The best soundstage on CD that I have heard.

[bretty]

Peter Gabriel - 'Scratch My Back'

This album was obviously recorded with the orchestra playing live, and whoever the producer was is a genius.

Not only is there 'Left, Right and Centre' as placements in the sounstage, but all kinds of inbetweens. There's also a depth to it, with some instruments sounding further back than others. I haven't heard anything like it before.

It's also been immaculately recorded in relation to sound quality, too.

Well worth a listen (apart from the abysmal cover of Radiohead's 'Street Spirit')

 

[Drummerdave]

bretty:
Peter Gabriel - 'Scratch My Back'

This album was obviously recorded with the orchestra playing live, and whoever the producer was is a genius.

Not only is there 'Left, Right and Centre' as placements in the sounstage, but all kinds of inbetweens. There's also a depth to it, with some instruments sounding further back than others. I haven't heard anything like it before.

It's also been immaculately recorded in relation to sound quality, too.

Well worth a listen (apart from the abysmal cover of Radiohead's 'Street Spirit')

That album's getting some atrcocious reviews, not sure the great soundstage will save it.

 

[Andrew Everard]

To misquote NTNON, 'nice soundstage, shame about the album'

 

[bretty]

Drummerdave:bretty:
Peter Gabriel - 'Scratch My Back'

This album was obviously recorded with the orchestra playing live, and whoever the producer was is a genius.

Not only is there 'Left, Right and Centre' as placements in the sounstage, but all kinds of inbetweens. There's also a depth to it, with some instruments sounding further back than others. I haven't heard anything like it before.

It's also been immaculately recorded in relation to sound quality, too.

Well worth a listen (apart from the abysmal cover of Radiohead's 'Street Spirit')

That album's getting some atrcocious reviews, not sure the great soundstage will save it.

I didn't know that. It's getting a caning? Well, if only for the Radiohead cover, I suppose I get it. I don't read music reviews, it's too subjective an area.

In a nutshell, if you like Peter's voice and you like orchestral music, give it a whirl, you might like it!

 

[Andrew Everard]

No, it's been getting a caning around these parts for a lot more than just one track...

 

[bretty]

Andrew Everard:No, it's been getting a caning around these parts for a lot more than just one track...

My fault, I put myself across badly. I meant that the Radiohead track is soooo bad that it validates a damning review of the whole album, not that that track alone was the reason for the album being disliked.

Hey ho, different strokes, an' all that...

 

[Anonymous]

I think some of the tracks are pretty good. His version of the Book of Love is fantastic, and will be the first dance at my wedding when I get married next year.

If you're really obsessed with the album, Society of Sound have it as an uncompressed 24bit FLAC download. Reading through the material it's unsurprising that the album has such a good soundstage.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=3550&terid=4901

 

[the record spot]

Andrew Everard:No, it's been getting a caning around these parts for a lot more than just one track...

Yup, he pretty well killed Bowie's "Heroes". The fanboys at the now defunct official Genesis Forum were all over it, but it's a sterile run for me.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'm not quite sure what the Gabriel disc has got to do with orchestral music. It might use a handful of orchestral instruments but....

I've got it and most of it is forgettable. I agree entirely with RS about 'Heroes' and I'd say exactly the same thing about 'Street Spirit' and 'The Boy in the Bubble'. The defining thing about each of those songs is the character of the original recordings. Gabriel, as much as I normally admire him, just makes them all sound too similar. Rather than trying to create 'arty' versions of popular songs he should stick to writing and recording his own material.

 

[Anonymous]

Thought I might throw in my tupence worth,and agree that overall ( in my opinion) PG's latest offering is another of his experiments that comes across as self-indulget, but as it is intended to be part 1of a pair of albums with the featured artists returning the 'favour' with covers of his own songs I believe it may be worth waiting to see how part 2 turns out, if in fact it ever comes to frution...then again, the best part of Scratch My Back is PG's unique vocal style and it's hard to imagine any of the featured contrbutors biringing much to the table on his songs...except for perhaps Radiohead ??

I do however repect the fact that he hasn't done staight cover versions and attempted to put his own stamp on each track unlike so many other less talented artists releasing albums of covers today...