It’s funny… when I first saw this, I immediately thought “Solsbury Hill” was the obvious choice. However, am I voting for the best song, or the most popular…? No… you’re asking for our favorite. Okay… then I ask “Does the track actually have to BE on the album?” “Here Comes The Flood”, especially the 1990 version with just Gabriel’s vocals and piano, just kills me. The version of “Humdrum” on Plays Live is better than the album version. I’ve seen “Solsbury Hill” performed every time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Gabriel live, and… yep, that’s my choice. It’s a pleasant, buoyant song from an artist who up to that point had written prog lyrics and later grew to be an introspective songwriter. It’s a song to sing along to, and you can’t help but smile when doing so.
My favourite PG album. So diverse. 4 absolute classics on here: Solsbury Hill, Here Comes the Flood, Humdrum, and Moribund all on one album! I had a hard time but picked Humdrum in the end. Where else can you here the word stethoscope in the lyrics??? Love every track on here!
Exactly! I don’t often go back to this album because the best songs, for me, tend to have much better live versions elsewhere. It was great revisiting this album after many years, but my choice is still Solsbury Hill.
Always liked the tune but it was when I finally really understood the lyric that Solsbury Hill became one of my very favourite songs from any era. A timeless classic.
A strong debut solo album for Gabriel; despite it getting discarded in favour for the later ones. Moribund and the Burgermeister is an epic opening track, Modern Love is a great rock track, Solsbury Hill speaks for itself… Excuse me is a fun whacky track equivalent to Abacab’s WhoDunnit (that’s not a criticism as I like that track), and Here Comes the Flood is a great way to end the album and show what’s to come from the ex genesis front man. Oh and also, it’s self titled 😉
Moribund the Burgermeister is, to me, Peter’s last nod to Genesis. Could easily fit this into The Lamb (maybe it was a holdout from 1974?). After this opener, he immediately moves on to his own, unique sound. The man absolutely had vision (s… of angels)!
Nick D’Virgilio’s excellent cover of Here Comes The Flood first brought it to my attention, but I also have to go with Solsbury Hill. Looking forward to a Hello I Must Be Going and maybe a pod for a Ray Wilson album next. (I’m partial to his acoustic Song for a Friend album from a few years ago.) Check out “Over my dead body” for a nice/intense vocal performance.
Tough pick, ‘Here Comes the Flood’ is a really stirring, powerful song, ‘Solsbury Hill’ is wonderful but my heart answers to the Genesis-y flavor and odd meters of Moribund.
I’ll be voting for “Moribund the Burgermeister”. I’ve always loved it, though I always thought it odd that Peter decided to launch his solo career with it as the first track on his first album. It sounds so much like something Genesis could have written, and I would think that he would have wanted to get away from that sound and style.
Gawd this might be the toughest poll yet. First reaction was SH then a lot of “yeah but what about…?” for every other song on the album. But I’m going with the song I blasted on my car cassette player after I met the person I ended up married to. SH it is.
Besides the obvious amazingly good songs, which will take places 1&2, I’ll nominate Moribund the Burgermeister, being a song that would be great in TLLDOB. It is a bit messy, goes in many directions… what’s not to like? 🙂
Although it is not my pick I would also add the version of Here Comes The Flood from Robert Fripp’s Exposure album, which is equal to the version on Shaking the Tree. They are both amazing!
Absolutely – Here Comes The Flood on Fripp’s Exposure album is far superior to the PG1 album version. And Humdrum on Plays Live.
But to choose from the PG1 versions is a much tougher choice…
Having only heard this album a few times I’m still not entirely sure what to think of it. It’s a little all over the place style-wise, which I’m sure was a result of PG’s abundance of creative freedom he finally had post-Genesis, allowing him to experiment more. His output was much stronger in the 80’s after he gained more confidence with his sound and direction. However, I know this is his first album and I know we wouldn’t have his signature 80’s albums without this one so I appreciate it for what it is.
I don’t think this is a bad album, but most of the songs aside from Solsbury Hill and Flood don’t really stand out to me as songs I personally would want to listen to outside the context of the album (Moribund the Burgermeister is probably the most standout track besides the 2 singles.) Of course my opinion on this album may change with more listens.
For now, I hate to vote for Solsbury Hill because it almost seems like a cop out, but with me being between this song and Flood, I have to go with this one because I like the re-recorded stripped down version of Flood a little more than the version on this album.
My favourite of PG’s albums and although I voted for one track (“Here Comes The Flood”) I could easily have voted for almost any of the rest of them. Apart from “Waiting For The Big One” (sorry!). Looking forward to the podcast episode about this.
Modern Love was always a cracking track ! This album was the second Genesis album I’d heard as a kid after the 1973 LIVE album . . I remember being sad Peter was leaving, but excited for his solo career ! Here Comes the Flood is at the top as well, especially the version he did on Fripp’s Exposure album !
It’s funny… when I first saw this, I immediately thought “Solsbury Hill” was the obvious choice. However, am I voting for the best song, or the most popular…? No… you’re asking for our favorite. Okay… then I ask “Does the track actually have to BE on the album?” “Here Comes The Flood”, especially the 1990 version with just Gabriel’s vocals and piano, just kills me. The version of “Humdrum” on Plays Live is better than the album version. I’ve seen “Solsbury Hill” performed every time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Gabriel live, and… yep, that’s my choice. It’s a pleasant, buoyant song from an artist who up to that point had written prog lyrics and later grew to be an introspective songwriter. It’s a song to sing along to, and you can’t help but smile when doing so.
My favourite PG album. So diverse. 4 absolute classics on here: Solsbury Hill, Here Comes the Flood, Humdrum, and Moribund all on one album! I had a hard time but picked Humdrum in the end. Where else can you here the word stethoscope in the lyrics??? Love every track on here!
I think he’s included a few words like “stethoscope” throughout his lyrics that make you think, Only Gabriel! 😉
Exactly! I don’t often go back to this album because the best songs, for me, tend to have much better live versions elsewhere. It was great revisiting this album after many years, but my choice is still Solsbury Hill.
Always liked the tune but it was when I finally really understood the lyric that Solsbury Hill became one of my very favourite songs from any era. A timeless classic.
Agree! Once you know what it’s about, you have a whole new appreciation for it. 🙂
A strong debut solo album for Gabriel; despite it getting discarded in favour for the later ones. Moribund and the Burgermeister is an epic opening track, Modern Love is a great rock track, Solsbury Hill speaks for itself… Excuse me is a fun whacky track equivalent to Abacab’s WhoDunnit (that’s not a criticism as I like that track), and Here Comes the Flood is a great way to end the album and show what’s to come from the ex genesis front man. Oh and also, it’s self titled 😉
Moribund the Burgermeister is, to me, Peter’s last nod to Genesis. Could easily fit this into The Lamb (maybe it was a holdout from 1974?). After this opener, he immediately moves on to his own, unique sound. The man absolutely had vision (s… of angels)!
Nick D’Virgilio’s excellent cover of Here Comes The Flood first brought it to my attention, but I also have to go with Solsbury Hill. Looking forward to a Hello I Must Be Going and maybe a pod for a Ray Wilson album next. (I’m partial to his acoustic Song for a Friend album from a few years ago.) Check out “Over my dead body” for a nice/intense vocal performance.
Tough pick, ‘Here Comes the Flood’ is a really stirring, powerful song, ‘Solsbury Hill’ is wonderful but my heart answers to the Genesis-y flavor and odd meters of Moribund.
I’ll be voting for “Moribund the Burgermeister”. I’ve always loved it, though I always thought it odd that Peter decided to launch his solo career with it as the first track on his first album. It sounds so much like something Genesis could have written, and I would think that he would have wanted to get away from that sound and style.
Tom here – I haven’t voted yet, but Moribund is a strong contender. If you haven’t already, check out the version from Rockpalast 78.
I agree, that is the key puzzle of this album.
Gawd this might be the toughest poll yet. First reaction was SH then a lot of “yeah but what about…?” for every other song on the album. But I’m going with the song I blasted on my car cassette player after I met the person I ended up married to. SH it is.
Besides the obvious amazingly good songs, which will take places 1&2, I’ll nominate Moribund the Burgermeister, being a song that would be great in TLLDOB. It is a bit messy, goes in many directions… what’s not to like? 🙂
Although it is not my pick I would also add the version of Here Comes The Flood from Robert Fripp’s Exposure album, which is equal to the version on Shaking the Tree. They are both amazing!
Absolutely – Here Comes The Flood on Fripp’s Exposure album is far superior to the PG1 album version. And Humdrum on Plays Live.
But to choose from the PG1 versions is a much tougher choice…
Having only heard this album a few times I’m still not entirely sure what to think of it. It’s a little all over the place style-wise, which I’m sure was a result of PG’s abundance of creative freedom he finally had post-Genesis, allowing him to experiment more. His output was much stronger in the 80’s after he gained more confidence with his sound and direction. However, I know this is his first album and I know we wouldn’t have his signature 80’s albums without this one so I appreciate it for what it is.
I don’t think this is a bad album, but most of the songs aside from Solsbury Hill and Flood don’t really stand out to me as songs I personally would want to listen to outside the context of the album (Moribund the Burgermeister is probably the most standout track besides the 2 singles.) Of course my opinion on this album may change with more listens.
For now, I hate to vote for Solsbury Hill because it almost seems like a cop out, but with me being between this song and Flood, I have to go with this one because I like the re-recorded stripped down version of Flood a little more than the version on this album.
My favourite of PG’s albums and although I voted for one track (“Here Comes The Flood”) I could easily have voted for almost any of the rest of them. Apart from “Waiting For The Big One” (sorry!). Looking forward to the podcast episode about this.
Modern Love was always a cracking track ! This album was the second Genesis album I’d heard as a kid after the 1973 LIVE album . . I remember being sad Peter was leaving, but excited for his solo career ! Here Comes the Flood is at the top as well, especially the version he did on Fripp’s Exposure album !
Possibly a cliche by now, but Hill followed by Flood.