Reviewed! Peter Gabriel - Live Blood

Peter Gabriel

Live Blood

Eagle Rock Entertainment

Recorded live in London last year, Peter Gabriel’s Live Blood, which follows 2011’s New Blood: Live in London, is an all-encompassing, career-spanning release again featuring the ever-talented 46-piece New Blood Orchestra as Gabriel continues to reinvent not only himself as an artist but his well-known musical canon as well. Live Blood features no shortage of highlight tracks, with some obvious choices being Paul Simon’s “The Boy in the Bubble” and the Magnetic Fields’ “the Book of Love,” a couple of covers that benefit greatly from the New Blood Orchestra’s ethereal string treatment. It’s not completely a somber affair as tracks like “Downside Up” could very well get you dancing, and the timeless hit “Solsbury Hill” WILL get you singing along, just as this massive crowd in attendance (lucky bastards) does on Live Blood. This truly is a wonderful listen, and while it’s not exactly the real thing, Live Blood is nearly as close as you’ll get to seeing Gabriel live, as the venerable singer does his best to make everyone feel like part of the crowd throughout. Suffice to say, Live Blood is a must for fans or those interested in a sonic getaway.

Grade: B+

Go Download: “Solsbury Hill”