"Darkness" | ||||
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Single by Peter Gabriel | ||||
from the album Up | ||||
Released | 2004 | |||
Length | 6:51 (album version) 14:10 (single remix) | |||
Label | SOG | |||
Songwriter(s) | Peter Gabriel | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Peter Gabriel singles chronology | ||||
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"Darkness" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his 2002 album, Up . [1] A live version was included on the Growing Up Live concert film in 2003. [2] In 2004, a remixed version of the song labeled as the "Englespost Remix" was released as a single in Switzerland. It was previously used as the b-side to "Burn You Up, Burn You Down". [3] An instrumental version of "Darkness", titled "Darker Star", was included on the second season of Canadian sci-fi show Starhunter . [4] In 2011, Gabriel re-recorded the song with an orchestra on his New Blood album. [3]
The working title for "Darkness" was "House in the Woods"; it was also one of the first songs Gabriel finished for Up. [5] When sequencing the running order for Up, Gabriel wanted an "uncomfortable track" to open the album and ultimately selected "Darkness" to fulfill that role. The song opens with a 30-second synthesised intro utilising percussive textures with melodic blips, a kick drum, and cymbals. [6] [4] In an interview with Sound on Sound, engineer Richard Chappell explained that these sounds were derived from a spliced groove that was triggered through a keyboard; several of the percussion loops were created by Mahut Dominique. [5]
The intro is bookmarked by Gabriel muttering the word "consequence", which is accompanied by what Peter Gabriel biographer Daryl Easlea described as a "sonic assault" that resembles a "death metal record" and the intro to King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man". [6] [4] Chappell explained that the "aggressive loud noise" was achieved by distorting a conga drum with a Lexicon JamMan effect box. [5] An electric guitar played by David Rhodes and a scream were also layered underneath to further add to the effect. [3] David Stopps, an old friend of Gabriel, remarked that the song was "really uncompromising" and that he "pushed the envelope" by making it the album's opening track.
It's almost unbearable to listen to. You can't listen to that, you have to turn it right down before you start or otherwise you might jump out of your skin when that comes in-it’s not easy listening, but that's typical Peter. [6]
Chappell said in his interview with Sound on Sound that a few people in Gabriel's inner circle objected to the placement of "Darkness" as the opening track on the album and claimed that some listeners had broken their hi-fi loudspeakers because of the song. However, he maintained that the song "had so much muscle and it seemed like a fun idea to have the quiet intro and then the loud assault." [5]
Verse 1 is sung in Gabriel's lower vocal register and addresses the various fears that make him feel minuscule, beginning with his unease about swimming in the sea. For the second verse, the song transitions into a louder section with studio effects that make "Gabriel's higher ranged voice seem almost satanic" according to author Durrell Bowman. [4] Gabriel's distorted vocals were processed with a Sansamp and Line-6 audio plug-in, which were applied during the recording process rather than the production phase. [5] Gentler musical passages follow both of these verses, where Gabriel sings in his normal register without any vocal treatments, affirming that he will not allow his fears engulf him. [4] The quieter instrumentation continues into the bridge, where the lyrics address the confrontation of the narrator's fears. [3] This section, along with the twice-repeated endings to the verses, fulfill the role of a refrain. The song fades out with the same instrumentation as the intro, which is accompanied by processed vocal murmurs and incantations. [4]
Writing for PopMatters , Andy Hermann highlighted the song's intro, saying that it "attacks the listener with techno-industrial shrieks and an almost Zeppelin-like, stomping backbeat." He also identified "Darkness" as one of the songs on Up that sounded like it took ten years to create. [7] Entertainment Weekly singled out "Darkness" as a song where Gabriel "confront[s] his psychic scars with cathartic insight." [8] Peter Menocal of Kludge wrote that the song was "an enigmatic crawler that taunts the listener into the seductive depths of this screaming Atlantis...The song lashes out and recalls near Trent Reznor-like quality in its composition. Gabriel whispers spoken word only to fall into his trademark ballad. He becomes lost under a layer of instrumentation that is a treat to dissect." [9]
Author Graeme Scarfe thought that listeners who expected a retread of So or Us would likely find the song unsettling, further calling it the least accessible song on Up. [3] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian was critical of certain lyrics, specifically the line about "being mothered with my balls shut in the pen". [10]
Credits from the Up liner notes [12]
"Shock the Monkey" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in September 1982 as the first single from his fourth self-titled studio album, issued in the US under the title Security.
Up is the seventh studio and thirteenth album overall by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 23 September 2002 through Geffen and Real World Records. The album rose to number 9 in the US, number 11 in the UK, and captured the number 1 position in Italy. Most critics reviewed it positively, though Rolling Stone said Gabriel was "out of touch". This would be Gabriel's last studio album of new original material for 21 years until the release of I/O (2023), although he did release several studio projects in the interim.
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"Family Snapshot" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, appearing on his third eponymous studio album.
"Intruder" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. The song was the first to use the "gated reverb" drum sound created by Hugh Padgham and Phil Collins, with Collins performing the song's drum part. The gated drum effect was later used in Collins' own "In the Air Tonight", and appeared frequently through the 1980s, on records such as David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the Power Station's "Some Like It Hot".
"No Self Control" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in 1980 as the second single released from his third self-titled album and peaked at number 33 in the UK.
"I Have the Touch" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his fourth eponymous studio album released in 1982. The song's working title during the recording sessions was "Hands". This song was featured in the film The Chocolate War (1988). The 1996 remix was used in the film Phenomenon of the same year. In 1996, Heather Nova recorded a cover version of the song for the teen-witch horror film The Craft.
"D.I.Y." is a song written and recorded by English musician Peter Gabriel. It was included on his 1978 self-titled solo album and was released as a single in May with "Perspective" as a B-side, although it failed to chart.
"Growing Up" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his 2002 album, Up. The song was released as the third single from Up where it reached the top 40 in Italy. It was also included on the Growing Up Live concert film in 2003.
"I Don't Remember" is a song written and recorded by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released as the fourth and final single from his third eponymous studio album in 1980. Although originally only released as an A-side single in the United States and Canada, a live version released with the album Plays Live (1983) reached No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 75 in Britain for 4 weeks. The song was included in Gabriel's compilation album Shaking the Tree (1990) and two different versions were included in Flotsam and Jetsam (2019).
"Kiss That Frog" is the fourth single from English rock musician Peter Gabriel's sixth album, Us (1992). It was written by Gabriel and produced by him with Daniel Lanois. The single was released in September 1993 by Real World, and narrowly failed to enter the UK top 40, peaking at number 46. However, the song did reach the top 40 in Canada, where it peaked at number 36. In the United States, the song missed the Billboard Hot 100 but reached number 18 on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts.
"Shakin' the Tree" is a 1989 song by Youssou N'Dour and Peter Gabriel from the Youssou N'Dour album The Lion. Released as a single, it reached number 61 on the UK official singles chart on 3 June 1989.
"The Barry Williams Show" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his 2002 album, Up. The song was released as the album's lead single and charted in various European countries. In 2003, the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, although it lost to Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising".
"More Than This" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his 2002 album, Up. The song was released as the second single from Up and was the only song from the album to chart in the UK, reaching number 47. It was also included on the Growing Up Live concert film in 2003. The live performance featured projections of a balloon suspended above the stage.
"Burn You Up, Burn You Down" is a song co-written and performed by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. Early recording was conducted at Gabriel's Real World Studios in 1991, although the song would remain unreleased for another decade. The song was originally intended to appear on Gabriel's 2002 Up, but was ultimately pulled from the track list shortly before the album's release. It was instead included on Gabriel's Hit compilation album the following year and released as a single, where it charted in both Italy and the UK. An alternate mix of "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" was also included on Big Blue Ball in 2008.
"Come Talk to Me" is the opening song from English rock musician Peter Gabriel's sixth album, Us (1992). It was written by Gabriel and recorded as a duet with Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. The song was released as a promotional single and also received a music video directed by Matt Mahurin. The music video also included the involvement of Michael Coulson, the creative director from Real World, and British visual artist Nichola Bruce.
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