Review: Peter Gabriel – i/o (2023)

i/o is Peter Gabriel’s 8th studio album.

”Long-awaited new studio album” is an understatement for Gabriel. i/o is Gabriel’s first album of entirely new studio material in 21 years.

Gabriel is a perfectionist with enough resources and time on his hands to be able to tinker with his music for as long as he wants. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, but Gabriel’s position is probably enviable for any artist.

In practice, however, there is no such thing as perfection, which means that Gabriel tinkers endlessly with his songs in the pursuit of something that cannot be achieved. Perhaps it was to ease this pain that Gabriel released his new album, not one, or two, but THREE different mixes. There are Mark Stent’s Bright Side, Tchad Blake’s Dark-Side and Hans-Martin Buff’s In-Side mixes. The latter is provided in immersive Dolby Atmos. None of these mixes is actually specified as a definitive version, so it is up to the listener to decide.

The long-gestating 12-song i/o is Gabriel’s longest studio album at 68 minutes. It is a difficult album to grasp. Perhaps because it doesn’t really feel like a coherent album as a whole, but more like a collection of individual songs. This feeling is especially true for Stent’s Bright-Side mixes, which seem to emphasise more the individual aspects of the songs.

Blake’s Dark-Side mixes, on the other hand, seem to bring the material a little closer together. Even this statement is an exaggeration, though, because to be honest, the differences between the different mixes don’t seem particularly dramatic. I think my approach in the future will be to concentrate for a few years on just listening to one mix version and return to the other version later (I don’t have any equipment that plays Atmos at the moment). Perhaps this will then bring a new freshness to the material. And maybe it will also add value to Gabriel’s experiment. Maybe! Writing about the album is at least made difficult by the different mixes because although my own listening journey is only just beginning, it already seems that some of the songs work better as Bright-Side mixes and some work better as Dark-Side versions. At the time of writing I have listened to more Bright-Side mixes so my views are mainly based on its merits.

Many have praised the sounds of the album. I can understand why. The album is certainly impressive sonically and contains several ”effects” sections that sound really impressive on high quality sound equipment. However, as a whole, i/o sounds a bit lifeless to me. At times downright sterile. The whole thing has been endlessly tinkered with and unfortunately in the process the music has lost almost all sense of spontaneity.

It is a consolation, however, that, processed and polished as the album otherwise is, Gabriel’s own sound sounds organic and hasn’t been tainted by autotune-like retouching. Gabriel’s natural voice and the humane message he conveys with it throughout the album save a lot. Especially as the maestro’s voice is very well preserved, unlike many other rockers over 70. The voice sounds perhaps a little thinner than before, but still sufficiently rich and charismatic.

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i/o’s music is built on three main components: electronic rhythms/sequencing, a symphony orchestra/choir and a rock band. There are also some jazz musicians with trumpets and saxophones. So there’s a lot of stuff on the tracks!

The orchestral arrangements are again by John Metcalfe, who did some really nice arrangements for Gabriel’s ” interim ” albums Scratch My Back (2010) and New Blood (2011). On Scratch My Back Gabriel interpreted other artists’ music with a symphony orchestra in the background and on New Blood he did the same trick for his own old songs. The arrangements on New Blood in particular were even more frighteningly gorgeous. The same power is not achieved with i/o but the orchestra mostly plays subdued in the background amongst pop elements. However, the orchestral arrangements are again very elegant and sometimes very effective.

Of these three main components, electronics will play a very central role. Here and there, programmed rhythms pulsate and electronic effects play out with a mostly light, harmless sound. Sometimes a little too generic. Rhythmically, i/o is not as interesting as Gabriel’s music has been in the past.

Speaking of electronics; Gabriel has said that he has been workshopping music with Skrillex. Skrillex, who was basking in the top of electronic music a decade ago, gave Gabriel a tip that he should write more songs about partying in nightclubs. Fortunately, the 73-year-old Gabriel didn’t take the DJ guru’s advice…

i/o’s ”rock band” is based around Gabriel’s three old collaborators. Bassist Tony Levin has been part of Gabriel’s journey since his first solo album, guitarist David Rhodes took his place in the regular line-up on the third album and drummer Manu Katché made his debut on So. The album’s opening track ””Panopticom” is perhaps the most effective showcase of the band’s playing, but there’s something very mechanical about it too. In ”This Is Home” Levin and Katché at least get to play a very gabrielike tight groove. Rhodes has never been a guitarist in the foreground, he’s more of a sound effects and atmospheric player than a soloist, but this time he’s more hidden than usual.

In addition to the core trio of Levin, Rhodes and Katché, the album also features a number of other rock musicians here and there. Around half of the songs on the album feature electronics by producer wizard Brian Eno himself. He also gets producer credit on one song (”Road To Joy”).

Stylistically, i/o surprises. Whereas Gabriel’s previous album Up (2002) was very dark, intense and often even overbearing, i/o is a very light-hearted listen. It is actually more upbeat and gentle than any of Gabriel’s previous albums. I have to admit that I personally miss the dark drama and stark contrasts that Gabriel’s music at its best offers. Basically, i/o is a pop album with extreme production values and rich arrangements.

What about the song material that Gabriel has been working on for decades (the earliest recorded elements that made it onto the album are apparently from 1995!)? For the most part the songs are of high quality, but by Gabriel’s standards a little lacking in surprise.

For me, three songs stand out above the rest: ”The Court”, ”Playing For Time” and ”Four Kinds Of Horses”.

”The Court” is a powerful, slightly trip-hoppy, pop song with a really nice chorus arrangement. The song’s successful chorus strikes in a really interesting way, as if completely unexpectedly on top of the verse. When the chorus is sung from a high pitch and echoed in an elegant way, the effect is really nice and the result is something I’ve never heard before.

”Playing For Time” is a slower cooking track and I found it a bit boring at first. Eventually, however, I warmed to its emotional power. ”Playing For Time” begins as a delicate piano ballad accompanied by delicate strings and takes its time with a confident languidness until it builds up to a stately finale with the power of the full symphony orchestra.

The most impressive track of all, however, is the electro-orchestral ”Four Kinds Of Horses”. Alongside the orchestra, Brian Eno’s electronic effects and programming take centre stage. The cinematic strings also add their own spicy side flavour. The song also features perhaps the best vocal performance from Gabriel on the album. As a composition, ”Four Kinds Of Horses” offers most of the enigmatic drama that I love most about Gabriel’s music. A really great song.

It’s a bit problematic that the three best tracks on the album are heard in the first half of the album. After that, the average level of music drops significantly.

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Some of the most if not annoying songs are the overly cheerful bubbling Eno produced ”Road To Joy” which sounds like a diluted ”Kiss That Frog” (which was originally a bland song), the downright annoyingly upbeat ”Olive Tree” with its blaring horn section and the stagnant closing track ”Live And Let Live” which is the only track on the album that tries to bring in some of Gabriel’s earlier ethnic elements. However, the song, pulsating on a stale electronic rhythm, sinks into a ridiculous bloat with a choir at the end, and it is in this song that the thinness of the musical ideas seems to be hidden under a great production.

Even the title track doesn’t really excite me even though it rolls along quite nicely. ”i/o” sounds too familiar and is like the archetype of a mediocre Peter Gabriel song. This is also true for a few other songs. The feeling of deja-vu is often strong when listening to the album. The title track’s chorus ”stuff coming out/stuff going in” is also unusually banal… especially after 20 years of maturation!

The gem of the second half is the minimalist ”Love Can Heal”. It’s a beautiful and delicate song, carried by Linnea Olson’s cello and the bell-like electronic sounds. In the chorus, three female vocalists stand up alongside Gabriel’s voice in a delicious way.

After 20 years of waiting, i/o is a bit of a disappointment for me. I admit, though, that after a rather dull first impression, the album has grown in stature with every listen. Perhaps in a year’s time I will be praising it! At the moment, however, I feel that if I had to make a list of the 50 best songs by Peter Gabriel I don’t think I could pick out a single track from i/o. Well… maybe ”The Court” and ”Four Kinds Of Horses”…

Knowing Gabriel’s work pace, it is quite possible that i/o will be the end of his career as far as studio albums are concerned. Personally, I still hope that Gabriel will find the energy to make music with a little more speed, intensity and, above all, spontaneity. If not, i/o is by no means an unhappy finale to Gabriel’s illustrious career.

Best tracks: ”The Court”, ”Playing For Time”, ”Four Kinds Of Horses”, ”Love Can Heal”

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Author: JANNE YLIRUUSI
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Tracks

  1. ”Panopticom” 5:13
  2. ”The Court” 4:20
  3. ”Playing for Time” 6:17
  4. ”I/O” 3:52
  5. ”Four Kinds of Horses” GabrielRichard Russell 6:47
  6. ”Road to Joy” GabrielBrian Eno 5:21
  7. ”So Much” 4:50
  8. ”Olive Tree” 5:59
  9. ”Love Can Heal” 5:59
  10. ”This Is Home” 5:04
  11. ”And Still” 7:41
  12. ”Live and Let Live” 6:46

Peter Gabriel: vocals, backing vocals, processed vocals (on ”And Still”) keyboards, piano (on ”The Court”, ”So Much”, ”Olive Tree”, ”Love Can Heal”, ”And Still” and ”Live and Let Live”), synthesizers, programming (on ”Panopticom”, ”The Court”, ”I/O”, ”Road to Joy”, ”Olive Tree”, ”This Is Home”, ”And Still” and ”Live and Let Live”), percussion (on ”Four Kinds of Horses”, ”Love Can Heal”, ”And Still” and ”Live and Let Live”), manipulated carango (on ”Road to Joy”), glass harp (on ”And Still”). David Rhodes: guitars (except on ”Playing for Time”), acoustic guitar (on ”Olive Tree”), acoustic 12-string guitar (on ”So Much” and ”Olive Tree”), backing vocals. Tony Levin: bass Manu Katché: drums (except on ”Four Kinds of Horses”, ”So Much”, ”Love Can Heal” and ”And Still”) Ged Lynch: percussion (on ”Olive Tree” and ”Love Can Heal”). Tom Cawley: piano (on ”Playing for Time”). Evan Smith: saxophone (on ”Olive Tree”) Josh Shpak: trumpet (on ”Road to Joy” and ”Olive Tree”). Melanie Gabriel: backing vocals (on ”The Court”, ”Four Kinds of Horses”, ”So Much”, ”Love Can Heal” and ”Live and Let Live”). Ríoghnach Connolly: backing vocals (on ’Panopticom’, ’Love Can Heal’ and ’This Is Home’). Jennie Abrahamson: backing vocals (on ’Love Can Heal’). Linnea Olsson: cello (on ’Love Can Heal’), backing vocals (on ’Love Can Heal’). Angie Pollock: synthesizers (on ”Love Can Heal”). Brian Eno: Synthesizers (on ”Panopticom”, ”The Court”, ”This Is Home” and ”Live and Let Live”), bells (on ”Panopticom”), percussion (on ”The Court”), rhythm programming and ”progressing” (on ”Four Kinds of Horses” and ”Road to Joy”), ”electromagnets” and additional synthesizers (in ”Four Kinds of Horses”), manipulated guitar and ukulele (in ”Road to Joy”), rhythm programming (in ”Live and Let Live”). Oli Jacobs: synthesizers (on ”Panopticom”, ”Playing for Time”, ”I/O” and ”This Is Home”), programming (on ”Panopticom”, ”The Court”, ”I/O”, ”This Is Home” and ”Live and Let Live”), piano (on ”Four Kinds of Horses”), tambourine (on ”This is Home”). Don-E: bass synthesizer (on ”Road to Joy”). Katie May: acoustic guitar (on ’Panopticom’ and ’I/O’), percussion (on ’The Court’, ’This Is Home’ and ’Live and Let Live’), Rickenbacker guitar (on ’I/O’), synthesizers (on ’I/O’), rhythm programming (on ’Four Kinds of Horses’), guitar effects (on ’Love Can Heal’) Richard Evans: D-whistle (on ”I/O”), mandolin (on ”Olive Tree”). Richard Chappell: programming (on ”Panopticom”, ”The Court”, ”I/O”, ”Olive Tree”, ”And Still” and ”Live and Let Live”). Richard Russell: filtered percussion (on ’Four Kinds of Horses’). Hans-Martin Buff: additional percussion and synthesizers (on ”Road to Joy”). Ron Aslan: additional synthesizers (on ’Road to Joy’). Oli Middleton: percussion (on ”This Is Home”). Paolo Fresu: trumpet (on ”Live and Let Live”). Steve Gadd: whistle loop (on ”Live and Let Live”).

Orchestra and choir

Violins: Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Louisa Fuller, Charles Mutter, Cathy Thompson, Natalia Bonner, Richard George, Marianne Haynes, Martin Burgess, Clare Hayes, Debbie Widdup, Odile Ollagnon. Violins. Cellists: Ian Burdge (also solo cello on ”And Still”), Chris Worsey, Caroline Dale, William Schofield, Tony Woollard, Chris Allan. Double bass: Chris Laurence, Stacey Watton, Lucy Shaw. Trumpets: Andrew Crowley Tenor trombone/euphonium: Andy Wood Tenor trombones: Tracy Holloway Bass Trombone: Richard Henry Tuba: David Powell French Horn: David Pyatt, Richard Bissill Flute: Eliza Marshall Conductor: John Metcalfe Conductor of Orchestra: Everton Nelson Orchestral Arrangements: John Metcalfe, Peter Gabriel (on ”The Court”, ”So Much”, ”Olive Tree”, ”And Still” and ”Live and Let Live”) and Ed Shearmur (on ”Playing for Time”).

The Soweto Gospel Choir: (on ”I/O”, ”Road to Joy” and ”Live and Let Live”).Soprano: Linda Sambo, Nobuhle Dhlamini, Phello Jiyane, Victoria Sithole.Alto: Maserame Ndindwa, Phumla Nkhumeleni, Zanele Ngwenya, Duduzile Ngomane.Tenor: George Kaudi, Vusimuzi Shabalala, Xolani Ntombela, Victor Makhathini. Bass: Thabang Mkhwanazi, Goodwill Modawu, Warren Mahlangu, Fanizile Nzuza.Soloists: Phello Jiyane (soprano), Duduzile Ngomane (alto), Vusimuzi Shabalala (tenor), Fanizile Nzuza (bass), Victor Makhathini (male voice Zulu improvisation), Phumla Nkhumeleni (female voice ululation and singing) (in the song ”Live and Let Live”). Musical director / song arranger: Bongani (Honey) Ncube. Orphei Drängar: (on the song This Is Home) first tenors: Per Bergeå Af Geijerstam, Lukas Gavelin, Stefan Grudén, Lionel Guy, Samuel Göranzon, Björn Hagland, Peter Hagland, Henrik Hallingbäck, Magnus Hjerpe, Oskar Johansson, Lars Plahn, Carl Risinger, Alexander Rosenström, Pär Sandberg, Magnus Sjögren, Magnus Store, Stefan Strålsjö, Henrik Sundqvist, Staffan Sundström, Jon Svedin, Olle Terenius, Maki Yamada. Other tenors: Johan Berglund, Kristian Cardell, Jens Carlander, Jun Young Chung, Joakim Ekedahl, Olle Englund, Nils Frykman, Anton Grönberg, Johan Hedlund, Daniel Hjerpe, Fredrik Kjellröier, Kristofer Klerfalk, Nils Klöfver, Mattias Lundblad, Per-Henning Olsson, Peter Stockhaus, Peter Stockhaus, Peter Stockhaus, Peter Stockhaus, Peter Stureson, Anders Sundin, Erik Sylvén, Clas Tegerstrand, Magnus Törnerud, Sebastian Ullmark, Oskar Wetterqvist, Erik Östblom. 1st bass: Jonas Andersson, Filip Backström, Nils Bergel, Rickard Carlsson, Daniel Dahlborg, Oloph Demker, Nils Edlund, Erik Hartman, Lars Johansson Brissman, Elis Jörpeland, Jan Magnusson, Johan Morén, Tobias Neil, David Nogerius, Stein Norheim, Jacob Risberg, Stefan Simon, Henrik Stolare, Tor Thomsson, Håkan Tribell, Gunnar Wall, Fredrik Wetterqvist, Kristofer Zetterqvist, Samuel Åhman. double bass: Gustav Alberius, Lars Annernäs, Emil Bengtsson, Anders Bergendahl, Peter Bladh, Max Block, Ludwig Engblom Strucke, Stefan Ernlund, Fredrik Hoffmann, Boris Klanger, Adam Liifw, Andreas Lundquist, Marcus Lundwall, Joakim Lücke, Johan Muskala, Björn Niklasson, Mattias Nilsson, Elias Norrby, Ola Olén, Carl Sandberg, Magnus Schultzberg, Anand Sharma, Isak Sköld, David Stålhane, Stefan Wesslegård, Stefan Wesslegård, Gustav Åström. Choir director: Cecilia Rydinger [sv] Choir arrangement by Peter Gabriel with Dom Shaw and Cecilia Rydinger.

Producer: Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Richard Russell
Label: Real World, EMI, Republic

2 thoughts on “Review: Peter Gabriel – i/o (2023)”

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  1. I find the album sterile, the life has been processed out of the songs. It has little immediacy or intimacy, they are lost to the epic scale of the prduction process.

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