I believe that live albums typically a little more than greatest hits recorded through a tin can> Sure, there are solid live recordings but a great many are extraneous at the least. Peter Gabriel has done a tremendous amount of footwork for Live Blood, essentially re-writing some of eir greatest hits and providing roles to an expansive group (over 40 players). Gabriel has taken tracks from all parts of eir career – Red Rain (1986) plays perfectly alongside eir cover of Paul Simon’s The Boy in the Bubble. I loved eir interpretation of Lou Reed’s The Power of the Heart because of how different it was from the original. There is just a richness to it that is so utterly foreign from the rest of Reed’s work that Gabriel has truly taken the track for eirself. Each re-cast is similar in quality and makes this an essential title.
Live Blood – Live in London 2011 is an amazing live recording, with a quality present in these tracks that truly is at a similar quality to what would be present on a Gabriel studio recording. I believe the inclusion of the nearly fifty-piece New Blood Orchestra provides a richness to the recordings that makes each effort resound that much more in the minds and hearts of listeners. Peter Gabriel has been creating stellar music for fifty years and Live Blood showcases the sheer breadth and depth of eir musical career. Make sure to purchase a copy of Live Blood from online or physical retailers. With an active audience and a perfect repartee with band and audience alike, Peter Gabriel has virtually ensured that listeners will have these discs in their players for months to come.
Top Tracks: The Boy in the Bubble, The Rhythm of the Heat
Rating: 8.0/10
Peter Gabriel – Live Blood – Live in London 2011 (CD) / 2012 Eagle Rock / http://www.eaglerockent.com