The thing you're missing about songs like this is that when Peter Gabriel does it, it isn't cheesy, It's like if a rich person walks around collecting bottle caps, they're not crazy, they're eccentric. Peter Gabriel was known for doing quirky things, so quirky becomes just part of the catalog, just art, especially at the skill level with which he performs it.
When this came out I hadn't heard anything like it. To me it sounded completely modern and new. It got airplay on the traditional Rock stations, but also the Alternative stations, which was quite a feat at the time. And it _never_ reminded me of "Whip It", lol.
@@Johnny_Socko Exactly. This song was cutting edge and totally ahead of its time when it came out. The opposite of cheesy - innovative and very listenable at the same time. I never get tired of it, decades later!
My Peter Gabriel gateway song. Check out the live version of" In Your Eyes". A joyous global music party with some of the most outstanding musicians in the world and probably top 10 live performances ever recorded.
@@petervermaak6447 that version is not bad but I think one where he had had Youssou N'Dour on stage with him during the 80's was much better version and my personal favorite.
The live version of "In Your Eyes" from the Secret World Live video is great. He has an unknown Paula Cole singing backup and accompaniment on multiple tracks. Peter's duet with Paula on "Don't Give Up" is better than the original with Kate Bush in my opinion. When he sings "Digging In The Dirt" the video is cool as hell. I saw Peter Gabriel with Sting on their tour in 2016. My wife and I fell in love to "In Your Eyes" and finally got to see it live years later. Peter is a master showman.
I loved the song, but could not vibe with the rest of the album. I started playing it before naps in the afternoon and wow! Each song is a masterpiece!
One fact that many overlook, Gabriel was 17 years old when he formed Genesis in 1967. I saw him in concert in 1986 and he was one of the earliest performers to use a wireless headset on stage. The man was a lunatic dancing all over the stage and gave one of the best performances I have ever seen live.
Peter Gabriel is surprisingly soulful in his delivery and influences. I feel like you're responding to the soul in his singing and the funky syncopation in the percussion. Sledgehammer is a straight-up tribute to the Stax soul sound.
this metal head has been listening to this tune (and others from mr. gabriel) since the early 80s... & dont even get me started how much i love genesis (with and without him) ....
AMEN, brother. I became a fan of Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues and Genesis before I became a fan of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Van Halen and Metallica.
Well finally to the tip of the brilliant iceberg that is Peter Gabriel. The "Quirkiness" you keep referring to is Peter's innovative use of the Fairlight synth, which was a revolutionary instrument because of the way it sampled sounds. Peter is an incredible songwriter, and his influence is wide and far, visual, performance and sound.
Peter Gabriel seemed like he was always open to incorporating experimental, eclectic, performance art and world music influences. The video for this song was an attention getter for sure. The 80's music landscape was vast and slightly unhinged😂
"Quirky sounds, but played very well" is probably the best description of Peter Gabriel's music ever. Tony Levin, PG's bassist also plays bass in King Crimson. He's a huge influence on Les Claypool.
@@GasparLewis I don't think they'll enjoy Digging in the Dirt quite so much. It is a fantastic song though and, in my opinion, the most brilliantly conceived and directed music video ever made
I felt the same way as you guys the first time I heard this one. I was honestly kind of put off, and im a huge 80s head. Before i knew it, i was humming the song and craving it, and then by the 2nd listen, i loved it. One of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs. I HIGHLY recommend doing something from the So album. Theres a reason why it was so big. Heres some suggestions: Red Rain Dont Give Up Mercy Street In Your Eyes
This his from his fourth solo album. All of his first four were just called “Peter Gabriel”. This one blew the lid off his love of world rhythms. Especially the song Rhythm Of The Heat. This album is worth a review on its own. San Jacinto, Kiss Of Life, Wallflower. Great great album
Man, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this! I would definitely try out either Games Without Frontiers or Solsbury Hill next! Very different fro ewch other, Peter Gabriel shifted styles a lot but always remained consistently great, I love everything I've heard from his solo career. His early stuff with Genesis is great too! Thanks for covering this song. Cheers 🤘🤘
There are so many contrary moving parts in this composition. It's a masterpiece, when an instrument joins another to play a unison line it is perceived as a resolution. Oh and Tony Levin on bass ❤
For old Peter Gabriel, I highly recommend his “Plays Live” album. The vibe of those live versions is so freaking cool. Biko, Family Snapshot, San Jacinto, No Self Control… sooooo coooooool
We considered this new wave back in the day, and you didn’t know whether to dance or stare at the video. In Your Eyes is his most iconic song and you may have heard pieces of it, famously in the movie Say Anything.
Well, finally! This song is THE shit. Just a classic, incredible 80s favorite for the ages. I never ever tire of hearing it. You can't NOT love this or not jam hard to it.
Great songs to consider from PG are San Jacinto, Kiss of Life, Here Comes the Flood, Digging in the Dirt, or even a Genesis throwback with either Carpet Crawlers or Back in NYC.
That world sound is evident in the pop sensibility of this song. The video is really freaky and really compliments the song. Please watch it someday when you get around to it.
I remember my Gen X dad showing me this and many other songs from his generation when we got our first iPod 20 years ago and were setting his library up. Those are the special moments.
Art pop is a perfect description, the video gives the song a more sinister feeling Art Of Noise, Closer (to the edge) is another great example of the genre, you might recognize the piece of audio that was sampled for the song Firestarter by The Prodigy ❤
Pete Gabriel is such a genius. Dude knows how to write and make the weirdest sounds work. He used the most advanced sampler at the time (The Fairlight CMI).
This is my desert island album. And Peter Gabriel is my top fave performer. From this record, Wallflower, The Family and the Fishing Net, San Jacinto, and I Have the Touch ❤❤
The great and unique Tony Levin on Chapman Stick (bass)! He's currently touring with BEAT, the King Crimson tribute with Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, and Danny Carey. Astonishing talent!
Born in 75, Sledgehammer opened the door and my ears to the genius of Peter Gabriel's back catalog, the same way Money for Nothin' did for Dire Straits.
"Why is this workin' for me?" Exactly. This song is kinda batshit, but it just works so well. The rhythm and percussion really lock in, and his typical great melodies and vocal delivery make it over the top great.
Gabriel was a leader or early adopter of a lot of stuff. World music, gated drums, no/few cymbals, Tony Levin bass (how do you describe that), .... Try I Don't Remember and Games Without Frontiers from the previous album Peter Gabriel 3, see where he was in 1980. He refused to name his albums for awhile, I think record label made him call this one Security in US.
You called it an 80s template...and thats actually quite true...this song was one of the origins of that 80s sound without a doubt...but this song is the real deal,not one of the many from artists who tried to lift something from it...the music taken at face value may sound odd,even a bit silly...but the song is sung seriously,its that slightly dangerous feel and atmosphere to the lyrics that make it work...
In 1989-90 MTV, for New Year's eve, had polls for the 80s revealed. The #1 video voted for the 1980s was Sledgehammer, and Sledgehammer TIED with the Eurythmics SWEET DREAMS for SONG OF THE DECADE. I saw Peter in concert in 1994 and he gave a great show for nearly 2 hours.
You should do a video on Sledgehammer regardless. It's a great song with an absolutely killer (and revolutionary at the time!) bass line by Tony Levin. Such a groovy fun song!
King gizzard and the lizard wizard Uniquely talented band Motor spirit-metal Inner cell- psychedelic/progressive Oddlife- microtonal Raw feel - southern rock Magma- groovy jazz fusion? All is known- alternative? Don’t sleep on these guys. They don’t fall into any one genre. They’re just a great band.
If what I heard is correct, the song is about a psychological experiment where subjects were asked to administer shocks to people who were asked a series of questions, if they got the answers wrong. The people answering the questions were actors, and there were no real shocks. But the more wrong answers they gave, the higher the shocks became. Some of the subjects continued to administer the shocks even after being told that the next level would be lethal. One of my favorite songs from the '80s!
Bass player Tony Levin was using a new quirky instrument called the Chapman Stick, like a guitar and bass in the same instrument that you play more like a piano. All the “Bass” that you hear was played on “The Stick”.
Genesis didn't have to go out and "look" for a singer when Gabriel left. Collins was already the drummer.
They didn't HAVE to, and yet they did anyway, auditioning dozens of prospective singers before deciding to give their own drummer a chance.
@@lajollascott Absolutely true. They felt they needed a frontman, hard to be a drummer and a frontman, but they did pull it off.
Awesome drummer at that. Underrated.
Peter and Phil's harmonies were so good.@@NetHazard
@@Wright_onDid it to himself with the gated concert toms from hell
Games Without Frontiers!
That's one of my favorites!
Oooooo, that's a great one.
THIS!
Yes!
Definitely!
The thing you're missing about songs like this is that when Peter Gabriel does it, it isn't cheesy, It's like if a rich person walks around collecting bottle caps, they're not crazy, they're eccentric. Peter Gabriel was known for doing quirky things, so quirky becomes just part of the catalog, just art, especially at the skill level with which he performs it.
When this came out I hadn't heard anything like it. To me it sounded completely modern and new. It got airplay on the traditional Rock stations, but also the Alternative stations, which was quite a feat at the time. And it _never_ reminded me of "Whip It", lol.
@@Johnny_Socko Exactly. This song was cutting edge and totally ahead of its time when it came out. The opposite of cheesy - innovative and very listenable at the same time. I never get tired of it, decades later!
My Peter Gabriel gateway song. Check out the live version of" In Your Eyes". A joyous global music party with some of the most outstanding musicians in the world and probably top 10 live performances ever recorded.
yeah, the live version with Youssou N'Dour is one the best live version of In Your Eyes.
The best live version of in your eyes is from the secret world tour
@@petervermaak6447 that version is not bad but I think one where he had had Youssou N'Dour on stage with him during the 80's was much better version and my personal favorite.
The live version of "In Your Eyes" from the Secret World Live video is great. He has an unknown Paula Cole singing backup and accompaniment on multiple tracks. Peter's duet with Paula on "Don't Give Up" is better than the original with Kate Bush in my opinion. When he sings "Digging In The Dirt" the video is cool as hell.
I saw Peter Gabriel with Sting on their tour in 2016. My wife and I fell in love to "In Your Eyes" and finally got to see it live years later. Peter is a master showman.
I loved the song, but could not vibe with the rest of the album. I started playing it before naps in the afternoon and wow! Each song is a masterpiece!
One fact that many overlook, Gabriel was 17 years old when he formed Genesis in 1967. I saw him in concert in 1986 and he was one of the earliest performers to use a wireless headset on stage. The man was a lunatic dancing all over the stage and gave one of the best performances I have ever seen live.
Gabriel is SO creative. I saw him last year on his i/o album tour and he's still got it! His voice was great and so was the show.
"Something knocked me out the trees, and now I'm on my knees". What a lyric.
Peter Gabriel is surprisingly soulful in his delivery and influences. I feel like you're responding to the soul in his singing and the funky syncopation in the percussion. Sledgehammer is a straight-up tribute to the Stax soul sound.
I think “Mercy Street” is pure gold. Also “Big Time”. Basically everything on his “So” album is just excellent. One of the best albums of that era.
Gabriel is one of those artists that deserves a category all of their own.
"Biko", "Solsbury Hill ", "In Your Eyes" and his duet with Kate Bush, "Don't Give Up" are all brilliant.
this metal head has been listening to this tune (and others from mr. gabriel) since the early 80s... & dont even get me started how much i love genesis (with and without him) ....
AMEN, brother. I became a fan of Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues and Genesis before I became a fan of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Van Halen and Metallica.
The Timbre in his voice is one of the most unique in pop/rock/art rock. It has depth, soul,...amazing.
Peter is an icon in modern music. Amazing talent. Ya gotta SEE his stuff to really appreciate it. Live performances are legendary.
Saw him in Chicago 1983 ish. One of the best concerts I've ever seen...... And I've seen a few.
Well finally to the tip of the brilliant iceberg that is Peter Gabriel. The "Quirkiness" you keep referring to is Peter's innovative use of the Fairlight synth, which was a revolutionary instrument because of the way it sampled sounds. Peter is an incredible songwriter, and his influence is wide and far, visual, performance and sound.
Peter Gabriel seemed like he was always open to incorporating experimental, eclectic, performance art and world music influences. The video for this song was an attention getter for sure. The 80's music landscape was vast and slightly unhinged😂
"Quirky sounds, but played very well" is probably the best description of Peter Gabriel's music ever.
Tony Levin, PG's bassist also plays bass in King Crimson. He's a huge influence on Les Claypool.
And every other Bass player.
This track had Tony on the Chapman Stick, which might fit their definition of 'quirky'.
"Biko" from Peter Gabriel is an absolute Must listen.
It's the bass that makes the song. Tony Levine is brilliant and you guys are6really going to notice it on Big Time.
Exactly why they should do that song next, or even "Digging in the Dirt" for a monster two-sided slow jam.
@@GasparLewis I don't think they'll enjoy Digging in the Dirt quite so much. It is a fantastic song though and, in my opinion, the most brilliantly conceived and directed music video ever made
Yeah the fretless is a pretty quirky instrument
one of the best ever imo
Chapman Stick, I think
Diggin in the dirt is an absolute banger
Hell yes! That’s my favorite PG song!
I love “Shaking the Tree” by Peter Gabriel. African influence and a song to honor the ladies.
The live version of in your eyes is a masterpiece
I felt the same way as you guys the first time I heard this one. I was honestly kind of put off, and im a huge 80s head. Before i knew it, i was humming the song and craving it, and then by the 2nd listen, i loved it. One of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs. I HIGHLY recommend doing something from the So album. Theres a reason why it was so big. Heres some suggestions:
Red Rain
Dont Give Up
Mercy Street
In Your Eyes
Digging in the Dirt
Peter Gabriel is way ahead of his time. His catalogue is GOLD!
This his from his fourth solo album. All of his first four were just called “Peter Gabriel”. This one blew the lid off his love of world rhythms. Especially the song Rhythm Of The Heat. This album is worth a review on its own. San Jacinto, Kiss Of Life, Wallflower. Great great album
2 live versions ... "Solbury Hill" and "In your Eyes" too. Sorry about the late add ... I got excited !!!😅
Man, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this! I would definitely try out either Games Without Frontiers or Solsbury Hill next! Very different fro ewch other, Peter Gabriel shifted styles a lot but always remained consistently great, I love everything I've heard from his solo career. His early stuff with Genesis is great too!
Thanks for covering this song.
Cheers 🤘🤘
Red Rain, dont give up, in your eyes. 🤩
Beautiful songs all
All Awesome...great choices!!!
There are so many contrary moving parts in this composition. It's a masterpiece, when an instrument joins another to play a unison line it is perceived as a resolution.
Oh and Tony Levin on bass ❤
It's Tony Levin's bass that makes this song for me. (Yes, yes, the instrument is a stick, but the role in the song is bass.)
One of the greatest bassists of all time
That's pretty quirky
For old Peter Gabriel, I highly recommend his “Plays Live” album. The vibe of those live versions is so freaking cool. Biko, Family Snapshot, San Jacinto, No Self Control… sooooo coooooool
There’s a darkness to the sounds that give this song its attraction.
This is a banger. Peter had a knack for catchy songs.
We considered this new wave back in the day, and you didn’t know whether to dance or stare at the video. In Your Eyes is his most iconic song and you may have heard pieces of it, famously in the movie Say Anything.
Solsbury Hill is the story of Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis. One of my all-time favorites. It's hard to get out of your head, but that's okay!.
I love that a song this well liked is in 7/4 instead of the public's favorite 4/4. They mostly have no idea they are grooving in odd time.
I love "I don't know why this is working for me"
Exactly how I felt about it in the 80s! I'm still not sure what I love about it. I just know I love it.
Brilliant song. Among so many from Peter Gabriel
Collins was already in Genesis he was the Drummer they just promoted him to singer
Drummer to singer is not a promotion.
His songs are stories and he loves to take on a character in his lyrics. There's always a deep meaning you need to find it
Well, finally! This song is THE shit. Just a classic, incredible 80s favorite for the ages. I never ever tire of hearing it. You can't NOT love this or not jam hard to it.
This is definitely my favorite Peter Gabriel song. That bass and keyboard combo works so well together. It's funky!
Great songs to consider from PG are San Jacinto, Kiss of Life, Here Comes the Flood, Digging in the Dirt, or even a Genesis throwback with either Carpet Crawlers or Back in NYC.
Let's do so more Peter Gabriel
Biko! A must! Peter has a unique voice and that’s why I love listening. Avant-garde! The video to this song is a trip.
6:43 Peter Gabriel is a master songwriter. He has a way of getting to you, even when you think he's not. He's sneaky in that way.
That world sound is evident in the pop sensibility of this song. The video is really freaky and really compliments the song. Please watch it someday when you get around to it.
I remember my Gen X dad showing me this and many other songs from his generation when we got our first iPod 20 years ago and were setting his library up. Those are the special moments.
Art pop is a perfect description, the video gives the song a more sinister feeling
Art Of Noise, Closer (to the edge) is another great example of the genre, you might recognize the piece of audio that was sampled for the song Firestarter by The Prodigy ❤
Pete Gabriel is such a genius. Dude knows how to write and make the weirdest sounds work.
He used the most advanced sampler at the time (The Fairlight CMI).
one of the first albums that was entirely digitally recorded.
This is my desert island album. And Peter Gabriel is my top fave performer. From this record, Wallflower, The Family and the Fishing Net, San Jacinto, and I Have the Touch ❤❤
Finally, my favorite Peter Gabriel song!
Right? Me too!
The great and unique Tony Levin on Chapman Stick (bass)! He's currently touring with BEAT, the King Crimson tribute with Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, and Danny Carey. Astonishing talent!
Plus he's 78 years old now, and still killing it
Why is this working for me?? Ha! That was the BEST! Loved that you enjoyed this song! Brings me back to when I was a teenager 🥰
"it shouldn't sound this good" - love this... honestly that's why this is sick good songwriting and production
I put Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush in the same category of highly creative minds in music.
Born in 75, Sledgehammer opened the door and my ears to the genius of Peter Gabriel's back catalog, the same way Money for Nothin' did for Dire Straits.
That's about right for me, as well.
Such a stone cold groove 👯🏾♂️🕺
The bass is being played by Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick. A very interesting instrument. Check it out.
"Why is this workin' for me?"
Exactly. This song is kinda batshit, but it just works so well. The rhythm and percussion really lock in, and his typical great melodies and vocal delivery make it over the top great.
Games Without Frontiers is a banger of a Peter Gabriel song
"Steam" is excellent, too ... the video is WILD !!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ❤❤❤
The video was fire on MTV 😂
Must watch the official video. It's amazing.
There was nothing cheesy about Genesis at the time. That shit was mind blowing.
Sledgehammer. Bass line changed the game. 🔥
I remember this song being all over the radio in 1982. Yes, it sounds very much of its time but it's still a banger.
This has such a good video. Was very innovative for its time.
I'd recommend checking out "Peter Gabriel - Biko - 6/15/1986 - Giants Stadium"
I defy anyone to sit still while listening to this song
It's impossible, ha.
Gabriel was a leader or early adopter of a lot of stuff. World music, gated drums, no/few cymbals, Tony Levin bass (how do you describe that), .... Try I Don't Remember and Games Without Frontiers from the previous album Peter Gabriel 3, see where he was in 1980. He refused to name his albums for awhile, I think record label made him call this one Security in US.
Peter Gabriel has some truly excellent songs.
You called it an 80s template...and thats actually quite true...this song was one of the origins of that 80s sound without a doubt...but this song is the real deal,not one of the many from artists who tried to lift something from it...the music taken at face value may sound odd,even a bit silly...but the song is sung seriously,its that slightly dangerous feel and atmosphere to the lyrics that make it work...
"DON'T LIKE IT BUT I GUESS I'M LEARNIN'!" 🔥🔥Peter sings with so much emotion & oozes charisma
Sledgehammer, Biko, Solsbury Hill, The Intruder, anything else from So or Peter Gabriel 3 is a banger!
PG did things before others thought of doing things... he's got a very big brain
"He's decorated" That tickled me 😆👍
I would highly suggest "A Different Drum" from the album Passion, which was the soundtrack for The Last Temptation Of Christ.
In 1989-90 MTV, for New Year's eve, had polls for the 80s revealed. The #1 video voted for the 1980s was Sledgehammer, and Sledgehammer TIED with the Eurythmics SWEET DREAMS for SONG OF THE DECADE. I saw Peter in concert in 1994 and he gave a great show for nearly 2 hours.
saw him perform this live...fantastic!!
solsbury hill is more rock . You’d like it. “In your Eyes” studio and Live on tour version is probably his most popular song.
A timeless song and Tony Levin in this one is the GOAT
This was the first Peter Gabriel song I ever heard and that was it for me - hooked. It only got better from there.
Watching a live version of this song with conventional instruments is another experience- there’s a great live performance from the “So” tour.
Games Without Frontiers by Gabriel is awesome.
Xylophone is the instrument you are thinking of George
You should do a video on Sledgehammer regardless. It's a great song with an absolutely killer (and revolutionary at the time!) bass line by Tony Levin. Such a groovy fun song!
I have the touch - such a killer Gabriel song
Yeah, yall should see the video
I think I felt the same way when I first heard these songs but after 40 years of listening to it, its damn amazing
King gizzard and the lizard wizard
Uniquely talented band
Motor spirit-metal
Inner cell- psychedelic/progressive
Oddlife- microtonal
Raw feel - southern rock
Magma- groovy jazz fusion?
All is known- alternative?
Don’t sleep on these guys. They don’t fall into any one genre. They’re just a great band.
Gabriel and Collins invented that 80's drum sound.
Security is one of the best lp's in my history. Buy it. PLAY IT LOUD!! No apologies. F the neighbors.
Biko, Mercy Street, and Through The Wire are all fantastic Peter Gabriel songs
His voice = GOAT
The whole album was great and deserved the accolades. I listened to So on heavy rotation in the 80s and I believe it still holds up.
If what I heard is correct, the song is about a psychological experiment where subjects were asked to administer shocks to people who were asked a series of questions, if they got the answers wrong. The people answering the questions were actors, and there were no real shocks. But the more wrong answers they gave, the higher the shocks became. Some of the subjects continued to administer the shocks even after being told that the next level would be lethal.
One of my favorite songs from the '80s!
You should do " Solsbury Hill" live version to get Peter Gabriel performance style, which is part of his genius !!!
This song hit different in the 80s 😂 there was a push for new wave rock back then
Bass player Tony Levin was using a new quirky instrument called the Chapman Stick, like a guitar and bass in the same instrument that you play more like a piano. All the “Bass” that you hear was played on “The Stick”.
This song reminds me of a great 80’s movie that despite it being 40 years old, you enjoy it every time