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Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel is as committed as ever to his beloved World Music and very publicly to his controversial political ideals. Troubled, complex and adventurous in both public and private life, Gabriel's paradoxes have intensified with time.
- GenresMusicBiographyNonfiction
Paperback
First published February 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 21, 2018
Surprisingly, I had never read this book on Gabriel's life and career before. I found it interesting, focusing in on the personal and professional life of Gabriel, and I did learn some nuggets of information I had not known before.
However, I think the book could have been better organized, perhaps split between music accomplishments, personal life, and business development. There's a lot of words spend on Gabriel's different business ventures, particularly his goal of creating an experience park in the 1990s, that might have been better served by focusing on that aspect directly and completely, rather than jumping back and forth between music and personal items going on at the same time.
Perhaps it is more accurate to give the information all happening together, chronologically, but as a reader, it doesn't allow for easy digestion and assimilation of information.
A worthwhile read, although by the end, I was getting a bit tired...
However, I think the book could have been better organized, perhaps split between music accomplishments, personal life, and business development. There's a lot of words spend on Gabriel's different business ventures, particularly his goal of creating an experience park in the 1990s, that might have been better served by focusing on that aspect directly and completely, rather than jumping back and forth between music and personal items going on at the same time.
Perhaps it is more accurate to give the information all happening together, chronologically, but as a reader, it doesn't allow for easy digestion and assimilation of information.
A worthwhile read, although by the end, I was getting a bit tired...
August 9, 2016
Sometimes I wish I could suck the words out of my mind and back onto the pages... undo what my eyes have seen and my brain has absorbed. More often than not... I come away wishing I had never delved into this person's world.
I love reading about music, how it's created, the inspirations, the passions, the hard work... the process from idea to song. What I don't like as such is the peeling back of the person as put down by this writer's pen.
It changes you... they colour your perception with their language. How they show this person. I found the book disjointed and at times uncertain.
I should let the music do the talking - as Aerosmith so aptly said; but knowing me, I'll try again
I love reading about music, how it's created, the inspirations, the passions, the hard work... the process from idea to song. What I don't like as such is the peeling back of the person as put down by this writer's pen.
It changes you... they colour your perception with their language. How they show this person. I found the book disjointed and at times uncertain.
I should let the music do the talking - as Aerosmith so aptly said; but knowing me, I'll try again
May 14, 2013
An okay biography on Peter Gabriel, one of my favorite musicians of all time. The writing is pretty good and it's well researched, but this book came out 25 years ago, and with a few albums since then I feel the book is a little outdated. Still some great information on what some of his songs are about on the albums Melt, Scratch and So to name a few. I recommend this to Peter Gabriel fans and fans of early Genisis (which I'm not). Anyone else probably won't enjoy.
August 3, 2024
I spent most of my life as a Peter Gabriel fan. Since concerts are so expensive, I had to skip seeing mostly anybody else in concert so I could afford to see shows on his sporadic tours. I've even been lucky enough to meet him a few times.
However, this biography sucks.
I own a copy of the first edition. I've tried two or three times to get through this bad boy, but just haven't been able to do it. I only keep it as a collector's item. The thought of actually cracking the book open again makes my intestines go into a hard knot.
The biography begins with the sudden death of former Genesis manager Tony Stratton-Smith, who died the day before he was to be interviewed. This let me know right away that I was in trouble.
And no, I don't think Peter killed him.
The first couple of chapters are great. They go through Peter's childhood, his traumas at Charterhouse (although Peter would keep his assault by other boys at the school secret for decades to come, until he talked about it during his TED talk), his first forays into music, and the formation of Genesis.
Things go downhill with the introduction of Jill, Peter's first wife. In the next dozen or so chapters, you learn far more about Jill than you do Peter. Honestly, I think Bright fell in love with her. The fact that Peter and Jill had just divorced never seemed to enter his head. She is downright viscious. Decades later, Peter and Jill became friends. Jill is even friends with Peter's current wife. I don't think Bright even likes Peter.
This just such a painfully boring book. I've known people who became Peter Gabriel fans BECAUSE of this book, but I have no idea why.
In comparison to the Armando Gallo book about Peter, this really pales into insignificance.
I did try reading the second edition in, of all places, Bath's public library in England, not far from where Peter was living at the time. I was homeless, so I had time on my hands. I hit a part where Rosanna Arquette leaves a bizarre message on Peter's answering machine, then shut the book, put it back on the shelf, and read something else.
However, this biography sucks.
I own a copy of the first edition. I've tried two or three times to get through this bad boy, but just haven't been able to do it. I only keep it as a collector's item. The thought of actually cracking the book open again makes my intestines go into a hard knot.
The biography begins with the sudden death of former Genesis manager Tony Stratton-Smith, who died the day before he was to be interviewed. This let me know right away that I was in trouble.
And no, I don't think Peter killed him.
The first couple of chapters are great. They go through Peter's childhood, his traumas at Charterhouse (although Peter would keep his assault by other boys at the school secret for decades to come, until he talked about it during his TED talk), his first forays into music, and the formation of Genesis.
Things go downhill with the introduction of Jill, Peter's first wife. In the next dozen or so chapters, you learn far more about Jill than you do Peter. Honestly, I think Bright fell in love with her. The fact that Peter and Jill had just divorced never seemed to enter his head. She is downright viscious. Decades later, Peter and Jill became friends. Jill is even friends with Peter's current wife. I don't think Bright even likes Peter.
This just such a painfully boring book. I've known people who became Peter Gabriel fans BECAUSE of this book, but I have no idea why.
In comparison to the Armando Gallo book about Peter, this really pales into insignificance.
I did try reading the second edition in, of all places, Bath's public library in England, not far from where Peter was living at the time. I was homeless, so I had time on my hands. I hit a part where Rosanna Arquette leaves a bizarre message on Peter's answering machine, then shut the book, put it back on the shelf, and read something else.
September 8, 2018
Gabriel is an artistic genius. This book gives insight into the background of some of his musical concepts and ideas. And of course much of his personal, off stage life is covered. It would seem that this book is the ultimate record of the seldom trod path known as "Peter Gabriel".
April 16, 2014
This book was very difficult to find, but I finally stumbled across a used copy at Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. in L.A. Unlike most other rock icons, and even some that are far less talented, there just are not a lot of books written about Peter Gabriel and I was hungry for more information about him. By the end of the book, I can't say that I was fully sated. If Gabriel is the master of imagery and story telling, then Spencer Bright is the complete opposite. His writing drones along, oftentimes telling the story in non-chronological order. It's very anti-septic and uninteresting at times. That said, I did pick up some insight on Gabriel and his creative process and am glad that I read it. Unfortunately, the bio only covers the first 15-20 years of his musical career. It's been over 25 years since the book was written, and Gabriel has reached some amazing achievements since then. This is one of the reasons I stay away from biographies written 'in mid career'.
May 18, 2014
Re-reading. Hmm. Not sure anyone has done his career justice with a biography that is anywhere near as interesting to read as his work is to listen/watch.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews