Artist: Peter Gabriel
Title: Back To Front - Live in London (Mercury Studios)
You might like if you enjoy: Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, elbow
Tell me more: Available in 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time ever, Peter Gabriel's Back To Front - Live in London (released on May 10, 2024) is a marvelous showcase of how top-tier music making and state-of-the-art technology immerse and capture the power of a perfect concert. Filmed over two nights at The O2 arena in London on Oct. 21 and 22, 2013, the Hamish Hamilton-directed 142-minute film was shot on Gabriel's tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking 1986 album So.
Gabriel embarked on that tour with original 1986-87 touring band members drummer Manu Katché, bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes and keyboardist David Sancious, who collectively played So in its entirety for the first time ever. The stellar visuals and audio quality on Back To Front - Live in London only bolster the power of the setlist. After opening with a previously-unheard and unfinished selection ("Daddy Long Legs" which would be further developed into "Playing For Time" for the artist's long-awaited 2023 full-length return i/o), Gabriel and company (including backing singers Jennie Abrahamson and Linnea Olsson) perform favorites and deep album cuts. Early standouts include the nuanced "Come Talk To Me," propulsive "Shock The Monkey," luxurious and poignant "Family Snapshot" and breezy crowd-pleasing track "Solsbury Hill."
The performance of So selections includes a stunning "Red Rain" (enhanced by Katché's dynamic drum playing), euphoric "Sledgehammer" and "Don't Give Up," the latter teaming Gabriel's affecting vocals with Abrahamson's soprano. Gabriel shows off his theatrical talents and dance moves on an especially infectious version of "Big Time." The encore includes a performance of the ambitious art rocker "The Tower That Ate People" and impactful "Biko."
Among the bonus features on the title is an interview with Gabriel and light show designer Rob Sinclair. A colorful 16-page booklet included with Back To Front - Live in London features a slew of photographs from the concert film as well as insightful liner notes penned by Mark Beaumont.
Robert Kinsler
