics.
The poppy “Big Time” could be jarring as a follow-up to “Mercy Street” but I think it’s necessary here to pick up the listener’s spirit after the slow, sad boat ride of the previous song. Of the poppy songs on the album, I prefer this one to “Sledgehammer.” It’s a song that makes you want to move and it’s an infectious groove highlighted again by Levin’s bass work. Lyrically it’s an homage to (American?) greed and desire for bigger and better.
Another tempo shift follows “Big Time” with the slow, atmospheric “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37),” a song about a real life psychological experiment in which subjects were tested on their response to authority figures at the expense of their own conscience. They were asked to administer electrical shocks growing in intensity to another person for failed responses. The shocks weren’t real but the subjects believed they were, and many were willing to continue increasing the intensity of the shocks they were giving even when they rose to dangerous and even fatal levels. Gabriel doesn’t lyrically go into specifics in his song about the fascinating study, but the droning and repeating sung line of “We do what we’re told,” makes this a haunting song, especially when you think of the experiment and its results.
“This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)” is an industrial sounding song that is co-sung by guest Laurie Anderson. I didn’t immediately warm up to this song when the album was released it but I’ve grown to enjoy it over time and repeat listens. The industrial percussion and a repeated guitar line by Nile Rogers gives this song a groove and a rhythm that allows the listener to settle into nicely. Gabriel and Anderson combine well together and it makes me wonder if there’s anyone with whom Gabriel can’t do a passable duet.
I don't think this song works particularly well as an album closer (the perfect one would be "In Your Eyes"), but the song was a late addition to the album and I believe the track list was already established so it got tacked onto the end. It prevents the album from closing with the haunting "We Do What We're Told."
In the fashion of all perfect albums, it leaves the listener wanting more. It’s a quick listen, especially by today’s standards, at under 50 minutes. That makes it easy to hit the play button again and do it all over.
As a Peter Gabriel fan, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite album. There are a few of his titles that stand out above the rest. You’ll likely see a few more of his titles discussed in this series in the future if you remain a faithful reader. But when push comes to shove, So is the only one I’d call perfect.