So

So
Studio album by Peter Gabriel
Released	May 19 1986
Recorded	February–December 1985, Ashcombe Studios, near Bath, England
Genre	New Wave Pop Rock
Length	46:25
Label	Geffen Records
Producer	Peter Gabriel, Chris Hughes and Daniel Lanois
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link PopMatters (very favorable) link Robert Christgau (B-) link Rolling Stone (not rated) link
Peter Gabriel chronology
Birdy (1985) So (1986) Passion (1989)
Alternate cover
2002 reissue cover

So is the fifth studio album (and seventh album overall) by British rock musician Peter Gabriel, released in 1986. Many of its songs reflect a more conventional pop-writing style which became radio hits. Others still retained Gabriel's dark, brooding sense of experimentalism and are held as classics by his more eclectic fans. It was Gabriel's first studio album to bear an official title; the name corresponds to the fifth note of the scale "do re mi fa so la ti do".

It is Peter Gabriel's second album produced by Canadian artist Daniel Lanois. The previous year, the two of them had worked together on Birdy. Lanois had been previously known for his ambient collaborations with Brian Eno as well as producing U2 since 1984. As he had with the soundtrack to the film Birdy, Lanois brought many of his own ambient sensibilities to this recording.

Songs

The album begins with an emotionally charged piece titled "Red Rain". Inspired by a recurring dream which Gabriel had of swimming in a sea of red water, its lyrics vividly depict dream imagery that reflect a sense of vulnerability. The song is one of the works in the story of Mozo, a wandering stranger who appears in several Gabriel songs. Other Mozo works include "On the Air" and "Exposure".

The second track is Peter Gabriel's most popular single, "Sledgehammer". "Sledgehammer" is an upbeat piece with strong Motown influences, and a world music touch from its famous use of the shakuhachi. The video for "Sledgehammer" won MTV's 1987 Top Music Video Award. Directed by Steven Johnson, it features stop motion animation by Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame. The dancing chickens were animated by Nick Park. The video ends with Gabriel dancing in silhouette, covered with lights taped on his suit by a runner who later became a producer for the Wallace and Gromit films. While performing "Sledgehammer" on his 2002 tour, Gabriel recreated this image by wearing a jacket covered with LED lights.

Tracks 3–6 cover more serious emotional content. These tracks include a duet with Kate Bush titled "Don't Give Up," "That Voice Again," and hit single "In Your Eyes". "Mercy Street" is dedicated to poet Anne Sexton and takes its title from her 1969 play, Mercy Street (Sexton also posthumously released a book of poetry, 45 Mercy Street).

Track 7 is the album's last upbeat pop piece, "Big Time". This song is a send-up of the narcissism of the 1980s. It was also accompanied by a video in the vein of "Sledgehammer", although to less popularity. "Big Time" was recently used as the theme music for "WWE Wrestlemania 22".

Then comes the album's darkest and most experimental track titled "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)". The title refers to the 37 out of 40 compliant subjects of Milgram Experiment 18.

The album ends with a pictorial and meditative piece titled "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". This song features vocals with co-writer Laurie Anderson. This track is not included on the original vinyl release of the album, but was added to the audio cassette and CD editions. Anderson had previously recorded a different arrangement of the song entitled "Excellent Birds" for her 1984 album, Mister Heartbreak, which also featured vocals by Gabriel. She performs the song in her concert film, Home of the Brave, released around the same time as So.

Notes

When the album was remastered, with most of Gabriel's catalog, in 2002, the song "In Your Eyes" was moved from the 5th song to the 9th song. This was what Peter Gabriel originally intended, but because of the limitations of the vinyl release format it was moved up to be the first track on side two (where there is naturally more room for the grooves).^{[citation needed]} Oddly, the credits in the booklet were not changed to show the change in order (so, Youssou N'dour, instead of being credited with back up vocals to "In Your Eyes" is given credit for back up vocals on "Mercy Street").

In 1998, Q magazine readers voted So the 81st greatest album of all time. In 2001, the TV network VH1 placed it at number 91. In 2003, the album was ranked number 187 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[1]

Mythology

In popular culture this album has become to some listeners a sort of oracle. Listeners wishing to consult Peter will ask a question before starting the album, and then listen to it through to receive an answer. Citing the vague suggestive lyrics and mystic cover, fans claim that Peter intended this. This ritual was even referred to on an episode of Seinfeld. Although Peter denies that he intended this, it still continues to be a pop-loric ritual.

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Gabriel except as indicated.

1. "Red Rain" – 5:39
2. "Sledgehammer" – 5:12
3. "Don't Give Up" (with Kate Bush) – 6:33
4. "That Voice Again" (Gabriel, David Rhodes) – 4:53
5. "In Your Eyes" – 5:27
6. "Mercy Street" – 6:22
7. "Big Time" – 4:28
8. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" – 3:22
9. "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" (Laurie Anderson, Gabriel) – 4:25¹

¹Not included on original vinyl release.

Remastered CD Track Listing

1. "Red Rain" – 5:39
2. "Sledgehammer" – 4:55
3. "Don't Give Up" – 5:55
4. "That Voice Again" – 4:53
5. "Mercy Street" – 6:22
6. "Big Time" – 4:28
7. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" – 3:22
8. "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" – 4:17
9. "In Your Eyes" – 5:27

Personnel

The track numbers only correspond to the original release, not the remastered version.

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, synthesizers, piano on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, percussion on track 4, Linn on tracks 3, 7, 9, Synclavier on track 9
• Tony Levin – bass on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
• David Rhodes – guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, backing vocals on tracks 1, 5
• Jerry Marotta – drums on tracks 1, 5, 8, drumstic bass on track 7
• Manu Katché – drums on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, percussion on tracks 3, 4, 5, talking drum on tracks 5, 9

Additional personnel

• Chris Hughes – Linn programming on track 1
• Stewart Copeland – hi-hat on track 1, drums on track 7
• Daniel Lanois – guitar on tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, tambourine on track 2
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet on tracks 2, 7, cornet on track 7
• Mark Rivera – saxophone on tracks 2, 7, processed saxophone on track 6
• Don Mikkelson – trombone on tracks 2, 7
• P. P. Arnold – backing vocals on tracks 2, 7
• Coral Gordon – backing vocals on tracks 2, 7
• Dee Lewis – backing vocals on tracks 2, 7
• Richard Tee – piano on tracks 3, 5, 6
• Simon Clark – synthesizer on tracks 3, 7, organ on track 7, bass on track 7
• Kate Bush – vocals on track 3
• L. Shankar – violin on tracks 4, 8
• Larry Klein – bass on tracks 5, 6
• Youssou N'Dour – vocals on track 5
• Michael Been – backing vocals on track 5
• Jim Kerr – backing vocals on track 5
• Ronnie Bright – bass vocals on track 5
• Djalma Correa – surdo, congas, triangle on track 6
• Jimmy Bralower – Linn on track 7
• Laurie Anderson – vocals on track 9
• Bill Laswell – bass on track 9
• Nile Rodgers – guitar on track 9

Charts

Album

Singles

Certifications

External links

• So at MusicBrainz

Donate to Wikimedia