The concept behind Peter Gabriel’s forthcoming indie rock covers project is an intriguing one: it’s a song swap, Peter singing over orchestral reinterpretations of songs from a staggering list of artists — Bon Iver, Lou Reed, the Mag Fields, Radiohead, Bowie, Talking Heads, etc. — with the intention of creating “a dialogue with the writers,” paving the way for a companion piece in which a string of artists would return the favor. The first installment is Scratch My Back, which Peter put together with Bob Ezrin and John Metcalfe. Our first full listen is this take on Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is A Cage,” and unsurprisingly, its gothic bombast is a fine foil for Metcalfe’s symphonic arrangement. It’s the only song from the collection to feature a choir. Gabriel spoke in depth about the cover in this podcast, calling Arcade Fire a “self-contained” universe, and explaining both his take on the song and intention in reworking it. Here it is in Peter’s words, along with the song itself in Peter’s voice, which is something you should listen to fairly immediately:
It took me awhile to really get what [Arcade Fire] were doing, and I think sometimes that’s a sign of quality … I love this [song] title. I have no idea what Win was writing about here. Whatever they were talking about, for me, I got this picture of The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, and it also made me think about relationship moments when you feel totally unable to go into your body properly, and you feel trapped inside and you can’t communicate the way you need to….
It was a big opportunity for John to throw a lot of paint on the canvas, and I was encouraging him to extend some of the big instrumental sections and add some of these crazy triplets, just really push it to the extreme. It’s the only use of the choir on the record, but I think it’s quite a moody color coming in at the end. But it’s a great piece of writing, and I am now a firm Arcade Fire fan, and this was a great way to get to know their work.
Listen:
The podcast where Peter discusses the project in depth is located here (.xml). Also, you can watch a video trailer for the record featuring select moments from the podcast , an interview with John Metcalfe, and footage from the sessions by clicking this link.
Tracklist aka yes, please:
01 “Heroes” (David Bowie)
02 “The Boy in the Bubble” (Paul Simon)
03 “Mirrorball” (Elbow)
04 “Flume” (Bon Iver)
05 “Listening Wind” (Talking Heads)
06 “The Power of the Heart” (Lou Reed)
07 “My Body Is a Cage” (Arcade Fire)
08 “The Book of Love” (The Magnetic Fields)
09 “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” (Randy Newman)
10 “Après moi” (Regina Spektor)
11 “Philadelphia” (Neil Young)
12 “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” (Radiohead)
Peter will perform in support of this release on The New Blood Tour. It is “Peter Gabriel, an orchestra, no drums, no guitars.” The dates:
03/22 – Paris @ Bercy
03/24 – Berlin @ O2
03/25 – Berlin @ O2
03/27 – London @ O2 Arena
03/28 – London @ O2 Arena
04/28 – Montreal @ Bell Centre
05/02 – New York @ Radio City Music Hall
05/03 – New York @ Radio City Music Hall
05/07 – Los Angeles @ Hollywood Bowl
Check the WOMAD shop for ticket purchase info. The North American dates aren’t on-sale just yet.
Elsewhere, Peter’s teamed up with artists from a different corner of the music world — Linkin Park, Dave Matthews, Alanis Morissette, Slash, the All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Lupe Fiasco, and Enrique Iglesias — on a compilation of unreleased music to raise funding for relief efforts in Haiti. Here’s what it sounds like:
Head to musicforrelief.org to download it, and find a link to a suggested-donation form. As good a cause are there is right now.
Peter’s Scratch My Back is out 2/15 via Virgin. Eventually, he’ll scratch theirs.
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The most exquisite women in that movie…I’ll bet Schnabel casted it himself…
That’s gonna sound good at Radio City.
You’re no Johnny Cash, Peter Gabriel. But a decent cover nonetheless, I like the last couple of minutes in particular.
You,re kidding, right? Peter Gabriel is so much more talented and a creative visionary of our generation. Not to take anything away from Johnny Cash, but I don’t think the comparison is fair or even warranted.
i’m pretty sure the johnny cash comparison comes from the fact that cash created a bunch of covers later in his career.
I’m a huge arcade fire fan and this cover is at least as good as the origenal if not better.
The last two minutes of this are the only worthwhile part of this cover.
I’m glad one third of the song has your approval.
i’m pretty surprised that people like this. for me, it shits all over the fragility and catharsis of the original with schmaltzy strings and choir. the backbeat and organ drive the original and this seems to miss it all together. it’s “dramatic,” yeah, but there’s a lot more to it than that…
I agree with you 100%. This doesn’t even come close to the Arcade Fire. Also, while I like Peter Gabriel as much as the next guy I have to agree with the commenter who said that he is no Johnny Cash.
Reminds me of his first bit as a solo artist……Strawberry Fields Forever released in 1975…just after he quit Genesis. It kinds of the same thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBXXqpOq9po
why make a cover if not to reinterpret the meaning and tone of the song?
Apres Moi? Really Peter Gabriel?
I can’t imagine him doing Spektor’s odd vocal inflectioning or speaking Russian, or French.
It’ll be interesting at the very least, and ruin the song for me temporarily at the…most?
I think any given song from Peter Gabriel’s new album would sound fabulous over an “In Memorium” montage on an awards show. TIME TO GAME UP, SARAH MACLACHLAN.
Small thing, but you wrote “I love this [song] title.” I don’t think he means he likes the title of the song, I think he means the title AS IN the song, like how you can refer to a book as a title.
Alright, done being anal. Excited for this album.
I dunno. This is pretty brain melting, guys.
Gabriel is a genius and this cover is pretty damn good if you ask me. Yeah, it gets dramatic, but it’s a very compelling rendition.
Wow, now that is some good stuff there! Gabriel can still bring it!
Totally agree.
@Amrit Great post! I just shared this on the atris blogs. Hope that helps to drive some traffic your way!
-Mason
How did the universe NOT explode when he recorded Mirrorball? Peter and Guy sound nearly like the same person. So maybe the universe just nearly exploded, too?
Whoa… that was climatic and beautiful. Great cover! Heroes is pretty nice as well.
This is absolutely fantastic. Great take on my favorite song from Neon Bible
this isn’t good
NTinsley – I am a huge RSpek fan, and i have heard an early version of Gabriel’s Apres Moi…
Gabriel’s version is mind-blowing – staggering. No joke. Such a different, gorgeous interpretation. Easily the best song on this album – which says a lot, from what I’ve heard thus far.
approved more do not forget to include Brazil in your tour
That’s right…he isn’t Johnny Cash (equally brilliant). He’s Peter Gabriel. But, ehh…My Body Is a Cage is good but it’s one of the weaker songs on this album. I’m not talking about Peter’s version – but the song itself. Arcade Fire has some good songwriting in them but really they are a baby band as of yet. Too early to heap so much praise when they stand willingly in front of the shadows of Talking Heads & Bruce Springsteen. Let’s see what they do in a few years.
As for this album, it’s lovely and very nuanced. His cover of the Lou Reed song ‘The Power Of The Heart’ is a heart wrenching knockout of a song. So wonderfully fragile is the writing and the performance is equally emotive. Even a Lumberjack would cry :-)
Peter Gabriel is one of the most inventive and unique artists. The song is good but nothing to crow about. Comparisons and criticisms are unfair, yet part of the process. I am psyched about the prospect of the Radio City shows.
It’s good once it picks up…. except it sounds like he’s saying “my buddy is a cage”