So

Nearly a decade after departing prog-rock juggernauts Genesis in 1975, Peter Gabriel wanted fervently to switch gears and record a “proper” pop album. He had already made a big name for himself as an intensely experimental artist  – and he wanted to try something different. Thus So, his fifth solo album, was brought into this world. And it succeeded beyond his wildest expectations

Featuring an impressive largesse of guest musicians under its belt, So is like a magical time capsule from the mid-‘80s. Stewart Copeland, Kate Bush, Jim Kerr, Laurie Anderson, Daniel Lanois (who also produced), Nile Rogers, and Youssou N’dour all came along for Gabriel’s trip, and as a result the overall mood on the record is one of celebration.

So, here being rereleased on its 25^th birthday, stands to this day as Gabriel’s most popular and best-selling album of his career. It’s easy to see why.

The lovely “Don’t Give Up”, accompanied with Kate Bush’s ethereal and operatic vocals, is a stunningly gorgeous and tender piece; life-affirming, even. It’s an amazing duet, and seriously capable of raising a goose-bump or two.

There’s the smash hit “Sledgehammer”, which finds Gabriel deep in Motown territory as he has a (ahem) smashing good time, full of vim and vigour and clever wordplay, backed by some pretty seriously amazing horns.

Gabriel’s joined by the inimitable Laurie Anderson on the beguiling “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)”. With enigmatic synths and Nile Rogers providing a minimalist wash of guitar over the two iconoclasts’ spoken-word call and response, this track, perhaps, is most reflective of Gabriel’s experimentalist leanings on this record. Weird, and truly unique.

“Big Time” is a joyfully over-the-top satirical skewering of avarice and excess, delivered in a jazzy and boisterous way. Surf guitars, heavy bass lines, a veritable who’s-who of background vocalists, and The Police’s Copeland on drums? Yes, please. “I’ll be a big noise with all the big boys/So much stuff I will own,” yelps Gabriel, in a rollicking narrative from “that guy” we as a society find so utterly obnoxious. Big fun.

But no track on So, it can arguably be stated, has stuck in the public imagination more than the ballad “In Your Eyes”. “All my instincts, they return,” croons Gabriel gently over spindly guitars, talking drums, and vaguely African rhythms. Words can hardly do this song justice – it’s really become a piece of humanity’s fabric. And it’s been said that this song is absolutely perfect for boombox serenading.

Happy 25^th, So. This is what happens when a noted genius in the musical world decides to deliver “proper” pop. Spellbinding, to say the least.