Collector's Corner

Continuing our regular look at the weird and wonderful world of bootleg recordings, we examine some of the most recent (and not so recent) recordings by Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett....

Touring activity by both Peter and Steve has stepped up recently, and as usual, it has generated a whole new collection of recordings from many of the shows and we shall look at some of the better ones here in this feature. Interestingly enough, a few older recordings have also surfaced which make interesting listening too...

First up we take a look at Peter Gabriel's new shows in support of the UP album . Prior to the US tour proper, Peter performed a handful of warm-up shows in Europe, and , as you would expect; these generated a series of recordings.

 

Peter Gabriel Milan Alacataz 16th September 2002 (2 disc set no catalogue number)

This is , as its title suggests, the recording of the first of Peter's warm-up shows in front of a typically ecstatic Italian crowd. The show draws heavily on the material from the new UP album along with the fair share first night cock-ups too which makes it an interesting and entertaining recording to have...

Disc One: Darkness/Red Rain/Growing Up/No Way Out/Mercy Street/My Head Sounds Like That/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This (aborted)/More Than This

Disc Two: Digging In The Dirt/Animal Nation/Sledgehammer/In Your Eyes/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel "Up In The Flood" Munich Arena 21st September 2002 (1 disc PG 310802)

Another of the warm-up shows premiering new material and a selection of oldies and over all another interesting addition to any collection.

MC announcement/Darkness/Red Rain/Growing Up/Solsbury Hill/Mercy Street/The Barry Williams Show/Band Intros/More Than This/Digging In The Dirt/Family Snapshot/Jetzt Kommt Die Flut.

Quality Rating: 8/9
Source: Audience

Peter's US tour has also thrown up a mass of recordings from which, the following are among the better quality ones to have surfaced so far....

 

Live "In The Darkness" Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford New Jersey 17th November 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

An excellent recording of one of this show including a rare performance of Family Snapshot.

Disc One: Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain/Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Mercy Street

Disc Two: Digging In The Dirt/Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/In Your Eyes/Family Snapshot/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel : "The Philadelphia Show" Live at the Spectrum Philadelphia 18th November 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

Another excellent recording of what certainly seems to have been an enjoyable show all round apart from the presence of one loudmouthed fan (there's always one, isn't there!). Fortunately, the quality of the recording itself outweighs any "background" noise. And of course, there is another wonderful bit of Gabriel improvisation during a power out towards the end of the show- aah, almost like the old days!

Disc One: Intro/Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain./Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Mercy Street/Digging In The Dirt

Disc Two: Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/in Your Eyes/Be My Woman, I'll be Your Man/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9.5
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel: "Back In NYC" Madison Square Garden New York City 21st November 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

Peter back in one of his favourite haunts. His NY gigs have always been special events and this recording captures another one for posterity.

Disc One: Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain/Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Mercy Street/Digging In The Dirt

Disc Two: Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/In Your Eyes/Family Snapshot/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel: "Lightening The Darkness" Live at the MCI Center Washington DC24th November 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

Fundamentally the same show as that played at NY although a slightly better quality recording.

Disc One: Intro: Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain/Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Mercy Street

Disc Two: Digging In The Dirt/Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/In Your Eyes/Come Talk To Me/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9.5
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel: "The Moon and the menstrual cycle" Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville 26th November 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

A strange title for a gig at a strange venue! That aside, this is another excellent recording capturing a storming live set featuring a magnificent performance by the Blind Boys Of Alabama.

Disc One: Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain/Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Mercy Street/Digging In The Dirt

Disc Two: Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/In Your Eyes/Father To Son

Quality Rating: 9.5
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel: "Talking To Toronto" Air Canada Centre Toronto 2nd December 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

Last but not least in this batch of Gabriel 2002 recording is this excellent set from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Disc One: Here Comes The Flood/Darkness/Red Rain/Secret World/Sky Blue/Downside Up/The Barry Williams Show/More Than This/Shock The Monkey/Mercy Street

Disc Two: Digging In The Dirt/Growing Up/Animal Nation/Solsbury Hill/Sledgehammer/Signal To Noise/In Your Eyes/Come Talk To Me/Father To Son

 

Before we leave Peter and move on to Steve, I thought it might be useful to bring a couple of Peter's earlier recordings to your attention

 

Peter Gabriel: Courtrai 2nd September 1977 (2 CD set no catalogue number)

An unusual audience recording from the second leg of the European tour in 1977 featuring a slightly different set.

Disc One: White Shadow/On The Air/Down the Dolce Vita/Waiting For The Big One/Excuse Me/Solsbury Hill/Indigo/Modern Love

Disc Two: DIY/Humdrum/I Heard It Thru The Grapevine/Modern Love/Here Comes The Flood/Back in NYC

Quality Rating: 8/9
Source: Audience

 

Peter Gabriel: "Live At The Bottom Line" Bottom Line Club New York 4th October 1978 (1 Disc no catalogue number)

This show has gone down in Gabriel legend and this mix desk recording shows exactly why. Listening to it only serves to remind me of why I love Gabriel's live shows so much. Sadly, this is not the complete show but more an edited "highlights" but with a set of songs like these, it is still a MUST for Gabriel fans...

On The Air/DIY/Solsbury Hill/The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway/White Shadow/Here Comes The Flood.

Quality Rating: 10
Source: Mix Desk

 

Peter Gabriel: "Live At The Greek" Greek Theater Los Angeles 19th June 1980 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

Another superb recording from Peter's 1980 tour captured here in its entirety with an enthusiastic audience and a band who are obviously having a great time, this is another essential addition to any collection.

Disc One: Intruder/I Don't Remember/Solsbury Hill/Family Snapshot/Milgrams' 37/Not One Of Us/Lead A Normal Life

Disc Two: Moribund The Burgermeister/Mother Of Violence/Humdrum/And Through The Wire/I Go Swimming/Biko/On The Air/Modern Love/Here Comes The Flood

Quality Rating: 10
Source: Mix desk

 

Peter Gabriel: Passion Out Takes (1 Disc Berber BCD001)

As its title suggests, this disc is a selection of alternative recordings from the Passion album which gives a further insight into the making of a soundtrack album. Excellent sound quality throughout and another essential addition to any collection.

The Feeling Begins (extended)/Disturbed (alternative)/Passion (alternative)/Cor Anglais Theme/It Is Accomplished (Film Version)/Bass Bowl/With This Love (Alternative)/Wall Of Breath (Extended)/Location Recording - Morocco/Location Recording - Unknown/It Is Accomplished/Alternative)/Trills/Bread And Wine (Flute Version)/The Feeling Begins (Drum Version)/Of These Hope (Alternate)/Lazarus Raised (Alternative)

Quality Rating: 10
Source: Studio

 

Now we move on to Steve who has not been a slouch in the touring department himself over the last couple of years and here are details of a few of the most recent recordings to surface from the guitar master himself....

 

Steve Hackett: "An Acoustic Evening In Tokyo" Odaiba Aqua City Tokyo 12th January 2002 (2 Disc set no catalogue number)

This is the first show of the 2002 tour which saw Steve performing in both the acoustic and electric veins. This excellent recording captures one of Steve's acoustic shows from Japan and is another must for his fans.

Disc One: Horizons/Gnossienne No1/Bacchus/Bachhus (pt2)/Firth Of Fifth/Bay Of Kings/Syrinx/Imagining (intro)/Second Chance/Jacuzzi/Second Chance/Overnight Sleeper/The Barren Land/Kim/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Inprovisation/Concerto In D/Hairless Heart

Disc Two: Cinema Paradiso/Mustard Seed/Gymnopedie No 1/Jazz On A Summer's Night/Little Cloud/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/The Journey-Skye Boat Song-By Paved Fountain/Blood On The Rooftops/Hands Of The Priestess/All Is Mended/Ace Of Wands/Idylle-Aubade-Meditation/Bacchus-Firth Of Fifth reprise

Quality Rating: 10
Source: Mix Desk

 

Steve Hackett: Rosignano Italy 23rd April 2002 (2 CD set no catalogue number)

Once again, Italy benefited from Steve's tour schedule last year with a total of two tours, the first of which is captured here on this fine audience recording of the penultimate show from Rosignano near Pisa.

Disc One: Horizons/Gnossienne No 1/Bacchus/Firth Of Fifth/Bay Of Kings/Syrinx/Imagining (intro)/Second Chance/Jacuzzi/Overnight Sleeper/The Barren Land/Kim/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Blood On The Rooftops/Improvisation/Concerto In D/Hairless Heart/Cinema Paradiso

Disc Two: Mustard Seed/Gymnopedie No1/Jazz On A Summer's Night/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/Concert For Munich/The Journey/Skye Boat Song/By Paved Fountain/Hands Of The Priestess/Ace Of Wands/Idylle-Aubade-Meditation/Hairless Heart (reprise)

Quality: 9
Source: Audience

 

Steve Hackett: "Live At The Birchmere" Birchmere Club Alexandria Virginia USA 27th June 2002 (2 CD set no catalogue number)

Steve undertook his first US gigs in quite a few years last year, and this excellent recording captures one of his "electric" shows at the Birchmere Club in Alexandria. Once again, Steve is using the tours as a medium for road testing new material and several new tracks appear here, alongside some seldom played Hackett and Genesis classics.

Disc One: The Floating Seventh/Mechanical Bride/Medley: Los Endos-Ace Of Wands-Please Don' t Touch/Serpentine Song/Watcher Of The Skies/Hairless Heart/Firth Of Fifth/Riding The Colossus/ Pollution/The Steppes/Gnossienne No 1/Walking Away From Rainbows/In Memoriam

Disc Two: A Vampyre With A Healthy Appetite/Spectral Mornings/Darktown/Camino Royale/Everyday/Shadow Of The Hierophant/Los Endos/Dancing With The Moonlit Knight

Quality Rating: 9.5
Source: Audience

 

Steve Hackett: Club Naima Forli Italy 1st November 2002 (2 CD set no catalogue number)

Steve rounded off the year with yet more acoustic performances and this stunning recording captures him in fine form and is another excellent addition to any Hackett collection.

Disc One: Introduction/Improvisation-Horizons/Gnossienne No 1/ Medley: Bouree-Bacchus-Firth Of Fifth-Bacchus reprise/Bay Of Kings/Syrinx/Imagining/Second Chance/Jacuzzi/Overnight Sleeper/The Barren Land/Black Light/Kim/Medley: Cuckoo Cocoon-Dancing With The Moonlit Knight-Blood On The Rooftops/Time Lapse At Milton Keynes/Chinese Jam/Improvisation/Hairless Heart

Disc Two: Cinema Paradiso/Gymnopedie No 1/Jazz On A Summer's Night/Cavalcanti/Walking Away From Rainbows/Tales Of The Riverbank/Concert For Munich/The Journey/The Skye Boat Song/By Paved Fountain/Hands Of The Priestess/There Are Many Sides To The Night/Ace Of Wands/Idylle-Aubade-Meditation

Quality: 10
Source: Mix desk