REVIEW: Peter Gabriel's New Blood

Peter Gabriel is well-known for his use of technology and vision, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. It is then, perhaps, a bit odd for him to dip his toe into the waters of orchestral versions of his back catalogue but that is exactly what New Blood does -"re-imagined arrangements" of Peter's songs without guitars and drum kits.

There have, of course, been rock/pop collaborations with classical musicians before - many end in failure and embarrassment - Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra has to be one of the worst offenders. More recently, Elbow worked with the Hallé Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra, giving their already successful album The Seldom Seen Kid a new life with orchestral colour.

New Blood follows in the wake of 2010's Scratch My Back album. On that album Peter re-worked songs by other artists including David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Lou Reed and Radiohead. As I understood it, the idea was that he'd scratch their back, by doing a new version of one of their songs, and then they'd scratch his, by doing a version of one of his songs. The second part of that seems to have been shelved for the moment, which is a shame.

In some tracks the simplicity of the melody is emphasised by clear, ethereal string textures, in others John Metcalfe's arrangements bring out the power and emotion from the original. It's fair to say, the most successful tracks are the darker, more theatrical ones but it's not an exaggeration to say that every track is given a new lease of life.



The tracks are fantastically performed by the New Blood Orchestra , a 46-piece ensemble, conducted by Ben Foster, who is probably best known for his work with Murray Gold on the Doctor Who scores.

Amongst all the new sounds and textures it is worth commenting on Peter Gabriel's voice which is still as vibrant and expressive as it ever has been. Not bad in a 61 year old.

A few weeks ago I went to watch the movie of Peter Gabriel's New Blood Live In London.



The simplicity of a concert movie taken to the next level with great visuals and effects and a use of 3D that, surely, even Mark Kermode would approve?

1. The Rhythm of the Heat takes a little bit of time to get going - I was certainly doubting whether this was going to add anything to the original for a while. It begins as straight transcription with Peter Gabriel singing over orchestra, with lovely colourful sighs from clarinets and horns but, when the orchestra eventually takes over (around 3'55") in a terrifying orgasm of sound, you suddenly realise this is going to be an album that is more than just an overblown Greatest Hits-type package.
2. Downside Up, a survivor of the Ovo, the Millennium Dome show, contrasts brilliantly with the ferocity of the previous track. The gently syncopated lower strings and delicate woodwind melodies contrast beautifully with the singing of Melanie Gabriel, Peter's daughter.
3. San Jacinto begins with bells and piano reminiscent of early Steve Reich, then builds with pizzicato strings and staccato reed interjections that lead to broad Barber-eque string writing supporting Peter's singing.
   
4. Intruder begins appropriately ominously, with orchestral effects created by extended playing techniques, then 'cellos begin a pattern that recalls the opening track. Peter Gabriel's vocals on this track are at their most dramatic and theatrical. He'd make a truly terrifying childcatcher if there was ever a remake of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
5. Wallflower opens with a simple piano ostinato and long string chords that provide a very pure and simple support the voice.
6. In Your Eyes launches into the sound world of Michael Nyman full of string syncopations and pounding double basses. It is imaginiately scored for just strings and voices - no brass, woodwind or percussion. The chorus, with the morse code violins ( ._. is the letter R - ok, I'm sure it's not significant) is truly joyful and uplifting.
   
7. Mercy Street returns us to the world of Steve Reich with mallet instruments a-plenty: vibraphones, glockenspiels, etc. This track doesn't work as well as many other tracks, becoming rather bland by the end.
   
8. It's fair to say that Red Rain borrows liberally from the style of Michael Torke and Michael Nyman as well as Hollywood film scores of the past decade but is the real tour de force of the whole album. Powerful orchestrations and Peter's voice strident above the ever changing textures.
   
9. Darkness begins like an angry We Will Rock You and is another example of Gabriel's use of music as theatre. What a shame he's never written a musical or opera.
   
10. Don’t Give Up has Ane Brun take on the part originally sung by Kate Bush. I must confess this is one of my least favourite of Peter Gabriel's tracks in its original format and, I'm afraid, this version has done little to change my mind. Ane Brun's voice has, for my liking, too much vibrato and is rather nasal and the arranger simply transcribes the original, adding nothing new or insightful until the last minute and half which leaves you wondering what might have been.
11. Digging in the Dirt lifts the spirits with it's ticking start - again, it made me think of Michael Torke's Yellow Pages - some tremendous orchestral writing add to the threatening vocals but I do wish they'd come up with a better whip sound (it sounds like something from Hugh Grant's character in Music and Lyrics (00'48") - thin and so very 80s). Otherwise a good track.
12. The Nest that Sailed the Sky is the final track on the album proper - tracks 13 and 14 (and various extras on deluxe versions) are additional. It is purely instrumental- an orchestral dawn - slowly coming to life, then resting.
13. A Quiet Moment is, I guess, a work of musique concrete - it uses gentle ambient sounds to trickle over the listener. It is a little masturbatory really - and would probably work better as the final track, where most people would give up and ignore it.
14. Solsbury Hill brings the album to a jubilant end. The chamber music start leads to a fuller orchestration after the first couple of minutes. It is probably the favourite track of Gabriel fans and it is right and proper that it brings things to a conclusion.

Now that these songs have been re-imagined orchestrally, I'd like Peter Gabriel to go one step further - beyond simple arrangements and transcriptions and into full-scale development of his material. I'd love to use the themes for the basis of a symphonic work, along the lines of the Queen Symphony.