I think, as a bass player, one thing that does not get talked about with this song enough is the creativity in using both bass and bass synth in this instead of one or the other. Both can be used in harmony with each other to create different sounds, and there's many songs that I think can actually benefit from that approach of moving between them to create different textures like this song does.
@@lachemoilcul Starting at 0:38 to 0:55, that's Tony Levin's actual bassline kicking in only for that solo. Drummer Jerry Marotta used his drumsticks to hit the strings while Tony fretted the notes. Everything else was purely synthesized before and after the solo, which is more artificial to the ears after enough repeated listenings since this was around the point synthesizers were now becoming more the norm. Edit (October 24, 2023): Just recently saw them on the Dallas performance for Peter's I/O tour this last Thursday. Tony stayed playing the main synth bass on keys and saved the funk fingers on his Stingray 5 only for the solo.
@@agustinenriquez-zs2de Very likely the Stingray. No way the drumstick method I've mentioned would work on the Stick given how small that spacing is, plus that's more for tapping so using the drumsticks might feel awkward to play.
This was the last thing my dad texted me before he passed away. Along with the link he said “Watch the video it’s coooool”. This video is so goofy and weird, just like my dad and just brings me to tears of happiness and sadness. Music has always been a big part of me and my dad’s relationship so I’m glad I have another song to remember him by. Thank you Peter Gabriel for adding another special memory for me.
When I saw Peter here in Vancouver he yelled: what time is it? and I shouted 'Big Time' from the audience. People stared at me blankly until the music started.....
Happy 74th Birthday Peter Brian Gabriel 02/13/1950 in Surry, England. A living legend in the progressive rock genre. From Garden Wall to Genesis to his solo albums. Musical perfection. Cheers Peter Brian and many more..
So Gabriel isn't a part that? It always amazes me how these performers bitch and moan about money, success, greed yet they are a huge part of that. And they use oil to get around.
It's actually more of a commentary on the dis-ingenuousness of almost everyone with fame, fortune, and political power.. up to and including Vatican. It's also a cautionary tale on what can happen to you as you move up the ladder. It's definitely NOT a shot at the ability to achieve.. I.E. the American dream
@@GeorgeSawtooth Gabriel is not so much speaking about money success and greed.. its more about the danger of what can happen to you along the way and once you are on top.
What a capsule of 1980's music, videos, and feels. This video was high tech at the time. It was the dawn of computers, and no CGI yet. They did this all through "claymation".
Kids, this might look dated now, but it was the pinnacle of technology then, fused with stop frame animation and it problably cost a ton of dollars to make. This song is about the financial absurdity that happened during the late 80's. It could apply now.
@@Babycatcher_Jen Yes, that's a great one. Also Tears for Fears "Songs from the Big Chair", Depeche Mode "Music for the Masses", Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense", Paul Simon "Graceland". The 80's had such good albums.
Absolute perfection. I remember when the album came out, people were just dumbfounded at the sound. His tenor voice, so operatic, and below it that bass that just kept crushing your brain over and over. Then, when the video debuted, it was like a complete jaw-dropping event! They kept announcing the day and time on MTV. We could not wait. I was a freshman in college, and everybody I knew couldn't stop talking about it. Everything he did was a goddamned work of art.
This is so thrilling to imagine. I was all of two years old, and I remember seeing the videos for this and Sledgehammer for the first time and being blown away, and sitting in front of the TV screaming. It really was something...
Why is it a weird thing that you understood what was being said back then? Music is made for an audience and the audience for this song definitely wasn't decades in the future. Not that it can't be applicable now, but it would be weird if it only made sense now
My very favorite part of the song... "But, not me! I'm smarter than that... I worked it out. I've been stretching my mouth, to let those big words come right out."
I liked before that "the place that I come from...is a small town. They think so small, they use small words." Then the part you mention. It creates a story. He was too big to be in a small town and was meant for something bigger and better. It's quite clever lyrics.
@@parisbeech2180 Definite facts my brother I have this wrestlemania 22 on vhs trying to put it on DVD. I'm getting it from my brother cause his copies better we ordered it.😎💯
The place where I come from is a small town They think so small, they use small words But not me, I'm smarter than that, I worked it out I'll be stretching my mouth to let those big words come right out
I had friends who were old school Genesis fans who would get annoyed with me when I would insist post- Genesis Gabriel was better, and post-Gabriel Genesis was as well. Can't say that about the Floyd now, can we?
One of the most brilliant satires on success/materialism and the American dream. Anyone who takes the lyrics seriously is clearly not aware of Gabriel's genius
Was scrolling through to see if anyone has said this. Peter uses some sound-alike words with incredibly dark effect. Like "heaven" sounds like "hell" the second time he sings it. Or "So much stuff, I will own" is sung to sound like "So much stuff, all alone." Pretty creepy shit.
2:50 Look closely at the arms and hands of the figure dancing on the bed. The animator's _actually_ sculpted the clay to look like smear frames in hand-drawn animation, to simulate motion blur. I've never seen this method applied in this way in stop-motion animation, It's really quite impressive!
Yeah, I noticed that the very first time I saw this music video. It's a really simple technique to pull off with plasticine, but it's extremely effective.
A Ghost in the House! I can stand to be corrected but I’m nearly certain that the superb Bruce Bickford was the animator on this. He did some great stuff with Frank Zappa in the 1970s too.
Back when music videos were art. This is actual art. The amount of talent required to create this video is mind boggling. This was before all the digital magic of today's computers. People were drawing and sketching and filming and doing this by hand with analog tools.
How many times has that happened to you! I have mistaken so many song lyrics, like Tower Of Power's So Very Hard To Go. When that song had radio play in the 70s, I heard "so very hot and cold." 🤣
Necessity is the mother of invention. The people making art/ music/ videos like this at the time had a necessary drive to realize what was inside of them, to make it take shape and form. Today, with the ease that technology grants to do that, few people making anything have anything worthwhile to say or show us that will last like this.
There's actually a lot of digital art in this video. Gabriel was a front runner with adapting to new technology in the 80's, I would say. This is a representation of early-days CGI, but it was there along with stop frame animation. Just take a look at Gabriel's "Steam", for example.
@Scott Temple: The song itself i think I prefer over Sledgehammer. But the former is included in top 10 greatest videos lists constantly. Usually its in the top 3.
What's perfect is that it isn't even a "takedown", it just represents it. It's just the story of a guy reaching great success. It never specifies how its bad, or tries to show that it'll fail; it lets all of that show for itself. It had the guts to be impartial!
How is achieving great success having having great confidence something bad? The song presents it entirely positively anyway, stop thinking all media has to have that same stupid message that material success is totally meaningless, it definitely is not.
From 0:56 to 1:42. The lyrics. I feel that. I grew up in a small town outside of a small city (Baton Rouge). It was mundane to me, so I joined the military and got exposed to Chicago, Dubai, Manilla, Singapore, now reside in San Diego ever since. It opened me up to so many things. Expanded the vocabulary and experience above the small town lack of knowledge. However, it's important to remember your roots and never sneer down at where you came from nor your folks. They still look at you as a loved one no matter how much better you think you are.
Hey there Louisiana fam. Daughter of Louisiana girl and first time my Yankee butt went to her hometown ( that was a block long; Main Street) I was shocked! 😂never forgot I feel you on the want to get out!
I had the opposite happen. I left and they pretended to not know who I was when I would come back to visit. They won't leave and don't want anyone else to either.
when this album dropped and this song and sledgehammer dropped Peter Gabriel was arguably the biggest thing in pop. this song and the album it is on is one of the best in pop history
He wanted another video with the visual impact of "Sledgehammer " but didn't want to have to sit bolted in place and moved like a puppet this time around.
There were two people playing one bass on that part. Tony levin was doing the fretting part (hitting the notes) and Jerry marotta (who was one of the drummers for Peter) was hitting the strings with his drumstick.
Мне 59..Когда увидел в первый раз это видио-шок..И только сейчас задумался,как он прав в своём виденье мира и смысла жизни,простите за высокопарность..Обнимаю,тебя,дружище!!
Everytime I hear this song or see the vid, beginning n end, it still gives me chills even as a kid, n not in a good way. These days it doesn't bother me much, but the HI THERE still gives me heavy chills.
Probably? Sorry, but society as a whole is going down the drain. We most certainly will never receive any type of culture or music like what we got back then ever again.
was mesmerized by peter gabriels videos and music as a kid in the 80s, rewatching them now as an adult i can understand the subliminals and whats being said. wild.
The best tune on the Album.... This is a story an Electrician i used to work with told me so it may not be true. He said he used to work at a place where they made recording desks and stuff and he was finishing off a desk for Peter Gabriel who was due to come along and see the finished product, he was a massive fan and was desperate to finish it and meet him. So he's elbows deep in this desk nearly finished and he hears a noise of a person behind him at the door and thought it was a co-worker, so without turning around he shouts "F... off Ive got to get this finished, Peter is gonna be here soon" or something along those lines, later he was told it was Peter himself. He said he was moping around for months afterwards and it still haunts him to this day...Me, I couldn't laughing.
That feeling when you listen to this song and appreciate the irony and hubris and yet it still applies to your life not completely ironically. Belete me now
@@AfternoonDaydream8809 marina and the diamonds (her ancient dreams in a modern land has similliar. energy i guess? to this a little), jack seubert , a lot more that i can't list off the top of my head but yeah :0 you can find some artists that get creative if you dig a little
Absolutely amazing, it’s one thing to have creative ideas, but to make them look and sound cool is a whole other level. My parents played Peter Gabriel when I was a kid and after watching all his videos recently I am amazed but also sad that this was 1986 and music today hasn’t evolved or can even come close in creativity.
@@PauloBorges9 To say that today's music is dead just shows how little you've seen the new stuff. It's just as good, just not as well known No, I'm not talking about the crap on the radio. Look up Greta Van Fleet, it's basically like smashing led zeppelin and rush together
“The place where I come from is a small town, They think so small, they use small words, But not me! I’m smarter than that! I’ve worked it out, I’ll be stretching my mouth to let those big words come right out…” Love this song so much, especially the lyrics. I remember when this album came out, the videos for this and “Sledgehammer “ got so much airtime. Even at the age of 7, I could relate so much to the words of this song, and it’ll always be one of my favorites of the era.
That's because Peter Gabriel kicks ass! That's when you know you've done something right: When the song is still just as awesome 30 years later! (Same Reason Star Wars still kicks ass). =)
Mr. Gabriel, I am requesting a 4K remaster of this music video to be uploaded to TH-cam, if possible. This is one of my favorite music videos of all time, and it is one of the best examples of stop motion animation I’ve ever seen. Thanks!
The only song by Peter Gabriel I knew all these years was Sledgehammer. Now I'm discovering other songs from "So", and I'm very impressed. Plus, the work of all bass players who participated on this album is incredible. They made whole shit even more exciting.
No, I don’t think so because at the end he says it again so its like an impersonal recording for anybody who came to listen. Or a prerecorded public announcement.
Tony Levin is the bassist. He actually had the drummer use his sticks on the cords while he did the bass line. He ended up creating Funk Fingers(thanks to Peter’s suggestion)in which he has dowels wrapped around his fingers. You can actually see this in some of the live performances of Big Time and Steam. That bass line struck me as well back in the mid 80’s when this song was released.
Here I am at 49, rediscovering the music of my childhood. I loved this man’s music and his talent before I was a teen. Now I have some life experience and listening to his music and singing his lyrics has become a mantra for me. I believe I have an understanding on his perspective on life, through his music, his lyrics and through reading about his life. I honestly believe he was trying to empower my generation. I feel empowered just listening to his music as an adult. Peter Gabriel - wildly talented artist, profound lyricist, humanitarian ❤
I'm 48 myself, and remember this song like it was yesterday, but even then, I understood the meaning behind the words: Peter Gabriel was criticizing American society for being too materialistic.
Thankfully pre-Covid I got to see Peter Gabriel in concert with Sting. At the end they were singing each others songs. I'm old enough to remember when this song was new and on the radio. I used to listen to this on cassette tape. This is a classic and never gets old. Thank you.
WOW, you saw them both together how Crazy Cool was that !!! I always Enjoyed their music but as I got older I REALLY learned to APPRECIATE the Great talent that they both have. And they're each so different. I technically grew up in the 70s, graduated in 79 but was always drawn to the 80s music, i always thought they seemed to be having a lot more FUN, LOTS of GREAT MUSIC 🪼💙🐠💛🪼💙🐠💛🪼💙🐠💛❣️❣️❣️
I was in high school when this song came out, and at the time I always thought this song was celebrating and affirming the materialism and hedonism of the day. As an adult (and as I became more familiar with Peter Gabriel's catalog), I realized the song was satirizing it.
Genesis created both the likes of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel with music like this. Not all who go solo are successful. Peter Gabriel was always the weird one when he sang for Genesis while Phil Collins was only the drummer. Gabriel left, and Collins began singing/drumming. Both are true musical artists.
Need to go read your history. Collins joined after Gabriel left. Genesis had one truly big hit (Home by the Sea) and the rest was the normal 1 pop hit per CD. Huge stepdown with Collins. Gabriel was the creative element of Genesis and when he left all they had were outstanding light shows. 80s hit and Peter soared while Genesis sunk. Phil had bigger hits solo than with Genesis.
@@markperry2827 How are you gonna tell me that when Collins played drums, Gabriel was the singer? Are you really gonna insult me over your own ignorance of that? I don't get it. You are the type of person that is so high on their own personal feelings, that you have absolutely no idea the difference between opinion and fact. You should know that both members played together. I don't understand why you just said what you did. I'm pretty sure it's YOU that needs to learn musical history. Apparently you're falling behind. It's very easy to pull up early Genesis albums and it's songs.
@@markperry2827 you need to reread your Genesis history there my man. Phil joined up in 1970 and Peter left in 75. They overlapped their time in the band for 5 years. And I think it’s debatable that Peter had more overall success than did Genesis after he left. Both sides did very well of course, but I’d bet that Genesis sold more overall records post-Gabriel than Peter did as a solo act. Not saying that’s the ONLY measure of success, as both groups were probably happy how things turned out. Peter clearly needed the freedom as a solo act, and late 70s/early 80s Genesis was also probably their peak. Success for everyone. But - Phil & Peter were Genesis band mates from 70 to 75. Fact.
ikr; I swear I remember seeing the video many times in the 90s and I don't even remember the 80s. Seems amazing someone could have not seen it ever until last year, but shit happens I suppose.
From a time when you could drink beers with your buds, watch MTV for hours, and see nothing but fantastic videos like this. Lackland AFB even had a room at the Airmen's Club with nothing but chairs, a big screen TV that was locked in to MTV, and surround sound...........the 80's were awesome!! Really kind of missing that.......
This song kicks serious ass,The construction of the music is freaking killer, sic bass line, And Petes vocals freaking awesome, I digged this song when I was a kid growing up in the 80,s And I dig it now, Brilliant music whith substance!!!! Peter Gabriel One talented dude cheers!!!
@@steveunruh8650 Tony Levin went to college in my hometown of Rochester, New York. He and legendary drummer Steve Gadd were classmates at the Eastman School of Music.
Wonder how many people realize just how hard it was to make this video? Stop motion clay motion. Computers we would laugh at today combining it all.... I’m just glad this cool song and video are immortalized on TH-cam. 😎
Yes...they "We" sure were, and will be again...more handmade/handcrafted creators, not just computer graphics etc...If we don't take care of Art, Art will take care of Us (& not in good ways)... Remember, Art imitates LIFE, not the other way around.... However, we havent been living, so we all had to do what we had to... Everyday is "supposed" to be a true & affirmed inspiration... This is a beautiful world, I can't wait to see how beautiful it really is...🕊️🌾
Not Angela Bacchin. I let an obvious fool use my phone for HIS FACEBOOK... Not using mine.. I don't comment on TH-cam stuff please ignore. His name was jesse McLaren I believe. Bug him
I think, as a bass player, one thing that does not get talked about with this song enough is the creativity in using both bass and bass synth in this instead of one or the other. Both can be used in harmony with each other to create different sounds, and there's many songs that I think can actually benefit from that approach of moving between them to create different textures like this song does.
Could you explain further for non musicians? I wasn't aware there were 2 types of bass in this song, how can they be distinguished?
@@lachemoilcul Starting at 0:38 to 0:55, that's Tony Levin's actual bassline kicking in only for that solo. Drummer Jerry Marotta used his drumsticks to hit the strings while Tony fretted the notes. Everything else was purely synthesized before and after the solo, which is more artificial to the ears after enough repeated listenings since this was around the point synthesizers were now becoming more the norm.
Edit (October 24, 2023):
Just recently saw them on the Dallas performance for Peter's I/O tour this last Thursday. Tony stayed playing the main synth bass on keys and saved the funk fingers on his Stingray 5 only for the solo.
Well said paully people who have never played a bass will not understand
@@IAmInfinitus208 what gear was Levin using? a stick?
@@agustinenriquez-zs2de Very likely the Stingray. No way the drumstick method I've mentioned would work on the Stick given how small that spacing is, plus that's more for tapping so using the drumsticks might feel awkward to play.
Just discovered my obsession with Mr. Gabriel. Cannot stop.
Same same.
Can’t wait to put it on in local nights out
He looks like a goat!
Same here!!
..Good.. but never ever ever listen to Kate.Bush
This was the last thing my dad texted me before he passed away. Along with the link he said “Watch the video it’s coooool”. This video is so goofy and weird, just like my dad and just brings me to tears of happiness and sadness. Music has always been a big part of me and my dad’s relationship so I’m glad I have another song to remember him by. Thank you Peter Gabriel for adding another special memory for me.
RIP bro i hope one day i will share this song with my son too
Your dad had excellent taste
That is an awesome story😊
your dad knew what was up! This video is a masterpiece
RIP to your pops
@B O B Spelled backwards I always liked this one better as well as the song, but Sledgehammer got all the glory...lol
When I saw Peter here in Vancouver he yelled: what time is it? and I shouted 'Big Time' from the audience. People stared at me blankly until the music started.....
MOST CANADIAN MOMENT EVER! love it!
at least it's a good memory!
LEGEND!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Love this guy! So original! There was no one like him.
Didn't he say "hi there!" first?
Happy 74th Birthday Peter Brian Gabriel 02/13/1950 in Surry, England.
A living legend in the progressive rock genre.
From Garden Wall to Genesis to his solo albums. Musical perfection.
Cheers Peter Brian and many more..
He looks like a goat nowadays
You mean Surrey.
🎉 Happy Birthday
Surrley they mean Surrey
This song is such a deep biting commentary on fame, fortune, and the American dream, as a kid I had no idea.
So Gabriel isn't a part that? It always amazes me how these performers bitch and moan about money, success, greed yet they are a huge part of that. And they use oil to get around.
It's actually more of a commentary on the dis-ingenuousness of almost everyone with fame, fortune, and political power.. up to and including Vatican. It's also a cautionary tale on what can happen to you as you move up the ladder. It's definitely NOT a shot at the ability to achieve.. I.E. the American dream
@@GeorgeSawtooth Gabriel is not so much speaking about money success and greed.. its more about the danger of what can happen to you along the way and once you are on top.
I think this song is where he came into his own ,commercially and artistically
The whole album has a clear crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism which really gives the songs a big boost
One of my all time favorite songs EVER
What a capsule of 1980's music, videos, and feels. This video was high tech at the time. It was the dawn of computers, and no CGI yet. They did this all through "claymation".
Peter Gabriel of Genesis not only "reinvented" himself as a solo artist in the 1980s-he transformed our world and broadened our pop horizons.
💙🤍🙏🏽
Totally amazing artist, Phil Collins is another!
no wonder why i got genesis vibes
Peter was genesis and his solo career was more than his group career. The creativity left Genesis when he exited stage left.
Yes, a brilliant man!
How about some “fusion-drums” on this track. Enjoy! ✌🏻🤩
th-cam.com/users/shortshIk9mcR6ok4?feature=share
Kids, this might look dated now, but it was the pinnacle of technology then, fused with stop frame animation and it problably cost a ton of dollars to make. This song is about the financial absurdity that happened during the late 80's. It could apply now.
1986: Cool song
2022: Still a cool song
Otherwise known as a "classic".
2006: The theme for WrestleMania 22
Yes!
How about some “fusion-drums” on this track. Enjoy! ✌🏻🤩
th-cam.com/users/shortshIk9mcR6ok4?feature=share
I so agree!
1986: Cool Song
2006: Awesome at WrestleMania 22
2022: Still a cool Song including good Memories🤘🤘🤘🤘
This is just a masterpiece!
The whole album "So" is just on another level.
Absolutely. It's one of the best albums of the 80's. Produced by Daniel Lanois, which explains why it sounds so damn good.
Absolutely...
@@the_katman2181 Erasure's The Innocents is in that top five with it! Also, a transcendent album...the tops have to take one on a journey!🤗
@@Babycatcher_Jen Yes, that's a great one. Also Tears for Fears "Songs from the Big Chair", Depeche Mode "Music for the Masses", Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense", Paul Simon "Graceland". The 80's had such good albums.
@@the_katman2181 Love every single one you mentioned.
That stop-motion sequence from 0:21 to 0:54 is absolute genius
So much larger than life. Lol.
Stop motion 0:46 to 0:50 3D Graphic in 4D
@Dale Lerette 4D Graphic is 1:19 to 1:24
It remind me the fragols rock
@@fredericriberdy I just thought that! 😄
Absolute perfection. I remember when the album came out, people were just dumbfounded at the sound. His tenor voice, so operatic, and below it that bass that just kept crushing your brain over and over. Then, when the video debuted, it was like a complete jaw-dropping event! They kept announcing the day and time on MTV. We could not wait. I was a freshman in college, and everybody I knew couldn't stop talking about it. Everything he did was a goddamned work of art.
i am loving your story....for me it was the Michel Jackson Thriller moment
That’s so cool. I love 80s music but I was born in 89 so I didn’t get to experience it when it was all new.
*cough* genesis
This is so thrilling to imagine. I was all of two years old, and I remember seeing the videos for this and Sledgehammer for the first time and being blown away, and sitting in front of the TV screaming. It really was something...
mtv lol
After all these decades, still one of my true favorites. I understood what was really being said even back then.
Do you remember when the eighties were referred to as "The Big Eighties",named so for this song?
Peter - I’m living with Lady from Stevie Ray Stiletto Band. 43 Albums. Jonny Weiss Music 🎶
I’m A FAN!
I like it LOUD!
Why is it a weird thing that you understood what was being said back then? Music is made for an audience and the audience for this song definitely wasn't decades in the future. Not that it can't be applicable now, but it would be weird if it only made sense now
My very favorite part of the song... "But, not me! I'm smarter than that... I worked it out. I've been stretching my mouth, to let those big words come right out."
Mine too
Tá na Federal 😊👩✈️
I.ll.play.Big.Time.on.my.phone.sometimes
I liked before that "the place that I come from...is a small town. They think so small, they use small words." Then the part you mention. It creates a story. He was too big to be in a small town and was meant for something bigger and better. It's quite clever lyrics.
@@dbsti3006 YES! I definitely agree.
The bass player should be in rock and roll hall off fame
Tony Levin is a legend!
Soon he'll be. For sure.
King Tony
Check out "Liquid Tension Experiment Live in NYC." Same bass player - he's absolute incredible!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Levin
"...and my Heaven will be a BIG Heaven...and I will walk through the front door."
BIG TIME
@@9070_satoru IM ON MY WAY IM MAKING IT 🔥
🤣
1 of the songs i would listen to going to work
Talking heads, Bowie, Peter Gabriel..
What amazing years we had then
@wrestlegamia productions Now we have nothing but COVID-19 (just a little REALITY, no joke, mmm-hmm!)
pg and david byrne are still alive though
+The Police.. 🙂
Gary Numan & Peter Murphy as well
tears for fears don’t forget them
Best Wrestlemania song. I grew to like this song once I heard it as a Wrestlemania theme song in 2006. Ever since then I’ve been vibing to this song
Wrestlemania 22 baby
Werstlmania 2016 too and 2012 and 2011
@@parisbeech2180 yeah
@@mdh16off59 the banners of course the Mcmahons, Triple H and Carlito lol
@@parisbeech2180 Definite facts my brother I have this wrestlemania 22 on vhs trying to put it on DVD. I'm getting it from my brother cause his copies better we ordered it.😎💯
1980’s Peter Gabriel is the Doctor Who we never knew we needed.
1986: Cool song to hear.
2024 to 2030: This is still a good song for me.
A real sardonic bass line; simply filthy. This song and video is perfect.
Beautifully put Sir......
Makes me want to learn to play a bass, filthy and funky like that!
Sardonic is a good descriptor. I was actually just thinking how it's a little menacing. Great song
Shows how Tony Levin is one of the best bass players of all time!
The place where I come from is a small town
They think so small, they use small words
But not me, I'm smarter than that,
I worked it out
I'll be stretching my mouth to let those big words come right out
So cool that both Peter and Genesis were at the top of their games at this point
I had friends who were old school Genesis fans who would get annoyed with me when I would insist post- Genesis Gabriel was better, and post-Gabriel Genesis was as well.
Can't say that about the Floyd now, can we?
One of the most brilliant satires on success/materialism and the American dream. Anyone who takes the lyrics seriously is clearly not aware of Gabriel's genius
Was scrolling through to see if anyone has said this. Peter uses some sound-alike words with incredibly dark effect. Like "heaven" sounds like "hell" the second time he sings it. Or "So much stuff, I will own" is sung to sound like "So much stuff, all alone." Pretty creepy shit.
"A Snow White Pillow, etc." kind of gives it, away. Who am i kidding....it gives it away, Big Time. Sorry
The American dream died after the 80s. 😂
Thanks to the Bushes and the Clintons
james kovacic: anyone who uses the satanic symbol for their picture should not and cannot be taken seriously....
Peter and Phil in the same band at one time... crazy!!!!
2:50 Look closely at the arms and hands of the figure dancing on the bed. The animator's _actually_ sculpted the clay to look like smear frames in hand-drawn animation, to simulate motion blur. I've never seen this method applied in this way in stop-motion animation, It's really quite impressive!
Yeah, I noticed that the very first time I saw this music video. It's a really simple technique to pull off with plasticine, but it's extremely effective.
Truthseeker1995 clay figurines where poppin in the 80’s & early 90’s.
I know Aardman Studios did the animation for Sledgehammer, I bet they animated this video too.
@@AGhostintheHouse Aardman didn't produce this music video. It's from the same director, however.
A Ghost in the House! I can stand to be corrected but I’m nearly certain that the superb Bruce Bickford was the animator on this. He did some great stuff with Frank Zappa in the 1970s too.
Back when music videos were art. This is actual art. The amount of talent required to create this video is mind boggling. This was before all the digital magic of today's computers. People were drawing and sketching and filming and doing this by hand with analog tools.
Wherever I was in the house and the TV was tuned to MTV, as soon as I heard "HI, there," it was a full sprint to the den to catch this video.😎
@@calvinchapman5138 I always thought he was saying "Higher"!
How many times has that happened to you! I have mistaken so many song lyrics, like Tower Of Power's So Very Hard To Go. When that song had radio play in the 70s, I heard "so very hot and cold." 🤣
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The people making art/ music/ videos like this at the time had a necessary drive to realize what was inside of them, to make it take shape and form.
Today, with the ease that technology grants to do that, few people making anything have anything worthwhile to say or show us that will last like this.
There's actually a lot of digital art in this video. Gabriel was a front runner with adapting to new technology in the 80's, I would say. This is a representation of early-days CGI, but it was there along with stop frame animation. Just take a look at Gabriel's "Steam", for example.
Probably one of the greatest music videos of all time
Early early MTV
Not _that_ early. The formula had been developing for five years. But artists like Peter Gabriel and Michael Jackson had perfected it by the mid-80s.
@Scott Temple: The song itself i think I prefer over Sledgehammer. But the former is included in top 10 greatest videos lists constantly. Usually its in the top 3.
@@tylerkeller8869 For me, it's Steam > Big Time > Sledgehammer. But always fun to watch a Gabriel video.
@@jgramage Stand back, im on my way im making it
His music videos are such a trip. I remember seeing these when I was like a toddler watching MTV.😅😅
So is his best combination of his vintage prog rock roots with Peter's eccentric art rock with catchy pop hooks and brilliant songwriting
So much nostalgia happening for me watching this ❤
A savage takedown of the culture of ego and excess. Bonus: It's danceable!
all about the bonus make lot of money big
What's perfect is that it isn't even a "takedown", it just represents it. It's just the story of a guy reaching great success. It never specifies how its bad, or tries to show that it'll fail; it lets all of that show for itself. It had the guts to be impartial!
Not necessarily a take down, it could also be said to be a celebration of excess and money. Anyone who says money is bad has never had any.
How is achieving great success having having great confidence something bad?
The song presents it entirely positively anyway, stop thinking all media has to have that same stupid message that material success is totally meaningless, it definitely is not.
@@SwordHandler222 That is basically what I was saying. Liberals are the only ones who think it's bad.
I love this also, another great hit.📀📀📀
Irreverent bittersweet vocal melody from Peter set to a aggressively funky rhythm. Its kind of crazy.
This vid is even more fun after you learn to decode the symbolism. Never gets old!
I've seen this as a kid and didn't know what it meant. The older I got and the more I watched it...you're right. Eventually you see the message.
I wholeheartedly agree! Same with bits of the Sledgehammer video as well.
This world you mean, na this universe. You know the fast wilderness of stars. That’s Phil’s boy 😜
Unfortunately, i've just detected the all seeing eye of illuminatti :(
@@EJDD1233 yep… scripted fame
From 0:56 to 1:42. The lyrics. I feel that. I grew up in a small town outside of a small city (Baton Rouge). It was mundane to me, so I joined the military and got exposed to Chicago, Dubai, Manilla, Singapore, now reside in San Diego ever since. It opened me up to so many things. Expanded the vocabulary and experience above the small town lack of knowledge. However, it's important to remember your roots and never sneer down at where you came from nor your folks. They still look at you as a loved one no matter how much better you think you are.
Hey there Louisiana fam. Daughter of Louisiana girl and first time my Yankee butt went to her hometown ( that was a block long; Main Street) I was
shocked! 😂never forgot I feel you on the want to get out!
@@pamelqtaylor8335 I want to go back though. Stuck in California. What part of Louisiana?
@@dbsti3006 bastrop
I had the opposite happen. I left and they pretended to not know who I was when I would come back to visit. They won't leave and don't want anyone else to either.
Great song by Peter Gabriel. He's a music legend.🎉
when this album dropped and this song and sledgehammer dropped Peter Gabriel was arguably the biggest thing in pop. this song and the album it is on is one of the best in pop history
He wanted another video with the visual impact of "Sledgehammer " but didn't want to have to sit bolted in place and moved like a puppet this time around.
w r e s t l e m a n i a 2 2
A real sardonic bass line; simply filthy. This song and video is perfect.
Apparently it was recorded by hitting the strings with drumsticks, fun fact
Daniel Lanois' rhythm guitar work does not get enough credit on this track, it works perfectly with the bass line, be it synth or real.
That bass line comes in thumpin' like a BIG BITCH!
There were two people playing one bass on that part. Tony levin was doing the fretting part (hitting the notes) and Jerry marotta (who was one of the drummers for Peter) was hitting the strings with his drumstick.
Also if I remember correctly, Stewart Copeland played drums on this song!
I enjoy all of Peter Gabriel's songs. Very creative musician.
1986 greatest records that year.he had the best video's to
Very vivid.
One of the favorite songs of my childhood I quite literally say "HI THERE" just about every day because of this beautiful song.
I like this song loud!
Мне 59..Когда увидел в первый раз это видио-шок..И только сейчас задумался,как он прав в своём виденье мира и смысла жизни,простите за высокопарность..Обнимаю,тебя,дружище!!
Me too, as a physician. It feels right in the spirit of the times
Everytime I hear this song or see the vid, beginning n end, it still gives me chills even as a kid, n not in a good way. These days it doesn't bother me much, but the HI THERE still gives me heavy chills.
Not sure if it's already in the comments but that is Stewart Copeland saying "hi there". Apparently caught on a hot mic in the studio.
"Inside Job" opening credits. Badass song for a badass intro for a badass documentary
This song would be a smash hit if released today.(2019). Which would prove that its a timeless classic. Coming from someone who was teenager in he 80s
I watched this video on mtv in the 80s
I was a teenager in the 2010s and honestly, this is one of my all time favorite songs.
Ago I’m 19 now and this has always been a banger for me
This bassline slaps so hard!
extremely talented and shamefully overlooked in the "musical genius" category. should be held in higher regard.
this song is still fire to this day
WrestleMania 22 was also good
hello people i'm back after nearly 6 months
i'm only 19 and i would do anything to go back to relieve the 2000's.
@@pottsie_era fuck that......go back and live the ‘80s
Yes! I loved WM22 where I first heard this
You stole my comment bud, i was about to post that 😪😪
@@Bklyn988 sorry bro
The world will probably never see music like this again......
Staffy78 and that sad
Probably? Sorry, but society as a whole is going down the drain. We most certainly will never receive any type of culture or music like what we got back then ever again.
@@QCJSiteB Shut the fuck up already
@@skylartodd4207 Well...he is right.
When you here his music it hooks ya like a drug cause the tempo it makes ya think would ya sell yo soul for the $ want man greed want and need
was mesmerized by peter gabriels videos and music as a kid in the 80s, rewatching them now as an adult i can understand the subliminals and whats being said. wild.
Yep…
I was 18 when this came out and loved it. It’s hard for me to watch now
Peter Gabriel had the coolest videos even today these videos are still cool
Peter Gabriel is brilliant. Way ahead of his time. He is one bad mo'fo.
An artistic genius beyond his time.
The best tune on the Album.... This is a story an Electrician i used to work with told me so it may not be true. He said he used to work at a place where they made recording desks and stuff and he was finishing off a desk for Peter Gabriel who was due to come along and see the finished product, he was a massive fan and was desperate to finish it and meet him. So he's elbows deep in this desk nearly finished and he hears a noise of a person behind him at the door and thought it was a co-worker, so without turning around he shouts "F... off Ive got to get this finished, Peter is gonna be here soon" or something along those lines, later he was told it was Peter himself. He said he was moping around for months afterwards and it still haunts him to this day...Me, I couldn't laughing.
This song still gets me pumped
I like it LOUD! I even have a Marshall amp 2 make it loud!
True. Brings vitality back. Dance dance dance
J'adooooore!!!!!!!!!!¡
Cette chanson me met la pêche!!!!!!!!
That feeling when you listen to this song and appreciate the irony and hubris and yet it still applies to your life not completely ironically. Belete me now
Back when music was not only original but the video clips were an art form.
Um... a lot of music back then was covers and a lot of music today is original too. The videos from today are also an art form.
@@HelloKittyFanMan. name some
@@AfternoonDaydream8809 mitski
@@AfternoonDaydream8809 marina and the diamonds (her ancient dreams in a modern land has similliar. energy i guess? to this a little), jack seubert , a lot more that i can't list off the top of my head but yeah :0 you can find some artists that get creative if you dig a little
Absolutely amazing, it’s one thing to have creative ideas, but to make them look and sound cool is a whole other level. My parents played Peter Gabriel when I was a kid and after watching all his videos recently I am amazed but also sad that this was 1986 and music today hasn’t evolved or can even come close in creativity.
You are right , music has fallen into total decay , there is no more creativity in today 's music
@@PauloBorges9 To say that today's music is dead just shows how little you've seen the new stuff. It's just as good, just not as well known
No, I'm not talking about the crap on the radio. Look up Greta Van Fleet, it's basically like smashing led zeppelin and rush together
@@cherrypepsi2815ohhhh yes, that’s good stuff right there
“The place where I come from is a small town,
They think so small, they use small words,
But not me! I’m smarter than that!
I’ve worked it out,
I’ll be stretching my mouth to let those big words come right out…”
Love this song so much, especially the lyrics. I remember when this album came out, the videos for this and “Sledgehammer “ got so much airtime. Even at the age of 7, I could relate so much to the words of this song, and it’ll always be one of my favorites of the era.
TotLly cool especially when UT broke
A Big Ass Hit from 1987. Still sounds fkn awesome!!!!
That's because Peter Gabriel kicks ass! That's when you know you've done something right: When the song is still just as awesome 30 years later! (Same Reason Star Wars still kicks ass). =)
1986*
Acha Red, I like it LOUD! I even have a Marshall amp 2 make it loud.
Tom S in the UK it was charted in 87. That's were i live. You must be American.
Peaked in Early 1987
Peter Gabriel's music videos are the most creative of all time
Peter is a genius, vivid imagination, incredibly talented artist
Mr. Gabriel, I am requesting a 4K remaster of this music video to be uploaded to TH-cam, if possible. This is one of my favorite music videos of all time, and it is one of the best examples of stop motion animation I’ve ever seen. Thanks!
The only song by Peter Gabriel I knew all these years was Sledgehammer. Now I'm discovering other songs from "So", and I'm very impressed. Plus, the work of all bass players who participated on this album is incredible. They made whole shit even more exciting.
Peter Gabriel III is another great album
@@vsander09 Thanks. I'm gonna check that out.
Tony Levin
Digging in the Dirt is really good
Buona
.notte..da..by..gio..sss..primo..Milano.. italy...ciaoo
I just love how that "Hi there!" just seems to greet the listener and make them feel like he's singing to them. Nicely done, Peter!
It always reminds me of the computer from the 1980s _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ TV series
@@felicity4711 That is so spot on, good call!!!
Sales.
Reminds me of Washington from Welcome Back Kotter.
No, I don’t think so because at the end he says it again so its like an impersonal recording for anybody who came to listen. Or a prerecorded public announcement.
Bassline and singing at :38 seconds makes the whole song a classic!
I love that bass part lol Stewart Copelands drumming and cymbal work drives it home
Tony Levin is the bassist. He actually had the drummer use his sticks on the cords while he did the bass line. He ended up creating Funk Fingers(thanks to Peter’s suggestion)in which he has dowels wrapped around his fingers. You can actually see this in some of the live performances of Big Time and Steam. That bass line struck me as well back in the mid 80’s when this song was released.
Tony crushes, can't say anymore
Here I am at 49, rediscovering the music of my childhood. I loved this man’s music and his talent before I was a teen. Now I have some life experience and listening to his music and singing his lyrics has become a mantra for me. I believe I have an understanding on his perspective on life, through his music, his lyrics and through reading about his life. I honestly believe he was trying to empower my generation. I feel empowered just listening to his music as an adult. Peter Gabriel - wildly talented artist, profound lyricist, humanitarian ❤
I'm 48 myself, and remember this song like it was yesterday, but even then, I understood the meaning behind the words: Peter Gabriel was criticizing American society for being too materialistic.
We totally care
Thanks to my parents I grew up with a lot of this too
I love this song so much. It concisely refutes the idea that bigger is better.
The best! so much larger than life😎😆
"and I will pray to my big god as I kneel in my big church" PERFECT!!!
Perhaps the most human and humble line in the song, but completely wrong based on the narrator’s lyrics.
Thankfully pre-Covid I got to see Peter Gabriel in concert with Sting. At the end they were singing each others songs. I'm old enough to remember when this song was new and on the radio. I used to listen to this on cassette tape. This is a classic and never gets old. Thank you.
WOW, you saw them both together how Crazy Cool was that !!! I always Enjoyed their music but as I got older I REALLY learned to APPRECIATE the Great talent that they both have. And they're each so different. I technically grew up in the 70s, graduated in 79 but was always drawn to the 80s music, i always thought they seemed to be having a lot more FUN, LOTS of GREAT MUSIC 🪼💙🐠💛🪼💙🐠💛🪼💙🐠💛❣️❣️❣️
That would been a great concert to see!
I was in high school when this song came out, and at the time I always thought this song was celebrating and affirming the materialism and hedonism of the day. As an adult (and as I became more familiar with Peter Gabriel's catalog), I realized the song was satirizing it.
‘So’ was one my essential albums of my mid 80s high school years. Still one of my favorites
The 80s was the last time a man who looked like your father could become a superstar
Peter had been successful since his early twenties.
He was only 35, when he recorded this.
@@Nerval-kg9sm he looked really bad and old then
@@personalDM It doesn't matter, his music was great and the video is in 480p, maybe that's why he looks older
@@personalDM But yeah, he didn't look particularly pretty, but now he looks good for his age now
Such a unique song. Energetic driven weird lyrics and like nothing else. Basically an affirmation prayer.
Erm there's a lot of very dark satire and sarcasm in Big Time. Creepy sound alike lyrics like "So much stuff, all alone."
@@kurtboyer299 yeah and the video shows that side of it a lot
Tenía 14 años cuando escuchaba esta canción una y otra vez cuando fue tema oficial de WrestleMania 22
Bellos recuerdos
igual yo amigo, que gran wrestlemania!
Ciao..da.. gio..sss..junior...in...by...gio..sss..primo...miami..florida..ciaoo
Genesis created both the likes of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel with music like this. Not all who go solo are successful. Peter Gabriel was always the weird one when he sang for Genesis while Phil Collins was only the drummer. Gabriel left, and Collins began singing/drumming. Both are true musical artists.
Need to go read your history. Collins joined after Gabriel left. Genesis had one truly big hit (Home by the Sea) and the rest was the normal 1 pop hit per CD. Huge stepdown with Collins. Gabriel was the creative element of Genesis and when he left all they had were outstanding light shows. 80s hit and Peter soared while Genesis sunk. Phil had bigger hits solo than with Genesis.
@@markperry2827 How are you gonna tell me that when Collins played drums, Gabriel was the singer? Are you really gonna insult me over your own ignorance of that? I don't get it. You are the type of person that is so high on their own personal feelings, that you have absolutely no idea the difference between opinion and fact. You should know that both members played together. I don't understand why you just said what you did. I'm pretty sure it's YOU that needs to learn musical history. Apparently you're falling behind. It's very easy to pull up early Genesis albums and it's songs.
@@markperry2827 you need to reread your Genesis history there my man. Phil joined up in 1970 and Peter left in 75. They overlapped their time in the band for 5 years. And I think it’s debatable that Peter had more overall success than did Genesis after he left. Both sides did very well of course, but I’d bet that Genesis sold more overall records post-Gabriel than Peter did as a solo act. Not saying that’s the ONLY measure of success, as both groups were probably happy how things turned out. Peter clearly needed the freedom as a solo act, and late 70s/early 80s Genesis was also probably their peak. Success for everyone.
But - Phil & Peter were Genesis band mates from 70 to 75. Fact.
@@markperry2827 everything you said here is wrong. Completely wrong.
1986: Cool song 😎🎹🎸❤️🎤🎶🌟🎵🎉
2020: Cool song 😎🎹🎸❤️🎤🎶🌟🎵🎉
It never gets old.
You forgot to mention that in 2020 nobody can touch this kind of talented genius in music, but you are so right on!
Genius
2086: Cool song 😎🎹🎸❤️🎤🎶🌟🎵🎉
@@paulguzman1634 best comment out of a lot of great comments.
35 years have passed and I am fascinated all the time. 10/10 evergreen!
1986: Cool song
2024: Still a cool song
I know you, already commented
You again?
Bro released the sequel
I know that's right!!❤
Peter Gabriel is pretty awesome, brother
Put this musicvideo on the wall in a museum
I had never seen the videos for big time and sledgehammer. Watched them today after being a teen through the 80's. I miss the 80's a bit right now.
Patrick Herring I’m a teen and I found all this over a year ago
You were a teen in the 80s and never saw the video for "Sledgehammer"? How is that possible?
ikr; I swear I remember seeing the video many times in the 90s and I don't even remember the 80s. Seems amazing someone could have not seen it ever until last year, but shit happens I suppose.
The entire Soviet Union knew Peter Gabriel for his "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time" videos in the 80's. They were played on the national TV channel.
SO is such a fantastic album, and has aged really well, its songs still sound crisp and relevant today.
A true fucking masterpiece ! A stunning album from start to finish
God the creativity in Peter Gabriel’s videos are top notch! Back then this was so impressive!
I want to live in a Peter Gabriel video.......back then the music was as awesome as the video..... full of a imagination and ingenuity....
2024 Still a great song!
Yes.
I like it loud!
From a time when you could drink beers with your buds, watch MTV for hours, and see nothing but fantastic videos like this. Lackland AFB even had a room at the Airmen's Club with nothing but chairs, a big screen TV that was locked in to MTV, and surround sound...........the 80's were awesome!! Really kind of missing that.......
So was such a legendary album. Still one of my all-time faves.
The time is now. The Big Time is now. Give us Big Time 2 and finally conclude the epic story started by this song.
give us big time 2 now now now now nooooow
It's called The Man by The Killers.
This song kicks serious ass,The construction of the music is freaking killer, sic bass line, And Petes vocals freaking awesome, I digged this song when I was a kid growing up in the 80,s And I dig it now, Brilliant music whith substance!!!!
Peter Gabriel One talented dude cheers!!!
Seriously talented
Can we talk about the majesty of how well done these videos were without AI? 🤖
Great jam and video. 🙌🏻
What can I possibly say?
Peter Gabriel was a musical genius.
is
@@simongoosen9525 Yes, is. Thanks for the correction.
The bass line doesn't get the credit it deserves.
I've heard that the trick was to take a bass guitar and hit the strings with drumsticks. These songs/videos are a huge accomplishment of a great team.
@@velox121 THEY DID WHAT? That's slapping to a whole nother level. Who did the bass on this track?
@@velox121 Really??? Oh man, I need to use that technique. You just opened up a new dimension. Lol
@@SkullPrism The great Tony Levin
@@steveunruh8650 Tony Levin went to college in my hometown of Rochester, New York. He and legendary drummer Steve Gadd were classmates at the Eastman School of Music.
Headphone song for sure. Almost 40 years later and this still blows away most mixes today.
that guy who popularized loudness mastering should be in prison. I can't find his name now but he was engineering a lot of stuff in the mid 90s.
@@CriticalTechReviews Phil Spector....he is now dead....he was a weirdo and a half.
Headphones for people who have no idea what bass is. YEAH!
@@wolfiethedog76 he also killer someone
You have no idea how it is having a great high-end stereo system with roughly 1200 Watts lol
Headphones are very limited.
Peter Gabriel is amazing, his music is timeless, he never sell out, just doing his thing, love him.
1:44 I LOVE that chord change
Wonder how many people realize just how hard it was to make this video? Stop motion clay motion. Computers we would laugh at today combining it all.... I’m just glad this cool song and video are immortalized on TH-cam. 😎
I remember watching this on MTV on a floor model TV and it was the best time. People were so creative
grear times 80,s !!!! i was is scandinavia....in this periode......
Back when MTV was actually a music channel!
Yes...they "We" sure were, and will be again...more handmade/handcrafted creators, not just computer graphics etc...If we don't take care of Art, Art will take care of Us (& not in good ways)...
Remember, Art imitates LIFE, not the other way around....
However, we havent been living, so we all had to do what we had to...
Everyday is "supposed" to be a true & affirmed inspiration...
This is a beautiful world, I can't wait to see how beautiful it really is...🕊️🌾
👍🤗😇💙😜💚😈👍💋👅😔💯❤️🖕
Not Angela Bacchin. I let an obvious fool use my phone for HIS FACEBOOK... Not using mine.. I don't comment on TH-cam stuff please ignore. His name was jesse McLaren I believe. Bug him
I remember the debut on mtv, way back when, I loved it then, as I do now. Timeless genius.
The Best Song Ever!!!