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Number of Up (2002) Reviews: 1
Reviewer: John Fitzgerald, Human resources staff database assistant January 09, 2003 When you hear obvious "single material" such as "Growing up" from the "Up" album, one
would think it would remind one of Gabriel's more commercial outings such as "Us" and
"So" with shorter more catchy songs and I do admit that this is what I had anticipated
with "Up" having heard how this was to be his "first proper album in 10 years (etc.)" but
the fact of the matter is, this is a perfect "middle ground" between "commercial" and "art"
type work. The above mentioned song clocks in as the third longest song on the record
surprisingly at seven and a half minutes in duration. Even a song such as "Sky blue" which
sounds like an epic of all proportions will surprise you as although it clocks in a six and
half minutes, it's actually "in the middle" as far as times go on this album, technically being
fourth shortest, but only barely, as there are 2 other songs that clock in at over six minutes
(but shorter than "Sky blue") and one at (almost) three minutes and when hearing it, one
wishes this "almost three minute one" was longer. The "short" track in question is "The
drop" which ends the album, it's a piano and vocal only "Here comes the flood" style
number and although it lacks the drama that "Here comes the flood" has, it still works well
for what it is in it's own right. What starts the album is "Darkness" which goes from quite
verse parts to white noise chorus sections of underwater elephant sounding wah wah
guitars & crashing drums (though the quiet parts are the best ones). This is the track that
sounds most "arty", like early Genesis style or perhaps early Gabriel solo styled, it reminds
me of something that would be found on his second solo album (such as "I don't
remember"). "Sky blue" itself is the best song on the record anyways regardless of Peter
Green's inclusion (though it certainly helps!), an emotional, dark, stirring, moody number,
the piano punctuates perfectly into the chiming/echoing guitars of the instrumental section
(though they are surrounded by haunting choral type vocal chants by The Blind Boys Of
Alabama. If the part that I think is Green's guitar is in fact Greeny (as David Rhodes &
Daniel Lanois also play guitar on this track), then you can hear him better on this
recording then you can on "Ngankarrparni (Sky blue - Reprise)" & "Cloudless" from
Gabriel's earlier 2002 release which was the soundtrack to the film "Rabbit Proof fence"
(he entitled the soundtrack album "Long walk home") though there are a few noticeable
licks on the guitar part in question that one can only hear on "Ngankarrparni (Sky blue -
Reprise)" from LWH, though quieter. This is definitely the best of the bunch on the "Sky
Blue theme variations" available overall though. "No way out" tries to be a "Red rain"
soundalike additionally including it's brushes feel on the rhythm track but it's not as
rocking and there's less of a hook but it can't be all that bad if it wants to be "Red rain"! It
is disappointing though in that it's not as adventurous as one would hope from the longest
song on the CD (at close to 8 minutes in length). "I grieve" is a slow builder which starts
as a mellow, moody keyboards and rhythm workout which around the 5 minute mark goes
in to an upbeat funk styling which gets abandoned not too much longer after it starts to
it's quiet end. "The Barry Williams show" is more hit type material led by it's tough beat
and horn sound (though the "horn(s)" sounds a bit electronic). In case you were
wondering, although there is a TV reference in the lyrics made towards Jerry Springer
type sensationalism, it has nothing to do with Greg Brady. "My head sounds like that" is
the worst track on the album as it's rather uninspired with that horn sound leading the way
again, it's slow in getting started though oddly the beginning ends up being the best part
as it has a nice build but 4 minutes in we get that white noise thump again but it quickly
stops seconds later which makes it seem irrelevant at the end of the listen. "More than
this" is the best of the "hit" sounding material, it's upbeat with useful echo delay guitar
picks on the chorus and "Signal to noise" is a string laden tune with Bobby Mcferrin meets
middle eastern flavored vocals, the drums at the end try to give it a "Biko" feeling but it
fails for the most part as that's a hard act to follow. With the few minor flaws aside, "Up"
is essential to both Gabriel's (& Green's "guest appearance", even in a small way) works.
