New Blood (Special Edition)

Compilations differ

Peter Gabriel, who should be thinking of his retirement now, as many suggest, have released two albums in less than two years. Although neither is a record with new material, the singer’s listeners will not be disappointed by that a bit. They would have been listening to the last year’s release Scratch My Back until now if they had not been forced to shift their focus towards a newer record called New Blood. After covering favorite songs by other performers, Peter Gabriel decided to work on his own catalogue this time. Another compilation, some skeptics would say, turning their faces away. Indeed, Gabriel’s fresh work is a collection, but there hardly is another record in his discography one would compare New Blood with. Firstly, the originally rock-styled songs are presented in the orchestral designing. Secondly, New Blood is not a regular best-of collection of Gabriel’s most popular songs. Far from all tracks here are true hits which everyone recognizes right away. On the other hand, there is no song on New Blood that would not deserve being here.

Songs were selected to match orchestral music

Okay, we have no guitars and drums here. What was at Peter Gabriel’s disposal was New Blood Orchestra of 46 musicians who breathed a new life into the singer’s old songs. If you take a look at the New Blood set, you might just find those tracks which can scarcely be associated with orchestral music. For example, the opener, The Rhythm Of The Heart, where drums seemed the key to everything, until recently. As a result, we have got a wonderful song, albeit not very much like the original one. San Jacinto, on the contrary, reminds a great deal of the basic variant, mostly thank to the same inspiring vocals by Gabriel. In fact, one of the reasons why this album excludes some of Peter’s ultimate best efforts is the peculiar sounding. Downside Up is not the most acclaimed song and does not always get a spot in a concert set. However, with the orchestra, this one obtains some unexpected advantages. Wallflower is another tune to be often ignored by Gabriel in his performances, most likely because of the difficult singing part. Yet the song looks to be made specially for the orchestra, and on New Blood it is one of the highlights. One should also mention a track called Red Rain. As quite a famous hit, the live version of Red Rain sounded amazing without orchestra, but the new remake produces an even greater breathtaking and mesmerizing effect.

Old material with new impact

The deluxe version of New Blood includes a second CD with instrumental interpretations of the first CD’s set and Blood Of Eden as a bonus. As an independent record, the second part of New Blood will not be much of attraction, but together with the first half of the album, it accentuates the scale, the seriousness and the depth of the whole work. New Blood is really an impressive effort. Such should be a work when it is done by someone like Peter Gabriel. Instead of a messy selection of hits so dull and bothering, the artist presents a perfectly crafted and thoroughly designed record. The New Blood tracks, most of which are well known to the audience, all of a sudden show their unseen side and capture you like they once did. Gabriel is not going to mourn his long gone youth or complain about the approaching old age. He does not invite you to his own funeral as if to sink into nostalgia. He uses his old and tested material to make a new album which will have its own history and contribution to the legacy of the great musician.