Product Description

An aural postcard of Gabriel's 1993-1994 "Us World Tour", SECRET WORLD LIVE is demonstrative of this studio perfectionist's ability to produce singular, textured works in any setting. He has always surrounded himself with first-class players who shared his vision of incorporating world music into the Western pop vocabulary (guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katche have been with Gabriel thebetter part of ten years). To expand the music's breadth, for the "Us" tour he added noted jazz violinist Shankar and vocalist Paula Cole to the band and restructured the songs toreflect the more celebratory aspects of live performances. This mix provides SECRET WORLD LIVE with its world-beat meets new age jazz meets English art-soul sound.
Created in the wake of U2's extravagant "Zoo TV", the "Us" shows were also multi-media blow outs, thematically connected to Gabriel's then-current explorations of psychotherapy. In fact, the second half of the album incorporates previous hits--the sexually charged "Sledgehammer", the elegiac "Don't Give Up" (with Cole playing Kate Bush's part), and the anthemic "In YourEyes"--into a song-cycle that explores the consequences of the inner fears of youth and love's ability to insulate one from that pain. It all makes Gabriel's SECRET WORLD LIVE addup to a musical stew that is equal parts William Gibson, Carl Jung and Fela Kuti.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Come Talk To Me
2. Steam
3. Across The River
4. Slow Marimbas
5. Shaking The Tree
6. Red Rain
7. Blood Of Eden
8. Kiss That Frog
9. Washing Of The Water
10. Solsbury Hill

Disc 2:

1. Digging In The Dirt
2. Sledgehammer
3. Secret World
4. Don't Give Up
5. In Your Eyes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56433 in Music
• Released on: 1994-08-30
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Live

Customer Reviews

Secret World Live
'Secret World Live' is a brilliant example of Peter Gabriel in concert. You can hear how he performs the songs live and how the audience react to them. This collection includes all his major hits, as well as some songs that are less known commercially, but which are just as, if not more, impressive. This tour was highly acclaimed for it's innovative stage set, as designed by Robert Lepage, and although you can't see the set, you get a feel for how it affected the performance from the audiences reaction throughout. If you want a better idea of this, check out the DVD of this tour. This is a great album of Gabriel doing what he does best, performing simple, honest songs with passion and integrity. It can't be beaten.

More than just live tracks
Had this album for a while now, and still can't beat it as an exceptional live performance. Every song is executed so well and so many have been reworked from their studio incarnations with such craft and guile. A truly golden album.

Peter Gabriel creates such a tapestry of sounds with such a variety of instruments, and this live album is almost a celebration of that. All the musicians move effortlessly between songs in a way that suggests painstaking preparation and work. Hearing it come together is a real joy that manages to capture a 'live' sound. The talent of his musicians and collaborators is well docmented, and this is a fine showcase.

My fear was that a ten minute version of the wonderful 'In Your Eyes' would reek of self-indulgence, and though it does indulge the effect is a glowing example of what live albums can achieve. Every song has been added to and offers much more than a live version of album favourites.

1994's double live album...
Secret World Live stems from the Us-tour of 1993 and is in many ways a companion to 'Peter Gabriel Plays Live' released a decade previously. Where that live album (which was tinkered with by Peters Gabriel & Walsh) focused on the material up to PG4, this focuses on the material since then (the only exception being Solsbury Hill, which is far superior to the 83-take). Note that Irridium's review below is actually of the album Us (1992) & not this live album- this does not feature Brian Eno or the track Love to be Loved. Wonder why he posted the wrong review- was it just the usual desperation to get as many reviews as possible on here, regardless of whether he's actually reviewing the right album or not?

This is the 15-song set from the Us-tour featuring Paula Cole (vocals), Shankar (violin, vocals), Manu Katche (drums), Jean Claude Naimro (keyboards), Levon Minassian (doudouk)& long-time Gabriel-associates Tony Levin (bass) & David Rhodes (guitar). Pity this reissue didn't include the take of San Jacinto, which is found on the DVD/VHS- though that version wasn't hugely different to the one on PG Live.

Disc One opens with a pair of tracks from Us- the bagpipe-sampling Come Talk to Me, which builds up to a suitably epic sound & a seven-minute take on hit single Steam, which is much better than the single-take & features a wonderfully atmospheric keyboard intro. Gabriel & co then travel back to the past, Womad-instrumental Across the River (found on the b-side of No Self Control & written by Gabriel with Rhodes, Shankar & Stewart Copeland)from the early 80s is performed, prior to an interlude of Slow Marimbas (from the Birdy soundtrack). This leads into a lovely nine-minute take on the Gabriel/Youssou N'Dour single Shaking the Tree (originally from 1989 & the title track of Gabriel's 1990 best of)- which has vocal turns from the whole band- including a great vocal from Cole (most famous for Where Have All the Cowboys Gone & the theme to Dawson's Creek!).

The music after the celebration of Shaking the Tree turns darker with the duo of Red Rain (from So) & the sublime Blood of Eden- which memorably featured in the film Until the End of the World. The band stay with Us for a few more tracks- silly pop funk Kiss That Frog (a more diluted take on the avenue suggested by tracks like Shock the Monkey & Big Time)& the atmospheric Washing of the Water (which would have been perfectly followed by the absent San Jacinto!). Finally there is that great take of Solsbury Hill, with more gorgeous acoustics & world music inflections...

Disc Two is just five songs long- opening with bleak lead single from Us, Digging in the Dirt , which advanced on the sound of 1982's PG4, that dark seven-minutes (with great guitar from Rhodes) is countered by huge hit single Sledgehammer, which is brilliantly delivered. The set closer was Secret World, the final track from Us- a 9-minute track that veers close to prog-rock. If Radiohead did it now, it would be revered as futuristic or something...The encore is a great take on Don't Give Up (Cole as great as La Bush) with a brilliant chant at the end; Gabriel & co stay with So & with guests Papa Wemba, Reddy Mela Amissi & Styno Mubi Matadi perform a definitive/stunning take on In Your Eyes that pushes the 11-minute mark. This has a wonderful intro prior to the song proper, which along with Mercy Street & Red Rain was the highlight of So. Gabriel & co still perform it to this day- it was played at the Mandela-AIDS benefit a few weeks ago; a great end to a brilliant live album. A brilliant live album a rarity in itself!