Plays Live

Last updated

Plays Live
Plays Live - Peter Gabriel.jpg
Live album by
Released6 June 1983 [1]
RecordedNovember–December 1982, United States
1983, Bath, England
Genre Art rock
Length89:53(original version)
66:50 (highlights version)
Label Geffen (US & Canada), Charisma
Producer Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh
Peter Gabriel chronology
Peter Gabriel
(1982)
Plays Live
(1983)
Birdy
(1985)
Singles from Plays Live
  1. "I Don't Remember"
    Released: June 1983 (UK)
  2. "I Go Swimming" / "Solsbury Hill"
    Released: July 1983 [2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Plays Live is the first live and fifth album overall by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was originally issued as a double album and long-play cassette in 1983, with sixteen songs. It was re-released in 1985, as a single CD called Plays Live (Highlights) with only twelve songs, some of which are edited so the album fits on a single disc. It was rereleased in its entirety as a double CD set in 1987. In 2002, a remaster of the Highlights version was issued. In 2019, the complete double-LP version was released on streaming platforms for the first time.

Contents

In 2021 the original 2CD version was released in remastered form. The sound recordings copyright (p) date featured on the back of the package suggests this had actually been remastered at the same time as the rest of Gabriel's back catalogue in 2002.

Armando Gallo took the cover photograph. "I was always listening to the music when I photographed a concert," he said. "Somehow my index finger pressed the clicker in time with the lights and the percussion - the heart of the music. I always felt grateful that I could shoot Peter’s entire shows. Once I asked Peter if he didn’t mind me being in the pit photographing his every move. 'No, I love to see a friendly face,' he answered. Making me feel good about it." [5]

Recordings

The songs for "Plays Live" were recorded at the following venues:

Liner notes by "the producers" admit, "Although this album was compiled from four concerts in the mid-West of the United States, some additional recording took place not a thousand miles away from the home of the artist. The generic term for this process is 'cheating'. Care has been taken to keep the essence of the gigs intact, including 'human imperfection'."

Singles and promotion

"I Don't Remember" was issued as a single, with an accompanying music video, in the UK only.

In the US and Canada, "Solsbury Hill" was released as a single from Plays Live with "I Go Swimming" on the B-side. This previously unreleased song received airplay and made the US Mainstream Rock charts in 1983. It was initially recorded for Gabriel's third album [6] and was performed on his 1980 tour.

In several European countries, "I Go Swimming" was the A-side.

A live version of "Kiss of Life" from the 1982 tour appeared as the B-side of "Solsbury Hill" in The Netherlands. It was never included in any version of Plays Live although it was included in Gabriel's 2019 compilation Flotsam and Jetsam .

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Gabriel.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Rhythm of the Heat"6:26
2."I Have the Touch"5:18
3."Not One of Us"5:29
4."Family Snapshot"4:44
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."D.I.Y."4:20
6."The Family and the Fishing Net"7:22
7."Intruder"5:03
8."I Go Swimming"4:44
Side three
No.TitleLength
9."San Jacinto"8:27
10."Solsbury Hill"4:42
11."No Self Control"5:03
12."I Don't Remember"4:19
Side four
No.TitleLength
13."Shock the Monkey"7:10
14."Humdrum"4:23
15."On the Air"5:22
16."Biko"7:01
Total length:89:53
Plays Live (Highlights)
No.TitleLength
1."I Have the Touch"4:47
2."Family Snapshot"4:44
3."D.I.Y."4:05
4."The Family and the Fishing Net"7:38
5."I Go Swimming"4:54
6."San Jacinto"8:19
7."Solsbury Hill"4:41
8."No Self Control"5:04
9."I Don't Remember"4:12
10."Shock the Monkey"7:10
11."Humdrum"4:21
12."Biko"6:52
Total length:66:50

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [7] 55
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [8] 18
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [9] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [10] 40
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [11] 25
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [12] 31
UK Albums (OCC) [13] 8
US Billboard 200 [14] 44
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [15] 23

Related Research Articles

<i>Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81</i> 2000 live album by Pink Floyd

Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 is a live album released by Pink Floyd in 2000. It is a live rendition of The Wall, produced and engineered by James Guthrie, with tracks selected from the August 1980 and June 1981 performances at Earls Court in London. The album was first released in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2000, and a US/Canadian release by Columbia Records on 18 April.

<i>So</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Peter Gabriel

So is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 19 May 1986 by Charisma Records and Virgin Records. After working on the soundtrack to the film Birdy (1984), producer Daniel Lanois was invited to remain at Gabriel's Somerset home during 1985 to work on his next solo project. Initial sessions for So consisted of Gabriel, Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes, although these grew to include a number of percussionists.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1982 album) Fourth solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the fourth studio album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. In the United States and Canada, the album was released by Geffen Records with the title Security. Some music streaming services refer to it as Peter Gabriel 4: Security. A German-language version, entitled Deutsches Album, was also released. The album saw Gabriel expanding on the post-punk and world music influences from his 1980 self-titled record, and earned him his first US top 40 single with "Shock the Monkey".

<i>The Visitors</i> (ABBA album) 1981 studio album by ABBA

The Visitors is the eighth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on 30 November 1981.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1977 album) Debut solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter and producer Peter Gabriel, released on 25 February 1977 by Charisma Records. After his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis was made public in 1975, Gabriel took a break to concentrate on his family life. In 1976, he began writing material for a solo album and met producer Bob Ezrin, who agreed to produce it. Gabriel hired several additional musicians to play on the album, including guitarist Robert Fripp and bassist Tony Levin. The album was later known as Peter Gabriel I or Car, referring to the album's artwork produced by Hipgnosis. Some music streaming services, including Gabriel's own Bandcamp page, refer to it as Peter Gabriel 1: Car.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1978 album) Second solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 2 June 1978 by Charisma Records. Gabriel started recording the album in November 1977, the same month that he had completed touring in support of his debut solo release. He employed former King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, who was part of Gabriel's early touring band, to produce the album. Fripp used his Frippertronics effects on the co-written song "Exposure".

<i>Swallow This Live</i> 1991 live album by Poison

Swallow This Live is the first live album by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1991 by Capitol Records. The album features 16 live tracks from Poison's first three studio albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say...Ahh!, and Flesh & Blood. These live tracks were recorded in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa in Florida, as well as the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in California during Poison’s Flesh & Blood world tour. The album also contains four new studio tracks, which were the last recorded before guitarist C.C. DeVille departed from Poison later in 1991. One of these, "So Tell Me Why", was released as a single and reached number 25 in the United Kingdom in November 1991.

<i>Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Peter Gabriel

Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats is a compilation album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in 1990 as Gabriel's first career retrospective, including songs from his first solo album Peter Gabriel (1977), through Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ (1989). It was remastered with most of Gabriel's catalogue in 2002. The vinyl version of the album is called Shaking the Tree: Twelve Golden Greats.

<i>Up</i> (Peter Gabriel album) 2002 studio album by Peter Gabriel

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. The album debuted with sales of 76,000 units in the US and was the highest charting album on the Billboard 200 from a British artist that week. 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 until the release of I/O (2023), although he did release several studio projects in the interim.

<i>Secret World Live</i> (film) 1994 video by Peter Gabriel

Secret World Live is a film filmed in two Peter Gabriel concerts in 1993, as part of his Secret World Tour to support his sixth solo album, Us. The show is performed across two stages: a square and a circular stage, bridged by a conveyor belt. It was released on VHS, LaserDisc and DVD. An album of the same title with a similar track listing was also released.

<i>Secret World Live</i> 1994 live album by Peter Gabriel

Secret World Live is the second live album and tenth album overall by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 30 August 1994 in the UK. The album documents the concert experience of the Secret World Tour. A concert film of the same name was released simultaneously. Its track listing omits "Red Rain" and adds "San Jacinto" after "Blood of Eden".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solsbury Hill (song)</span> 1977 single by Peter Gabriel

"Solsbury Hill" is the debut solo single by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. He wrote the song about a spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset, England, after his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis, of which he had been the lead vocalist since its inception. The single was a Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 13, and reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977.

<i>Hit</i> (album) 2003 greatest hits album by Peter Gabriel

Hit, also known as Peter Gabriel: The Definitive Two CD Collection, is a 2003 compilation album of songs by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It reached No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 100 in the US. Disc one is labelled Hit and disc two Miss, reflecting the first disc which comprises Gabriel's best known chart singles and the second featuring his more obscure material.

<i>The Riddle</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Nik Kershaw

The Riddle is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released on 19 November 1984 by MCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel song)</span> 1986 single by Peter Gabriel

"Sledgehammer" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in April 1986 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, So (1986). It was produced by Gabriel and Daniel Lanois. It reached No. 1 in Canada on 21 July 1986, where it spent four weeks; No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, thanks in part to its music video. It was his biggest hit in North America and ties with "Games Without Frontiers" as his biggest hit in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Gabriel discography</span>

This is the solo discography of Peter Gabriel, an English singer-songwriter, musician and humanitarian activist who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. His 1986 album, So, is his most commercially successful, selling five million copies in America, and the album's biggest hit, "Sledgehammer", won a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. The song is the most played music video in the history of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Bush discography</span>

The discography of English singer-songwriter Kate Bush consists of 10 studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, six video albums, four box sets, five extended plays, 40 singles, seven promotional singles, and 39 music videos.

<i>And Ill Scratch Yours</i> 2013 studio album by various artists

And I'll Scratch Yours is a compilation album developed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. Initially slated for release in 2010, the album was released on 24 September 2013. The original concept was that And I'll Scratch Yours would serve as a companion piece to Gabriel's 2010 covers album Scratch My Back. The idea was to give the artists whose songs Gabriel covered on Scratch My Back a medium to reciprocate – And I'll Scratch Yours would feature those artists covering Gabriel's songs. Three artists, David Bowie, Neil Young and Radiohead, declined to record covers of Gabriel's material, so Brian Eno, Joseph Arthur and Feist contributed covers to the album instead.

<i>New Blood</i> (Peter Gabriel album) 2011 studio album by Peter Gabriel

New Blood is the ninth studio album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 10 October 2011. The album consists of orchestral re-recordings of various tracks from Gabriel's career.

<i>Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings</i> 2019 live album box set by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings is a box set of 1975 live recordings by Bob Dylan, released on June 7, 2019. For this tour, Dylan assembled a loose collective of a backing band called Guam and played across North America for several dozen shows. The tie-in Netflix documentary film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese was released the following week. A similar compilation was released in 2002 entitled Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue, as part of Dylan's ongoing Bootleg Series. That compilation was re-released on vinyl as a companion to the later release.

References

  1. "Plays Live".
  2. "Peter Gabriel singles".
  3. Eder, Bruce (2011). "Plays Live – Peter Gabriel | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  4. Fricke, David (1 September 1983). "Plays Live". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  5. petergabriel.com subscribers' email, 12 October 2020
  6. Capital Radio interview with Nicky Horne, broadcast 16 March 1980; transcribed in Gabriel fanzine White Shadow (#1, pp10) by editor Fred Tomsett
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 120. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6303a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Peter Gabriel – Plays Live" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Peter Gabriel – Plays Live" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  11. "Charts.nz – Peter Gabriel – Plays Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  12. "Swedishcharts.com – Peter Gabriel – Plays Live". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  14. "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  15. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.