| Peter Gabriel a.k.a. Security (U.S.) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Peter Gabriel | ||||
| Released | 8 September 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1982 at Ashcombe House, Bath, England | |||
| Genre | Art rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 45:27 | |||
| Label | Charisma Geffen |
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| Producer | David Lord and Peter Gabriel | |||
| Peter Gabriel chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (C+)[2] |
| Piero Scaruffi | (6/10)[3] |
Peter Gabriel is the fourth album released by the British progressive rock musician Peter Gabriel. This album was originally released as Gabriel’s fourth eponymous album, but was released in the United States as Security, Gabriel's first album with Geffen Records in the US and Canada.
Contents |
This album is an early full digital recording. Its instrumentation is mostly electronic with extensive sampling (through use of the then-new Fairlight CMI) and percussion. It was recorded at Gabriel's then-home, Ashcombe House in Somerset, England in 1981.[4] It was remastered with most of Gabriel's catalogue in 2002.
The songs on the album cover a wide variety of subject matter. "The Rhythm of the Heat" is based on Carl Jung’s experience while observing a group of African drummers. "San Jacinto" reflects on the fear and pain experienced by a Native American man who sees his culture overwhelmed by modern white society. "Shock the Monkey", a meditation on jealousy, uses imagery of a primate to describe personal anxieties. "Lay Your Hands on Me" deals with a theme of healing, through trust, which is further explored on later albums. "The Family and the Fishing Net" is a song comparing a modern day wedding to a voodoo sacrifice. "Wallflower" is about the treatment of political prisoners in Latin America during the 1980s.[5]
"Shock the Monkey" was featured on the 1987 film, Project X, starring Matthew Broderick. "Wallflower", along with adaptations of other songs from Gabriel's third and fourth albums, was featured on the 1984 film Birdy, directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. "I Have The Touch" featured in the 1988 film, The Chocolate War; an alternate version of "I Have the Touch" was featured on the 1996 film, Phenomenon, starring John Travolta, and a cover version by Heather Nova was featured in The Craft. "Shock the Monkey" was also featured in episode 110 of the animated series South Park.
This was the last album by Gabriel to be titled Peter Gabriel until the 2008 compilation album released covermount into The Mail on Sunday.
All songs written by Peter Gabriel.
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Billboard Pop Albums | 28 |
| Music Week (UK) Albums | 6 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "I Have the Touch" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 46 |
| "Kiss of Life" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 34 | |
| "Shock the Monkey" | Billboard Black Singles | 64 | |
| Billboard Club Play Singles | 26 | ||
| Billboard Mainstream Rock | 1 | ||
| Billboard Pop Singles | 29 | ||
| UK singles | 58 |
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BPI – UK | Gold | 30 November 1982 |
| CRIA – Canada | Gold | 1 February 1983 |
| CRIA – Canada | Platinum | 1 February 1983 |
Larry Fast, synthesizer performer on the album, mentioned during a presentation on Moog synthesizers that the working title for "The Rhythm of the Heat" was "Jung in Africa", the working title for "Shock the Monkey" was "Black Bush", and the working title for "Lay Your Hands on Me" was "93"--this was the number of the LinnDrum pattern used on the track.[6]
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