Peter Gabriel 3: Melt

2002 remastered pressing. Peter Gabriel's third self-titled album pushed the boundaries of recording technology (it was among the first to experiment with gating acoustic drums, an effect Phil Collins usedlater in his song "In The Air Tonight"). Gabriel's mix of electronic sounds and alienated lyrics created a mood captured in the eerie single "Games Without Frontiers". The song "Biko", which became a Gabriel standard, concerned the death of South African activist Steven Biko during interrogation by police. The song inspired Little Steven to start the Artists Against Apartheid project.

An epic production highlighted by the clockwork undertones of "Intruder" and the Afro-prog-rock of "Biko," the third in Peter Gabriel's trilogy of eponymous solo titles is a watermark of the former Genesis singer's career. Drummer Jerry Marotta's tight global-groove templates drive the edgy guitar pastiches of Robert Fripp, David Rhodes, Paul Weller, and XTC's Dave Gregory. Yielding the enigmatic 1980 hit "Games Without Frontiers," the Steve Lillywhite-produced opus travels the dark psychic corners of its narrator with a then-profoundly futuristic sound that's no less compelling than Bowie's Scary Monsters, which was released the same year. The cover may depict Gabriel's melting face, but the album marks Gabriel's arrival as a solid solo artist. --James Rotondi