The music linked here is presented for sampling and evaluation purposes. This music is meant to supplement (and not replace) the currently available official releases for fans that want to explore deeper into an artists repertoire than is possible through official releases only (through demos, outtakes, alternate versions, and concert recordings). The music files, information, and downloads linked here represent unreleased recordings that are not available through any official channels. Please support the artists by purchasing their officially released music through normal channels. This site respects and supports artists and artist rights. Unfortunately, I have only been able to find it in lower bitrate versions (got this from Sugarmegs), but it is a fine show that sounds very good, and adds many of their signature songs to those already featured, thus making an excellent companion set to the Rotterdam show. And this is a very good quality FM recording. Here's more from the one and only Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, from around the same time period as the previous post (August 1973), but this show features a completely different setlist from the previous one (only 2 repeated songs), showing more of the unique honky tonk style of the band. “Mercy Street,” an ode to the late poet Anne Sexton and “Big Time” are great examples of Gabriel's amazing range as an artist and by no means album filler.Commander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenįM Broadcast recording, very good quality “In Your Eyes,” which has been described as Gabriel's greatest love song, is indeed the unsung hero and crowning jewel of this record. Gabriel has said that he and Cusack "were sort of trapped together in a minuscule moment of contemporary culture." The song is also noteworthy for the powerful singing of Youssou N'Dour.
When it was first released, the opening track on side two (or track 5 for you CD owners) is the timeless “In Your Eyes.” The song is also famously featured in the 1989 movie Say Anything and features the iconic image of Lloyd Dobler (played by John Cusack) holding up a boombox while this song is emanating from it. The running order for So has regrettably changed over the years. As much as I would have loved to hear Parton's vocal on the song, Bush's delicate reading creates a undeniable sense of beauty that makes the song work. When Parton declined, Gabriel turned to his friend Kate Bush, who immediately agreed to sing the song. When Gabriel wrote the song, his original intent was to have it be a duet with Dolly Parton. It also has a very interesting story attached to it. The third track, “Don't Give Up,” is a political statement decrying the rising unemployment that prevailed during Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister of England. Gabriel has stated that the song is also the continuing story of Mozo, a character from his first two albums. I thought most of the songs would be in a similar vein, but I was pleasantly surprised when I put the needle down on the record and I heard the opening cymbals (courtesy of Stewart Copeland) on “Red Rain.” Who knew that a song about torture, kidnapping, and parting red seas could sound so amazing. Upon hearing “Sledgehammer” for the first time, I was curious about what the rest of the album would sound like. Legend has it that Jackson recorded his trumpet solo in just one take. To capture the feel of the late ‘60s Stax recordings, Gabriel used trumpeter Wayne Jackson, member of The Memphis Horns, who toured with Redding. Gabriel refers to the song as an homage to the music that he grew up with and his all-time favorite singer, Otis Redding. “Sledgehammer” was released a month before the album and ironically it was the last song recorded for the album. For better or worse, the popularity of So was buoyed by the release of the album’s first single “Sledgehammer.” It was accompanied by, at the time, a groundbreaking, multiple MTV Award winning music video.