More of the Music of Peter Gabriel
Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of Peter Gabriel
Sonic Grade: D
The Direct Disk Labs half-speed here is thick, compressed and lifeless, though fairly rich tonally, a key quality the best UK pressings always have. The good UK pressings — on the original tan label, avoid the blue label reissues, they suck — are full of luscious Tubey Magic.
This is in fact the only Peter Gabriel recording that has that vintage Tubey Magical Analog sound. The worst recording of his first five, So, has the least amount. It is digital, and it sounds like it’s digital, but that is not the kiss of death if you can find a good domestic pressing of it and clean it right.
You could do worse I suppose, but too much of the life of the music will be lost when playing this poorly remastered pressing. Did they have a good British tape to work with? It doesn’t sound like it.
Is it better than the average domestic pressing, the ones that are clearly made from dubbed sub-generation tapes? Maybe, in some ways, but both this half-speed and the domestic pressings should be avoided by audiophiles looking for top quality sound.
How come you guys don’t like Half-Speed Mastered records?
To learn more about records that sound dramatically better than any Half-Speed ever made (with one rare exception, John Klemmer’s Touch), please consult our FAQ
Below you will find our breakdown of the best and worst Half-Speed mastered records we’ve auditioned over the years.